While Maryland has several land-based casinos and online poker and gambling legislation has been discussed regularly over the years, players in the Old Line State still have no licensed real-money sites they can play on.
Although this is inconvenient, it doesn’t mean you’re entirely left out of options. You can still find legally operating sweepstakes sites offering a great alternative to real-money poker. Additionally, you can explore offshore poker sites that are available in the state.
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Great casino offer No matter if you want to play with real money or virtual currencies on sweepstakes sites, this page will help you pick the most suitable site. Read on to find out what the best poker sites in Maryland are and learn other useful information.
Can I Play Online Poker in Maryland?
Yes, you can play online poker in Maryland on sweepstakes poker sites operating legally within the state’s borders. You can also explore offshore poker sites if you want to play for real money. These two options remain the only alternatives for Maryland players until the state legalizes online poker and starts licensing real-money operators.
Maryland Online Poker Facts
| Available options | Sweepstakes operators & offshore sites |
| State-regulated poker sites | Not available |
| Age limit for Maryland online poker | 18+ |
| Best MD poker site | CoinPoker |
Best Online Poker Sites in Maryland
We’ve reviewed and compared the best poker sites available to Maryland players to bring you our top recommendations. Here are the three best online poker sites we recommend to Maryland players:
#1. CoinPoker – The Best Pick for Maryland Players
CoinPoker is currently the best real-money poker site for Maryland players. This cryptocurrency poker platform offers Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Pot Limit Omaha 5, across a very respectable range of stakes.
With a 150% welcome bonus worth up to $2,000 and daily leaderboard prizes worth $1,000 for its regular players, CoinPoker certainly knows how to reward its members. Plus, the site offers 33% rakeback to all of its players.
#2 ClubWPT Gold – Great Texas Hold’em Action Backed By WPT
ClubWPT Gold offers an accessible sweepstakes poker option for U.S. players in states like Maryland that don’t have regulated real-money games. The player pool is very soft, which is a bonus for casual players hunting value.
Currently, the site only has Texas Hold’em games running, but the sizable selection of ring games and tournaments provides great action. While it currently doesn’t offer any loyalty perks, the sign-up bonus and daily SC freerolls provide very solid additional value.
#3. Stake US – Low-Stakes Action and 5% Lifetime Rakeback
Stake US is an excellent alternative to ClubWPT Gold for cryptocurrency sweepstakes. Some of its standout features include a welcome bonus worth up to SC 55, lifetime 5% rakeback on games, and very soft competition.
You can enjoy the popular Texas Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha variations in tournament, ring game, and sit-and-go formats. While the tournament selection is a bit smaller than you can find at other sites, classic events, bounty tournaments, and shootouts still run on a fairly regular schedule.
Free Poker vs Real-Money Games
The key difference between sweepstakes poker and real-money online poker lies in how players buy in and win prizes. Traditional real-money poker involves wagering actual cash, with chips and winnings directly tied to a player’s deposited funds. These sites typically require state regulation and licensing, which Maryland has not yet introduced.
Sweepstakes poker, on the other hand, operates under federal sweepstakes law. Players purchase virtual “Gold Coins” for entertainment play and receive free “Sweeps Coins” as a promotional bonus.
Sweeps Coins can be used in real games and later redeemed for cash prizes. This model allows Maryland players to enjoy poker legally online without violating gambling regulations.
Sweepstakes Model Explained
To illustrate the model sweepstakes poker sites run, here is a quick example of how the Sweeps Coins work. To start your experience on a sweepstakes site, you might purchase $20 worth of Gold Coins and receive 20 free Sweeps Coins.
You can then use those 20 Sweeps Coins to enter a tournament with a $2 Sweeps Coin buy-in. Let’s say you win and collect 10 Sweeps Coins. You can then redeem these promotional coins for $10 in real cash via one of the site’s available withdrawal methods.
Regulation Landscape in Maryland
Maryland currently does not regulate or license real-money online poker. While the state allows in-person poker at licensed casinos and legalized online sports betting in 2021, lawmakers have not yet passed legislation for internet-based poker rooms.
The primary issues preventing it from advancing are concerns about problem gambling and the constitutional requirement for voter approval to expand gambling beyond what’s already permitted. This means that before online poker can launch, it would need both legislative support and public approval through a statewide referendum.
Still, given the popularity of poker in Maryland and the success of regulated online sports betting, many industry experts believe the state will eventually revisit the issue. If neighboring states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia continue to expand their regulated online poker markets, Maryland may follow suit in the next few years.