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The push for online casino legalization across the United States continues in 2025, with Maryland and Virginia already filing bills ahead of the upcoming legislative session.
In Virginia, Sen. Mamie Locke pre-filed a bill on Dec. 31, which would legalize both online casino and live dealer games in the state. Senate Bill 827 was referred to the Committee on General Laws and Technology and would be discussed as soon as the Virginia legislature starts on Jan. 8.
Locke’s bill would see the Virginia Lottery Board regulate the market, with plans to issue licenses to the four casino operators in the state. Operators could offer up to three skins, and casinos would have to pay a $1 million application fee that will be valid for five years.
Caesars Virginia, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, Golden Eagle Corp., and Hard Rock Bristol are the current permit holders in the state and would be subjected to a 15% tax rate. The bill allocates 2.5% of the tax revenue to responsible gambling efforts, with the remaining 97.5% going into the general fund.
The Old Dominion has been pushing for online casino legalization since sports betting was given the green light in 2020. It also reports that $1.9 billion has been generated in sports betting revenue since the market launched in January 2021, and the state has received $224.2 million in taxes during that time.
As with sports betting, the legal gambling age would be 21, and operators would be required to “prominently” display “1-800-GAMBLER” and the phrase “gambling problem” on their site.
Maryland Online Casino Bill Allows for Multi-State Gaming Agreements
After failing to get to the Senate floor last year with HB 1319, chair of the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee, Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary, is pushing again in 2025 with a fresh bill, HB 17. Similar to Virginia, the bill was pre-filed in December and will be officially filed when the legislative session opens on Jan. 8.
The Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (MSLGCC) would regulate the industry, and in response to criticism from the last bill, Atterbeary’s revised proposal would now permit existing video lottery operators and sports betting facilities to apply for igaming licenses. The regulator would also have the authority to grant up to five licenses to operators who “meet the requirements for an internet gaming licence under the subtitle.”
Operators would be required to pay a licensing fee of $1 million, with renewals every five years costing 1% of their average annual revenue. To encourage participation, applications from those already active in at least three other U.S. states with comparable iGaming regulations would benefit from a streamlined process, making it easier for established operators to enter the Maryland market.
A majority of the tax proceeds from operators would go into Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, an educational fund that has received over $128 million in sports betting revenue since 2022. The bill also allocates 1% of tax revenue to responsible gambling initiatives in the state.
There would also be room for multi-state internet gaming agreements, enabling Maryland to tap into a larger player pool and boost revenues. Delaware and West Virginia both border Maryland and are already part of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, along with New Jersey, Nevada, and Michigan. Pennsylvania is also in talks to join the agreement.
The US Online Casino Push Continues
While online sports betting has gained significant traction across the nation, only seven states have legalized online casinos so far. However, efforts are being made to expand this market this year, with Louisana among the growing list of states to have filed bills ahead of the 2025 sessions.
Meanwhile, in Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker believes online casinos are ‘worthy of consideration’ and with estimates suggesting that the state could generate up to $800 million annually from online gambling, there is increasing momentum among lawmakers to explore its legalization as a means to address the projected $3 billion budget shortfall.
Source: iGamingBusiness
