BALTIMORE — Maryland’s schools fund collected $10.4 million from sports betting in October, part of a $13.78 million monthly contribution to the state that ranks among the program’s best but fell short of the same month a year ago.
Sportsbooks generated $13,780,116 for the state during October, Maryland Lottery and Gaming reported Tuesday. The agency called it the market’s fourth-best month for state contributions since legal wagering began in December 2021.
Bettors wagered $710,097,349, the third-highest monthly handle on record, and won back $637,662,270. That left operators with a hold of 10.2%.
Both headline numbers slipped from October 2025, when a record $736.6 million in bets produced $14.09 million for the state. The contribution was down about $310,000, or 2.2%, and handle was down about $26.5 million, or 3.6%, according to a Chronicle comparison of the two reports.
The larger gap is in the year-to-date total. Through the first four months of fiscal 2027, sports wagering has generated a little more than $38.3 million for the state, the agency said. At the same point last year the figure was $43.9 million, according to the agency’s October 2025 report, a decline of roughly 13%. The slower start reflects a soft summer: the state’s share was $7 million in August and $9.1 million in September.
Where the money goes
The state does not tax the amount wagered. It taxes “taxable win,” what operators keep after paying prizes and subtracting promotional free bets and certain other amounts. Retail sportsbooks pay 15% of that to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, which supports public education. Mobile operators pay 20%, with 15% going to the Blueprint fund and 5% to the state’s general fund.
For October, that worked out to $10,378,242 for the Blueprint fund and $3,401,874 for the general fund.
Since the program began, sports wagering has sent $305,994,386 to the Blueprint fund, up about $95.5 million from the cumulative total reported a year ago. Another $42,048,528 has gone to the general fund, and $5,891,138 in expired prizes has gone to the state’s Problem Gambling Fund.
Nearly all of it is on phones
Mobile apps accounted for $700.1 million of October’s handle, about 98.6%. Retail sportsbooks, the in-person windows and kiosks at casinos and other licensed sites, took $10 million in bets.
| October 2026 | Retail | Mobile | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handle | $10,015,307 | $700,082,042 | $710,097,349 |
| Prizes paid | $8,824,778 | $628,837,492 | $637,662,270 |
| Hold | $1,190,529 (11.9%) | $71,244,550 (10.2%) | $72,435,079 (10.2%) |
| Taxable win | $1,150,791 | $68,037,487 | $69,188,279 |
| State contribution | $172,619 | $13,607,497 | $13,780,116 |
Handle includes about $1.65 million in promotional free wagers that operators are allowed to deduct before the tax is calculated.
The sports betting figures are separate from casino gaming. Maryland’s six casinos took in $159.7 million in October, down 1.4% from a year earlier.
A sportsbook-by-sportsbook breakdown and a summary of betting by sport are posted with the agency’s monthly revenue reports. November results, which cover the heart of the NFL and college football seasons and produced the program’s largest state contribution last year, are expected in mid-December.
Maryland residents can get free, confidential help with a gambling problem by calling 1-800-GAMBLER or visiting mdgamblinghelp.org.
