House Bill 1226, titled the Maryland Illegal Online Gambling Enforcement Act, would let the Attorney General issue cease-and-desist orders to any sweepstakes operator accused of offering or promoting illegal online gambling in the state. It also requires the Attorney General to keep a public list of website URLs that have received those orders, effectively creating a blacklist that others would be expected to follow.
If the warnings are not heeded, civil and criminal penalties could be next in line for the operators. Any games that award money or other prizes of value are prohibited under the state's law. "Illegal online gambling operations threaten consumer protections, undermine responsible gaming safeguards, and are antithetical to the public's interest in regulated gaming," said IGB Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter in a public statement.