Nearly 800,000 Maryland license plates link to a Filipino gambling site

BETHESDA - Some Maryland license plates are now advertising a website for an online casino in the Philippines. 

In 2007, a license plate was designed to commemorate the War of 1812. Star-Spangled 200, Inc, a nonprofit entity affiliated with the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, raised funds for bicentennial projects and events, according to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. 

A Redditor realized earlier this week that a URL on the bottom of the license plate doesn't have anything to do with Star-Spangled 200, Inc or the War of 1812 – and instead directs to a website promoting "Philippines Best Betting Site." 

Photo via the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration

There are currently 798,000 active War of 1812 license plates on vehicles in the state, according to the MVA – so hundreds of thousands of Marylanders may be driving around with ads for online gambling. 

The MVA "does not endorse the views or content on the current website using that URL, and is working with the agency’s IT department to identify options to resolve the current issue," according to a statement to FOX 5.