MARYLAND · GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS

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Gambling in Maryland: a brief history

Maryland's modern gambling history begins in 2008, when voters approved a referendum legalizing slot-machine casinos. A second referendum in 2012 expanded the law to allow table games and a sixth casino license. The build-out followed quickly: Hollywood Perryville, Ocean Downs, Maryland Live! (now Live! Casino in Hanover), Rocky Gap, Horseshoe Baltimore, and MGM National Harbor all opened between 2010 and 2016. Sports betting was legalized by referendum in 2020, with retail sportsbooks launching in December 2021 and mobile sports betting launching in November 2022. Maryland's gambling expansion was rapid by national standards: in roughly fifteen years the state went from no commercial casino gambling to six casinos, mobile sportsbooks, and a dense ring of gaming venues across the Baltimore-Washington corridor. The corresponding rise in problem-gambling helpline calls tracked the timeline closely, with the steepest jump following the 2022 mobile-sportsbook launch.

Gamblers Anonymous in Maryland

Gamblers Anonymous reached Maryland in the early 1970s, with the first documented Baltimore meeting forming in a church basement off North Charles Street. For decades the state's GA presence was small and concentrated in Baltimore City and Montgomery County, where commuters into Washington D.C. could connect with GA fellowships across the river. The 2008 casino referendum changed the demand picture meaningfully, and groups began forming in Anne Arundel County (near Live! Casino), Cecil County (near Hollywood Perryville), and Prince George's County (near MGM National Harbor). Today there are 28 active GA meetings across Maryland, with concentrations in the Baltimore metro, the D.C. suburbs in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, and the Annapolis corridor. About one-third of meetings are online, which has been particularly important for Eastern Shore residents who would otherwise have a long drive to the nearest in-person room.

State-funded recovery resources

Maryland's problem-gambling infrastructure is anchored by the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling, based at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. The Center runs clinician training, public-awareness campaigns, and the state's voluntary exclusion program, and it administers the Maryland Problem Gambling Helpline, which routes through the 1-800-GAMBLER national number. The Maryland Council on Problem Gambling, a separate nonprofit, advocates for funding and publishes treatment-provider directories at mdgamblinghelp.org. Gambling treatment for qualifying Maryland residents is funded through casino-revenue contributions and is available at no cost via state-credentialed providers. The state's voluntary exclusion program covers all six Maryland casinos and, since 2022, can also be applied to licensed mobile sportsbook operators within the state.

Maryland state helpline · 24/7 confidential

1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537)

Operated by the Maryland Council on Problem Gambling

What recovery looks like in Maryland

Gambling recovery in Maryland is shaped by three overlapping realities: the rapid pace of legalization since 2008, the Baltimore-Washington commuter geography, and the unusual concentration of casinos along major highways. MGM National Harbor sits at the southern tip of Prince George's County right on the D.C. line, and a meaningful share of its patrons are D.C. and Northern Virginia residents who cross state lines to gamble. Live! Casino in Hanover sits at the intersection of I-95 and Route 295, drawing from Baltimore, Annapolis, and the BWI airport workforce. Many Maryland residents in early gambling recovery describe a similar arc: a casino opened a thirty-minute drive from their house, what started as occasional visits became routine, and the 2022 mobile-sportsbook launch removed even the friction of the drive. Maryland's GA meetings reflect this post-2022 demographic shift, with younger members, more sports-betting stories, and a noticeable share of federal-government and military-adjacent workers from the D.C. suburbs. The state's recovery community also benefits from proximity to the academic clinicians at the Maryland Center of Excellence, who often refer patients into GA as a complement to outpatient treatment.

28 Gamblers Anonymous meetings in Maryland

See the live meeting map filtered to Gamblers Anonymous on the live meeting map, or open the full Gamblers Anonymous hub at /meetings/ga/.

Frequently asked

How many GA meetings are there in Maryland?
There are 28 active Gamblers Anonymous meetings in Maryland. Concentrations are in the Baltimore metro, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and the Annapolis corridor. About a third of Maryland GA meetings are held online, which is especially useful for Eastern Shore and Western Maryland residents who are far from in-person rooms.
Is Gamblers Anonymous in Maryland free?
Yes. All Gamblers Anonymous meetings in Maryland are free to attend, with no registration, no insurance billing, and no required donation. GA is supported by voluntary contributions from members at meetings, typically a dollar or two. The Maryland Problem Gambling Helpline, reachable at 1-800-GAMBLER, is also free, anonymous, and available 24/7.
Do D.C. or Virginia residents attend Maryland GA meetings?
Yes, regularly. Gamblers Anonymous has no residency requirement, and Maryland GA meetings near the D.C. line (particularly in Prince George's and Montgomery counties) frequently include attendees from Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia. Online Maryland meetings welcome participants from anywhere.
Can a Maryland court order someone into Gamblers Anonymous?
Yes. Maryland courts can require GA attendance as part of pretrial intervention, probation, or sentencing in cases involving theft, embezzlement, or fraud connected to compulsive gambling. GA groups will typically sign a court attendance slip on request, while preserving member anonymity. Some judges in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties have developed informal familiarity with the program.
Where can I find treatment beyond GA in Maryland?
The Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling at the University of Maryland School of Medicine maintains a directory of state-credentialed clinicians, and the Maryland Council on Problem Gambling lists treatment providers at mdgamblinghelp.org. State-funded outpatient treatment is available at no cost for qualifying Maryland residents, paid through casino-revenue contributions.

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