Gamblers and players in Maryland have been hoping for online casino legalization for a very long time, and that dream was supposed to come true this year.Senate Bill 267 was also approved, but it doesn't look like casinos will be legalized anytime soon.
obstacles on the way
The House of Commons has yet to approve the bill.It may be approved by the General Assembly, but must first be submitted to the House of Commons.
Co-sponsor Senator Ron Watson believes online gambling will be allowed next year if nothing happens before the end of the House session on April 4.
Online casinos in Maryland can offer sweepstakes and social online gaming services.However, you can play games such as slots and table games, but you cannot use real money at all.
Online sports betting will be legalized in Maryland in November 2022, followed by online casino gambling and online poker.
Watson commented on this in January: "People are already playing online, so why not legalize it and regulate it?"
To begin gambling in Maryland, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Authority must license and regulate the online casino industry.
Legalization will benefit states: Watson estimates tax revenue will be around $1 million a year.
He says: "Casinos have proven to be very valuable to the Maryland economy. If another pandemic hits and we can't play sports, there will be zero money generated from the existing casinos." It would be very unfortunate, but if we could introduce online games, it would provide another source of income to fund aggressive efforts to improve Maryland's education system. You can get it.
Benefits for the State
The tax rate is 15% and the license fee for five years is $5.License renewals also cost 500.000% of average profit over the last three years.The revenues collected by the state go to the Education Trust Fund and also cover the costs of regulation.
SB 267 will also allow for bonus plays and promotional deductions.
The state will focus on minorities as this is the only way to ensure that everyone can benefit from casinos.
The plan to legalize online casinos does not go as planned.But Watson is optimistic that everything will go according to plan next year.He says: “I am very confident that I have something that I can get through by next year. I have plenty of time. We may set up a meeting to work out the details, but I am confident that we will be ready for something next year.”
But even if the bill passes all next year, players won't be able to gamble or play poker until 2025.
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