Maine Begins Online Casino Countdown After iGaming Bill Passes
Legal online casinos could launch in Maine in less than three months following the passage of an iGaming bill in the state. The state legislature re-adjourns today, with online casinos legally allowed to launch as early as July 15.
Maine has had legal sports betting since 2022. However, this is the first time an online casino bill in the Pine Tree State has been pushed through.
At a Glance:
- July 15 is the earliest date that online casinos in Maine can go live
- Governor Janet Mills allowed passage of LD 1164 in March
- Maine becomes the eighth U.S. state with legal online casinos
- An 18% tax rate on Gross Gambling Revenue is expected
- First online casinos likely to include Caesars Palace, DraftKings
Maine joins Connecticut, New Jersey in online casino adventure
Legalized online casinos in the U.S. only launched in 2013. Since then, just seven states have passed laws regulating games like online slots and roulette:
- Delaware (legalized 2012)
- New Jersey (legalized 2013)
- Pennsylvania (legalized 2017)
- Michigan (legalized 2019)
- West Virginia (legalized 2019)
- Connecticut (legalized 2021)
- Rhode Island (legalized 2023)
However, action has been heating up in the northeast of the country, with both Virginia and Washington, D.C., introducing new iGaming bills. Washington has no physical casinos, but could attract players from Maryland, where several large brick-and-mortar establishments operate.
DraftKings and Caesars likely to be among the early runners
Under Maine online casino law, the state’s four Wabanaki nations will have exclusive rights to partner with an operator. Caesars Palace and DraftKings will be at the front of the line, with both brands already offering regulated sports betting in Maine.
Current Online Gambling Partnerships in Maine:
- Penobscot Nation: Caesars
- Passamaquoddy Nation: DraftKings
- Mi’kmaq Nation: Caesars
- Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians: Caesars
Betting is overseen by the Maine Gambling Control Unit, which will likely oversee online casinos as well. Maine also has two commercial casinos, including Oxford Casino and Hollywood Slots Hotel & Raceway.
PENN Entertainment, the owner of Hollywood Slots Hotel, already runs regulated online casinos in Michigan and Pennsylvania. However, with DraftKings and Caesars already enjoying a foothold in Maine’s sports betting arena, it’s harder to see where PENN Entertainment fits in.
Maine clears the way for regulation with sweepstakes ban
Maine Governor Janet Mills is wasting no time clearing a cleaner regulatory path for online casinos in the state. This month, she moved to ban unregulated sweepstakes casinos, with fines of up to $100,000 for regular offenders.
The Act Regarding the Prohibition of Online Sweepstakes Games follows other states that have tackled dual-currency sites.
It is hoped that players at sweepstakes casinos will migrate to regulated sites as and when they go live. Washington, D.C., has a bill in place to regulate online casinos while effectively banning sweeps casinos.
