The City of Baltimore is coming down hard on those it believes have breached its gambling laws. Six online casinos have recently been threatened with legal action.
The laws regarding online casinos across the US are varied, making them hard to understand. Yet for those in Maryland, and Baltimore in particular, the message is clear: Casino gaming is not allowed. This has seen the city sue several well-known global brands over their provision of services to citizens.
Baltimore’s Legal Battles
The City of Baltimore is currently suing six online casinos. This is due to a violation of the Consumer Protection ordinance, and it alleges that these casinos have promoted illegal gambling by disguising it as sweepstakes casinos and free games. A further extension of the lawsuit claims that they are also targeting minors through the use of cartoon-style graphics and advertising on social platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Baltimore authorities have said that the companies are foreign-owned and are not legal in the state. Those in question are based in Malta, Cyprus, Estonia, and Canada. Despite having no license to operate, they have made their service accessible to those living in Baltimore.
Mayor Brandon Scott said, “They are designed to be addictive, have minimal age verification, and are not licensed in the state of Maryland. We are talking about foreign companies operating illegally in Baltimore and causing real harm to our residents.” The lawsuit is aiming to reclaim civil penalties, injunctive relief, restitution for affected consumers, and disgorgement of profits.
Online Casino Gaming in the United States
Online casino gaming for real money is down to laws decided by state authorities. While many now allow sports betting, as does Maryland, there are only eight states where online casino gambling is legal. These include Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Maine, and West Virginia.
Websites like Aboutslots have been rating and reviewing not just games, but online casinos in certain areas of the US for some time. For those wanting to find everything from the best bonuses to game selections, there are good options here to choose from. Yet platforms such as this have also promoted the concept of responsible gambling, omitting those that are not transparent in their dealings or do not have safer gambling initiatives. This has helped weed out many of the undesirable operators.
Casino Gambling Changes in Maryland
By no means is the book closed regarding online gambling and its legality in Maryland. Legislators recently renewed their efforts to legalise this with the Senate Bill 761 and Senate Bill 885, designed to work together. This would put the question of a legal gambling system to a referendum, letting the people of Maryland decide.
Unlike some states, legalization would not involve opening the doors to outside operators. Instead, existing casino operators and approved partners would be able to offer services to those in the state. Money raised from this would then go to public education initiatives.
Surveys in the state still point to voters actually being against this. A poll in 2025 found that 71% of those in Maryland opposed it, due to potential gambling harms and its social impact. This is despite proposals that indicate that it will only happen with the backing of strict consumer protections and compliance requirements.
Real Money and Sweepstake Casinos
The casinos in question may believe they have done no wrong, as many of them operate under a sweepstakes model. These casinos use in-game currency, known as a gold coin, which lets people play traditional casino titles. Another coin, known as a sweepcoin, can be gained during play and then cashed in for prizes, often in the form of cash. This system lets casinos run under sweepstakes laws and, in many cases, operate where real money casinos can not.
Many states have thus gone one step further, banning sweepstakes casinos as they believe it is still a form of gambling. The argument is that, as no money changes hands, it is not a cash issue. Yet this is not strictly true. People can win prizes, and it is possible to buy extra coins for play using a credit or debit card. Thus, sweepstake casinos do handle cash, just in a different fashion.
Baltimore has a history of going after companies that serve its citizens unlicensed. Last year, they filed a similar lawsuit against FanDuel and DraftKings. All of these casinos had previously been issued cease and desist letters.
Should it change its laws, this may only get worse for those operating sweepstake casinos, as the state seeks to channelise its players into real money operators that have taxable revenue. Only time will tell how this plays out, but even if a bill makes it through the House, it seems unlikely that it will pass public approval without a heavy marketing campaign and large concessions to woo the public.
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