A bill to legalize online casinos in Maryland (SB 603) is expected to be discussed by the state’s Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on Feb. 28, and there isn’t expected to be any formal movement on the legislation prior to that meeting.
The bill, which was introduced by Sen. Ron Watson in late January, taxes operators at 47%. The majority of tax revenue would go to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, an educational funding measure. SB 603 would tie licenses to the state’s six existing retail casinos, giving each entity two mobile skins.
A tethered licensing structure was proposed in part due to brick-and-mortar cannibalization fears, although a report commissioned by the state lottery suggests those concerns might be overblown.
