Maryland online casino legislation advanced through the House this weekend and beat a crucial deadline, but it faces long odds in the Senate. 

The Maryland House sent its online casino bill, HB 1319, to the Senate with a 92-43 vote Saturday ahead of Monday’s deadline for legislation to pass its chamber of origin. Now, however, the legislation meets a Senate that did not act on a similar bill, with leadership vocally opposed to the Maryland online casino issue.

The Maryland legislative session ends April 8. Because online casino legalization requires a constitutional amendment, Senate passage requires a three-fifths majority. If passed, the question would then go to Maryland voters in November.

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During committee hearings last month, two of the state’s six casinos came out against the online gambling expansion.

Representatives from both Ocean Downs Casino and Racetrack and Live! Casino and Hotel Maryland expressed concerns about brick-and-mortar casino revenue losses and effects on local employees. Multiple members of casino employee unions also spoke against the issue during the hearings.

Earlier this month, the Maryland Retailers Association came out against the bill and released a poll it commissioned that found 55% of Marylanders are against online casino legalization.

Click here to read the full article from Legal Sports Report.