Maine sports betting is now legal! Sports betting in Maine is expected to launch in November 2023, the state’s Gambling Control Unit has announced.
The legislation was signed by Gov. Janet Mills in May of 2022 and officially became law on Aug. 2, 2022. The Maine Gambling Control Unit said final rules have now been submitted to the Maine Attorney General’s Office for legal review, “with an anticipated adoption in November 2023.”
Maine’s sports betting law passed last year authorizes up to 10 retail sportsbooks, in addition to mobile sports betting through the tribes. Casinos (Maine has two commercial casinos and no tribal casinos), off-track betting facilities, and racetracks are eligible to apply for retail licenses, or “facility” sports wagering licenses.
Maine had fallen behind many of its New England neighbors. Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Connecticut all have legal sports betting in place. Massachusetts was the latest to launch in early 2023.
Let’s take a look at updates for Maine sports betting so you’re prepared as the best sports betting apps get set to go live in the state.
Maine Sports Betting At A Glance:
| 📜 Is sports betting legal in Maine? | ✅ Yes, sports betting is legal in Maine |
| 📱 Can I sports bet in Maine? | ❌ Not yet. Residents of the state do not have access to mobile or retail sportsbooks yet. |
| 🚀 Expected launch date | November 2023 |
| 🪪 Sports Betting Licenses Available | 🏙 Retail - 10 📱 Online - 4 |
| 🏫 College Sports Betting? | ✔ Yes with the exception of in-state NCAA colleges |
| 💲Tax Rates | 16% mobile, 10% retail |
| 🎮 eSports? | 🚫 Not available |
| DFS? | ✅ Available |
Is Sports Betting Legal in Maine?
Yes, sports betting has been legalized in Maine, as of August 8, 2022.
Governor Janet Mills signed LD 585 in May 2022, authorizing mobile and retail sports betting in the Pine Tree State. Under the terms of the bill, passed by the Maine legislature, mobile sports betting will be administered by the state’s tribal interests. Limited retail sports betting will be available at racetracks and casinos.
“This law provides meaningful economic opportunities for the Wabanaki Nations. It incentivizes investment in Tribal communities, and it formalizes a collaboration process on policy that sets the foundation for a stronger relationship in the future,” Mills said in a statement.
Tribes will get online wagering exclusive rights, with existing casinos able to host in-person betting.
When Will Maine Sports Betting Apps Launch?
Residents of Maine should be able to place bets on sporting events by November 2023.
The state’s Gambling Control Unit announced via social media in July that final rules have now been submitted to the Maine Attorney General’s Office for legal review, “with an anticipated adoption in November 2023.”
Milton Champion, the executive director of Maine’s Gambling Control Unit, expressed optimism to WMTW.com about the timeline, stating, “We’re talking about November 10th at the latest, so maybe the following week we will go live, and hey, what a great Thanksgiving present, right?”
Milton Champion cited a lack of staff and other attention-demanding aspects, such as addressing Maine’s casinos, as contributing factors behind the delay in Maine launching sports betting.
“So, there’s those interruptions when you’re trying to get something done. But we got it done, and we feel really, really good about it,”Champion told WMTW.com.
Where To Bet On Sports in Maine
Retail sports betting will be permitted at Maine’s two commercial casino locations, Oxford Casino and Hollywood Casino, as well as at licensed racetracks and off-track betting facilities.
Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway Bangor is a casino and harness racing track in Bangor, Maine. It is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by Penn Entertainment. The Oxford Casino is a hotel and casino in Oxford, Maine, owned and operated by Churchill Downs Inc.
Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway features a full track schedule every April through October and also offers simulcast horse racing from around the country, 365 days a year.
| 🎰 Maine Casinos | 📍Address |
|---|---|
| 🎰 Hollywood Slots Hotel & Raceway | 📍500 Main St, Bangor, ME 04401 |
| 🎰 Oxford Casino | 📍777 Casino Way, Oxford, ME 04270 |
Each off-track betting facility may receive only one facility sports wagering license. A facility sports wagering license may not be transferred or assigned.
| 🐴 Maine OTB Sites | 📍Address |
|---|---|
| 🐴 Favorites OTB | 📍38 College Avenue Waterville, ME |
| 🐴 Winners Circle OTB | 📍12 Mollison Way (Marco’s Restaurant) Lewiston, ME |
| 🐴 Sanford OTB | 📍890 Main Street Sanford, ME |
| 🐴 Bangor Raceway | 📍107 Dutton Street Bangor, ME |
Milton Champion, Executive Director of the Maine Gambling Control, told News Center Maine that BetMGM will partner with two ‘Off Track Betting’ facilitates. Those two locations already submitted a betting license application, according to Champion. In total, Champion suspects six in-person betting locations will apply for licenses. Only registered OTBs, Maine’s two casinos, and commercial tracks can apply for licenses.
Maine Sports Betting Updates
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September 27, 2023:
Executive Director of the Maine Gambling Control Unit Milton Champion said he expects the first legal sports wagers to be made sometime in November, News Center Maine reports. Champion said the attorney general’s office will finish its legal review of the proposed betting rules by Nov. 10.
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July 17, 2023:
Maine sports betting expected to launch by November 2023, the state’s Gambling Control Unit announced via social media.
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May 22, 2023:
It is expected that Caesars will launch in Maine when the state decides to go live with sports betting in Maine.
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May 3, 2023:
It is reported that FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and Fanatics will not apply for sports betting licenses in Maine.
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February 20, 2023:
The hope is for Maine sports betting to go live in Jan. 2024. Be sure to check back for the latest news.
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August 3, 2022:
Maine’s legalization of sports betting will go into effect on August 8, 2022. Gov. Janet Mills ceded the mobile sports betting industry to Native American tribes after she had previously threatened to veto their proposal for more sovereignty.
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February 11, 2022:
Maine Governor Janet Mills signaled that she is open to bringing sports betting to the state. The Bangor Daily News reported it had obtained a summary of Mills’ plans to offer mobile sports betting exclusively to federally recognized tribes in the state. Any mobile licenses would have to be run by the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Micmac tribes. Tribal members would receive tax benefits.
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June 18, 2021:
In an unexpected turn, the Maine legislature sent LD 1352 to Governor Janet Mills’ desk, giving Maine sports betting another chance at passing.
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June 7, 2021:
Three of the four proposed bills are announced as dead. These bills are supporting and address regulation, tax, revenue, and oversight of sports betting in Maine. Maine Bill LD 1352, an Act To Regulate Sports Betting, is kept alive and referred to the Joint Veterans And Legal Affairs Committee.
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June 1, 2021:
The Maine state legislature continues to debate the sports betting bills. Gov. Mills and other opponents to sports betting legalization push for a tethering provision, which would require mobile sportsbooks and online casinos to partner with retail operations
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May 14, 2021:
Sen Louis Luchini proposes LD 1352, a new kind of sports betting bill that would not require tethering online casinos and sportsbooks to retail operations or brands.
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April 30, 2021:
State lawmakers introduce 4 related sports betting bills to cover the regulation and taxation of sports betting apps in Maine.
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February 7, 2020:
The Maine House of Representatives did not reach the two-thirds majority of votes necessary to overturn the governor’s veto of the above bill, shelving sports wagering legalization for some time.
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January 4, 2020:
Gov. Mills delays deciding on the sports betting bill until Jan 2020, at which point she vetoes the bill, citing concerns about what a lack of sports betting tethering would do to the industry.
Maine Sports Betting Apps Likely to Launch
At the moment, there aren’t any active sportsbooks in Maine until legal sports betting officially launches. However, Maine’s Gambling Control Unit anticipates that ten facilities, including commercial casinos and racetracks, will operate physical sportsbooks, subject to a $4,000 licensing fee every four years.
According to Gaming Today, FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Fanatics are reportedly not going to apply for sports betting licenses in Maine. We reported on May 22 that Caesars Sportsbook is expected to launch in Maine when the state goes live. Caesars Sportsbook announced a partnership with three of the Wabanaki Tribes to launch a mobile sports betting platform.
DraftKings and FanDuel do already offer daily fantasy sports to Maine residents. Both of these operators cover much of the popular sports wagering market across the country.
Maine Gambling Control Chief Milt Champion told the Portland Press Herald in early April 2023 that no sportsbooks had applied for an operator license between then and mid-February, when his agency opened a provisional application process for potential operators.
The quicker applications roll in, the quicker the state can launch, Champion told the newspaper.
Is Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) Legal in Maine?
Yes, in August 2017, Maine became the 15th state to legalize daily fantasy sports. The House passed LD 1320 on June 29th, and the bill gained Senate approval shortly after, finally making its way to the governor’s office. The bill became enacted as a result of the governor’s inaction.
Both FanDuel DFS and DraftKings DFS are available in Maine.
Maine Sports Betting Laws
When Governor Janet Mills signed LD 585, authorizing mobile and retail sports betting in Maine, she called the law “the most significant tribal legislation enacted in Maine in more than 40 years, addressing economic and financial issues, while also making institutional changes in how state government interacts with the Wabanaki Nations.”
Here is a breakdown of what Maine Sports Betting regulations were included in the legislation:
- Maine’s sports betting law authorizes up to 10 retail sportsbooks, in addition to mobile sports betting through the tribes.
- Mobile sports betting in Maine will be done exclusively through the state’s tribes: the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, and the Maliseet.
- The bill prohibits bets on in-state collegiate teams, but specifies bettors can wager on tournament games.
- The bill puts the Maine Gambling Control Unit in charge of rules and regulations for sports wagering.
- As per Maine law, tribes in the state will get about half of the earnings from sports wagering. Maine’s General Fund will get 10%, a total that is projected to be between $3.8 million and $6.9 million.
- The minimum legal age to wager on sports in Maine will be 21.
Persons Prohibited From Sports Betting in Maine
All of the following persons are not allowed to make wagers on sports events in Maine:
- Persons under 21 years of age.
- Sports event participants.
- Operators and employees. An operator or management services licensee; directors, officers and employees of an operator or management services licensee; or a relative living in the same household as any of these persons. This subsection does not prohibit a relative living in the same household as a director, officer or employee of an operator or management services licensee from making a sports wager with an unaffiliated operator or management services licensee;
- Interested parties. A person with an interest in the outcome of the sports event identified by the director by rule. The interested parties identified by the director by rule under this subsection may include, but are not limited to, legal or beneficial owners of or employees of a sports team participating in the event or another sports team in the same league as a sports team participating in the event as well as directors, owners or employees of the sports league conducting the event;
- Unauthorized persons. A person on a list established by rule by the director under section 1203, subsection 2, paragraph K of persons who are not authorized to make wagers on sports events;
- Third parties. A person making a wager on behalf of or as the agent or custodian of
- Regulatory staff. An employee of the Gambling Control Unit within the department.
The Path to Legal Sports Betting in Maine
Maine Governor Janet Mills had previously signaled in February 2022 that she was open to bringing sports betting to the state.
The Bangor Daily News reported it had obtained a summary of Mills’ plans to offer mobile sports betting exclusively to federally recognized tribes in the state. Any mobile licenses would have to be run by the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Micmac tribes. Tribal members would receive tax benefits.
Some established brick and mortar facilities, namely Off Track Betting locations, would be allowed to offer sports betting as well. Casinos in Maine, however, would be on the outside looking in under this proposal.
A sports betting legalization bill passed both the House and Senate in 2019, but Mills delayed her decision on signing the bill. She then promptly vetoed the legislation early in 2020.
The push for sports betting legalization in Maine technically started as early as 2018, when the Supreme Court ruled PASPA unconstitutional. After this point, various legislators, including Senator Louis Luchini, began pushing for legal sports wagering and the expansion of other online gaming activities, like casino games.
Prior to passing the law, most of the debate surrounding legal sports wagering in Maine revolved around whether or not partnerships would be required. Only two states with legal sports wagering industries, Wyoming and Tennessee, don’t require online betting platforms to partner with land-based casinos or other licensed operators, like horse race tracks or off-track betting parlors.
There were two major sides to the argument. The pro-free market side, led by legislators like Sen. Louis Luchini, did not wish to impose tethering on future mobile sportsbook operators, as doing so without additional fees adds to the licensure and registration process. Furthermore, this side of the debate believes that a free market system will inspire further competition, resulting in a better product and market for sports bettors in Maine.
The pro-tethering side, led by Gov. Mills and other individuals, wants tethering to make sure that online sportsbooks and casinos are always operated by established, trustworthy entities. Specifically, they’ve pointed to issues with Tennessee Action 24/7: an independent sportsbook operating in Tennessee that was recently suspended due to claims of money laundering.
Maine Sports Betting Revenue
It’s tough to predict the kind of sports betting revenue the Maine state government could enjoy should they launch an effective legal industry. However, sports betting in Maine is expected to generate between $3.8 million and $6.9 million in revenue for the state, on top of $64 million from casinos and other legal gambling in 2022, Milt Champion, director of Maine’s Gambling Control Unit, said.
Maine is not a very populous state, but it does already have a solid gambling industry and plenty of prospective sports bettors that might jump at the chance to wager legally.
We can take a look at a nearby state with a fully launched sports betting industry: New Jersey. This state, though it is more populated than Maine, is comparable due to its land size and the presence of several retail casinos.
In 2021, for example, New Jersey’s state government reaped sports betting revenue of more than $816 million with a total handle of $10.9 billion.
Maine’s state government likely knows the total revenue it might be able to bring in from a functioning sports betting industry. Should the launch be successful and sportsbook platforms become immediately accessible, Maine’s sports betting revenue could reach similar numbers to New Jersey’s.
Maine Sports Betting Responsible Gaming
The Maine Council on Problem Gambling features a comprehensive list of resources that are available for people who are concerned about problem gambling in Maine. The Council is are a volunteer-driven 501(c)3 non-profit committed to working with other organizations and individuals to reduce problem gambling and its impact on Maine’s individuals, families, and communities. It also advocates for problem gambling awareness, prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery in Maine.
211 Maine serves as Maine’s Problem Gambling Hotline. If you are concerned about your gambling or the gambling of a loved one, 211 Maine employs live specialists who are available 24/7 to provide callers with information about resources and services. To contact 211 Maine:
- Dial 211 (or 1-866-811-5695)
- Email [email protected]
- Text your zip code to 898-211
- Visit www.211Maine.org
Most Popular Sports to Bet On In Maine
Once Maine sports betting launches, most sports bettors will likely put money down on out-of-state teams. With a population of just 1.3 million people, the state doesn’t have any professional sports franchises that call it home.
Instead of supporting local teams, sports betting enthusiasts will be more likely to put money down on other states’ professional sports franchises.
For those who like to bet on the NFL, the New England Patriots are a popular option for many Maine residents. The Patriots hold the records for most Super Bowl wins (6, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers) and appearances (11).
Maine residents who want to bet on the NBA will likely look no further than the Boston Celtics, one of the league’s original eight teams. The franchise is one of two teams with 17 NBA Championships, tied with their longtime rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers. Those wanting to bet on MLB will likely turn to the Boston Red Sox while the Boston Bruins are a strong option for those who prefer to test their wagering prowess betting on the NHL.
Maine College Sports Teams
While betting on college sports will be allowed under the Maine sports betting law, residents will be prohibited from betting on any in-state college teams. The University of Maine is the only Division I college in the state.
The University of Maine men’s hockey team made history on April 3, 1993, when the Black Bears won their first national title in program history. The national championship was the first New England team not based in Boston to win an NCAA championship — a feat unmatched until 2013. The 1993 Maine Men’s Ice Hockey team has been referred to on numerous occasions as the “Greatest College Hockey Team” in the history of the sport. The Black Bears, who finished the season with an incredible 42-1-2 mark, captured UMaine’s first National Championship after defeating Lake Superior State by a score of 5-4.
Can I Bet on Horse Racing in Maine?
Yes. You can wager on live harness races and simulcast events at Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway Bangor, which features a full track schedule every April through October and we also offer simulcast horse racing from around the country, 365 days a year.
In 2020, the Maine Gambling Control Board gave final approval for Penn National Gaming, the parent company for Hollywood Races, to be the only licensed advance deposit wagering operator in Maine. Penn National also owns and operates Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway in Bangor.
Maine Off-Track Betting Locations:
- Favorites OTB
Located behind The End Zone
38 College Avenue
Waterville, ME - Winners Circle OTB
12 Mollison Way (Marco’s Restaurant)
Lewiston, ME - Sanford OTB
890 Main Street
Sanford, ME - Bangor Raceway
107 Dutton Street
Bangor, ME
Other Sports To Bet On In Maine
Alongside popular professional sports like baseball and football, sports bettors will also be able to browse additional betting markets across legal sportsbooks that launch. Expect betting markets for sports and activities like these:
Some sportsbooks may even provide diverse betting markets for international sports like Australian rules football or rugby. Time will tell what sports Maine residents will get to check out specifically – check this page often for updates!
How To Place A Bet In Maine
No matter how Maine’s future sports betting industry shapes up, you can rest assured that online sports betting apps will be available in one way or another. Let’s break down how you’ll be able to place a bet in Maine once sports wagering is finally legalized.
Choose Your Legal Maine Sportsbook
You’ll first need to select the sports betting platform you want to check out. In all likelihood, you’ll have at least a few options within the first month of sports betting’s official launch, although more options will likely follow the initial leaders in the months after launch.
You can check out this site or the resources to investigate what each sportsbook app has to offer, including the betting lines, odds quality, market depth and variety, and welcome bonuses they have to offer.
Regardless, once you choose your platform, you’ll need to download it to your iOS or Android device. The process may be slightly different depending on the book you choose to download.
- iOS users have it easy; all popular sportsbooks are available on the Apple App Store, so all you have to do is search for the app you want to download and download it to your phone or tablet from that resource.
- If you’re an Android user, keep in mind that only some mobile sportsbooks like BetMGM are available on the Google Play store. While it’s likely that all legal sportsbooks will be available on this platform eventually, you may need to download your sportsbook of choice from the book’s desktop website rather than the Play Store.
Either way, download your sportsbook and allow it to install automatically. Geolocation software will be installed simultaneously to ensure that you only place wagers within state lines.
Create a Maine Sports Betting Account
Once you’ve downloaded and installed your Maine sportsbook of choice, you’ll be able to make an account after opening it on your mobile device. Each sportsbook will require some basic pieces of personal information to verify your identity. These will include your Social Security number, date of birth, and so on.
If Maine chooses to allow online-only registration (which is the most likely scenario), then you’ll only need to wait a few minutes for the sportsbook’s staff to double-check your information before your account will be complete.
On the other hand, Maine may choose to require in-person registration, especially if it requires online sportsbooks to tether or partner with a land-based casino or racetrack. If this ends up being the case, you’ll need to visit the location partnered with your sportsbook in person to complete the registration process.
Fund The Account
Once your account is made, you’ll only be a few minutes away from being able to place wagers. Fortunately, online sportsbook platforms allow you to fund your account with a variety of deposit methods. The most common of these include credit or debit card deposits, direct bank transfers, electronic wallet deposits through either PayPal or Skrill, and so on.
Note that each sportsbook has different deposit and withdrawal methods.
Don’t forget to take opening or new player bonuses into account as well. Some of these bonuses are dependent on the amount of your initial deposit. For example, DraftKings offers a 20% deposit match bonus of up to $1000 of site credit based on your initial deposit amount. The more money you deposit at first, the more bonus site credit you get to play with.
Similarly, read the fine print for any opening bonus you want to take advantage of. In the above example, you have to play through the site credit 25 times before you can withdraw it as cash.
Start Betting With a Legal Maine Sportsbook
After funding your account and inputting any promo codes or taking advantage of opening bonuses, simply navigate through your sportsbook and find a betting line that looks attractive. You can then put money down on a sports wager and start making money.
Why Use a Legal Sportsbook In Maine
Given that legal sports betting is still some months away, it may be tempting to check out offshore or illegal betting sites to get your sports wagering fix in the meantime.
This is never a good idea, however. Offshore and illegal betting sites have a number of serious problems with them including the following:
- Terrible digital security. In an era where identity theft is more common than ever before, it’s never a wise idea to put your personal information on an offshore or illegal betting site. That’s because offshore sportsbooks can’t protect your personal information from hackers or other cybercriminals, making identity theft much more likely.
- Bad betting odds. In other words, legal and fair sportsbooks have access to official league data that they can use to formulate player-friendly, enjoyable odds for both underdog and favorite bettors. In contrast, illegal sportsbooks don’t have access to this data and the odds they provide may not be very profitable for either side of a wager.
- No trust. Lastly, there’s no trust to place in the activities of an offshore sportsbook. If you give them your money, you might as well kiss it goodbye – there’s nothing you can do should they decide to take your money from you and refuse to give it back.
Bottom line: Illegal sportsbooks may be tempting in the short term, but you should wait for legal sports wagering in Maine before you put any money down.
Legal sportsbooks directly counter all of the downsides mentioned above. Here are some reasons you should stick to legal betting sites:
- Legal betting sites have high-quality digital security to keep your personal information safe and prevent player winnings from being taken by hackers.
- They also have excellent betting odds that provide good opportunities for profit for both sides of a given wager.
- Lastly, legal and licensed sportsbooks can be fully trusted as they are regulated and overseen by several authoritative bodies. In Maine, the overseeing organization could be the Gambling Control Unit or a dedicated committee that has not yet been formed.
It’s true that you’ll have to pay taxes on any winnings you get from licensed sportsbooks, but that’s a small price to pay for overall security and an excellent betting experience.
Currently proposed tax rates for sports betting winnings are 16% for online wagers and 10% for land-based wagers. But keep in mind that no rules have been set in stone and these tax amounts could change in the future.
How Maine Sports Betting Compares To Other States
Maine’s gambling industry, compared to those of other states, is relatively middle-of-the-road. While pari-mutuel betting has been around since 1935 and the state lottery has been running since 1973, legal slot machines only appeared in Maine in 2004.
The first retail casino, Hollywood Casino, launched in the same year, relocated four years later and added table games several years after that. There were additional expansions in 2017 as Maine finally allowed daily fantasy sports during which DraftKings and FanDuel entered this market.
To date, Maine currently has four tribal gaming casinos, a pair of casino racetracks or “racinos,” and six off-track betting parlors. This makes Maine a more gambling-friendly state than some of its direct neighbors like Vermont (though Vermont sports betting could launch someday soon) or New Hampshire, although its industry still pales in comparison to the likes of New Jersey.
Maine Sports Betting Successes And Failures
At the moment, Maine’s sports betting successes and failures have been relatively mixed, although it’s undoubtedly true that the push for sports betting would be going faster in a perfect world.
Maine Sports Betting Successes
The big success currently coming out of Maine’s sports betting discussion is the potential push for a free-market industry model. Most other states that allow legal sports betting require that operators tether to or partner with casinos, racetracks, or professional sports franchises to offer online betting.
If certain legislators in Maine have their way, a free-market model could take effect. This would allow greater competition by not requiring operators to partner with a limited number of in-state casinos are racetracks.
Should this come to pass, it’ll be a big win for sports wagering enthusiasts who like competition and having as many sportsbooks to choose from as possible.
Where Maine Could Improve Online Gambling
That being said, Maine could certainly improve its online gambling prospects by launching sports betting more quickly than it is currently on track to do. Furthermore, online casino games are not currently legal, although any future legislation that legalizes sports wagering may simultaneously legalize online casino games like slots and table games.
Maine Sports Betting FAQs
21, which is the legal sports betting age for most other states in the US.
Yes, sports betting is legal in Maine but it is not yet available for residents to participate in. The launch date of sports betting is still undecided.
Sports betting is legal in Maine as of Aug. 2022. However, residents in the state will not be able to place a sports wager until the predicted Jan. 2024 launch.
Yes. Any licensed and legal sportsbooks will have excellent digital security and be vetted beforehand by at least one regulatory body, guaranteeing their safety.
Currently proposed legislation stipulates that college betting will be allowed only for college games that do not involve Maine university teams. This is a similar college betting setup compared to other states that want to protect the integrity of their local sports and prevent the abuse of players or teams.
Yes. Like all other states, Maine will require you to use geolocation software when betting online to ensure you don’t wager outside state lines.
Yes, horse betting is legal in Maine through the Hollywood Racing app. Users must be 18 years or older to participate.
At this time, the most likely regulatory body is the state’s Gambling Control Unit. But it’s possible the legislature may also form a new, dedicated committee to regulate the future industry.
More Resources On Maine’s Sports Betting Industry
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