Is sports betting legal in Maryland? Yes, online and in person for adults 21 and over

Yes. Sports betting is legal in Maryland for adults 21 and over, both online and at licensed retail sportsbooks. Online sportsbooks went live in November 2022 under the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, and every major app operates in the state. If you are searching for when it will become legal, the answer is that it already has been for four football seasons.

Our Maryland state guide covers the full picture, including which platforms are available and how they compare. This story covers what is still unsettled: Maryland's legal fight with the prediction market Kalshi, and what that means for Terrapins fans looking at sports contracts instead of a traditional sportsbook.

What is legal and what is not

If you are 21 or older and physically located in Maryland, you can place sports wagers through any sportsbook the state has licensed. Anyone under 21 cannot, and offshore sites that do not hold a Maryland license are not legal options, whatever their marketing says. Location rules apply to everyone: the apps check where you are, and the state's law covers activity inside its borders.

The gray area is sports event contracts. These are offered by federally regulated exchanges and are priced like trades on whether an outcome happens. Maryland's view is that they are sports wagering under state law and need a state license.

The Kalshi case

In 2025 Maryland ordered Kalshi to stop offering sports contracts to people in the state. Kalshi sued, arguing that federal commodities law preempts state gambling rules. A federal district judge in Maryland disagreed and declined to block the state. A Katten Muchin Rosenman analysis of the ruling noted that the court relied on a strong presumption against federal preemption. It quoted the judge's line that regulating gambling sits "at the core of the state's residual powers as a sovereign." Kalshi appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Aug. 5, 2025.

As of this site's Oct. 10 review, that appeal was still pending. The case matters well beyond College Park. Other federal district courts have split on the same preemption question, so a Fourth Circuit decision would carry weight in the other states in that circuit. It could also shape how the question finally gets settled across the country.

Where the exchanges stand in Maryland

The exchanges do not all handle Maryland the same way:

• Kalshi: Under a state order to stop offering sports contracts, with its appeal pending at the Fourth Circuit.
• Polymarket US: Not currently serving Maryland.
• Novig: Available in the state, which is why it appears among the venues in our comparison.

If the Fourth Circuit sides with Kalshi, the state's power over these products would shrink. If it sides with Maryland, the state's order stands and other states would have a stronger hand. Either way, the licensed sportsbooks are not affected. Their legal status comes from the 2022 launch and does not depend on this case.

For Terrapins fans

Maryland's games are listed on every licensed app in the state, and our Maryland team page follows the Terrapins through the rest of the Big Ten season. Prices on the Terps and their conference opponents vary from venue to venue. When one side is favored, the number tells you how much.

If it stops being fun

Maryland requires all players to be at least 21. Free, confidential help is available around the clock at 1-800-GAMBLER.