Best online sportsbook Maryland splits into two separate questions. Which app actually gets the money? FanDuel does, by a wide margin. How did eleven other brands end up licensed next to it, including apps most bettors outside Maryland have never heard of? That part traces back to a line in the 2021 law most states never wrote.
Maryland Legalized Sports Betting Through a 2020 Ballot Vote
Maryland voters approved sports wagering in a statewide referendum in November 2020. The General Assembly spent the next several months turning that into a workable law, and Governor Larry Hogan signed House Bill 940 on May 18, 2021. Retail sportsbooks opened first, on December 9, 2021, inside the state's existing casinos. Mobile wagering followed almost a year later — seven operators, including FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars, went live together on November 23, 2022.
Is FanDuel Legit in Maryland? The Numbers Back the Lead
Legitimacy here is a track-record question, and FanDuel's is backed by the state's own revenue filings, not marketing. It posted $29 million in revenue on that $224.2 million April 2026 handle. DraftKings ran $171.6 million in handle and $16.9 million in revenue the same month. Combined, FanDuel and DraftKings take more than 80% of Maryland's mobile market — a share consistent with how the two operators perform nationally, not a Maryland quirk.
Why Maryland Has Apps Like Crab Sports and LetsBetMD
HB 940 didn't just legalize betting — it told the state's licensing body, the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC), to seek out racial, ethnic, and gender diversity among operators and to actively recruit small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses into the market. Crab Sports, more than half women- and minority-owned, launched as the state's 11th mobile sportsbook in July 2023 under that mandate, though it has since paused operations. LetsBetMD, operated by Veterans Services Corp., is still running. Neither competes with FanDuel on volume, but neither would exist in most other states' licensing frameworks.
Maryland sports betting, by the numbers
- Referendum: approved by voters, November 2020
- Enabling law: House Bill 940, signed May 18, 2021
- Retail launch: December 9, 2021
- Mobile launch: November 23, 2022 (seven apps on day one)
- Regulator: Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission
- Active online brands: 12 as of 2026, up to 60 licenses allowed
- Online tax rate: 20% of gross gaming revenue (up from 15% before July 1, 2025)
Is Sports Betting Safe in Maryland? One Regulator, Four Years In
Every app on this page, from FanDuel down to LetsBetMD, answers to the same regulator — the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission — under the same licensing statute. There's no second-tier or unregulated path to legal sports betting in Maryland; an app either holds an MLGCC license or it isn't a legal option for a Maryland resident. Four years into mobile wagering, the market hasn't had a licensing revocation among its major national brands, which is the practical case for calling it safe.
Worth Betting Legally in Maryland in 2026?
Yes, for anyone 21 or older physically in the state. FanDuel is the obvious first download on volume, DraftKings the obvious second, and BetMGM or Caesars cover anyone who wants a different national brand under the same license. The tax increase to 20% changes how much the state collects, not what a bettor sees on a slip. This is still 21+ entertainment with a built-in house edge, not an income source — the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling line, 1-800-GAMBLER, is free and confidential.
The short list
- 1. FanDuel — Maryland's highest-volume app as of mid-2026
FanDuel took roughly 38.4% of Maryland's mobile sports betting handle in July 2026, per state revenue reporting, and posted $224.2 million in handle against $29 million in revenue in April 2026 — the largest single operator in the state both months.
- 2. DraftKings — A close second, combining with FanDuel for over 80% of the market
DraftKings ran $171.6 million in handle and $16.9 million in revenue in April 2026, the second-largest total in the state; together FanDuel and DraftKings account for more than 80% of Maryland's online handle.
- 3. BetMGM — A licensed national alternative under the same MLGCC framework
BetMGM has run continuously since Maryland's November 23, 2022 online launch, licensed by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission alongside the other national skins, without the volume swings some smaller Maryland books have had.
- 4. Caesars Sportsbook — One of the original seven apps live on launch day
Caesars was among the seven sportsbook brands Governor Larry Hogan announced as live when Maryland mobile wagering launched on November 23, 2022, and it has operated under MLGCC license without interruption since.
The honest verdict
FanDuel is the practical first answer for Maryland bettors on volume alone, followed closely by DraftKings — the two combined take more than 80% of the state's mobile handle, consistent with how they perform in most mature markets. BetMGM and Caesars are the steadiest licensed alternatives if you want a different app with the same regulatory footing. All of them operate under the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission, which licensed sports wagering under House Bill 940 (signed May 18, 2021) after voters approved it in a November 2020 referendum. Maryland's online tax rate rose from 15% to 20% on July 1, 2025 — a cost operators absorb, not one added to a bettor's payout. None of this is a way to make money; it's 21+ entertainment, and the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling helpline (1-800-GAMBLER) is free and confidential.
Questions this list actually answers
What is the best online sportsbook in Maryland?
FanDuel, on current volume — it carried about 38.4% of Maryland's mobile handle in July 2026. DraftKings is a close second, and together the two take more than 80% of the state's online wagering. BetMGM and Caesars are the strongest licensed alternatives if you want a different app.
Is online sports betting legal in Maryland?
Yes. Maryland voters approved sports wagering in a November 2020 statewide referendum, Governor Larry Hogan signed the enabling law, House Bill 940, on May 18, 2021, retail betting began December 9, 2021, and mobile wagering followed on November 23, 2022. The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission licenses and regulates every operator.
Why does Maryland have minority-owned sportsbook apps?
House Bill 940 specifically directed the state's licensing body, the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC), to pursue racial, ethnic, and gender diversity among licensees and to do outreach to small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses. Crab Sports — over 50% women- and minority-owned — launched as Maryland's 11th mobile book in July 2023, though it has since paused operations; LetsBetMD, run by Veterans Services Corp., is still active.
What is Maryland's sports betting tax rate in 2026?
Online sportsbooks pay 20% of gross gaming revenue to the state, up from 15% before July 1, 2025. Retail sportsbooks still pay the original 15% rate. The increase applies to operators' revenue, not to money a bettor wins.
How many legal online sportsbooks operate in Maryland?
Twelve brands hold active online licenses as of 2026, including FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, bet365, Fanatics, BetRivers, betParx, theScore Bet, Bally Bet, and LetsBetMD. Maryland can issue up to 60 mobile licenses in total, so the market has not come close to its legal ceiling.