Gaming - Problem Gambling - Prevalence Study and Fund Revenue
Summary
HB700 would expand Maryland’s problem gambling policy by requiring the Maryland Department of Health to study not only in-person gambling addiction prevalence, but also problem and pathological mobile gambling. The bill directs the Secretary of Health to contract with an independent researcher to conduct the studies using current psychiatric or diagnostic criteria, and it sets a deadline of July 1, 2030 for the initial mobile gambling prevalence study. It also requires follow-up replication studies at least every five years so the State can compare trends over time.
The bill also changes how certain gaming revenues are distributed. It reduces the share retained by fantasy competition operators and sports wagering licensees from 85% to 84%, and directs the additional 1% to the Problem Gambling Fund. Under the bill, 6.25% of the remaining proceeds from fantasy competition and sports wagering would be deposited into the Problem Gambling Fund, while the rest continues to support the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund. The bill further requires the Secretary of Health to report annually to the General Assembly beginning November 1, 2026 on how Problem Gambling Fund dollars are spent on treatment and prevention programs.
Impact
HB700 amends the Health-General and State Government Articles to broaden the State’s required gambling-prevalence research and to redirect a portion of gaming-related revenue to problem gambling services. It creates a new statutory obligation for mobile gambling prevalence studies, adds annual reporting on Problem Gambling Fund expenditures, and revises the revenue-sharing formulas for fantasy competition and sports wagering so that a larger share supports problem gambling treatment and prevention.
Sentiment
Based on the bill’s title and structure, the measure appears to have a public-health and consumer-protection focus, with an emphasis on monitoring the growth of mobile gambling and funding treatment resources. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from hearings or floor debate. The bill’s framing suggests generally favorable treatment of problem gambling mitigation, though it also reallocates gaming revenue that would otherwise go to education funding.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the revenue shift: the bill diverts a portion of fantasy competition and sports wagering proceeds away from the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund and into the Problem Gambling Fund. Stakeholders focused on education funding may object to reducing the share available for the Blueprint, while gambling industry participants may object to the lower retained percentage and the added reporting and study requirements. Public health advocates are likely to support the expanded research and dedicated funding for treatment and prevention.