Maryland has passed two sweepstakes casino ban bills through the House with overwhelming votes. With Senate hearings this week and a session deadline of April 13, a ban could become law within days.

The clock is ticking for sweepstakes casinos in Maryland. Two bills, HB 295 Maryland and HB 1226 Maryland cleared the House with massive bipartisan majorities and are now before the Senate, which holds hearings on March 31 and April 1. The legislative session closes on April 13. 

If either bill clears the Senate and lands on Governor Wes Moore's desk, sweepstakes casinos will be illegal in the state. Maryland players should be preparing right now.

What the Two Bills Would Do

HB 295 Maryland introduces a criminal prohibition on what it calls 'interactive games'; any online game using multiple currency systems redeemable for prizes or cash that simulates casino-style play. That definition directly covers the sweepstakes model. Fines range from $10,000 to $100,000 per violation, with up to three years in prison.

HB 1226 Maryland takes a more direct route. It explicitly names sweepstakes gaming and folds it into Maryland's definition of illegal online gambling. It also gives the state Attorney General expanded powers: cease-and-desist orders, payment blocking, and civil or criminal penalties against operators, affiliates, and service providers. 

Maryland does not need both to pass. One is enough to make sweepstakes gaming illegal in the state.

Where Things Stand Now

Both bills are now before the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. HB 1226 gets its hearing on March 31, and HB 295 follows on April 1, both at 1 PM local time. This is the same committee that unanimously passed a sweeps ban last year before the bill stalled in the House. A full Senate floor vote must then happen before April 13. The speed at which both bills were assigned for hearings signals that Senate leadership is motivated to act.

Which Operators Are Already Affected

Many platforms haven't waited for legislation to act. Following cease-and-desist orders from the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, a long list of operators have already exited the state or disabled Sweeps Coin play: McLuck, Hello Millions, Jackpota, Funzpoints, Spree, Mega Bonanza, Zula Casino, Fortune Coins, Stake.us, and VGW-operated platforms including Chumba Casino and LuckyLand Slots. If you're a Maryland player and your options already feel thinner than they used to be, that's why.

What Maryland Players Should Do Now

If you have an active sweepstakes casino account in Maryland, the most important thing to do right now is redeem any Sweeps Coins you have accumulated. Don't let balances sit. If a ban is signed into law, platforms are likely to restrict access quickly, and redemption windows may close without much notice.

Check your preferred platform's state availability page now, not after the vote. Some casinos may restrict access in Maryland before any law is formally signed. Our previous coverage of the Maryland sweepstakes casino ban bills has the full background on how both bills got here.

The Bigger Picture

Maryland is not an isolated case. This is part of a national wave. Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed a formal sweepstakes casino ban 2026 into law on March 13, making Indiana the first state to do so this year. Six states banned sweepstakes casinos in 2025, including California, New Jersey, and New York. Minnesota, Iowa, and Utah all have active ban legislation moving through their own sessions right now.

The Maryland interactive games ban would make the state the second to formally ban the dual-currency model in 2026. The pattern is consistent: states that legalize online gambling tend to push sweepstakes platforms out at the same time. Maryland legalized regulated online casino gaming earlier this year, with platforms expected to launch in 2027 under tribal control. Sweepstakes casinos and regulated iGaming are increasingly incompatible in the same market.

When It Ends

April 13 is not far away. For Maryland players, the next two weeks could determine whether their favorite platforms remain available at all. The Senate hearings on March 31 and April 1 are the next critical moments. If either bill clears the committee and passes the full Senate, it goes straight to Governor Moore, who introduced the legislation himself and is expected to sign it.

This is a live situation. We'll update this coverage as the Senate votes unfold. For now, treat this as the alert it is, and don't assume things will look the same a fortnight from now.