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Read. Follow. Verify.Maryland Senate Bill 652 Prohibits Illegal Online Gambling and Establishes Penalties
Last action · February 11, 2026: Hearing 3/11 at 1:00 p.m.Sponsors: Jeff Waldstreicher and 1 other
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What This Bill Would Do
Maryland Senate Bill 652 prohibits operating, promoting, or knowingly supporting illegal online gambling in the State and authorizes the Attorney General and prosecuting attorneys to issue cease and desist orders starting October 1, 2026.
Online gambling operators, payment processors, and internet s face new civil fines up to $100,000 per violation and criminal misdemeanor penalties if they fail to block unauthorized gaming websites accessed by individuals in Maryland.
- Maryland regulates legal wagering through the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission, overseeing authorized sports betting and casino operations. context
- Senate Bill 652 was introduced in the 2026 Maryland legislative session by Senators Waldstreicher and West. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Online gambling operators
Operators offering unauthorized online gambling face misdemeanor convictions, fines up to $100,000, forfeiture of all profits, and permanent ineligibility for gaming licenses.
Financial transaction providers
Payment processors and financial institutions are prohibited from processing transactions for illegal gambling and face civil penalties for non-compliance.
Platform providers
Web hosting and internet services must comply with cease and desist orders to disable illegal gambling website URLs within 30 days.
Key Facts
- Senate Bill 652 is designated as the Maryland Illegal Online Gambling Enforcement Act and takes effect October 1, 2026.
- A person is prohibited from operating, offering, conducting, engaging in, promoting, or knowingly supporting illegal online gambling in Maryland.
- Illegal online gambling is defined as offering wagers through an online gaming system on computers or mobile devices without express statutory authorization, excluding licensed online sports wagering and fantasy competitions.
- The Office of the Attorney General or a prosecuting attorney may issue a written cease and desist order requiring persons to block state-located users from accessing illegal gambling websites within 10 days.
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- Platform providers and financial transaction providers served with a cease and desist order have 30 days to block or disable access to specified illegal gambling websites.
- Violations of the Act constitute unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practices under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act.
- First-time violations for operating illegal online gambling carry misdemeanor penalties including imprisonment up to 3 years or fines up to $50,000, or both.
- Subsequent violations for operating illegal online gambling carry misdemeanor penalties including imprisonment up to 3 years or fines up to $100,000, or both.
- Financial supporters of illegal online gambling face fines up to $25,000 for a first violation and up to $50,000 for subsequent violations.
- Courts shall order the forfeiture of all profits, gains, gross receipts, and benefits earned in connection with a violation.
- The State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission must revoke any gaming license held by a person found to have violated the subtitle, rendering them permanently ineligible for future licenses.
- Each individual online gambling wager offered or accepted and each individual promotion constitutes a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What activities are considered illegal online gambling under this bill?
What happens if a platform provider or financial institution receives a cease and desist order?
Are licensed sports betting and fantasy competitions affected?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently filed. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 11, 2026SenateHearing 3/11 at 1:00 p.m.
- Feb 6, 2026SenateIntroducedFirst Reading Budget and Taxation
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expanded Intermediary Liability
The bill shifts enforcement beyond direct operators by imposing strict compliance and blocking mandates on financial institutions and web platform providers.
Connected Entities
Sources
mgaleg.maryland.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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