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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
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*hb1453*
HOUSE BILL 1453
C7 6lr3167
By: Delegate Miller
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Ways and Means
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Gaming – Extensions of Credit, Penalties, Player Protections, and Distribution 2
of Proceeds – Alterations 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission to adopt 4
certain regulations governing the extension of cr edit to a player by a video lottery 5
operation licensee; requiring the Commission to establish a certain list of players for 6
whom the video lottery operation licensee has approved an extension of credit or 7
authorized certain privileges; altering the maximum amount of certain penalties 8
that the Commission is authorized to impose for certain violations of law governing 9
video lottery facilities and sports wagering; altering the distribution of certain 10
fantasy competition and sports wagering proceeds; prohibiting the use of credit cards 11
for certain online sports wagering –related transactions; specifying the maximum 12
wager that may be accepted by a sports wagering licensee under certain 13
circumstances; and generally relating to video lottery facilities, fantasy competitions, 14
and sports wagering. 15
BY adding to 16
Article – State Government 17
Section 9–1A–24(h) and 9–1E–09(f) 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 21
Article – State Government 22
Section 9–1A–25, 9–1D–04, 9–1E–08, 9–1E–11(b), and 9–1E–12(b) 23
Annotated Code of Maryland 24
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 25
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 26
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 27
2 HOUSE BILL 1453
Article – State Government 1
9–1A–24. 2
(H) (1) THE COMMISSION SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE 3
EXTENSION OF CREDIT TO A PLAYER BY A VIDEO LOTTERY OPERATION LICENSEE. 4
(2) THE REGULATIONS SHALL REQUIRE: 5
(I) VIDEO LOTTERY OPERAT ION LICENSEES TO INCLUDE AND 6
PROMINENTLY DISPLAY ON CREDIT APPLICATIONS BY PLAYERS THE WORDS “IF YOU 7
OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS A GAMBLING PROBL EM AND WANTS HELP , CALL 8
1–800–GAMBLER” OR COMPARABLE LANGUAGE APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION; 9
AND 10
(II) VIDEO LOTTERY OPERAT ION LICENSEES TO CON DUCT 11
ADDITIONAL REVIEW FO LLOWING INSTANCES WH ERE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF 12
PAYMENTS FOR OUTSTANDING CREDIT IS IN EXCESS OF THE PLAYER’S NET WORTH 13
AND NET WINNINGS AT THE VIDEO LOTTERY FACILITY. 14
(3) (I) THE COMMISSION SH ALL ESTABLISH A CENT RAL LIST OF 15
PLAYERS FOR WHOM EACH VIDEO LOTTERY OPERATION LICENSEE HAS APPROVED 16
AN EXTENSION OF CREDIT OR AUTHORIZED COUNTER CHECK PRIVILEGES AND THE 17
AMOUNT OF CREDIT EXT ENDED TO EACH PLAYER BY THE VIDEO LOTTERY 18
OPERATION LICENSEE. 19
(II) THE COMMISSION SHALL REQU IRE EACH VIDEO LOTTERY 20
OPERATION LICENSEE TO SUBMIT PLAYER INFORMATION IN A TIMELY MANNER FOR 21
INCLUSION ON THE LIS T DESCRIBED UNDER SU BPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS 22
PARAGRAPH. 23
(III) EACH VIDEO LOTTERY OP ERATION LICENSEE SHA LL 24
MONITOR THE LIST DESCRIBED UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH TO 25
ENSURE THAT, CUMULATIVELY, THE VIDEO LOTTERY OPERATION LICENSEES HAVE 26
NOT EXTENDED A PLAYER AMOUNTS OF CREDIT TH AT EXCEED THE PLAYER’S NET 27
WORTH. 28
9–1A–25. 29
(a) The Commission may deny a license to an applicant, reprimand or fine a 30
licensee, or suspend or revoke a license for a violation of: 31
(1) this subtitle; 32
HOUSE BILL 1453 3
(2) a regulation adopted under this subtitle; or 1
(3) a condition that the Commission sets. 2
(b) (1) For each violation specified in subsection (a) of this section, the 3
Commission may impose a penalty not exceeding [$5,000] $50,000. 4
(2) Each day that a person is in violation under this section shall be 5
considered a separate violation. 6
(3) To determine the amount of t he penalty imposed under paragraph (1) 7
of this subsection, the Commission shall consider: 8
(i) the seriousness of the violation; 9
(ii) the harm caused by the violation; and 10
(iii) the good faith or lack of good faith of the person who committed 11
the violation. 12
(c) Except as otherwise expressly provided in this subtitle, nothing contained in 13
this subtitle abrogates or limits the criminal laws of the State or limits the authority of the 14
General Assembly to enact statutes establishing criminal offenses and penalties relating to 15
video lottery operations. 16
9–1D–04. 17
(a) A fantasy competition operator shall retain [85%] 84% of the proceeds and 18
pay the remainder to the Commission. 19
(b) (1) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 20
SUBSECTION, THE Commission shall distribute the proceeds paid under subsection (a) of 21
this section to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund established under § 5 –206 of the 22
Education Article. 23
(2) THE COMMISSION SHALL DISTRIBUTE 1% OF THE PROCEEDS 24
FROM FANTASY COMPETITIONS TO THE PROBLEM GAMBLING FUND ESTABLISHED 25
UNDER § 9–1A–33 OF THIS TITLE. 26
9–1E–08. 27
(a) The Commission may deny a license to an applicant for a license under § 28
9–1E–05 of this subtitle, reprimand or fine a licensee, or suspend or revoke a license for a 29
violation of: 30
(1) this subtitle; 31
4 HOUSE BILL 1453
(2) a regulation adopted under this subtitle; or 1
(3) a condition that the Commission sets. 2
(b) For each violation specified in subsection (a) of this section, the Commission 3
may impose a penalty not exceeding [$5,000] $50,000. 4
(c) Each day that a person is in violation under this section shall be considered a 5
separate violation. 6
(d) To determine the amount of the penalty imposed under subsectio n (b) of this 7
section, the Commission shall consider: 8
(1) the seriousness of the violation; 9
(2) the harm caused by the violation; and 10
(3) the good faith or lack of good faith of the person who committed the 11
violation. 12
(e) Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, nothing contained in this 13
subtitle abrogates or limits the criminal laws of the State or limits the authority of the 14
General Assembly to enact statutes establishing criminal offenses and penalties relating to 15
sports wagering operations. 16
9–1E–09. 17
(F) A SPORTS WAGERING LICE NSEE MAY NOT ACCEPT A WAGER FROM A N 18
INDIVIDUAL ON ANY ONE SPORTING EVENT IN EXCESS OF $100,000. 19
9–1E–11. 20
(b) For online sports wagering, a mobile sports wagering licensee: 21
(1) shall: 22
[(1)] (I) have in place technical and operational measures to prevent 23
access by individuals who are underage or physically located outside the State, including: 24
[(i)] 1. age verification procedures, which may require the use of 25
a reputable independent third party that i s in the business of verifying an individual’s 26
personally identifiable information; and 27
[(ii)] 2. the use of geolocation technology to verify a bettor’s 28
geographic location; 29
HOUSE BILL 1453 5
[(2)] (II) include on its online sports wagering website a description of the 1
possible repercussions for an underage or out –of–state bettor, which may include 2
immediate stoppage of play, account closure, and forfeiture and confiscation of winnings; 3
and 4
[(3)] (III) establish procedures to prevent prohibited individuals from 5
wagering on sporting events; AND 6
(2) MAY NOT ACCEPT A CREDIT CARD AS PAYMENT FOR ANY ONLINE 7
SPORTS WAGERING–RELATED TRANSACTIONS. 8
9–1E–12. 9
(b) (1) (i) Except as provided in subparagraphs (ii), (iii), and (iv) of this 10
paragraph, all proceeds from sports wagering shall be electronically transferred monthly 11
into the State Lottery Fund established under Subtitle 1 of this title. 12
(ii) A Class A –1 and A –2 sports wagering facility licensee shall 13
retain 85% of the proceeds from sports wagering conducted at t he locations described in § 14
9–1E–09(a) of this subtitle. 15
(iii) A Class B –1 and B –2 sports wagering facility licensee shall 16
retain 85% of the proceeds from sports wagering conducted at the location described in the 17
licensee’s application. 18
(iv) A mob ile sports wagering licensee shall retain 80% of the 19
proceeds from online sports wagering received by the licensee. 20
(2) (i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, all 21
proceeds from sports wagering in the State Lottery Fund establishe d under Subtitle 1 of 22
this title shall be distributed on a monthly basis, on a properly approved transmittal 23
prepared by the Commission to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund established 24
under § 5–206 of the Education Article. 25
(ii) For fiscal year [2026] 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter[, 5%]: 26
1. 4% of the proceeds [attributable to mobile] FROM ONLINE 27
sports wagering shall be deposited in the General Fund; AND 28
2. 1% OF THE PROCEEDS FROM ONLINE SPORTS 29
WAGERING SHALL BE DEPOSITED IN THE PROBLEM GAMBLING FUND ESTABLISHED 30
UNDER § 9–1A–33 OF THIS TITLE. 31
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 32
1, 2026. 33