Maryland Sports Betting Tax Hits $9.9M in May 2026 as Hold Jumps to 12.3% — Handle Cools to $535M
Maryland bettors wagered $535.4M in May, down 6.8% from April — but the state's tax take rose to $9.90M as operators held a season-high 12.3%. FY2026 contributions reached $124.7M through 11 months.
Maryland sports bettors wagered $535,415,353 in May 2026, according to figures released by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. Even though handle fell 6.8% from April's $574.2M, the state's tax contribution rose to $9,899,004 — up 8.3% month-over-month — because operators held a season-high 12.3% of every dollar wagered.
That hold figure is the story of the month. At 12.3%, Maryland sportsbooks kept $65.8M in gross revenue from a smaller pool of wagers than they did in April, when they held just 11.0%. Lower handle, higher take — a sportsbook-favorable month in which bettors lost a larger share of what they put into play.
May 2026 at a glance
Handle cooled, but the hold did the work
May is a seasonal soft spot for sports betting nationwide — the NBA and NHL playoffs are winding down and baseball alone does not drive the volume that football season does. Maryland's 6.8% month-over-month handle decline tracks that pattern, and it mirrors slowdowns reported in other states for the same month.
What kept Maryland's state revenue climbing was the hold rate. A 1.3-point jump from 11.0% to 12.3% more than offset the smaller handle. Operator hold swings month to month based on how favorites and parlays land; May 2026 broke the sportsbooks' way, and the state — which taxes a share of operator win, not handle — collected more as a result.
Mobile still dominates
As in every month since launch, mobile wagering accounted for the overwhelming majority of Maryland's handle — roughly 98% — with the dozen-plus retail sportsbooks at Maryland casinos contributing only a small slice. The mobile-vs-retail split has been stable for two years and shows no sign of shifting.
Where the $9.9M goes
- Blueprint for Maryland's Future Fund — $7,447,061. Public education programs receive 15% of all taxable proceeds. Cumulative Blueprint contributions since program inception now total $271.4M.
- General Fund — $2,451,943. The additional 5% of mobile taxable win (in place since June 2025) flows to the state's General Fund. Cumulative: $30.7M.
- Problem Gambling Fund is funded separately via expired prizes — cumulative $5.58M since 2021. Maryland's helpline is 1-800-GAMBLER, plus the state-specific 1-888-238-7633.
Fiscal Year 2026 closing as a record for state revenue
Through 11 months of Fiscal Year 2026 (July 2025 – May 2026), Maryland sports betting has contributed $124,695,286 to the state — with only June left to report. That total is already well ahead of all of FY2025, driven by the mobile tax increase from 15% to 20% that took effect last June and by steady year-over-year handle growth.
| Period | Handle | Hold % | Gross Revenue | State Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | $535.4M | 12.3% | $65.8M | $9.90M |
| April 2026 | $574.2M | 11.0% | $63.2M | $9.14M |
| Change | −6.8% | +1.3pt | +4.1% | +8.3% |
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| State contribution (11 months) | $124.7M |
| Cumulative Blueprint Fund (since launch) | $271.4M |
| Cumulative General Fund (since launch) | $30.7M |
| Months remaining in FY2026 | 1 (June) |
What this means for Maryland bettors
A 12.3% hold means Maryland's operators kept about $12.30 of every $100 wagered in May — above the typical 10-12% band and the highest of recent months. When the hold runs hot for the books, it runs cold for bettors. There is nothing a bettor can do about how games land, but there is plenty you can do about the price you pay to bet them.
- Line shop hard. A reported 12.3% average hold reflects the field, not the best available number. Maintaining accounts at 3-5 books and always taking the top line meaningfully lowers your effective hold.
- Go lighter on parlays. Multi-leg parlays carry the highest built-in margin and are the biggest driver of a 12%+ hold month. Straight spreads and totals at -110 carry far less vig per side.
- Use promotions. Welcome bonuses and ongoing odds boosts directly reduce your effective hold. We track current Maryland sportsbook promos on our promos page.
May 2026 is a clean illustration of why handle alone never tells the story. Marylanders bet less than they did in April, yet the state earned more — because the sportsbooks simply held a bigger share. For the treasury, a high-hold month is a windfall. For the average bettor, it is the cost of doing business.
Methodology and source
All figures in this report are from the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency's official May 2026 sports wagering data release. Month-over-month comparisons use MDLGCA's published April 2026 totals. Gross revenue and taxable-win-derived contributions follow Maryland's statutory framework: 15% of taxable win to the Blueprint Fund plus a 5% mobile surcharge to the General Fund since June 2025. Fiscal Year totals cover July 1 through June 30; FY2026 is in progress with June 2026 still to report.