Maryland Will Not Pass Online Gambling Legislation

Any optimism that online gambling legislation would be passed in the state of Maryland were dashed on Tuesday, as the Maryland Speaker of the House revealed that online gambling legislation would not be up for debate or vote this year "following numerous discussions."

The Speaker's Chief of Staff Kristin F. Jones revealed that the inclusion of online gambling fell by the wayside as the issue was never fully worked out. “After numerous discussions, the House has decided not to include an Internet gaming component in any legislation it advances during the special session,” Jones said.

Maryland's proposed e-gaming proposal came from a group of land casino owners named Cordish. The company announced that it was opposed to having a new land casino built, but stated that if licensed casinos were allowed to offer internet gambling, it would help compensate for the competition a land casino would bring.