Maryland Sen. Paul Corderman’s Senate Bill 860 died as the 2025 legislative session came to an end Wednesday. The bill was approved unanimously by the full Senate last month and sent to the House. There, it had a hearing in the Ways and Means Committee but never made it to a vote.
Now that the session is over, this means if state lawmakers want to force out sweepstakes or unlicensed online casinos, they will have to contact the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission. The Lottery would then send out cease-and-desist letters to any unlicensed operators.
The Lottery has targeted numerous sites so far this year, including Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW). The Commission has also recently sent C&Ds to three high-profile prediction market operators who offer sports event contracts.
Maryland Senate Bill 860 Would Have Criminalized Sweepstakes Operators
Furthermore, SB 860 would have prohibited online or mobile games, contests, or promotions that use a dual-currency system of payment and offer the chance to win cash or other prizes via casino-style gaming, lottery games, or sports betting.
The measure also would have criminalized the operators of sweepstakes games, along with their suppliers, payment processors, geolocation partners, and other affiliated parties.
In addition, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission would have been given the right to deny or revoke companies’ state gaming licenses if those operators were found in violation of the law.
SB 860 Would Have Banned Games, Contests, or Promotions That Simulate Casino-Style Gaming
SB 860 defined online sweepstakes game as a “game, contest, or promotion that is available on the internet or accessible on a mobile phone, computer terminal, or similar device” and/or “utilizes a dual-currency system of payment” and/or “simulates casino-style gaming.”
Examples of casino-style gaming listed included slot machines, video poker, table games, blackjack, roulette, craps, and poker. Sweeps operators also would have been banned from offering lottery games, keno, bingo, and sports wagering.
This news also follows the failures of other states to ban sweepstakes gaming.
In Mississippi, a proposed ban was approved in both the Senate and the House before it died in conference on the final day of March after being returned to its original chamber. Sen. Joey Fillingane’s SB 2510 divided lawmakers because of the addition of legal sports betting language in the House.
Then in Arkansas, a bill that would have legalized online casino and authorized dual-currency online gaming only for licensed operators was pulled from a committee agenda on Monday.