The Old Line State is on par with progressive updates in sports betting regulation as in certain other states. However, online casinos won’t be an option for casino enthusiasts for at least a few more years.
Residents of Maryland are in luck nevertheless, because the state allows legal sweepstakes and social casino gaming for anyone who is 18 or older.
The sweepstakes casino model enables sweepstakes winnings to be redeemed as real money through payment methods that are commonly preferred by society at large.
People who prefer playing slots, table and card games for free will find a true-to-life casino experience that’s incredibly easy to access.
Let us inform you about the best casinos, bonuses and the kind of games that are available so that you can easily find your next top sweepstakes casino venue.
Best Sweepstakes Casinos in Maryland 2023
Although not a finite list, the casinos below offer a great choice for new and seasoned casino players alike. Be sure to claim the promos by visiting the venue through the corresponding link. Or you can keep reading if you need more details to expand your MD sweepstakes casino horizons.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Maryland?
Maryland boasts six land casinos and resorts, which also offer sports betting. In 2021 the state opened its doors to online sports betting, which kicked off at the start of 2023.
Nevertheless, patrons of websites like BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel and others wouldn’t be able to access the online Maryland casino site any time soon. But there may be light at the end of the tunnel, with the help of the MD state Senate Bill 267.
Among other things, the bill will open the issue on online casinos to a referendum vote, planned for the end of 2024. Even though it is expected that the voters will decide in favor of iGaming, the change wouldn’t roll out until some time in 2026.
Needless to say, Maryland online casino sites still have years to go before they reach a legal status and enter the market. With this, the only legal option for casino gaming for the residents is in sweepstakes casinos.
Are Sweepstakes Casinos Legal in Maryland?
There is undivided legality in respect to sweepstakes casinos in the state of Maryland. Qualifying residents who are 18 or over can participate in a game of chance sweepstakes by creating and verifying an account with the online venue.
Here is a rundown of the core elements that deem sweepstakes casinos legal in MD:
- Any game – slots, card and table – must be made available for free;
- Sweepstake entries must be made available for free;
- Sweepstakes prizes are honored by the company, i.e. redeemed for money;
Another detail that makes this form of casino gaming legal rests in the dual currency system of sweepstakes casinos: Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. The former allows players to play any casino game for free, but for pure fun and without a chance of winning a monetary prize.
The Sweeps Coin (SC) currency is the equivalent to an actual sweepstakes drawing ticket.
Plays or entries that you make with Sweeps Coins are considered a legal sweepstake, just like you would fill out a ticket to enter a drawing for some sort of a prize. In the case of sweepstakes casinos, your winnings in the SC currency can be converted into money.
In short, this is what makes sweepstakes casinos and their social casino counterparts free in Maryland and in most other US states.
MD Sweepstakes Casinos Online
At the time of researching and writing this guide, the US is home to more than a dozen well-established sweepstakes casinos.
A common feature for all of them is that qualifying residents can sign up for free, claim a free bonus and enjoy slots or other casino games with hefty amounts of Gold Coins & Sweeps Coins.
From the get-go, sweepstakes casinos are more concerned with their subscribers having fun rather than depositing money, as is the case with online casinos.
By becoming a registered player you will discover state of the art websites that work on desktop and mobile, that are fortified with SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption for safe transactions, when you want to purchase a Gold Coin package and obtain Sweeps Coins.
Having more GCs enables you to keep your free bankroll full and discover slots made by famous providers like Pragmatic Play, Nolimit City, 3 Oak Gaming, Big Time Gaming and others.
The table below provides an overview of the top brass in the world of sweepstakes casinos:
| 🎰Name | ✍️Signup Offer | 🍒Top Slots | 🧑💻Providers | ⭐Extras | 🌐Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulsz Casino | 5,000 free gold coins + 2.3 SC | Money Train, Starburst, Wolf Gold | Pragmatic Play, Nolimit City, NetEnt, Relax Gaming, etc. | 200% more GCs on first purchase | Sign Up |
| WOW Vegas | 5,000 free WOW Coins + 4.5 SC | Big Bass Bonanza, Dog House Megaways, Take The Bank | BetSoft, Pragmatic Play, and more | Promos for social media followers | Sign Up |
| Stake.us | 1 SC and 10,000GC | Sweet Bonanza, Wanted Dead or A Wild, Chaos Crew | Proprietary, Hacksaw Gaming, Pragmatic Play, etc. | Crypto purchases and redemptions | Sign Up |
| Fortune Coins Casino | 360,000 GC + 1,200 FC | Emily’s Treasure, Genie’s Lamp, Lucky Panda | Proprietary, Relax, Pragmatic Play, Mascot, and others | Progressive Jackpots | Sign Up |
| High 5 Casino | 5 Sweeps Coins, 250 Game Coins, 600 Diamonds | Gates of Olympus, Platinum Goddess, 5 Lions Megawa ys | High 5 Games, Pragmatic Play | Diamonds can be exchanged for bonus sweepstakes spins | Sign Up |
Sweepstakes Casino Games
Our experts will help you gain a clear understanding of the basics in case you are not familiar with social and sweeps casinos:
You can enjoy playing free slots, get free sweepstakes and free promotions – with the option to purchase coins so that you can upscale your gaming experience.
But what about the type of games at sweepstakes casinos? Are they any different from slots or table games found in standard online casinos?
Sweepstakes slots
Sweepstakes casinos do not fall behind regular online casinos in terms of game quality, choice and number.
As a matter of fact, many of the top online slots that you’ll find at online casinos can also be found at the sweepstakes venues in our guide.
Online and sweepstakes casinos alike choose their slot games from well-reputed, domestic and international providers.
Legal entities that are registered with the state are subject to regular checks by independent auditors for the online casino industry. These companies submit each game to hugely complex algorithms to check for RTP, volatility, fairness and overall compliance with the regulations.
The major difference between sweeps and regular online casinos is the type of currency. We’ve already established that you can’t make any spins or bets with actual money, which promotes safe online casino gaming.
But say you rattle a jackpot slot off its grand prize and you’ve played with Sweeps Coins. Indeed, the prize is marked with the casino’s respective SC logo, but the amount you may have won can be readily redeemed for cash!
In other words, sweepstakes slots allow players to win money, even though you don’t have to spend any in order to win. Players can discover any type of a slot game at sweepstakes casinos, from Megaways to Hold & Win to standard paylines – which makes the experience more exciting and more unique.
Table Games
This is the only area at sweepstakes casinos where the offering doesn’t fare well in comparison to the table games at online casinos. It’s difficult to say why sweeps casinos offer fewer table games.
We’ve played blackjack, poker, holdem, baccarat and roulette at most of the sweepstakes casinos on our website. Most of these games are marked by high quality, with 3D design and detailing.
The main takeaway is that the selection is limited, with fewer variants and providers.
Nevertheless, if you are excited about playing table games, our recommendation for a sweepstakes/social casino is BetRivers.net, which is known for its extensive catalog of virtual and live dealer games. Its range of table games can only be matched by High 5 Casino and Stake.us.
Fish Table Games
We may be able to guess your initial reaction to this part, but let’s not rush ahead of ourselves. Fish games are real and they are amazing. You will find both fish table games and fishing slots at sweepstakes casinos.
One example is Emily’s Treasure where you get to rely on extra features in order to increase your catch. Another example of a fishing game is Big Bass Bonanza which comes with the infamous cash-collect feature during the free spins bonus.
If you enjoy fishing, you will find a match made in heaven for your casino gaming pleasure.
Live Casino
Fast internet speeds and state of the art digital equipment has ushered in another element to casino gaming: live dealer studios. Unfortunately, like virtual table games, live games have a limited representation in sweepstakes casinos.
Most casino aficionados in the US will have to wait before they can tap into the live feed to play poker, blackjack, roulette and many other casino and non-casino games, like Monopoly Live, Power Wheel, Dream Catcher, etc.
But you are not without options altogether as some social casinos do offer live dealer games that you can play as if you would from a regular online casino. The leading venues for that are BetRivers and on the Casino4Fun platform by RushGames, for which you can claim excellent welcome offers. Again, Stake.us and H5C are the only two sweeps casinos with a live casino lobby.
Bonuses & Promotions for Maryland Players
MD residents who are 18 or older and have verified their personal details with the respective casino can enjoy a virtually unlimited amount of gold coins.
Acquiring free coins is easy: be consistent with the ongoing promotions and daily login bonuses while playing the slots and table games that you enjoy.
In addition to the signup bonus codes for the sweepstakes casinos above, we’ve secured enticing welcome bonuses for our readers. Some of the best can be found in the table below from where you can also select the link to claim.
| 🎰Casino | 🎁Promo | 📜Code |
|---|---|---|
| BetRivers.net | 100% more credits with our code | PLAY200 |
| WOW Vegas | 200% first purchase bonus on the $9.99 package = 30 sweeps coins instead of 10 + 1.5 million wow coins | Play Now |
| McLuck Casino | 55,000 GC + 25 SC for $9.99 total with sign up bonus | Play Now |
| Pulsz Casino | 200% Pulsz first Gold Coin purchase bonus on the $9.99 and $19.99 packets | Play Now |
| Fortune Coins | Purchase with $10, get 20,000,000 Gold Coins + 5000 FREE Fortune Coins | Play Now |
This is not where the promos end, however, since every casino sends out regular communications via email, social media and text. Our own casino enthusiasts have also benefited handsomely from the various ways in which the casinos engage with the players:
- Slots competitions
- Prize tournaments
- Random prize drawings
- Rewards wheels
- Login bonuses
- Social media promotions
- Mail requests,
- Friend referrals, etc.
Purchases & Cash Redemptions
The double currency model of sweepstakes casinos is rather easy to understand. The same model is in operation in Maryland among other US states:
- Gold Coins are acquired for free but can be purchased in larger amounts
- Sweeps Coins can’t be purchased directly. They are acquired free as part of GC packages or bonus deals
Casino patrons in Maryland can use Gold Coins for pure fun and Sweeps Coins when they want to play for a chance to win redeemable coins.
Coin Purchases
Although there is no monetary value attached to Gold Coins, sweepstakes casinos sell them in packages. One part for this reason is customer demand. The other part is, GC purchases enable players to acquire more Sweeps Coins under promotional terms – that is, for free.
Having more GCs lets you try new and different games or enjoy those that you already love for as long as the coins last you. There is another solid point in purchasing Gold Coin packages: you get to take the pulse on any given game by trying to figure out how often it hits, how often the bonuses are triggered and similar details, so that you can switch to SCs when the moment is right.
This screenshot from WOW Vegas is one example of a Gold Coin chart, the amount of GCs you can buy and the number of free SCs you get for each package:
Cash Redemptions
The process of redeeming your Sweeps Coins winnings is straightforward and secure. The majority of sweepstakes casinos redeem a single SC for US$1.00. Also typical for most casinos is that they don’t charge a withdrawal fee, so what you win is what you can transfer to your bank account, gift card or in some cases crypto wallet.
In the states where sweepstakes casino players can redeem their winnings for cash, including in Maryland, you need to verify your casino account. This is done by completing a two-step verification for your phone number and by submitting bills or an ID to confirm your address and age.
To begin the steps to cashing out you need to navigate to the Cashier or Cash Out button which is typically located at the top of the page or in the menu.
Withdrawal minimums can range from $5.00 to $50.00 and daily maximums are $5,000 although this number can vary from casino to casino.
Payment Methods
Although the choice of payment methods can differ from sweeps casino to casino, the evergreen options that most players prefer are always readily available:
- Visa
- MasterCard
- Online banking
- PayPal
- Skrill
Some casinos are expanding their payment options with crypto. The reigning champion among sweepstakes casinos in that regard is Stake.us where you can deposit and withdraw in:
- Bitcoin
- Litecoin
- Dogecoin
- EOS
- Ripple
- Tron
Sweeptastic and LuckyBird are the only two crypto sweeps alternatives for now.
Getting Started with Online Sweepstakes Casinos in Maryland
Signing up at a sweepstakes casino is easy and secure. Simply follow the instructions onscreen and you will be ready to play slots in less than three minutes. However, make sure that you register by selecting one of the links for our promotions, so that you can receive more Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.
Here is how to get started:
- Find the promotion that you like and press Play Now.
- Enter your email address, name and date of birth.
- Or sign up with your Facebook or Google account.
- There should be a verification email in your inbox that you need to open.
- On the next screen, enter additional information that may be required like address and phone number.
- Get familiar with the layout, i.e. locate your bankroll amount, menu buttons, etc.
- Choose a game to play and enjoy.
Sweepstakes Casinos vs MD Online Casinos
If you are a resident of Maryland, you can play legally and without having to resort to gray-zone methods like using a VPN to appear out of state. The problem with the latter method is that even if you land a big win at an online casino, the operator might not honor it. So why risk it?
Offshore casinos manage to slip through loopholes, enabling US players to make deposits and play. But from this point on, there are no guarantees that you are in safe hands, that the games are independently inspected, and that payments are honored.
As we’ve established the fact, sweepstakes casinos are available in Maryland and you can play many of the best online slots that you’d normally find in online casinos. What is more, unlike sweepstakes, online casinos require an initial deposit and tend to have weak welcome bonuses.
Another key takeaway is sweepstakes casinos are absolutely the safest option when it comes to playing slots and casino games online. The free factor is key to making your experience safe, but also, sweepstakes venues provide most of the safe gambling standards that are found at online casinos.
Maryland Online Gambling Laws
The 2024 referendum on online casinos may positively shift the needle of their legality, but the decision won’t go into immediate effect until at least two years from that point in time. That is, if we can estimate by how long it took for legal online sportsbooks to appear on the MD market..
Maryland’s policy on land casinos, regulated by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, requires significant contributions from the operators in order to counter the effects of problem gambling across the state.
Since online casinos are going to offer the same model as land casinos, it is likely that the regulating body will require the standards for safe gaming. On the technical end, websites will have to deploy age and identity verification mechanisms.
All of this will require years to implement, making sweepstakes casinos the only salient and legal option to play casino games online.
Internet Sweepstakes Cafes Maryland
As in other states across the country, Maryland too is a home to internet sweepstakes cafes. The issue with these is that they operate in a gray zone, which deems them neither legal nor illegal.
Casino players may relate sweepstakes cafes to sweepstakes casinos, but the two are worlds apart. Starting with the quality of the games, internet cafes can’t offer games from world-class providers.
Neither can they provide progressive jackpots with amounts that can be won in sweepstakes casinos or welcome bonuses at the same level.
Although the model appears to be the same, sweepstakes casinos are far superior for the quality of the gaming experience and the Sweeps Coins amounts that can be won from any given game.
FAQs
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Is it legal to play at online casinos in Maryland?
Online casino gambling hasn’t been legalized. A referendum in 2024 may change that, but it will take at least two years before Maryland online casinos become available to MD residents.
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What is a legal way to gamble in Maryland?
Residents of Maryland can visit land casinos in six different locations across the state. As for playing legal online casinos and games, the only legal option that enables players to play and win prizes are sweepstakes casinos.
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Can you win real money at sweepstakes casinos in Maryland?
Yes. The sweepstakes casino model enables qualified players to redeem their sweeps coins winnings as real money. The typical redemption ratio between Sweeps Coins and dollars is 1:1.
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What is the legal age to play at sweepstakes casinos?The state of Maryland has set a requirement of at least 18 years of age to be able to register, play and withdraw winnings at sweepstakes casinos. To play at a land casino, like the MGM National Harbor or Hollywood Casino Perryville, you need to be 21 or older.
