Maine is known as Vacationland. It says so right on the state’s license plate. The state’s small towns, beaches, harbors, islands, and burgeoning food scene make it a stellar vacation destination. 4s4d1z
| 📜 Is online sports betting legal in Maine? | Yes |
| 🔞 Legal age limit? | Over 21 |
| 🎁Welcome offers after legalization? | Yes |
| 🪙Number of available online sportsbooks licences? | 2 |
| 🧭 Neighboring states that offer sports betting? | MA, NH, CT |
What could be better? Well, Maine now allows legal sports betting in the state following the age of LD 585 in April, 2022. Gov. Janet Mills officially signed the bill into law in May, 2022.
Overview of Maine’s sports betting law 472u2w
The Maine Sports betting law grants online licenses to each of the state’s four federally recognized Indian tribes (Penobscot, amaquoddy, Micmac, & Maliseet), allowing them to partner with one commercial sportsbook brand apiece.
Now that a bill has been ed and signed, Maine sports betting is live as of Nov. 3, 2023.
Read on for more information about the Maine sports betting legislative journey, which sportsbooks will come to Maine when legal wagering officially goes live, what’s happening in neighboring states, and more.
What’s in the Maine sports betting law? 102x6x
We know that Maine sports betting legalization has been debated and voted on by the legislature multiple times since 2019. We also know all of the details that were included in the 2021 version of the bill, LD 1352.
Let’s take a look at the updated rules and regulations behind Maine sports betting legislation LD 585:
- Four Maine online licenses will be distributed to each of the Wabanki Nations, which include the Penobscot, amaquoddy, Micmac, and Maliseet tribes.
- Each tribe can partner with one commercial sportsbook provider, setting up the market to feature just four online betting options.
- Each tribe will be required to pay a 10% tax on gaming revenue.
- License renewal will also be required for sports betting in Maine, and will cost $200,000 every four years. Commercial partners will need to contribute $40,000 on top of that.
- Both of the state’s retail casinos can apply for a Maine sports betting license, however it will only include in-person wagering. Retail licenses will cost $4,000 to renew every four years.
- Four additional retail licenses will also be up for grabs, allowing off-track betting facilities and other tracks to submit a request if they wish to do so.
- Betting on in-state college teams will be prohibited.
- Minimum age of 21 to participate in Maine sports betting.
- Bettors must be physically located in the state to wager, but can sign up for an from anywhere.
- Remote registration will likely be allowed for sports betting in Maine, but is not explicitly addressed in the bill.
Existing casinos in ME 6yt4v
| Casino | Owner | City |
|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Slots Hotel & Raceway | PENN Entertainment | Bangor |
| Oxford Casino | Churchill Downs, Inc. | Oxford |
There are only two commercial casinos and six off-track betting facilities in Maine. All of these facilities would be eligible for a retail Maine sports betting license under LD 585, the most recent bill proposed by the legislature.
It is reasonable to assume that each location will apply for a Maine sports betting license. Partnerships would likely then fall into place similar to other states that have seen big sportsbooks align with small gaming operators out of both strategic alignment and necessity.
Which sportsbooks offer sports betting in Maine? 3y5k2y
Caesars Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook are the only two sportsbooks that went live when online sports betting in Maine went live on Nov. 3, 2023.
- Caesars Sportsbook – Caesars partnered with three of Maine’s four tribes, the Masliseet, the Mi’kmaq and the Penobscots.
- New Caesars players can snag the welcome bonus:
- T/Cs:
- New Caesars players can snag the welcome bonus:
- DraftKings Sportsbook – DraftKings partnered with the amaquoddy Tribe.
- New DraftKings players can
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- New DraftKings players can
Frequently asked questions 5n1i2h
Is sports betting legal in Maine? 614
Yes. Gov. Janet Mills signed sports betting legislation into law in May, 2022. It went live on Nov. 3, 2023.
Which sportsbooks launched in Maine when online sports betting became legal? 346s5j
Caesars and DraftKings. Caesars Sportsbook partnered with three of Maine’s four tribes, the Masliseet, the Mi’kmaq and the Penobscots. DraftKings Sportsbook partnered with the amaquoddy Tribe.
What is the difference between a legal sportsbook and an offshore sportsbook? 61111v
If you just looked at the online presence, there doesn’t appear to be much difference between an offshore sportsbook from a legal, regulated sportsbook. Once you get past the markets and promotions, you start to see many differences. Offshore sportsbooks offer deposits and withdrawals in bitcoin, for example, because they’re not approved to deal with credit card companies or U.S. banks. Nothing against cryptocurrencies, but legal sportsbooks keep all customer deposits in segregated s so there is no need to use crypto.
Got a question about your ? Try getting a straight answer from an offshore sportsbook. They already have your money so they have less motivation to help solve your problem. Withdrawals are also tougher and more complicated than they need to be. Compare that with a legal, regulated sportsbook that competes for your business. One bad experience with customer service and you will take your money elsewhere. Deposits are easy and withdrawals are just as easy, with many different options available. But the biggest difference are the regulations in place to guard against malfeasance. Offshore sportsbooks are offshore for a reason; they face little, if any, regulatory scrutiny. Sportsbooks here in the United States are regulated in each state in which they operate. State regulations protect bettors from being fleeced and guide all aspects of sportsbook operations. Bottom line: your money is safe in a legal, regulated sportsbook.
Sports betting in Maine’s neighboring states/countries 536d2k
OK, yes *checks map* Maine has one neighboring state and one neighboring country, but many states are close by. You can cover a lot of states in a short amount of time in the Northeast. For this section we will discuss the entire region, from Maine’s U.S. neighbors to the Great White North.
1) New Hampshire 6b5e30
Maine’s neighbor to the west and south has legal sports betting, but only via one operator. DraftKings won the contract to bring legal sports betting to New Hampshire under a state-run lottery-style model that sees 51% of the revenue generated by wagering go straight to the state’s coffers.
DraftKings gets the other 49%. Nice deal for the state, less so for DraftKings. The real losers in the arrangement are sports bettors in the state who have to put up with inferior lines and limited promotions. On the plus side, you only need to be 18 years old to bet.
2) Massachusetts 5k3t2b
Online sports betting went live in Massachusetts in March 2023, two months after retail went live. The Bay State is a short drive from Maine and is home to the region’s mega-popular professional sports teams.
Online sportsbooks are taxed at a rate of 15% for in-person bets and 20% for online bets, based on gross wagering revenue.
3) Rhode Island 2p2v4x
Online sports betting is legal in Rhode Island, but, similar to New Hampshire, it is limited. Sportsbook Rhode Island controls mobile sports betting under an agreement with the state.
In June 2023, Gov. Dan McKee signed legislation that will bring online casino gaming to Rhode Island. It could begin as early as March 2024.
4) Connecticut 253u1n
Connecticut has three quality online sportsbooks to choose from in DraftKings, FanDuel, and SugarHouse.
The state also has iGaming, but only with DraftKings and FanDuel. SugarHouse is run by the Connecticut Lottery and does not offer casino gaming.
5) New York 4c636h
New York has had legal sports betting since January 2022.
There are eight online sportsbooks in New York: BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, WynnBet and Resorts World Bet. Fanatics Sportsbook is expected to the market after officially acquiring PointsBet’s New York sports betting license on Oct. 4, 2023.
After online sports betting went live, New York immediately became the top state for sports betting. Bettors there have wagered more than $5 billion via online sportsbooks.
6) Canada 223b58
Yes, Canada is a country, not a state. But it does border Maine. Millions of Canadians visit Maine each year and countless Mainers venture northeast to visit Quebec and New Brunswick.
Canada legalized single-game sports betting in April 2022. Ontario was the first province to launch a brand new iGaming market since the legalization.
Sports betting history in Maine l4w20
In 2019, about a year after PASPA was overturned and states became able to legalize sports betting, the Maine legislature surprisingly ed a sports betting bill on the last day of its legislative session, presumably making sports betting legal in Maine.
The topic had been discussed some during the session, but most observers figured it would wait and focus on it in 2020. Nope. The bill ed, but was not signed into law right away.
In most states, if a bill ed by the legislature is not signed by the governor within a certain amount of time, usually 10 days, it automatically becomes law.
In Maine, after legislature es a bill right before adjournment and the governor takes no action, the bill is held over until the next legislative session begins. That is what happened in 2019, so betting legal in Maine was in limbo for more than six months.
2020 db2p
When the 2020 legislative session began, Gov. Mills did indeed exercise her power to veto the Maine sports betting bill. She did not believe the citizens of Maine wanted to expand gambling options in the state.
The legislature disagreed, and voted to override her veto. The Senate was able to do so, but the House came up just short. The veto stood and legal sports betting was dead for at least the rest of the calendar year.
2021 705a1e
In 2021, the Maine legislature decided to take another swing at sports betting. LD 1352 was introduced and ed by the House twice. It also ed the Senate, but was amended to include a tethering requirement. That means that an online sportsbook cannot operate on its own. Instead, it needs to be “tethered to,” or d with an existing casino or organization.
The original sponsor of the bill, Senator Louis Luchini, is adamantly opposed to tethering and opposed the amendment, even though that meant opposing his own Maine sports betting bill. In the end, after vigorous debate, the tethering requirement won out.
In Maine, bills that generate revenue are required to go to the “Appropriations Table” for one last vote before going to the governor. LD 1532 went to the Table but was never voted on and served (pun intended) to the governor.
We’re getting a little in the weeds here, but the bottom line is both the House and Senate ed the sports betting bill but the legislature adjourned before the bill was finalized and sent to Mills. Sports betting was once again dead in Maine until at least 2022.
2022 5n144o
Maine sports betting bill LD 585 was ed in April 2022 and Mills signed it into law in May, 2022.
Now that a bill has been ed and signed, sports betting in Maine went live on Nov. 3, 2023.
Sports betting bonuses at Maine sportsbooks 6i6o2a
Now that Maine has officially launched online sports betting, residents will finally be able to reap all of the benefits that come with a legalized, regulated iGaming market.
For those who are unfamiliar with the industry, all of the top bookmaking brands are constantly fighting for market share. That means they’ll do whatever it takes to obtain a new customer. This is often done by offering new sports betting customers a welcome bonus, or an incentive for g up.
Sportsbook bonuses are offered in many forms, from no sweat bets to deposit matches. We’ve got you covered with a breakdown of them all:
1) No Sweat Bet 2f5p5g
A “no sweat” bet is by far the most common new- bonus offered by the majority of online sportsbooks. The promotional offering allows new players to place their first wager with a little extra insurance attached. The sportsbook will cover the damages if the wager goes south.
Most sportsbooks have a specific cap, or limit, on how much money will be reimbursed if the initial bet loses. It’s usually somewhere around the $250-$1,000 range. If the bet wins, players will be paid out fully in cash, per usual.
If the bet loses, the full amount of the original stake (up to the sportsbook’s capped amount) will be reimbursed in the form of either site credit or a wager credit. Most sportsbooks will offer a complimentary bet credit. It only pays out the winnings (not the stake) and must be used on one single wager.
Site credit on the other hand is similar to cash. It can be used in any increment and pays out both the stake and the winnings. Site credit is a much better reward when it comes to no sweat bets, but unfortunately few sportsbooks offer it.
2) Deposit match 5ez3i
Deposit matches are by far the best sportsbook bonus of them all. They provide both new and active s with some extra bankroll just for making a deposit. The most common example of a new deposit match would be an even 100% match. That means the player would receive double the amount that they put in.
For example, if you deposit $250 into a sports betting that is offering a 100% deposit match, you will start off with a bankroll of $500. In most cases, the deposit match is distributed as site credit. It will require some sort of a rollover, or play-through requirement.
Once that requirement is met, any leftover funds can be withdrawn. Site credit often carries an expiration date. Always be sure of this and try to use it before it’s too late.
3) First bet match 504o6h
A first bet match is essentially the same exact thing as a no sweat bet, except you get the reward win OR lose! Sportsbooks offering this promotion will allow players to place their first bet, up to a specific amount, and receive a 100% match on their stake, regardless of the bet’s outcome.
First bet matches are typically paid out in the form of a bet credit, just like a no sweat bet would if it were to lose. But unlike a no sweat bet, first bet matches allow players to win their initial wager and walk away with a juicy credit – the best of both worlds.
First bet matches may be a lot less common than some of the industry’s other welcome bonuses, but it’s more than clear as to why they rank among the best options for new sports betting players.
4) Bet credits 142a28
If it hasn’t already been made clear, bet credits are the go-to reward that most sportsbooks choose to distribute to their sports betting players. We’ve already mentioned that complimentary bets are offered as reimbursement for most no sweat bets, along with most first bet matches.
Some sportsbooks may offer a bet credit upon sign up, even before a deposit is made. They are known as a “no deposit bonus”. Others might simply drop a bet credit into an existing ’s sports betting in order to keep them in their good graces.
Some sportsbooks will even offer ‘Bet & Get’ style sports betting promotions. They reward players with credits if they wager on a specific game or event.
Regardless of how you acquire them, always keep in mind that sports betting credits do not pay out the stake. They pay out only the winnings. They must be used on one single wager, and will expire if unused after a certain date. Always keep tabs on your promotions tab!
Banking options at Maine sportsbooks 2ne
When sports betting goes live Maine, you’re going to need to open an with the sportsbook of your choice. You’ll also need to make a deposit before you can get in on the sports betting action.
Here are most of the ways you will be able to make withdrawals and deposits to and from your favorite sports betting :
- ACH eCheck
- Online Banking
- PayPal
- Credit/Debit cards
- PayNearMe
- Skrill
- Cash at Casino Cage
- Bank Wire Transfer
Betting markets at Maine sportsbooks 5t4p1c
A market is a bet offered by a sportsbook. The sportsbook “makes the market” by posting available sports betting opportunities. One Patriots game can have over 100 different markets. Even a random Tuesday night Red Sox game usually has dozens of markets available on most sportsbooks.
If you want to take the Patriots -7.5, that is a market. Under 44.5 total points would be another market, and so on. Here are the types of markets that will be available to sports bettors in Maine:
- Spread
- Over/under
- Moneyline
- Prop bets
- Futures
- Live/in-game bets
- Parlay
- Teaser
Sports you can bet on in Maine 565h5c
Additionally, Maine sports betting players have a variety of sports to wager on. Sportsbooks in every state offer dozens of different sports betting options worldwide. Everything from cricket to baseball is available. As an example, here is a list of some of the sports betting options offered by Caesars:
- Aussie Rules Football
- Bton
- Baseball
- Basketball (NCAA)
- Boxing
- Cricket
- Cycling
- Darts
- Football (NCAA Football betting)
- Golf
- Hockey
- Lacrosse
- MMA
- Motorsports
- Olympic sports (canoeing, gymnastics, swimming, rowing, etc.)
- Rugby
- Soccer
- Table tennis
