Maine Sports Betting: Caesars Sportsbook Now Live
Maine sports betting is legal and live online. Caesars Sportsbook and DraftKings launched online on Nov. 3, 2023, making Maine the latest state to offer legal sports betting. Bettors can sign up now and take advantage of sports betting promos and bonuses for new users.
Read below for more details and information about Maine sports betting.
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Is sports betting legal in Maine?
Yes, Maine sports betting is legal. Two sports betting apps, Caesars and DraftKings, are now live and accepting bets in the state. BetMGM is expected to open two retail sports betting locations in Maine later this year.
What’s happening in Maine sports betting right now:
- Dec. 5, 2023 — The first month of legal Maine sports betting generated $37.6 million in handle. The two operators in the state took home $4.8 million in revenue, and the state added a little more than $464,000 in taxes.
- Nov. 9, 2023 — Maine sports betting handle surpassed $4 million in the first five days of legal sports betting. Revenue for the state was more than $1 million.
- Nov. 3, 2023 — Online sports betting is now live in Maine. Two sportsbooks, Caesars and DraftKings, are now available for bettors in the state.
- Nov. 1, 2023 — Bettors in Maine can now sign up and begin making deposits with Caesars Sportsbook.
- Oct. 31, 2023 — The Passamaquoddy Tribe reached a deal in principle to partner with DraftKings. The tribe was the last of the state’s four tribes to sign a deal with a sportsbook.
- Oct. 31, 2023 — The Maine Gambling Control Unit announced that the legal sports betting industry is set to launch in the state on Nov. 3. Caesars Sportsbook is currently the lone sportsbook with license in Maine.
- Oct. 25, 2023 — Gaming regulators in Maine banned prop-style DFS in the state, leading to Underdog pulling those markets off its app. The MGCU previously fined Underdog $391,850 for offering illegal DFS games.
Maine Sportsbook Promos Today
Comparing the top Maine sports betting apps
With online sports betting licenses only available to the four federally recognized Indigenous tribes in Maine, options for bettors in the state would always be somewhat limited. In the end, just two online sports betting sites were able to secure partnerships with those tribes, meaning bettors are now left with a couple of choices.
Here is a breakdown of the two Maine sports betting sites:
1. Caesars Sportsbook Maine
Caesars Sportsbook was the first operator to secure a deal in Maine and took three of the four available licenses in the state in partnerships with the Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, and Penobscot tribes. Now offering sign-up promotions and welcome bonuses to new bettors in Maine, Caesars Sportsbook is as good an option as you will find on the market today.
Odds boosts, promos, and bonuses are commonplace with Caesars, and bettors will automatically be enrolled in maybe the best loyalty program in the industry with Caesars Rewards. Caesars Rewards allows bettors to accumulate points as they bet and use them to redeem betting perks or rewards within Caesars’ famous casino resort network.
The Caesars app may not be the flashiest compared to some competitors, but bettors will find competitive odds and a solid sports betting menu with both major and niche sports offerings.
- App Store rating: 4.6 (iOS), 4.5 (Android)
- Key takeaway: Some of the best promotions and bonuses.
- Best feature: Caesars Rewards
- Welcome bonus: $1,000 first bet on Caesars with code LSR1000.
2. DraftKings Sportsbook Maine
After stating that it did not intend on launching in Maine, DraftKings ended up grabbing the last sports betting license available in the state in a partnership with the Passamaquoddy Tribe.
The DraftKings app is a top option nationwide for sports bettors, offering great live betting, competitive odds with a deep list of sports, and innovative features like betting pools.
DraftKings’ stylish app also stands out from its peers with a top-of-class user experience and polished aesthetic.
- App Store rating: 4.8 (iOS), 4.6 (Android)
- Key takeaway: Good-looking app with unique features
- Best feature: Live betting
How to sign up at a Maine sportsbook
With only a couple of sports betting options for bettors in Maine, signing up is easy. The sign-up process is similar at almost every sportsbook, and Caesars and DraftKings are no different. Here’s what you do:
- Download and install the app on your mobile device.
- Register for an account.
- Fund your account.
- Place your first wager.
Maine sports betting law
The road to sports betting has been a long one in Maine. Though the law only recently received approval and went into effect, its passage represents the culmination of more than two years of work in the Maine Legislature. Lawmakers in the state House of Representatives and Senate warred with one another and with Gov. Janet Mills over the issue. When the 2022 session rolled around, the focus was on a new bill rather than rehashing the old ones.
LD 585 passed the House, the Senate, and the governor’s desk in early 2022. It became effective in the state on Aug. 2, 2022. According to Maine law, there must be a 90-day moratorium before any new legislation can take effect.
Key takeaways from the Maine sports betting law
- The law allows both online and retail sports betting.
- Online licenses are only available to the four federally recognized Native American tribes in the state.
- Each tribe may partner with an external operator to bring online sports betting to the state. The law allows just one skin for each tribe.
- There could be as many as ten retail sports betting sites in the state. Eligibility to offer sports betting in-person is limited to commercial tracks, casinos, and off-track betting locations in the state.
- The Maine Gambling Control Unit is the regulator for the industry.
- The state taxes revenues at 10%, and the fees to offer retail and mobile sports betting are $4,000 and $200,000, respectively.
- People won’t be able to wager on Maine college teams, regardless of where that team is playing. You can bet on tournaments that involve Maine teams, but only the games that do not feature a Maine school.
Where to find sportsbooks in Maine
The 2022 law states that commercial racetracks, casinos, and OTBs are eligible to offer sports betting. We list a few of the qualifying locations below. The expectation is that you will find a sportsbook at most, if not all, of these locations once legal betting launches. BetMGM has already stated that it plans to have sportsbooks at two locations later this year.
- Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway, Bangor
- Oxford Casino Hotel, Oxford
- Winners Sports Grill and Off Track Betting, Brunswick
- Winners Circle OTB, Lewiston
- Favorites OTB, Waterville
- Sanford OTB, Sanford
- Scarborough Downs, Scarborough
Legal gambling in Maine
There are two casinos in the state. Hollywood Casino in Bangor (owned and operated by Penn National Gaming) is the closest to a full-service Vegas-style gambling venue in Maine. The property offers slots, table games, a poker room, live horse racing with pari-mutuel wagering, and simulcast betting on races around the country. The other option is the Oxford Casino Hotel in Oxford (owned and operated by Churchill Downs Inc.). Although it doesn’t have a racetrack or poker room, the property still has slot machines and table games for Mainers and visitors. Here are the contact details for the two casino properties:
- Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway: 500 Main St., Bangor, ME 04401
- Oxford Casino Hotel: 777 Casino Way, Oxford, ME 04270
People in the state may also participate in the Maine Lottery, which offers draw games, instant win games, and fast-play games. Multi-state drawings like Powerball, Mega Millions, and Megabucks Plus are all available, as are several in-state drawings. The Maine Lottery does not offer internet sales, but it is possible to purchase lots of tickets in advance.
Are daily fantasy sports contests legal in Maine?
Yes. DFS is legal to play in Maine. LD 1320 in 2017 explicitly allowed the practice under state law. Both DraftKings and FanDuel, as well as other smaller DFS providers, are available in the state.
Is it legal to wager on horse races in Maine?
Yes. There are live harness races at Hollywood Bangor annually between April and November. In addition, the state is home to five off-track betting locations, most of which are standalone properties away from the track itself.
People in Maine can also bet on horse races online. While most states that allow advance deposit wagering allow multiple vendors, the Maine Gambling Control Unit has only authorized Penn National Gaming to offer online horse betting in the state.
Popular sports to bet on in Maine
In terms of population, Maine is not a very big place. Eight cities in the US alone have more people living in each of them than the entire state of Maine. A consequence of the low number of inhabitants is that there are no major professional sports teams in Maine.
As a result, most Mainers tend to root for teams from New England. In particular, the sports teams in Boston get most of the support. As we noted, Maine does not allow betting on in-state college teams. Here are the most popular teams in Maine that are also likely to receive the largest handle once sports betting launches officially:
- New England Patriots: Gillette Stadium, 1 Patriot Place, Foxborough, MA 02035
- Boston Celtics: TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston, MA 02114
- Boston Red Sox: Fenway Park, 4 Jersey St., Boston, MA 02215
- Boston Bruins: TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston, MA 02114
- New England Revolution: Gillette Stadium, 1 Patriot Place, Foxborough, MA 02035
Maine sports betting history
2023: Online sports betting finally launches in the state on November 3.
DraftKings announces it has reached a deal with the Passamaquoddy Tribe to begin offering online sports betting in Maine. The Passamaquoddy was the fourth and final tribe in the state to partner with an online sports betting site.
The Maine Gambling Control Unit (MGCU) announces the state will launch online sports betting on Nov. 3, 2023.
MGCU Executive Director Milton Champion laid out the path to legal sports betting at a press conference where he announced the publishing of the long-awaited proposed rules.
2022: While the 2021 bill sat on the appropriations table with slim hopes of finishing the deal because Gov. Mills was unlikely to sign it, the governor added online sports betting exclusivity to a tribal sovereignty package.
Some changes happened throughout the process, including adding retail sports betting for commercial gambling entities. Despite some concerns over the process to reach this bill and usurp the bill that passed in 2021, the legislation eventually garnered enough support to pass both chambers. Mills signed the bill. However, according to the Maine Gambling Control Unit, the launch might not happen until 2024.
2021: The House and Senate passed a bill granting online sports betting access to the state’s commercial gambling entities and tribes. The legislation ended the session on the appropriations table, where it languished into the 2022 session with slim hopes of anyone reviving it.
2020: When the Maine legislative session resumed on Jan. 8, Mills had three days to veto the prior year’s Maine sports betting bill or allow it to become law. On the final day, she cited concerns about expanding gambling in the state and vetoed the bill. It seemed unlikely that the Maine Legislature, with an overwhelming Democratic majority, would be willing to override the veto of a governor from their party. However, lawmakers supported legalizing sports betting in Maine by making a strong push for the override.
After the governor lobbied to protect her veto, House Speaker Sara Gideon ran the vote. The vote in favor of the override was 85-57, but the override failed as it needed 94 votes for a two-thirds majority. 2019: Maine seemed to come out of nowhere to pass a sports betting bill through both chambers on the final day of the legislative session in June. Mills declined to sign the bill but also didn’t veto it within 10 days. In most states, the bill becomes law with no action from the governor. Maine’s constitution instructs that, if the Legislature is no longer in session, inaction stalls the decision to the first three days of the next legislative session.
Maine sports betting FAQ
Can I bet on sports in Maine?
Yes. Online sports betting is now live in Maine. Users can sign up and bet with either Caesars or DraftKings.
There may be some online operators that claim to accept bets from within Maine, but these sportsbooks are operating outside US laws. These books could close up shop or refuse to pay out any winnings, and there would be no legal recourse for the user.
How many online sports betting sites will launch in Maine?
Up to four online sports betting sites are allowed to operate in Maine (one for each tribe), but Caesars Sportsbook has partnered with three tribes, and DraftKings is partnered with the other.
Can I bet on my phone in Maine?
Yes. Residents and visitors can bet on their phones from anywhere within state lines.
Who regulates sports betting in Maine?
The Maine Gambling Control Unit. The MGCU is in charge of both publicizing the rules for the new industry and managing the industry itself once it launches.