Self-exclusion in Maryland

How to put yourself on Maryland's self-exclusion list, what it covers, and what it does not.

Programme: Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) Voluntary Exclusion Program (VEP) — a single programme, but you register separately for each kind of gambling you want shut off.mdgaming.com, checked 3 October 2026
Covers online betting: Yes for mobile sports betting. The regulation requires the Commission's Voluntary Exclusion List to be provided to 'Sports wagering facility licensees and mobile sports wagering licensees', so online sportsbook operators receive the list alongside the retail ones.regs.maryland.gov, checked 3 October 2026
Covers casinos and shops: Yes. 'If an individual registers for voluntary exclusion from casinos, that individual will be prohibited from entering and gambling at all Maryland casinos.' The regulation has the list distributed to 'Video lottery facilities', to any 'Instant bingo facility with more than 10 instant bingo machines', to 'Registered fantasy competition operators' and to sports wagering facility licensees.mdgaming.com, checked 3 October 2026
Covers the lottery: Yes, and Maryland is unusual in this — the lottery is genuinely included rather than carved out. 'If an individual registers for voluntary exclusion from the Maryland Lottery, that individual agrees not purchase or play any Maryland Lottery game.' The regulation confirms the mechanism: lottery play is entered into the Lottery Central System. Note it is a separate registration from the casino one.mdgaming.com, checked 3 October 2026
How long you can choose: 'You can elect either a two-year ban or lifetime exclusion.' There is no one-year or five-year option.mdgaming.com, checked 3 October 2026
Can it be undone: No, and even after two years removal is conditional and discretionary. 'A person enrolled for a two-year exclusion may request removal from the list at the expiration of that time period by completing a Request for Removal Application.' Before that, an applicant 'must first undergo a problem gambling assessment by a professional who is certified by the state to conduct problem gambling assessments, complete any recommended treatment, and complete a problem gambling treatment and prevention program.' The decision is not yours: 'The Maryland Lottery will have the final determination on whether an applicant can be removed.'mdgaming.com, checked 3 October 2026
What happens when it ends: It does not end by itself. You stay on the list after the two years until you request removal and the Commission grants it: 'After an individual has been on the Commission's Voluntary Exclusion List for at least 2 years, the individual may request that the Commission remove the individual from the list.' There is no provision for automatic removal.From COMAR 36.01.03.06. The two years is the earliest you may ask, not the date the ban lifts — and removal requires documentation that you have completed an approved problem gambling treatment or prevention programme, or an approved healthy decision-making programme with a licensed professional counsellor, plus an executed authorisation and release. Doing nothing keeps you excluded.regs.maryland.gov, checked 3 October 2026
How you sign up: In person, and only by you. 'Placement on the list is completely voluntary and your name cannot be added to the list by anyone but yourself.' 'The application must be filled out and submitted in person at Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency headquarters in Baltimore, or at any casino in Maryland.' You must present a government-issued photo ID, and 'You must not be under the influence of any alcohol or controlled substances during the application process, so you can make a sober and informed decision.'mdgaming.com, checked 3 October 2026

Worth knowing before you start

Maryland's reach is wide — the Agency says the programme 'is also available at MLGCA-regulated bingo halls in Anne Arundel and Calvert counties and for sports wagering and daily fantasy sports', on top of casinos and the lottery — but it is category-by-category, so registering for casinos does nothing about your sportsbook app or your lottery tickets. If you want everything closed, say so for every category when you apply. The exclusion also goes beyond stopping play: you are taken off casino direct marketing lists and 'prohibited from cashing checks and taking credit card advances on casino property'. The practical blocker is the in-person requirement in Baltimore or at a casino, which for many people means walking into the building they are trying to stay out of — the casino's responsible-gaming staff are used to this, and you do not have to go to the gaming floor to do it.

Done? The rest of the hour: blockers, a bank block, closing the accounts, telling one person.

Every fact on this page was read from an official source and dated. The oldest of them was checked on 3 October 2026. Tell us if something here is wrong.