A Maryland bill that would result in key changes to how consumers bet on sports and what they can bet on got its first moment before a legislative committee Thursday. HB 518, billed as measure to “mitigate effects of problem gaming,” would ban prop betting, require consumers to set time and deposit limits, and ban credit card funding of sports betting accounts.
No state currently has a law requiring account holders to set time and deposit limits, though operators are required to offer tools to do so. The Maryland proposal goes a step further, as it implies that bettors would not be able to wager until they set limits, rather than choosing if they want to engage. In addition, the bill calls for a waiting period between when a bettor wants to change limits and when that would actually happen.
The bill, which would codify a prop ban crafted by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission in 2024, was introduced into the House Ways and Means Committee.
There were no questions for bill sponsor Del. Julie Palakovich Carr, and the bill can now begin making its way through the state legislature, which has a March 23 crossover deadline. Palakovich Carr said that since online sports betting launched in November 2022, there has been a 42% increase in gambling addiction, and that two of every five Marylanders who gamble show signs of “disordered gambling.”
“Collectively, these safeguards will make gaming safer for Marylanders while allowing this industry to continue to operate and to generate revenue for our state,” she said.
Player prop ban proposals popular
Maryland’s state legislature is among five that is considering some sort of college player prop ban. Bills with similar bans have been filed in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Utah (where all forms of gambling are illegal). None have had or are scheduled for hearings yet.
Two states, Virginia and Washington, are considering eliminating such bans. The Washington bill passed out of the Senate Wednesday.
Banning credit card funding is becoming more and more prevalent, and not just via state legislatures. FanDuel announced Tuesday that it will stop taking credit cards to fund accounts. The ban will go into effect March 2. DraftKings and Fanatics Sportsbook already prohibit credit card funding, and some financial institutions, including Bank of America, do not allow their credit cards to be used to fund gambling accounts.
HB 518 would also require the state to create a voluntary self-exclusion list, and require the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission to provide certain personal information about bettors to the Maryland Center for Excellence on Problem Gambling for research purposes, unless a consumer explicitly requests the information not be shared.
In addition, the proposal would also raise the minimum age for participating in daily fantasy sports contests from 18 to 21. Accounts created by those under the age of 21 before July 1, 2026, will be grandfathered in and able to remain active.
