Betting in Maine

Maine didn’t open its doors to a dozen commercial operators the way most states did. Instead, the state gave exclusive online authority to its four Wabanaki Nations, making Maine one of the only markets where tribes hold every single mobile license.

Two operators - DraftKings and Caesars - currently run the entire state through tribal partnerships, and unless a tribe changes partners, nobody else is coming in.

Every mobile bet placed in the state is legally classified as a tribal wager because the servers sit on tribal land. That routing requirement is the backbone that gives the tribes statewide reach while staying inside federal requirements.

Whether you are located in Portland, Bangor, or Presque Isle, your bets are legally anchored to tribal land - which is exactly how Maine was able to build a statewide mobile system without adopting the commercial-skin model used elsewhere.

Maine’s 10% tax on adjusted gross sports wagering is on the lower end of the spectrum, especially when compared to states like New York (51%), Pennsylvania (36%), or Illinois (20%–40%).

Policymakers watched larger states overshoot on tax rates and quietly designed a model that keeps Maine’s books financially viable without sacrificing long-term returns for the tribes who hold the licenses.

The state’s take is relatively small, while the tribes receive the dominant share of revenue through their partnerships. Operators work inside those agreements instead of traditional tax brackets, which keeps the market far more cautious with promos, pricing, and long-term risk exposure.

Maine allows wagering on college sports broadly, but bans bets on Maine colleges no matter the event. This middle-ground approach is more permissive than Massachusetts’ blanket in-state prohibition, but tighter than New Hampshire’s full allowance.

Bets on in-state college teams - including the University of Maine and any event they’re involved in - are completely off the table. Player props tied to in-state athletes are also shut down.

Lawmakers added the carve-out during the final negotiation push to address concerns from university leadership and avoid the kind of late-stage opposition that derailed earlier gaming bills.

Daily fantasy sports were formally legalized in 2017 under LD 1320, making the state an early adopter in the regulated fantasy era. The law created a stable skill-contest framework, which is why all major DFS operators - DraftKings, FanDuel, and others - have been able to run traditional DFS contests without ambiguity or friction.

Pick ’Em formats are a different story. Regulators drew a hard line on contests that mimic sportsbook-style props, effectively shutting down the popular “vs. the house” over/under cards that states like Kansas still allow. Only true peer-to-peer or pooled fantasy contests qualify under the state’s definition of skill.

Real-money online casino gaming isn’t authorized in Maine. Lawmakers have not yet pushed forward any meaningful iGaming legislation that would allow bettors to play slots, blackjack, roulette, and live-dealer games outside of retail casinos.

Instead of letting social casinos quietly fill the gap the way they do in many states, the regulator issued public warnings telling players these sites aren’t licensed and don’t have consumer protections.

Nevertheless, many bettors still turn to sweepstakes sites for their casino gaming, knowing that they follow national sweepstakes compliance rules, standardized redemption processes, and federally governed prize-distribution requirements. Those protections aren’t the same as a state-regulated casino, but they do give players a clear legal framework and meaningful safeguards under federal law

Like most regulated markets, Maine bans wagering on elections, award shows, economic releases, and cultural outcomes.

But prediction markets operate under federal commodities law, not state gambling law, which keeps them accessible to Maine residents. So while the sportsbook menu stays sports-only, Mainers still have a legal path to speculate on politics, macro-events, and cultural outcomes through CFTC-regulated exchanges.