Maryland’s attempts to ban sweepstake casinos from the state failed to materialize, as the legislative session ended for 2025. The bill, SB 860, had gained quite a bit of support, but it never made it to a vote.
While the bill will presumably rear its head during the next legislative session in 2026, for now, it is effectively dead. The state, which was also poised to legalize online casinos, managed to get it to the Ways and Means Committee. However, it stalled with no real reason given.
Sweepstake casinos have been a contentious issue across the US in recent months. California and New York have all begun to crack down on them, while New Jersey is currently putting it through their legislative system. Connecticut has outright banned them, and Louisiana has also begun its attempt to ban them from the state too.
US states wage war on sweepstake casinos
As there’s not much precedent for how sweepstake casinos run, there are fears that it could lead to further damage to the vulnerable. With no real laws on how to manage these websites, oversight and regulations are often tossed to the side.
For instance, in California, Stake has been found to be making its “playthrough requirements” far too high. This forces further gambling to even be able to cash out.
Sweepstake casinos differ from other online casinos by offering two currencies, “gold coins” and “sweep coins”. Gold coins can be used to play the games for no monetary gain, while sweep coins earn money.
With the Maryland bill dead for now, it’ll be up to the various institutions in the state to take action. A regulator recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to shut down a website. Other states, like Delaware, have also begun taking action, as it recently forced VGW, a sweepstake operator, out of the state.
