A new statewide poll released this week sent a clear message to Annapolis: Marylanders don’t want to turn every smartphone into a slot machine.
According to a Lake Research Partners survey commissioned by the National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG), 71% of voters oppose legalizing online casinos—a jump from 52% once respondents learned what “iGaming” really means: 24-hour access to casino games from anywhere, anytime.
This overwhelming rejection cuts across party lines and income brackets. Parents, lower-income households, and residents near existing casinos were especially firm in opposition. Their concerns weren’t abstract. They were moral, economic, and deeply practical.
Voters Aren’t Buying “Easy Money” Politics
For months, Democratic lawmakers and some Republican allies have floated iGaming as a painless fix for the state’s ballooning deficit—projected to top $3 billion by FY2027. The pitch is familiar: tax the habit, fund the schools, and everyone wins.
But voters have seen this movie before. The Maryland Education Trust Fund was supposed to be the jackpot from slot machines and table games; yet schools remain chronically underfunded while casino revenues quietly plug general budget holes.
When government gets addicted to gambling revenue, the house always wins—and taxpayers eventually lose.
Addiction Is Not a Revenue Stream
The new poll’s most striking figure is not the 71% opposition, but the reasons behind it.
- 68% cited addiction and mental-health concerns.
- 62% worried about youth exposure and family breakdown.
- 55% pointed to job losses at brick-and-mortar casinos and local businesses.
Those aren’t moral panics—they’re lessons learned from other states. In New Jersey, gambling-related social costs exceed $350 million annually, offsetting any new revenue. And for every new online “job,” traditional casinos lose several. Maryland’s own analysis predicts up to $65 million in lost in-person revenue if iGaming takes hold.
A policy that trades stable employment for digital dopamine hits isn’t progress—it’s predation wrapped in progressivism.
A Coalition of Common Sense
Opposition to iGaming has forged a rare alliance: casino workers, community advocates, and small-government skeptics who agree that not every problem should be solved by expanding government’s reach—or its vices.
Groups like The Cordish Companies (owners of Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland), labor unions, and family-policy organizations are united under NAAiG to push back on what they call “predatory convenience.” Their message is simple: protect local jobs and families before chasing new taxes.
This isn’t moral grandstanding—it’s kitchen-table realism. You can’t build stronger communities by hollowing them out digitally.
The Timing Couldn’t Be Worse
The poll landed just as Maryland reels from the federal shutdown, which is costing the state nearly $800,000 a day in lost wages and productivity. With economic anxiety rising, some legislators hoped to quietly advance an online-casino bill in the January 2026 session. Instead, the data gives them a cold dose of reality.
If the proposal ever reaches the ballot—as required by Maryland’s constitution—it will almost certainly lose. Voters are in no mood to let the same political class that can’t balance a budget start managing a digital casino.
Moral Clarity in a Cloudy Economy
In an era where every policy debate is framed as “modernization,” it’s refreshing to see Marylanders draw a moral line. Online gambling is not innovation; it’s exploitation by convenience. It doesn’t create wealth—it moves it, quietly, from the struggling to the state.
At a time when families are fighting inflation, school performance is sinking, and crime is rising, voters understand that stability—not stimulation—is what Maryland needs most.
Bottom Line
The poll confirms what many already felt in their gut: Marylanders don’t want a casino in their pocket. They want jobs, accountability, and leaders willing to fix problems without feeding new addictions.
If the legislature insists on pushing iGaming again in 2026, they’ll be gambling against the people—and the odds aren’t in their favor.
Support independent Maryland journalism that tells the truth without spin. Donate or subscribe at MDBayNews.com.
Discover more from Maryland Bay News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.