Through the Maryland 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.
Revenues from the Lottery are credited to the State Lottery Fund (Code State Government Article, secs. 9-118 through 9-120). Monies in the State Lottery Fund are deposited into the Maryland Stadium Facilities Fund, the Maryland Veterans Trust Fund, the Baltimore City Public School Construction Financing Fund, and the remaining monies are deposited into the State General Fund (Code State Government Article, sec. 9-120).
Lottery income is the State's third largest source of revenue, after income taxes, sales taxes, and corporate taxes. In Fiscal Year 2017, some 61.9% of Lottery revenue went to pay prizes to players; 7.5% went to retailer commissions; and 3.5% to operational expenses. The remaining 27.1% of revenues from the State Lottery were deposited in the General Fund of the State Treasury to support Maryland government programs, including those in education, public health, public safety and the environment.
- LOTTERY DRAWING GAMES
The State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency provides a variety of terminal-based games which include Pick 3, Pick 4, Bonus Match 5, 5-Card Cash, Cash4Life, Keno, Mega Millions, Multi-Match, Powerball, and Racetrax. Subscriptions are offered for Multi-Match and Mega-Millions.
Drawings for most games are conducted off-air and the results are displayed during televised drawings. Cash4Life drawings are shown live on the Maryand Lottery website. Official winning numbers are posted on the Maryland Lottery website; via mobile phone apps and the winning numbers phone line ((410) 230-8830).
Cash4Life. Cash4Life is a multi-state game with a top prize of $1,000 a day for life and a second prize of $1,000 a week for life. Players select six number from two different fields: five out of 60 and one Cash Ball number out of four. Sold in nine states, tickets cost $2. Drawings are held Monday and Thursday nights in Trenton, New Jersey, using lottery balls and air-mix machines.
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. Winners are drawn using numbered lottery balls and manually operated air-mix machines.
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 horses numbered from one to twelve to win prizes ranging from $1.20 to $650,248. Drawings are held approximately every four minutes.
Mega Millions (formerly The Big Game). Mega Millions is a multi-state game with jackpots that start at $40 million. Players select six numbers from two different fields: five out of 70 and one Gold Mega Ball number out of 25. Winning numbers are drawn on Tuesday and Friday nights in Atlanta, Georgia, using lottery balls and air-mix machines. The game costs $2 to play. Forty-four 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 nights. The game offers a minimum jackpot of $500,000. Nine other prize levels range from $2 to $2,000. Multi-Match is played only in Maryland and is drawn using lottery balls and an air-mix machine.
Powerball. Since January 31, 2010, Maryland and forty-four other states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands offer Powerball. Players select 6 numbers from two different fields: five out of 69 and one powerball number out of 26. Tickets are $2 and drawings are held Wednesday and Saturday nights in Tallahassee, Florida, using lottery balls and air-mix machines for jackpots starting at $40 million.
LOTTERY INSTANT GAMES
The Lottery offers more than 50 instant (scratch-off) games at prices ranging from $1 to $30. Each instant game launch includes thousands of winning tickets, with prizes of varying amounts, including top prizes as high as $2 million.
PRIZES
Prizes of $600 or less may be claimed at any Lottery retail location. Winning tickets up to $5,000 can be cashed at Expanded Cashing Authority Program (XCAP) retail locations. Winning tickets of any amount may be redeemed at the Maryland State Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. Retail locations also provide how-to-play brochures and other game information.
With Senate advice and consent, the Director of the State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency is appointed by the Governor (Code State Government Article, sec. 9-106). With the approval of the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission and the Legislative Policy Committee of the General Assembly, the Agency's Director may enter into agreements to operate multijurisdictional lotteries with any other political entity outside the State or outside the United States, or with a private licensee of a state or other nation (Chapter 449, Acts of 2002; Code State Government Article, sec. 9-111).
Within the Agency are four divisions: Communications and Customer Relations; Finance; Gaming and Regulatory Oversight; and Sales and Marketing. The Agency is aided by the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission.
The State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission originated in 1973 as the State Lottery Commission (Chapter 365, Acts of 1972). It reformed as the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission in 2012 (Chapter 1, Acts of 2012, 2nd Special Session).
The 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 operations and regulations. It 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. In conjunction with the State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, the Commission also is responsible for regulating table games, and the operations of the State's video lottery terminals.
The Commission's oversight extends to regulations, contracts, and licenses. Commission members review and approve new or amended lottery and gaming regulations before they are submitted for Legislative review. Agency contracts also are reviewed and approved by the Commission before submission to the Board of Public Works or the Department of General Services, In addition, the Commission reviews and approves licenses for casino operators, principal entities, manufacturers, contractors, and vender and casino employees.
Further, since May 2021, the Commission has the added responsibility of generally overseeing the regulation of sports wagering and fantasy gaming competitions in the State (Chapter 356, Acts of 2021).
Seven members constitute the Commission. They are appointed to five-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). Annually, from among its members the Commission chooses the Chair (Code State Government Article, secs. 9-104 through 9-109).
The Commission is assisted by the Maryland Amusem*nt Game Advisory Committee.
The Gaming and Regulatory Oversight Division started as the Gaming Division in July 2011, and reformed as the Gaming and Operations Division in November 2015. It was renamed the Gaming, Operations and Regulatory Oversight Division in 2017, and later adopted its present name.
In Maryland, the Division regulates casino gambling. The Division also conducts audits; monitors slot machine ownership and compliance; manages the central monitor and control system; and administers responsible gambling programs.
MARYLAND CASINO GAMING (SLOT MACHINES & TABLE GAMES)
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; Constitution, Art. XIX, sec. 1). On November 6, 2012, voters approved by referendum the addition of a sixth casino in Prince George's County, table games at casinos, and 24-hour gaming operations at all locations.
The State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency regulates gaming operations at Maryland cainos [Maryland Video Lottery Program (slots gambling), & table games]. The process by which licenses were issued to operate video lottery facilities in those jurisdictions, however, was conducted by the 