No. As of October 8, 2026, Stake.us lists Maryland as an excluded territory in its Terms and says it cannot accommodate Maryland residents. Maryland’s gaming regulator has also stated that Stake.us was offering online gaming in the state without legal authority. Maryland residents should not create an account, access or use the platform, or play.
Is Stake.us legal in Maryland?
Stake.us’s current rules do not allow Maryland residents to use the platform. Its Terms list Maryland as an “Excluded Territory,” and its restricted-states notice, dated July 10, 2026, says it cannot accommodate players from Maryland.
There is also a state-regulator context. In a letter dated May 7, 2024, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) told Stake.us that it was offering and conducting online gaming in Maryland without legal authority. That is the agency’s enforcement position, not a court ruling resolving every possible legal argument about sweepstakes casinos.
Can you play Stake.us in MD?
No. Stake.us says that someone who lives in an excluded territory makes a material misrepresentation by accepting its Terms, accessing or using the platform, creating an account, or playing. The Terms reserve the company’s right to take appropriate action in response. Do not try to get around the Maryland restriction with a VPN or another location workaround.
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Why is Stake.us restricted in Maryland?
Stake.us’s rules exclude the state
The platform’s restricted-states notice points users to section 2.1 of its Terms, which names Maryland. The Terms also say participation requires users to be over 21 or the higher applicable age of majority and legally permitted to participate. Those are the operator’s contractual requirements; they do not determine what Maryland law permits.
Maryland’s regulator has challenged the service
The MLGCA’s May 7, 2024 letter to Sweepstakes Limited, doing business as Stake.us, states: “It has come to the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency’s (“MLGCA”) attention that Stake.us, is offering and conducting online gaming activity in Maryland without legal authority to do so.” The letter says Maryland permits gambling under specified legal provisions and that games outside those provisions are not permitted. It is an agency statement addressed to the company, not a judicial decision.
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Maryland’s statutes and regulations cover specified gaming categories, including the lottery, casinos, electronic instant bingo, electronic gaming devices, sports wagering, and online fantasy competitions. That framework is not a single blanket rule resolving every kind of online game; the MLGCA letter sets out the agency’s position on Stake.us specifically.
Do Stake.us’s Gold Coins and Stake Cash make it legal?
No. Stake.us describes itself as a social casino. In a help article dated July 23, 2026, the company says Gold Coins have no monetary value and cannot be exchanged for prizes, while Stake Cash can be redeemed for prizes in the form of cryptocurrencies. These are the company’s descriptions of its token system, not a determination that Maryland law authorizes the service. A “free-to-play” label or dual-currency design does not override the state regulator’s position or the platform’s Maryland exclusion.
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The Terms likewise say that no purchase or payment is necessary to participate and that the games do not offer real-money gambling. Those are operator statements, not independent findings about the service’s status under Maryland law.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did Maryland’s 2026 HB1226 ban Stake.us?
The official Maryland General Assembly record identifies HB1226 as the “Maryland Illegal Online Gambling Enforcement Act.” In the record reviewed as of October 8, 2026, its status was “In the Senate – Hearing 3/31 at 1:00 p.m.” The bill proposed rules concerning the operation, promotion, and support of illegal online gambling and listed October 1, 2026, as a proposed effective date. The displayed status does not show that the proposal became law, so it should not be described as an enacted ban. Stake.us’s own Maryland exclusion and the MLGCA’s 2024 letter are separate grounds for the practical answer.
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Check the official HB1226 bill record for its latest status; legislation can change.
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What should Maryland residents do?
- Do not create an account, access or use Stake.us, or play while residing in Maryland.
- Do not rely on the token descriptions or “social casino” label as proof of state authorization.
- If considering another gaming service, verify its current Maryland eligibility and authorization with the relevant regulator; no alternative operator is established here.
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