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Bill would ban credit‑card betting, expand self‑exclusion and bar college player props for mobile sports betting
Summary
House Bill 465 would prohibit credit‑card use for mobile sports betting, raise fantasy competition minimum age to 21, expand voluntary exclusion supports and bar player‑specific college prop bets; sponsors cited youth risk and problem gambling data.
A bill before the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee would add consumer protections for mobile sports betting and related gaming forms, including a ban on credit‑card wagering and steps to expand access to treatment for people who self‑exclude.
Delegate Julie Plockovich Carr, sponsor of House Bill 4 65, said the measure is aimed at curbing harms associated with mobile sports betting and modernizing consumer safeguards. “The warning signs are flashing that certain demographics, namely young men aged 18 to 24 are at greater risk of problem gambling with mobile sports betting,” she said.
Key provisions described at the hearing include: - Prohibiting credit‑card use for mobile sports betting (the sponsor noted 10 other states, including Virginia, have such bans). - Requiring mobile sports bettors to set deposit limits and prohibiting marketing to customers who have temporarily suspended their accounts. - Codifying the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency’s existing directive banning player‑specific proposition bets involving college athletes. - Raising the minimum age for regulated fantasy competitions from 18 to 21 to align with other gaming ages. - Automatically offering counseling referrals to people who opt into the voluntary exclusion program unless they opt out. - Expanding researcher access to gaming data for prevalence studies.
Maryland’s Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling backed the bill. Director Mary Drexler told the committee the center “could offer additional support” if people on the voluntary exclusion list were referred to its peer recovery specialists. Peers and advocates described increasing help‑seeking among teens and young adults and said stronger industry limits and data sharing would improve treatment outreach.
Supporters argued the bill balances industry revenue with consumer protections. Testimony included lived‑experience statements from a peer recovery supervisor who said problem gambling can produce severe personal and family harm. The sponsor said an amendment was forthcoming after discussions with the Lottery and sports‑betting licensees.
No formal vote was taken at the hearing; the bill remains in committee pending amendments and further review.
