Guide to Online Gambling in Maine: The Best Maine Gambling Sites for 2024

Maine Daily Fantasy Sports

Maine became the 15th state to officially legalize daily fantasy sports when Governor Paul LePage’s inaction turned a bill into law in August 2018. The law now declares that daily fantasy betting in Maine allows for these specific sports to be considered games of skill, and therefore exempt from the other gambling laws in the state. This also means that there is a different minimum age for this game than for much other gambling; players must be at least 18 to participate daily fantasy sports. If you prefer the strict rules that require players to be over 21, then you might also want to check out the laws about DFS in North Carolina or another state for more insight.

Gambling Laws in Maine

The gambling laws in Maine are some of the most black-and-white in the whole of the United States, apart from those with sweeping laws that make all forms of wagering illegal. In Maine, types of gambling are legal across most of the different sections, though each are regulated and restricted in some way. For example, Mainers are able to visit a casino to play slots, baccarat or roulette at one of the two legally operating casinos. They are also able to bet on the ponies with pari-mutuel wagers at the racetrack or off-site locations, though no other sports betting is currently allowed. There is a long-standing lottery that only allows tickets to be sold in person, and participating in daily fantasy sports is totally legalized as of 2017. The only exception is for poker, which has clear-cut rules for land-based games – only allowed in the casinos – but relies only on the federal laws to cover online poker.

Sports Betting in Maine

At this stage, the only forms of bets allowed on sports in Maine are the pari-mutuel wagers made at the horse racetrack. This was the first form of gambling in the state, having been legalized in 1950. This only applies to harness racing, as a law in 1993 specifically banned greyhound racing. However, as a fairly pro-gambling state, Maine is only of many that are currently working out the kinks for the best way to legalize other forms of sports betting in the state. It has proposed a bill to be considered in the 2019 sitting, which could see online and land-based sports betting legally allowed. And since you will soon have the opportunity to play, why not check the page dedicated to sports betting in Maine?

Maine Casinos

There are two locations in Maine that offer a selection of casino games, both owned by out-of-state corporations. They are the Oxford Casino and Hotel and the Hollywood Casino in Bangor, which is technically a racetrack that also allows some form of casino gambling – a “racino”. None of the four Native American tribes that are recognized in Maine have been allowed to run casinos, which is a little out of the ordinary compared to most other states, where the situation is reversed. At this very moment, there are no legal Maine casino options available to players.

Maine Poker

Mainers have few options when it comes to playing poker, as it is only legally allowed to take place within the casinos. Both the Hollywood Casino and Oxford Casino offer a small selection of poker tables, including Three Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em and 7-Card Stud. The Hollywood Casino offers a number of different tournaments and timed offers too, which adds a bit of extra excitement. When it comes to online gambling, there are no specific laws banning the practice however there are also no online poker rooms based from Maine. As the law states that poker must be played in one of the legal casinos, it is assumed that the authorities could also crackdown on gamblers playing poker online, if they should choose to do so.

Maine Lottery

There is a state-run lottery in Maine, which has been running since 1974 after being voted in by Maine residents in a referendum. It is currently a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), meaning that it includes national games such as Powerball in its offerings, as well as a number of other draw games. None of the tickets are available for purchase online, though. As with all government operated lotteries, the profits are all to be funneled back into the state, with over $1.24 billion being sent to the State Government General Fund since the program’s inception. This has benefitted local schools, higher education and health services, among others. However, if you wish to find out more about online lottery in the state if Maine, make sure to check our detailed Maine lottery guide.

History of Gambling in Maine

Though Maine has a long history of gambling dating back to the first legalization of horse racing in 1950, there haven’t been a lot of big changes taking place. That being said, all of the changes that do occur have been firm and resolute, both in banning some forms of gambling and regulating others. The table below gives a quick overview of some of the most important changes to the laws.

Maine State Facts

The most northeastern state in the US, Maine is particularly well known for its seafood, providing more lobster to the rest of the country than anywhere else. As such, it holds annual Lobster Boat Races in Boothbay Harbor, though making bets on the outcome of the event are not allowed. The same goes for the state’s Lobsterman Triathlon, which is instead followed with a Lobsterbake.

Gambling Age in Maine

In order to enter one of the two land-based casinos in Maine, players must be at least 21 years of age, with the Oxford Casino stating that “two forms of ID may be required”. When it comes to participating in DFS betting, the law created in 2017 allows players over 18 years. The Maine Lottery also prohibits sales of tickets to under 18s, though it does state that those younger than 18 may receive tickets as gifts.

• Online Gambling Age:
  Mainers must be 21 to enter a casino, or 18 to play daily fantasy sport.
• Alcohol Age
  The legal alcohol possession and consumption age in Maine is 21.
• Weed Age
  Adults over 21 are allowed to legally possess marijuana in Maine.

Responsible Gambling and Addiction Prevention

Maine does not have an affiliation with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), instead offering services through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services state agency. Here, it runs the Maine Council on Problem Gambling, which offers self exclusion services, as well as Webinars aiming to educate the population on the early warning signs and treatment options for problem gambling.

Upcoming Regulation and Expected Changes

There is currently a bill heading for debate that offers options for ways to legalize sports betting in Maine. The options concerning gambling in the US include allowing only Native American tribe-run locations to have permissions, while another path would allow the two casinos in the state to add sports betting to their offerings. The bills also aim to legalize online and mobile wagers for sports bets.

• New Hampshire
• Hawaii
• Alaska
• Florida