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The state of Maine is tightening its grip on online gambling. Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill Monday that officially bans sweepstakes gaming, marking the second major gambling restriction enacted in the state within the last four days.
Mills signed Legislative Document 2007 into law, an outright ban on sweepstakes operations in the Pine Tree State. This follows her Friday signing of Legislative Document 2080, which prohibits residents from using credit cards to fund sportsbook or online casino accounts.
The rapid legislative shifts represent a significant pivot for Maine, which earlier this year became the eighth U.S. state to legalize online casinos.
Sweepstakes casino ban sees domino effect
Indiana became the first state to ban sweepstakes gaming in 2026, with Maine following shortly after. The two states join a growing list of jurisdictions—including Connecticut, Idaho, Montana, New Jersey, Washington, New York, and California—that enacted similar bans in 2025.
The moves highlight a shifting legal landscape, as 17 other states currently have legislation in the works to limit or outlaw sweepstakes casinos. While states like Florida and Arkansas have seen similar bills fail, the following states currently have sweepstakes legislation on their agendas:
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Hawaii
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Illinois
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Iowa
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Louisiana
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Maryland
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Massachusetts
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Minnesota
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Missouri
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Nevada
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Ohio
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Oklahoma
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Tennessee
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Virginia
Parimutuel online gaming emerges as alternative
The passage of LD 2007 means Mainers seeking online casino-style betting must explore new legal avenues. Several platforms have emerged using parimutuel betting on horse races as the framework for casino-style games.
In this model, the outcome of a game is determined by the results of a horse race—either in real time or historically. The casino game interface acts as a reveal mechanism rather than the engine of the RNG (random number generator).
GiddyUp and Horseplay, the former of which launched in March, are two platforms currently utilizing this format. For Mainers, these platforms represent the primary legal alternative now that sweepstakes are prohibited.
As legislatures nationwide continue to target the sweepstakes model, parimutuel-based gaming is positioned to become the next frontier for online enthusiasts.
