Maine is now on the verge of allowing legal sports betting in the state following the passage of LD 585 on the night of April 19, 2022. Governor Janet Mills officially signed the bill into law on May 2nd, 2022, meaning sports betting is on the verge of entering the Pine Tree State.
More on Maine Sports Betting
Maine Sports Betting
Maine is moving closer towards allowing residents to legally bet on sports after Gov. Mills signed bill LD 858 into law, with this all but legalizing sports betting in ME.
This came following the Senate pushing forward this bill just a few weeks before, with Gov. Mills being happy to sign it into law and get the process of launching sports betting in ME up and running.
However, sports betting is not quite in Maine yet, as the law does not go into effect until August 2. The law grants online sports betting licenses to the four federally-recognized tribes in Maine, while casinos, tracks and OTBs can open retail sportsbooks.
Online sports betting is now set to be the first to go live in ME, something that is down to the lengthy process needed to see both mobile and retail betting launched.
Folks in Maine can begin to get excited about the prospect of legal sports betting, but will have to wait a little while longer.
Online Sports Betting | Launch Pending |
Mobile Sports Betting | Launch Pending |
Retail Sports Betting | Launch Pending |
Minimum Age | 21+ |
Maine Sports Betting FAQs
Is sports betting legal in Maine?
Answer each section in paragraph form (1-2 paragraphs). Please add any more pertinent FAQs around the subject of betting in this Maine.
What neighboring states have legal online sports betting?
Maine only borders one state in the US, this being New Hampshire, a state which legalized sports betting a while ago, with the sports betting scene in NH flourishing ever since.
Where can I bet on sports in Maine?
Sports betting in Maine is still illegal. The state is one of many that are in the process of trying to legalize it, but as it stands, there are no legal sports betting options within the state.
How old do you have to be to bet in Maine?
It is unclear what the minimum age requirement will be for sports betting in Maine, as the current age to play the lottery is 18.
What sports can I bet on in Maine?
Currently, you cannot place any sports bets in the state of Maine. Once sports betting has been fully legalized, it is expected that Football, Baseball and Basketball will all be available to wager on, among other sports.
How many sportsbooks will be available in Maine?
Upon first launching in ME, it is projected that four sportsbooks will be operational, with each of these sportsbooks partnering up with one of the state’ four tribes.
It is currently unknown which sportsbooks will be launching in ME, with this set to be announced closer to the time of sports betting going live.
Potential online sports betting sites for Maine
FanDuel
Similarly to DraftKings, FanDuel are also already live in Maine via their DFS site, something that should give them an edge when trying to launch their online sportsbook in the near future.
They’re active in a huge number of states across the country already, another factor that should see FanDuel be given the chance to launch in Maine over the next few months.
BetMGM
BetMGM are one of the most well-known sportsbooks in the US at this point, with MGM being one of the sports betting sites that are live in the most states.
They’re hugely competitive when it comes to securing licences to open up in other states, thus expect them to go all out in an attempt to launch in Maine when the opportunity presents itself.
DraftKings
Given their headquarters are located just outside of Maine in Boston, MA, as well as the fact they’re live in almost every US state in which sports betting is live already, expect to see DraftKings rear its head in Maine soon.
Their Daily Fantasy Sports site is already operational in ME ahead of this potential launch, thus seeing them be granted a licence and open their sportsbook in the Pine Tree State looks a formality at this point.
Retail Sportbooks open in Maine
Unfortunately for those in Maine, retail sportsbooks are yet to launch, however, this is expected to change soon once online sports betting goes live in ME.
It’s been confirmed that each of the state’s four federally recognized Indian tribes (Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Micmac, & Maliseet) will be given online betting licences, allowing them partner with a sportsbook of their choice going forward.
Latest Maine Sports Betting News
Maine sports betting has been signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills, but residents shouldn’t expect to be able to place bets anytime soon.
The process can’t begin until 90 days after the state’s session ended. Maine’s legislative session ended on April 25, so the operation can start in late July.
The biggest hold-up? The state is estimating it will take between eight months to a year-and-a-half to draft state sports betting rules and regulations. Additionally, the state also needs to hire several new employees to oversee the sports betting industry before the rules and regulations can be drafted, according to the report.
The proposed timeline puts Maine at a slower than normal pace to launch sports betting. Most states are able to launch sports betting in less than a year, with some even launching between six to eight months. New York, for instance, launched online sports betting in about eight months after legalizing in April of 2021.
The history of Maine Sports Betting
Maine has been alien to the world of sports betting, and to betting itself. There are just two retail casinos as of May 2022, one of the smallest number of any state in the USA.
However, 2022 brought movement, and Maine joined the ever growing list of states to move towards legalizing sports betting. Gov. Mills signed a sports betting bill (LD 585) into law in May 2022, following the Senate approving the bill, 23-11 on the last possible night of the 2022 legislative session, just one week after it was advanced by the House.
What’s next for Maine’s sports bettors? Unfortunately it is just a waiting game, with no rough estimation of when sports betting will go live.
It is likely that online sports betting will be the first to go live, as the process to launch both mobile and retail wagering takes longer given there are just two retail casinos inMaine.
Maine Sports Teams to bet on
Maine is one of the smallest and least populated states in the US, thus it shouldn’t be surprising to hear that there are currently no major league sports teams in ME.
Despite this, they do have a fairly well-known college football team, so we’re here to take you through the types of bets you can place on them going forward.
Maine Black Bears Football
The Black Bears have won 13 ECAC conference titles in their history, but have struggled in recent years. They have made just one bowl game, which came in 1965 in a loss to East Carolina, 31-0.
The team plays its home games in Orono, Maine, and have been playing America’s Game since 1892.
Is sports betting legal in Maine?
Yes. Sports betting is now officially legal in Maine after Gov. Mills signed bill LD585 into law on May 2nd.
However, sports betting is not yet live in ME, with those in the state needing to wait a little while before this is the case.
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