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Fanatics Maryland: Legit — Licensed Before It Ever Bought PointsBet

Fanatics is legal in Maryland, and it got there differently than in most of its other 23 states. Instead of riding in on a PointsBet license, Fanatics built its own path through a stadium deal tied to the Washington Commanders' FedEx Field in Landover — a license that existed almost a year before Fanatics ever acquired PointsBet's US business in April 2024.

Legal status in Maryland

Maryland voters approved sports wagering in a November 2020 referendum (Question 2), and the General Assembly's 2021 implementing law created the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) to award licenses, with the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (MLGCC) regulating the market. The law set aside a top license tier, Class A-1, specifically for Maryland's three major professional stadiums — M&T Bank Stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and FedEx Field — each carrying a $2,000,000 application fee. FedEx Field's retail sportsbook opened in January 2023 as the state's 10th retail facility, and on June 1, 2023 the MLGCC issued a mobile sports wagering license to Maryland Stadium Sub, LLC, the Commanders-linked entity operating as Fanatics Sportsbook, making it the state's 10th mobile operator. That license predates Fanatics' $225 million acquisition of PointsBet's US sportsbook business, which closed in April 2024 — so unlike many other states, Fanatics Maryland was never a relicensed PointsBet skin.

State gambling authority: Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (MLGCC), with license awards handled by the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) — together they license and audit every retail and mobile sportsbook operator in the state, Fanatics included.

Fanatics is legal in Maryland, and it's worth saying up front that it got there a different way than almost everywhere else on its 23-state map. Most Fanatics states run on licenses the company inherited when it bought PointsBet's US sportsbook business for $225 million in a deal that closed in April 2024. Maryland isn't one of them — Fanatics had its own license here nearly a year before that acquisition ever happened.

A License Built on a Stadium Deal, Not a Buyout

Maryland voters approved sports wagering in a November 2020 referendum, and the General Assembly's 2021 implementing law created a licensing tier found almost nowhere else: Class A-1, reserved specifically for three of the state's professional stadiums — M&T Bank Stadium (Ravens), Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Orioles), and FedEx Field (Washington Commanders) — each carrying a $2,000,000 application fee. FedEx Field, in Landover in Prince George's County, opened its retail sportsbook in January 2023 as the state's 10th retail facility.

June 1, 2023: the date the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission issued a mobile sports wagering license to Maryland Stadium Sub, LLC — the Commanders-linked entity operating as Fanatics Sportsbook — making Fanatics the state's 10th mobile operator. That's ten months before Fanatics closed its PointsBet acquisition.

Is Fanatics Legit in Maryland, or Just a PointsBet Relabel?

It's legit, and the PointsBet comparison that works in states like Indiana doesn't really apply here. PointsBet did hold its own separate Maryland mobile license before Fanatics bought the company, but PointsBet wound that Maryland operation down on its own timeline — well before the national deal closed in April 2024. By the time Fanatics absorbed PointsBet's other state licenses, it already had its own Maryland presence running through the FedEx Field stadium deal. Maryland is one of the few states where Fanatics never needed the PointsBet shortcut at all.

Safe to Use, Same Oversight as Every Other Operator

None of the stadium-tether mechanics change how Maryland regulates the app. The MLGCC requires geolocation to confirm a bet is placed in-state, mandatory responsible-gaming tools, and gives bettors an actual regulator to complain to — the same rules every other licensed Maryland operator follows. The unusual license history is a corporate structure story, not a safety gap.

No Online Casino Here — For Anyone

Maryland bettors looking for Fanatics Casino won't find it, but that's not a Fanatics-specific gap. Maryland has not legalized any form of real-money online casino gaming — no online slots, blackjack, or poker from any operator. The legislature's latest push, Senate Bill 885, stalled in committee during the 2026 session, and a companion referendum bill, SB 761, was withdrawn after its Senate hearing was canceled. Real legalization looks pushed to at least 2027. Fanatics Casino remains limited to Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

A Tax Increase That Hit Every Mobile Operator

Starting in mid-2025, Maryland raised its mobile sports wagering tax from 15% to 20% of taxable proceeds, split 15% toward the Blueprint for Maryland's Future education fund and 5% to the General Fund. Retail sportsbooks, including the FedEx Field location tied to Fanatics' own license, kept the original 15% rate. The increase applies across the board — DraftKings and FanDuel pay it too — not a penalty aimed at any one operator.

Who It Fits

Maryland bettors 21 and older get a fully licensed sportsbook with a license history that happens to be more interesting than most — built on its own stadium deal rather than a PointsBet hand-me-down. Anyone hoping for an online casino inside the app will come up empty, and that's true everywhere in the state right now, not just on Fanatics. Betting is entertainment, not income. Maryland's problem-gambling helpline, 1-800-GAMBLER, is there if it stops feeling that way.

Fanatics Sportsbook Maryland — Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fanatics legal in Maryland?

Yes. The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission issued a mobile sports wagering license to Maryland Stadium Sub, LLC — the entity behind Fanatics Sportsbook in Maryland — on June 1, 2023, under the state's 2021 sports wagering law. Maryland voters authorized the market in a November 2020 referendum, and Fanatics has operated there under a real state license ever since.

Is Fanatics legit in Maryland, or is this the same PointsBet license other states got?

It's legit, and it's actually a different story than most Fanatics states. Fanatics' national footprint mostly runs on licenses it inherited when it bought PointsBet's US sportsbook business for $225 million in a deal that closed in April 2024. Maryland isn't one of those — Fanatics' mobile license here came almost a year earlier, through Maryland Stadium Sub, LLC, an entity tied to the Washington Commanders and their FedEx Field retail sportsbook. PointsBet did hold its own separate Maryland license at the time, but it wound that operation down well before the national acquisition closed, so Fanatics Maryland was never relicensed as a PointsBet skin.

Why does Fanatics' Maryland license run through FedEx Field?

Maryland's 2021 sports wagering law created a top license tier, Class A-1, reserved for the state's three major professional stadiums — M&T Bank Stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and FedEx Field — each requiring a $2,000,000 application fee. FedEx Field, home of the Washington Commanders in Landover, opened a retail sportsbook in January 2023, and the mobile license tied to that stadium deal, held by Maryland Stadium Sub, LLC, went live as Fanatics Sportsbook on June 1, 2023.

Is Fanatics safe to use in Maryland?

Yes. The MLGCC regulates Fanatics the same way it regulates every other Maryland mobile operator: geolocation confirming the bet is placed in-state, mandatory responsible-gaming tools, and a regulator a bettor can file a complaint with. The stadium-tethered licensing structure is a business arrangement, not a sign of reduced oversight.

Does Fanatics have an online casino in Maryland?

No — and that has nothing to do with Fanatics specifically. Maryland has not legalized any online casino gaming at all; retail casinos and mobile sports betting are legal, but online slots, blackjack, and poker remain prohibited statewide. The legislature's latest attempt, Senate Bill 885, stalled in committee during the 2026 session, and its companion referendum bill, SB 761, was withdrawn — pushing any real shot at legalization to at least 2027. Fanatics Casino stays limited to Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, and no Maryland account can reach it.

What tax does Fanatics pay on Maryland sports bets?

Maryland raised its mobile sports wagering tax from 15% to 20% of taxable proceeds starting in mid-2025, split 15% to the Blueprint for Maryland's Future education fund and 5% to the state's General Fund. Retail sportsbooks, including the FedEx Field location tied to Fanatics' own license, still pay the original 15% rate. The increase applies to every mobile operator in the state, not just Fanatics.

What is the Fanatics Maryland promo code?

Fanatics runs its national FanCash welcome offer in Maryland the same way it does elsewhere — a bet match on wagers placed in the first several days after a qualifying deposit — and third-party code lists for it change constantly and often disagree with each other. Confirm the live offer and any entry code inside the app rather than trusting a number from an outside review site.

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