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Maryland senator Ron Watson re-introduces bill to allow voters to decide online casino legalization
Maryland Sen. Ron Watson has again filed his measure that could give voters the opportunity to expand legal gaming to include online casino play.
The Maryland Senate will again consider legislation to establish a voter referendum on gaming expansion targeting online casinos in 2026 after Maryland Sen. Ron Watson presented a measure toward that end in the chamber. Watson has been the most prominent advocate for iGaming in Maryland's Senate and the current proposal strongly resembles his previous filings with an important change.
Watson's proposal sets gaming expansion question before voters
Maryland's constitution reserves the power to determine which forms of gaming are legal to its voters. However, members of the legislature have the privilege of initiating the process.
Watson has done that again for 2026 in terms of proposing that voters ratify an amendment that would legalize and regulate online casinos sites for real money. SB0885 brings forward many elements of Watson's filings from previous years.
Under the proposal, every casino licensee and sports wagering licensee in Maryland could choose to also make the best online slots and online table games available. The licensees could do so via their own platforms or contract with other parties to do so on their behalf.
The standard fee for licenses of this type would be $1 million, covering the first five years of operation. Watson has included some provisions that could reduce that cost in some circumstances, though.
Missing from the proposal are a tax rate for revenue from the expanded gaming, among other items. A new provision in Watson's measure could help it reach voters.
Funding for physical casinos included in proposal
A sticking point that has held up the progress of Watson's previous efforts has been the potential impact of online casinos on land-based gaming facilities in Maryland. Lawmakers have expressed concern about potential cannibalization resulting in job losses and a downturn in tax revenue from that segment.
Watson has worked in new language that aims to reduce any impact of Marylanders looking for baccarat odds online instead of in person. SB0885 establishes a fund that would take up to $10 million of the tax revenue from iGaming to support brick-and-mortar casinos.
Nonetheless, Maryland casino operators count Churchill Downs and the Cordish Companies among their members. Representatives for both of those entities testified against earlier proposals for iGaming legalization in the Maryland legislature.
Should Watson's measure advance out of Annapolis to a public referendum, those two companies could fund voter campaigns to defeat the referendum. The two corporations have been among the most vocal opponents of online casino expansion in the US.
If voters approve, though, Marylanders may be enjoying offers like the Borgata Casino promo code as soon as 2027. That offer is currently only available to bettors in New Jersey.
The first test for Watson's motion in 2026 will be a March 11 hearing of the Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. That could give an indication of whether Watson's measure will fare better in the new session.
