Evidence baseline: October 20–21, 2026. The state sources and operator-policy findings below reflect that dated record. They are not a current legal opinion or evidence of account testing. Check the applicable law and current terms before relying on a participation claim.
Enforcement notices and an unpassed bill record
The November 18, 2025 notice directs Chumba Casino to cease online poker, casino games and sweepstakes in Maryland. It identifies consideration, chance and prize in the offering reviewed. That is a named enforcement position rather than a generic claim about missing regulation.
The February 2026 director’s report records 75 cease-and-desist letters as of February 13 and 24 operators withdrawing or changing products. Those numbers belong to that report’s snapshot; they are neither a live counter nor a final court tally.
| Record | Local evidence and scope |
|---|---|
| 1 | A November 18, 2025 agency notice directs Chumba Casino to cease online poker, casino games and sweepstakes in Maryland. |
| 2 | The notice identifies consideration, chance and prize as the elements present in the offering reviewed. |
| 3 | The agency’s February 2026 director report records 75 cease-and-desist letters as of February 13, 2026, with 24 operators withdrawing or modifying their products. |
| 4 | The official 2026 HB 1226 record stops at a Senate hearing and does not show enactment; its proposed October 1 date is not proof that it became law. |
Table sources: Document 1 · Document 2 · Document 3
An effective date in proposed text is not enactment
The reviewed HB 1226 record stops at a Senate hearing. Its proposed October 1 commencement cannot demonstrate that the bill became law. Accurate Maryland coverage can explain substantial agency enforcement while acknowledging that this particular legislative record does not show passage.
No local signup list follows from that legislative uncertainty. The agency notices remain contrary evidence to blanket approval claims based on free entry. A still-open registration form describes an operator’s interface, not the result of the state’s consideration, chance and prize analysis.
Maryland questions
What do the 75 and 24 figures describe?
They are figures in the February 2026 director report, with the 75 letters dated as of February 13. They should be attributed to that point in time rather than presented as continuously updated totals.
Did October 1 prove HB 1226 took effect?
No. A proposed date is conditional on enactment. The reviewed official history reaches a Senate hearing without showing enactment, so this baseline does not claim that a new law commenced through that bill.
Official sources for Maryland
Maryland Lottery and Gaming: Chumba Casino cease-and-desist notice, November 18, 2025 · Maryland Lottery and Gaming: February 2026 Director’s Report · Maryland General Assembly: HB 1226, 2026 Session
Maryland’s enforcement record and HB 1226’s legislative status are separate findings. Keep both accurate instead of treating uncertainty about one as permission against the other.