Maryland · Sports betting
Is sports betting legal in Maryland?
Where sportsbooks stand in Maryland, where Kalshi, Polymarket and other prediction markets stand, and why the answers differ. Built from our sourced state records.
The short answer
Yes. Online sports betting is legal in Maryland. Retail and mobile sports betting; mobile launched Nov. 23, 2022.1
Prediction markets are a separate question: we found no court order or regulator action stopping Kalshi from offering sports contracts in Maryland, as of Oct. 22, 2026.
Sportsbooks in Maryland
Sports betting in Maryland is legal online. Retail and mobile sports betting; mobile launched Nov. 23, 2022.1 Gaming oversight: Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency.
Prediction markets in Maryland
Our status for Maryland: In litigation. The state and a prediction market operator are actively in court, and no order blocking the operator is in force. Kalshi's challenge to Maryland's gambling enforcement awaits a Fourth Circuit ruling after a federal judge refused to block the state.
Latest action (Other development, Oct. 14, 2026): Maryland filed a supplemental-authority letter in the Fourth Circuit pointing to the Sixth Circuit's Sept. 25, 2026 Schuler decision.2
We track 3 lawsuits involving Maryland. Federal appeals from Maryland go to the Fourth Circuit, which heard argument on May 7, 2026 and has not yet ruled. Full record: prediction market laws in Maryland.
Which prediction market apps work in Maryland
| Platform | In Maryland | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Kalshi | No restriction found | |
| Polymarket US | No restriction found | |
| Coinbase | No restriction found | Contracts trade on Kalshi. |
| Crypto.com | No restriction found | Named in the December 2025 spokesperson list of states without sports markets. Current status not confirmed. |
| DraftKings Predictions | Sports blocked | |
| Fanatics Markets | Not offered | Contracts trade on Crypto.com | Derivatives North America (Nadex rules). |
| FanDuel Predicts | Sports blocked | Contracts trade on CME Group (financial contracts) and Crypto.com | Derivatives North America / OG (sports, entertainment and combination contracts). |
| Gemini Predictions | No restriction found | Listed as excluded by DeFi Rate (updated 2026-10-10). Not confirmed from Gemini. |
| PrizePicks | Sports blocked | Contracts trade on Kalshi. |
| Robinhood | No restriction found | Not confirmed from Robinhood. Third-party reviews from October 2026 say Maryland residents can't trade event contracts on Robinhood at all, and CoinStats attributes this to Robinhood's help page. DeFi Rate (updated 2026-10-18) instead says only sports contracts are unavailable in MD. Maryland sent Robinhood a cease-and-desist letter in April 2025. |
| Underdog | Offered | Contracts trade on Underdog's own exchange UDX (Aristotle Exchange DCM/DCO, Inc. d/b/a Underdog Exchange), plus Kalshi and Nadex (Crypto.com | Derivatives North America). |
| Webull | No restriction found | Contracts trade on Kalshi. |
“No restriction found” means we know of no court order, regulator action or platform notice stopping it in Maryland; it is not a finding that it is legal there.
Why the answers differ
A sportsbook takes the other side of each bet and keeps what bettors lose.3 It needs a license from the state. A prediction market is an exchange that matches users with each other and takes a fee,3 and the large ones are regulated by the CFTC, whose jurisdiction over trading on those exchanges federal law calls exclusive.4 That is the platforms’ case for offering sports contracts nationwide; by the 2025 Super Bowl, Kalshi offered them in all 50 states, including states without legal sports betting.5
States answer that sports event contracts are sports bets by another name; Massachusetts, for one, says Kalshi’s closely resemble wagers at licensed sportsbooks.6 Federal appeals courts have split, 1 for the platforms and 2 for the states, and 3 petitions now ask the Supreme Court to decide: see the circuit split.
Age limits
Kalshi and Polymarket US accept customers from 18,78 while most states set the gambling age at 20 or 21, a gap critics including the NCAA have raised.9 See how old you have to be. If gambling is causing you harm, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.
Questions
- Is sports betting legal in Maryland?
- Yes. Online sports betting is legal in Maryland. Retail and mobile sports betting; mobile launched Nov. 23, 2022.
- Who regulates sports betting in Maryland?
- Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency.
- Is Kalshi legal in Maryland?
- We found no court order or regulator action stopping Kalshi from serving Maryland, as of Oct. 22, 2026. Maryland's status on prediction markets: in litigation. Details are on our Kalshi in Maryland page.
- Is Polymarket legal in Maryland?
- We found no court order or regulator action stopping Polymarket from serving Maryland, as of Oct. 28, 2026. Maryland's status on prediction markets: in litigation. Details are on our Polymarket in Maryland page.
- What is the difference between a sportsbook and a prediction market?
- A sportsbook takes the other side of each bet and keeps what bettors lose, under a state license. A prediction market is a federally regulated exchange that matches users with each other and charges a fee, which is why platforms argue state gambling law does not reach them.
Sources
- Maryland sports betting status
- DeFi Rate prediction market lawsuit tracker
- The New York Times (republished by West Hawaii Today, Oct. 6, 2025)
- 7 U.S.C. 2 (CEA section 2), Office of the Law Revision Counsel
- Axios (Jan. 31, 2025)
- Massachusetts Attorney General's Office (Sept. 12, 2025)
- Kalshi Help Center, Signing Up as an Individual
- Polymarket US terms of service
- Legal Sports Report (Mar. 19, 2026)