Maine Online Sports Betting

Written by: Richard Janvrin

Resting atop New England is Maine, a state with a population of just under 1.4 million. On the border of Canada, Maine has waited a long time for sports betting to become a reality. In the state are four native Indian Tribes with gambling locations already present. 

As of September 2023, before the 2023-24 NFL season, sports betting has yet to launch in the state, but as you’ll learn below, there’s more to the story.

Below, our USALegalBetting.com expert will examine whether it’s legal in Maine, sportsbooks we could see launch, news, how it became legal, the law itself, and more.

In short, yes, sports betting is legal in Maine, but it hasn’t launched yet. On April 19, 2022, the state passed LD 585, a bill to welcome sports betting to the state. It was signed into law by Governor Janet Mills on May 2, 2022, but again, it’s still not active.

One reason for the delay is that, even after a law is signed in Maine, there’s a 90-day waiting period before it officially becomes active. From here, the state still has to put together all of the rules and regulations.

The passage of LD 585 came on April 19, as we mentioned, but that was also the last night of that legislative session. It passed by a vote of 23-11 just a week after the House approved it.

This law allows the four Indian tribes in the state—Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Micmac, & Maliseet—to partner with one commercial sportsbook each. This means there will be only four online sportsbooks, while there can be up to 10 retail betting locations.

Per the law that Maine passed, there can only be four online sportsbooks in the state. Within that law, the tribes have much control over online sports betting, which has put top sites like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and even Fanatics in positions where they don’t want to apply for a sports betting license.

One major platform that has confirmed it’ll apply is Caesars Sportsbook. Beyond that, we can look at the commercial casinos in the state. While the sports betting licenses go through the tribes, this could indicate who might reach out to partner up.

The owners of the two retail casinos here are Penn National Gaming and Churchill Downs Inc. Penn National Gaming recently inked a deal with ESPN to rebrand Barstool Sportsbook to ESPN Bet.

As for Churchill Downs Inc., they recently penned a partnership with bet365 to launch in Pennsylvania, so that’s also a possibility.

Below, we’ll provide a timeline of events to how we arrived at where we are today with the sports betting landscape in Maine. 

• July 18, 2023: It’s announced temporary licenses could be available as early as November, which would be the start of legal online sports betting.
• July 10, 2023: Milton Champion was reinstated after problematic social media posts.
• May 26, 2023: Maine Sports Betting Regulator Milton Champion is placed on leave due to social media posts, setting back the launch date of online sports betting.
• May 18, 2023: Caesars reaches a deal with three of the four tribes in the state and will be a major part of the rollout of online sports betting.
• May 4, 2023: Due to uneven revenue sharing, FanDuel and DraftKings won’t apply for licenses.
• March 8, 2023: Milton Champion says the state will be lucky to see sports betting launch by January 2024.
• March 1, 2023: The AGA asked Maine to revise its proposed regulations.
• August 2022: Online sports betting law becomes official.
• May 2, 2022: Governor Janet Mills signs LD 585 into law.
• April 19, 2022: LD 585 passes on the final day of the legislative session with a 23-11 vote in the Senate.

After passing in the House, LD 585 was sent to the Senate with less than a week until that current legislative session ended. On the night of the final day, April 19, 2022, the Senate voted in favor of LD 585 with a 23-11 vote.

The bill was then sent to Governor Janet Mills, who signed it on May 2, 2022. Due to legislative laws in Maine, it didn’t take effect until August 2022, as there’s a 90-day waiting period. Since then, however, the AGA has requested the governing bodies for gambling in Maine to switch up their regulations.

Milton Champion, head of the regulatory body, had some controversial social media posts that forced a delay in proceeding with online sports betting.

Champion is back on the job now, though. While he mentioned January 2024 as a potential timeline, there’s some movement now to allow for temporary licenses for November, which would be in the middle of the 2023-24 NFL season.

We know online sports betting has passed in Maine and could become available in November 2023 or January 2024. Let’s discuss the parameters of LD 585, which brought it to the state. 

• Four online sports betting licenses are dispersed to the state’s tribes. 
• Each tribe can partner with one commercial sportsbook. 
• Tribes must pay a 10% tax on gaming revenue. 
• License renewal is required. It costs $200k every four years. Commercial partners must contribute $40k.
• Maine retail casinos can apply for a sports betting license only for in-person betting. Licenses cost $4k every four years to renew. 
• There are four other retail licenses available. This allows off-track betting facilities and other tracks to make a request. 
• In-state college betting is prohibited. 
• Must be 21 to bet. 
• Must be physically located in the state to bet online. 
• No word on whether remote registration is allowed.

Maine sports betting online will be licensed and regulated by the Maine Gambling Control Unit. Once online sports betting and retail betting become available, you can review their site to see active providers online and in person.

Even though Maine is limited in the teams represented there, you can still bet on several sports throughout the year. 

• NBA: The NBA season has 82 regular season games and several best-of-seven rounds leading up to the NBA Finals. You’ll have multiple wagers available at basketball betting sites.
• MLB: The MLB season is one of the longest of any sport, requiring 162 regular season games. Multiple teams make the postseason before leading to a best-of-seven series, the World Series, to crown the winner, which you can wager on at baseball betting sites.
• NFL: The NFL is easily the most popular sport to bet on. There are four weeks of the preseason, 18 weeks of the regular season, and multiple single-elimination playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl in February each year. Football betting sites prepare mightily for the Super Bowl, including several sportsbook promos.
• NHL: Hockey is a popular sport in the Northeast, and you can bet on the top league in the United States, the NHL. You’ll also be able to bet on the Stanley Cup Finals, which crowns the winner each season. Expect plenty of excellent hockey betting sites.
• Soccer: Soccer is a massively popular sport worldwide, and at Maine sports betting apps and sites, you’ll be able to bet on contests worldwide.
• NCAA Football: The college football season lasts from August to January, and in that time, you’ll bet on regular season games, bowl games, and the College Football Playoff and National Championship.
• NCAA Basketball: College basketball is popular during March Madness. This 64-team single-elimination tournament takes place shortly after the Super Bowl.
• March Madness: As mentioned, March Madness is the moniker used for the NCAA Tournament, which takes place each season. The tournament is 64 teams. There are four quadrants, each containing 16 teams in a single-elimination tournament.
• Boxing: With fights from Jake Paul and the general popularity of other big-name boxers, more casual bettors are getting in on the action.
• Super Bowl: The Super Bowl draws about 100 million viewers annually. It features a team from the NFC and AFC who battle to see who the league's champion is.
• Golf: Whether it’s the US Open or The Masters, you’ll have ample  PGA golf wagering opportunities throughout the year.
• NASCAR: NASCAR is another sport that consumes most of the calendar season, including races like the Daytona 500.
• MMA: Combat sports have gotten exceedingly more popular. The two most popular leagues to bet on are the UFC and Bellator.
• Tennis: Tennis and golf are similar in that you can bet on the most talented players in the world across many tournaments at tennis betting sites.
• Horse Betting: Pari-mutuel wagering is available in Maine.

College Sports Betting in Maine

The only Division I college program in Maine is the Maine Black Bears. Unfortunately, due to the state’s law, you cannot wager on in-state college programs. 

Prohibited Sports Betting in Maine

In addition to obvious markets like politics, you cannot wager on in-state college teams. 

Sports Betting on Maine Sports Teams

Due to the language in LD 585, wagering on teams in Maine isn’t allowed, which includes the Maine Black Bears. 

College Sports Teams in Maine

There are numerous Division III colleges in Maine, but the Maine Black Bears is the only Division I school. It offers football, basketball, baseball, softball, ice hockey, and women’s soccer. 

Whether Maine launches sports betting in November 2023, January 2024, or another time, it’s important to know what to expect when the time comes. Below, we’ll go over how to place a bet whenever you can. 

1. Choose a Sportsbook: After reviewing our site and cross-referencing it to the available platforms in Maine, choose a site you wish to play at. You can do so from a desktop platform or by downloading the appropriate mobile app on the Google Play or Apple App Store. When reviewing our site for which betting sites to play at, pay attention to what sports are offered, welcome bonuses, and promotions for existing players. 
2. Create An Account: Upon deciding where you wish to play, it’s time to create an account. This process is similar at all sites. You’ll provide personal information such as your name, date of birth, address, and more personal identifying information. 
3. Make A Deposit: Once your account is created, return to the homepage and locate the cashier page. Here, you’ll select your desired deposit method, input the amount, and complete the process to fund your account. You’ll want to ensure you meet the requirements of the welcome offer. 
4. Make A Bet: Once sports betting goes live, you’ll visit the sportsbook you choose, create an account, deposit, and start betting. To do so, find the game/contest you want to bet on, add it to your betslip, input the amount you wish to wager, and confirm it.

The commercial casinos in the state can apply for in-person sports betting licenses. In Maine, there are two casinos located in Bangor and Oxford. 

Hollywood Slots Hotel & Raceway

Located in Bangor, Hollywood Slots Hotel & Raceway is owned by Penn National Gaming. As of 2021, it has 12 table games and over 700 slots. The hotel on site has 152 rooms. It opened on November 1, 2005. 

Oxford Casino

Located in Oxford, Oxford Casino is owned by Churchill Downs Inc. It opened on June 5, 2012. On-site, there are 107 hotel rooms, four stories, and 27,000 square feet of gaming space. Black Bear Development sold Churchill Downs Inc. in March 2013 for $160 million. 

While Maine is tucked away in the top right corner of the country, it’s within just a few hours of several other New England or nearby states. Below, we’ll compare how Maine’s sports betting looks to these other legal sports betting states. 

Connecticut

Connecticut sports betting has been live since since October 2021. The Connecticut Lottery oversees it. There were three platforms to bet at, but now there are two after the Connecticut Lottery and PlaySugarHouse ended their partnership. 

Massachusetts 

Massachusetts sports betting was brought to the Commonwealth in March 2023. Today, there are eight online sportsbooks. The Commonwealth allows up to 15 licenses at a 10% tax rate. 

Rhode Island

Sports betting is available in Rhode Island but on a very limited basis. The only site you can bet at is Sportsbook Rhode Island, overseen by the state lottery in collaboration with IGT and Williams Hill. 

Vermont

Like Maine, Vermont legalized online sports betting but has yet to launch. To be fair, they passed it on June 2023 but are hoping to get it up and running during the 2023-24 NFL Playoffs. Sites will need to pay $500,000 to launch. 

New Hampshire

New Hampshire sports betting is available, but there’s a monopoly-like deal with DraftKings Sportsbook to be the only provider. There are three retail locations in Seabrook, Manchester, and Dover. The tax rate here is 51%. 

NY

New York was perhaps the biggest boom to the sports betting industry, launching in January 2022. The handles here reach beyond $1 billion regularly, with several online and retail platforms to play at.

No. Online casino play isn’t legal in Maine as of September 2023.