Maryland’s House of Delegates beat the buzzer and got an iGaming bill passed in time for Monday’s “crossover day” in the General Assembly over the weekend.
HB 1319 was approved by the House by a vote of 92-43 on Saturday, two days before the deadline.
The bill that Del. Vanessa E. Atterbeary introduced is now headed to the Senate, which has until April 8 when the session adjourns to pass the bill and get legalizing online casinos in front of voters.
A similar iGaming bill introduced by Sen. Ron Watson received no momentum on that side of the assembly, a sign of what kind of roadblock online casino legislation faces in the coming weeks.
HB 1319 calls for 30 iGaming operator licenses with a five-year term limit and a $1 million application fee. Licenses would be given to brick-and-mortar casinos, wagering facilities, and competitively awarded operators.
Making changes
The bill has undergone several amendments, including the prohibition of credit card usage to fund accounts and an improved problem gambling push.
The proposed tax rate is 55% on online slot games and 20% on online table games.
Maryland is looking to become the eighth U.S. state to legalize online casinos. West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Michigan, and Connecticut already have iGaming. Maine’s legislature is also trying to pass a U.S. casino bill. New York is having a hard time getting online casinos to gain traction in the Empire State.
Revenue is the answer
Why does the Old Line State want to join iGaming? The answer is in Maryland’s $1.3 billion proposed budget, which included iGaming revenue and higher taxes to aid transportation and education, according to the Associated Press.
“We can no longer rely on quick fixes or short-term approaches,” House Speaker Adrienne Jones said during a news conference last week.
“They will only land us right back in the same place next year. At this point, we know what the solution is, and it’s finally time that we just say it. The answer is revenues.”
