Maryland Governor’s 2026 Budget Highlights Proposes Tax Increases on Sports Betting and Retail Casinos
Today, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore released his FY 2026 budget. Included in his plan to raise revenue is a proposal to double the sports betting tax rate from 15% to 30%. He is also proposing an increase on the retail casino table games tax from 20% to 25%.
Based on conversations John Pappas has had with various stakeholders this week; these items were included in the budget to serve as conversation starters about ways the state can get more revenue out of gaming. This means that iGaming is still on the table and there has been discussion about iLottery.
On the retail side, we’ve heard their could be an effort to increase the slot tax rate to affect all casinos as well. Currently each casino pays a different retail slot tax.
John Pappas has secured meetings with Atterbeary, Attar, and Sen. Watson on Thursday, January 23 and is working to schedule additional meetings with members of the Senate Budget Committee and the Speaker’s office. If anyone would like to join me John in Annapolis, please reach out to him directly (jpappas@ideagrowth.org).