![[photo, Montgomery Park Business Center, 1800 Washington Blvd., Baltimore, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/14doe/images/1198-1-654.jpg)
The State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency was formed as the State Lottery Agency by constitutional amendment in 1972 (Chapter 365, Acts of 1972, ratified November 7, 1972). The Agency began operation on January 2, 1973. In October 2012, it reformed under its present name with added responsibilities for gaming, especially table games (Chapter 1, Acts of 2012 2nd Special Session).
- STATE LOTTERY & GAMING CONTROL COMMISSION
The State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission serves as an advisory board to the State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. In November 2008, the Commission also was assigned responsibility for regulating the operation of video lottery terminals (slot machines) in Maryland (Chapter 4, Acts of 2007 Special Session; Code State Government Article, sec. 9-1A-04).
The Commission oversees lottery and gaming regulations and must conduct studies to determine the competitiveness of Maryland's gaming program within the gaming industry nationwide, and detect potential abuses in the operation of the program.
Seven members constitute the Commission. They are appointed to four-year terms by the Governor with Senate advice and consent. The Governor also appoints a liaison member from the Maryland Racing Commission (Chapter 1, Acts of 2012 2nd Special Session; Code Business Regulation, sec. 11-202(g); Code State Government Article, secs. 9-104 through 9-109).
The Commission is assisted by the Maryland Amusement Game Advisory Committee.
The Committee consists of six voting members appointed by the Governor. The Director of the State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency serves ex officio as a nonvoting member. The Governor names the chair (Code Criminal Law Article, sec. 12-301.1).
MARYLAND AMUSEMENT GAME ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Maryland Amusement Game Advisory Committee was authorized in June 2014 (Chapter 464, Acts of 2014). The Committee advises the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission on the conduct and technical aspects of the amusement game industry, including recommendations for the legality of skill-based amusement games.
Through the Maryland State Lottery, lottery tickets are sold and cashed at licensed retail establishments throughout Maryland. These lottery agents are private businesses that receive commissions and fees to sell the games to the public. Transactions are conducted through terminals connected to a computerized on-line real-time system.
Lottery income is the State's third largest source of revenue, after income taxes and sales taxes. Sixty percent of Lottery revenue goes to pay prizes to players, with the remaining funds going to retailer commissions and operational expenses. Thirty percent of revenues from the State Lottery are deposited in the General Fund of the State Treasury to support Maryland government programs in education, public health, public safety and the environment.
- ON-LINE LOTTERY GAMES
The State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency provides a variety of on-line games which include Pick 3, Pick 4, Bonus Match 5, Keno, Mega Millions, Multi-Match, Powerball, and Racetrax. In addition, the Agency offers an assortment of instant ticket games. Subscriptions are offered for Multi-Match and Mega-Millions. Official winning numbers are drawn on live television and are posted on the State Lottery Agency website.
Daily Drawings. The Agency holds twice-daily drawings for Pick 3 (a three-digit game, with prizes ranging from $25 to $500) and Pick 4 (a four-digit game, with winners receiving between $100 and $5,000). Bonus Match 5 (a pick 5-of-39 game) drawings also are held daily, offering a top prize of $50,000. 5 Card Cash is based on a standard poker game using a 52-card deck. By combining an instant win feature with a daily evening drawing, each $2 ticket has two chances to win.
Monitor Games. Keno is a monitor-style game with drawings held every four minutes. Players select up to ten numbers from a field of eighty and match them to a computer-generated group of twenty numbers displayed on a Keno monitor. Prizes range from $2 to $100,000. Racetrax is a computer-animated monitor game featuring horseracing. Players select from one to twelve horses to win prizes ranging from $1.20 to $31,454. Drawings are held approximately every five minutes.
Mega Millions (formerly The Big Game). Mega Millions is a multi-state game with multi-million dollar jackpots that start at $12 million. Players select six numbers from two different fields: five out of 56 and one Gold Mega Ball number out of 46. Winning numbers are drawn on Tuesday and Friday evenings; the game costs $1 to play. Forty-one lottery states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands participate in this game. A portion of the proceeds from Mega Millions is designated for the Maryland Stadium Authority.
Multi-Match (formerly Lotto). Multi-Match is a lotto-style, pick 6-of-43 game with drawings held on Monday and Thursday evenings. The game offers a minimum jackpot of $500,000.
Powerball. Since January 31, 2010, Maryland and forty-one other states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands in offering Powerball. Players select or request the computer to generate 6 numbers from two different fields: five out of 59 and one powerball number out of 39. Drawings are held Wednesday and Saturday evenings for jackpots starting at $20 million.
Prizes. Prizes of $600 or less may be claimed through any Lottery retail location. Winning tickets up to $5,000 can be cashed at Agent Plus retail locations. Winning tickets of any amount may be redeemed at the Maryland State Lottery Claim Centers in Baltimore. Retail locations also provide how-to-play brochures and other game information.
MARYLAND VIDEO LOTTERY (SLOTS GAMBLING)
In 2008, Maryland voters ratified a constitutional amendment allowing installation of slot machines in Baltimore City and four counties: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Cecil and Worcester (Chapter 5, Acts of 2007 Special Session, ratified Nov. 4, 2008). The State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency regulates this Maryland Video Lottery Program (slots gambling). The process by which licenses were issued to operate video lottery facilities in those jurisdictions, however, was conducted by the Video Lottery Facility Location Commission.
![[photo, Rocky Gap Casino Resort, Flintstone (Allegany County), Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/36loc/al/images/1198-1-06647c.jpg)
At this time, five State casinos operate in Maryland:Hollywood Casino in Perryville (Cecil County);
Casino at Ocean Downs in Berlin (Worcester County);
Maryland Live! at Arundel Mills (Anne Arundel County);
Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Flintstone (Allegany County); and
Horseshoe Casino Baltimore (Baltimore City).
A sixth casino is scheduled to open at National Harbor in Prince George's County in 2016.
Rocky Gap Casino Resort, Flintstone (Allegany County), Maryland, October 2014. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
In 2008, the Education Trust Fund was established as a special nonlapsing fund, the money from which is invested and reinvested by the State Treasurer with interest and earnings accrued to the Fund (Chapter 4, Acts of 2007 Special Session; Code State Government Article, sec. 9-1A-30). From gambling revenue in Fiscal Year 2014, the Education Trust Fund received 39.4 percent, and casino operators received 48.7 percent. Remaining funds were divided among horse-racing activities; local impact grants; small, minority and women-owned businesses; and operational expenses.