Maine residents can now take part in legal sports betting after two top sportsbooks launched online wagering this morning.
Caesars and DraftKings opened for Maine sports betting Friday morning. The two online sports betting operators will be joined by two in-person BetMGM Sportsbook locations later this year.
Gov. Janet Mills signed sports betting into law in May 2022. A lengthy regulatory period followed before Maine Gambling Control Unit Executive Director Milton Champion said in August he expected a launch this fall.
Why only two online sportsbooks in Maine?
Maine sports betting law gives online access to the four tribes in the state.
Earlier this year, three of those tribes partnered with Caesars.
This week, shortly after the MGCU set Friday’s go-live date, DraftKings announced its partnership with the fourth tribe, the Passamaquoddy Tribe.
What sports can be bet on in Maine?
As Champion based his rules on established markets, Maine residents can place most types of bets, including:
- Futures
- Moneylines
- Over/unders on totals
- Point spreads
- Parlays
Bettors can wager on most sports, as well, including NFL betting. Champion said a list of approved events would be posted Friday on the MGCU website.
How to sign up for Maine sportsbooks?
The sportsbooks can be searched and downloaded on Apple and Android smartphones.
The apps will ask for basic ID information, including name, address and social security number. Users must be 21 years old or older.
Users can then fund their accounts through various options, including bank accounts and PayPal.
When will in-person sports betting be available?
Two of the three possible in-person sportsbooks at OTBs in the state will be BetMGM. Those sportsbooks are under construction.
The third OTB has not applied for a license, according to Champion.
There are also two casinos in the state, owned by Penn Entertainment and Churchill Downs. Neither of those establishments have applied for a license, according to Champion.
Light advertising expected
Champion released an initial set of rules in January. In developing the regulations, the MGCU staff looked at eight legal jurisdictions.
“We’re not trying to change things here in Maine,” Champion said at the time. “We’re not going to reinvent the wheels.”
Champion did heavily restrict advertising in the Pine Tree State. Sportsbooks cannot use celebrities in advertising, nor can they promote bonus offers.
Maine sports betting at the finish line
After Mills signed sports betting into law, Champion said the industry might not launch until 2024. While he promised not to overhaul his rules draft in January, Champion received more than 500 comments on the initial draft.
Shortly after Champion finished the second draft, the MGCU suspended him in May for problematic social media posts. Champion returned to work in July, and the rules were then sent to the Attorney General for approval.
“The day after we go live, I’m going to Disneyland,” Champion said last month. “There comes a time when you just need to roll it out, let the wrinkles come, and then iron it out. We didn’t reinvent the wheel or come up with anything new.”