Maryland Sportsbooks: Can You Bet on Sports in Maryland?

Maryland has launched online sports betting, and several operators now live in the state.

The state and players are in an interesting predicament—not only is Maryland sports betting online something new, but there’s also a handful of operators to choose from.

When examining the top sports betting sites, you need to look for a place that offers fantastic mobile sports betting in Maryland, great bonuses/promotions, sports betting markets, and customer support. There’s more to consider, but these are the most general things to review.

Below, we’ll show you the top five Maryland sports betting sites you can play at and why they’re our favorites.

PointsBet - Best unique betting method among Maryland sportsbooks

Not only is PointsBet unique in that it's an online sportsbook that hails from Australia, but it also provides a unique betting option known as PointsBetting.

With so many Maryland sportsbooks online today, it’s becoming more difficult for sites to differentiate themselves from one another. However, this isn’t the case for PointsBet, as it stands out from the pack thanks to this feature.

PointsBet MD app

The PointsBet MD mobile app opens with a menu showcasing all available promos and offers. You can click on these to learn more or see a complete list of the offers.

As you continue down the page, you’ll see three menus: featured, live, and next up games. You’ll find a list of those games below alongside the betting odds.

You’ll also find a menu of available sports; click it to populate the page with those games.

Along the bottom of the app, you’ll find a menu with links to all available sports, live betting options, quick parlay, your bets, and a menu that opens on the left-hand side. This menu has links to streaming, promotions, the Name A Bet feature, and more.

PointsBet MD  - PointsBetting is the best Maryland sports betting method

To explain PointsBetting, let’s use an example.

Suppose you bet $10 on the over on an NBA game total that’s set at 185 points. At the end of the game, the combined point total is 187 points.

Not only did you win the bet, but you'll receive your wager multiplied by the number of points you were correct. In this case, since you were right by two points, you’ll receive $20.

PointsBetting explained

Pointsbet Maryland - Create a unique Maryland betting experience

At PointsBet, you can inquire about any wager you can possibly think of with the “Name A Bet” feature. With this, you can contact PointsBet, propose a bet, and within 24 hours they’ll approve or reject your request. If it's approved, you'll receive tailored betting odds.

This allows you to potentially wager on something you cannot find anywhere else, by creating your own betting experience.

Below is the form you’ll fill out to request a bet.

PointsBet pros:

• PointsBetting has a lot of potential upside
• Name A Bet is a unique method for sports betting in Maryland
• Great five-day-long welcome bonus offering $100 bonus bets each day

PointsBet cons:

• Lacks promotions for existing players

BetMGM - Top welcome bonus among all Maryland sports betting sites 

BetMGM offers new sportsbook players an exciting welcome bonus. Here, you can get up to $1,000 paid back in bonus bets if your initial wager on the platform loses.

BetMGM - Best parlay-building tools at Maryland sportsbooks

With tools such as Easy Parlay and BetMGM-generated Top One Game Parlays, the BetMGM sportsbook provides players with multiple ways to craft the best parlay wagers. While these are risky bets, they offer plenty of monetary upsides if you nail a successful one.

BetMGM  - Top Maryland online betting sites for live streaming

While it’s not offered for more mainstream US-based sports, live streaming is available. The live streaming tool is reserved primarily for international contests on sports like tennis, soccer, and cricket.

BetMGM Maryland pros:

• Live streaming allows players to watch international games
• BetMGMs welcome offer with terms and conditions that provide more options on the bonus bets you receive
• Building parlays becomes easier when playing at BetMGM

BetMGM MD cons:

• MGM Rewards is available, but it's not the most accessible program for casual players

BetRivers MD - Best Maryland sportsbook for casual-friendly welcome bonuses

BetRivers has always done a great job of catering to a more casual player base, and their welcome bonus amplifies that.

You’ll receive a $500 bonus bet when you use promo code “SPORTS.”

With such a low ceiling on the offer, it takes the pressure off new players while providing excellent value.

BetRivers MD app

The BetRivers MD app starts with a menu across the top with a search bar and links to featured games, live betting options, live streaming, specials, and all available sports.

Under this menu, you’ll find a carousel-like menu featuring all available promos/offers.

Beneath the promos is a list of games sorted by sport but headlined by the NFL.

In the upper left-hand corner of the mobile app, you’ll find a collapsible menu with links to Responsible Gaming, promotions, rewards, the help center, and more.

The bottom of the app is home to a menu with links to the sportsbook, promotions, bonus store, bet history, support, and betslip.

BetRivers   - Best community-building Maryland sports betting site

While you’re unable to interact directly with fellow players, you will be able to see their success while playing at BetRivers. Here, you’ll find a feed that shows live winners in real time. You may find that this feature gives you a little inspiration to get your own name on the feed!

Betrivers  - Best Maryland sportsbooks for existing player promotions

Welcome bonuses are great, undoubtedly, but having promotions available for existing players provides value to all players all of the time.

At BetRivers, you’ll have access to multiple promotions, including a reward program, a football “bet and get” offer, and basketball bet insurance.

BetRivers MD pros:

• Great welcome bonus for new and casual players
• Nice library of existing player promotions
• Success newsfeed inspires players to win their next wager

BetRivers MD cons:

• Can run into a bit of lag on the mobile app

DraftKings sportsbook Maryland - Best sports betting app in Maryland

DraftKings sportsbook is one of the most popular online sportsbooks in all of the United States. Part of what makes it so popular is its mobile app, which is simply the best in the industry.

On this app, you’ll experience no lag or buffering between pages. you'll also find easily discernible menus for navigating the app, and a wide variety of sports/betting markets headlined by player props.

DraftKings MD app

At DraftKings sportsbook, you’ll find an account icon in the upper left-hand corner which provides quick links to log in, view promotions, go to the help center, rewards, and more.

Back on the homepage, you’ll see a few menus:

• One with links to the sportsbook, quick parlay, social, pools, flash bet, marketplace, and more
• Available promotions and offers
• Available sports betting markets

Beneath this, you’ll see a series of available Quick Same Game Parlay options for various sports, followed by a list of upcoming and available games.

At the bottom of the app, there’s a menu for the homepage, live betting page, betslip, sports, and rewards/promos.

DraftKings  - Best Maryland sportsbooks for player props

Player props are an exciting way to wager because it’s similar to fantasy sports—you place a bet on a player’s statistical production and concentrate solely on them.

At DraftKings sportsbook, you’ll find the most player prop betting options on the market.

DraftKings  - Great rewards program for Maryland betting

At DraftKings Sportsbook, you’ll earn DK Crowns when you wager. You can redeem DK Dollars per 55 Crowns earned, which converts to $0.10.

You earn crowns in the following ways:

• $2 Straight Bets = 1 Crown
• $1 Parlays = 1 Crown

 

DraftKings MD pros:

• Easy to comprehend rewards program—bet, receive DK Crowns, convert to DK Dollars
• Best mobile app in the industry
• Widest array of player prop betting options on all sports

DraftKings MD cons:

• Perhaps the worst welcome bonus in the industry—only a 20% deposit match worth up to $1,000.

FanDuel Maryland - Best seasonal welcome bonus among Maryland sportsbooks

The typical FanDuel Sportsbook welcome bonus is a $1,000 No Sweat First Bet. However, during specific holidays such as Christmas, they’re known to up the ante and offer even more value.

For example, during Christmas, that $1,000 No Sweat First Bet increases to $2,500, which is far and away the most value for a welcome bonus that you’ll find on the Maryland betting market today.

FanDuel - Best new player resource among Maryland sportsbooks 

If you’re brand new to sports betting, you may only be somewhat familiar with how to bet and what different bet types mean. At FanDuel Sportsbook, you’ll have a “Sports Betting 101” tool to use, which explains how everything works.

FanDuel - Fantastic odds boosts for mobile sports betting in Maryland

Odds boosts allow players to enjoy even higher winnings on their wagers.

FanDuel sportsbook will provide odds boosts that align with its sportsbook ambassadors daily. These ambassadors include people such as Kay Adams and the Pat McAfee Show.

FanDuel MD pros:

• Best odds boosts in Maryland
• A fantastic resource for new players learning to bet with Sports Betting 101
• The exciting use of sportsbook ambassadors such as Kay Adams and Pat McAfee makes for unique betting opportunities

FanDuel MD cons:

• Limited additional promotions for existing players

Best Maryland sportsbook bonuses - Pros and cons of using a first match deposit bonus

You’ll find a collection of the new player welcome bonuses and existing player promotions at all Maryland online sportsbooks. Each of these provides value, but some offer more than others.

A typical new player welcome bonus is a first-match deposit bonus. With these, you’ll receive a match in bonus funds up to a specific amount and at a certain rate.

For example, DraftKings Sportsbook offers a 20% match worth up to $1,000.

As with any offer, these have their upsides and downsides.

Pros - Typically have high monetary upside, allow you to stake more on wagers, upside for larger winnings.

Cons - Typically come with wagering requirements which indicate the amount of money needed to wager to withdraw the bonus as cash; they can have a series of terms and conditions that may be challenging to identify for new players.

Beyond deposit bonuses, there are plenty of other offers, including no sweat bets, bonus bets, bet & get offers, and more.

Below is a list of some of our favorite Maryland betting promotions:

• Caesars MD: $1,500 No Sweat Bet
• Caesars MD: $100 Bonus Bet
• BetMGM: $1,000 First Bet Offer
• FanDuel MD: $1,000 No Sweat First Bet
• PointsBet MD: 5x $100 No Sweat Bets
• BetRivers MD: $500 Bonus Bet

Is sports betting legal in Maryland? Are you really playing at legal Maryland sportsbooks?

Yes, sports betting is legal in Maryland for retail and online settings.

Voters initially approved sports betting in November 2020 and the first retail sportsbooks opened in December 2021.

Online sports betting launched here on November 21, 2022, with a soft launch that included seven online sportsbooks, with three more waiting in the wings for 2023. At time of writing, there are also 11 currently going through the regulatory process.

From November 23 to November 30, the state reported over $186 million in wagers, with $63 million coming from online players.

If you’re in Maryland and want to see whether or not you’re playing at a legal sportsbook, you can check out the Maryland Lottery and Gaming official website for vendor lists, or go to the bottom of the homepage of a sportsbook to look for Maryland Lottery and Gaming markings and information.

Popular Maryland sports to bet on - Betting markets in Maryland

As with any state in the United States, Maryland sports bettors enjoy betting on the “Big Four” sports—NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL.

Maryland also has a number of college sports teams.

In Maryland, you’ll find the following professional franchises:

• NFL: Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders
• MLB: Baltimore Orioles
• College: Maryland Terrapins + more

Below are the betting markets available for each of these sports:

• NFL: Moneyline, point spread, totals, parlays, Same Game Parlays, props, futures, weekly games, playoffs, Super Bowl.
• MLB: Moneyline, run line, totals, parlays, Same Game Parlays, props, futures, daily games, playoffs, World Series.
• NHL: Moneyline, puck line, totals, parlays, Same Game Parlays, props, futures, daily games, playoffs, Stanley Cup Finals.
• NBA Moneyline: point spread, totals, parlays, Same Game Parlays, props, NBA futures, daily games, playoffs, NBA Finals.
• College Basketball: Moneyline, point spread, totals, parlays, Same Game Parlays, props, futures, daily/weekly games, March Madness, NIT.
• College Football: Moneyline, point spread, totals, parlays, Same Game Parlays, props, futures, daily/weekly games, 40+ bowl games, College Football Playoffs.

College sports betting in Maryland

While some states prohibit some or all college sports betting, Maryland sports betting has none of that. With that, you can bet on all college teams in the state.

To emphasize this, the University of Maryland has a partnership with PointsBet that can be seen at their school stadiums, Xfinity Center, and Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. This was the first sports betting partnership within the Big Ten Conference.

While the Maryland Terrapins are the most well-known college team, there are other colleges within the state where you’ll find various betting opportunities, including the following:

• Coppin State University
• Loyola University Maryland
• Morgan State University
• Mount St. Mary’s University
• Towson University
• United States Naval Academy
• University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• University of Maryland
• University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

March Madness Mania in Maryland

March Madness is the end-of-season NCAAB Tournament that features 64 teams. This single-elimination tournament provides an opportunity for well-known and unknown schools to participate and strive for a title.

Below, we’ll highlight the most successful season for various Maryland college teams.

• Coppin State University: Round of 32 (1997)
• Loyola University Maryland: Appearances (1994, 2012)
• Morgan State University: Division II Tournament winner (1974)
• Mount St. Mary’s University: Champion (1962) + numerous appearances in the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four.
• Towson University: Appearances (1990, 1991)
• United States Naval Academy: Elite Eight (1947, 1954, 1986)
• University of Maryland: NCAA Champions (2022)

Mobile sports betting in Maryland

With online betting launching in November 2022, mobile apps are more critical than ever in Maryland. For many players, this will be their first experience with certain mobile apps. That means the importance of creating an engaging, lag-free experience cannot be emphasized enough.

Our Conclusion on Maryland sports betting

Maryland is one of the more recent states to launch online betting. Outside of New York, the Maryland online betting launch has been the most heavily anticipated, and that’s evident by the amount of money that came in from mobile wagers in its first week.

While some players have been betting at retail sites since December 2021, plenty of new players had never placed a single legal sports betting wager before.

Maryland hosts several sportsbooks, giving players several options.

While all these options are great, they may not always know where to begin, which is where this page comes in. So keep it here to stay up to date with everything to do with sports betting in Maryland.