Milton Champion, the executive director of the Maine Gambling Control Unit, has noted that “It’s a matter of when, not if, for Maine sports betting.”
The following timeline recaps the history of sports wagering in the Pine Tree State:
Oct. 9, 2024: Maine’s handle spikes to $51 million thanks to football betting in September.
Sept. 16, 2024: Caesars opens Maine’s first retail sportsbook —”Oddfellahs” — in Portland, ME.
Sept. 11, 2024: Maine’s revenue drops 40% in August amidst summer sports betting slowdown.
Aug. 7, 2024: Maine sports betting reaches new heights in July, earning $42.7 million in wagers — the second-highest total in the state’s history — despite slow summer sports schedule.
July 9, 2024: Maine’s handle and revenue is unchanged in June despite summer slowdown in sports betting.
May 21, 2024: Maine sports betting revenue increases in April, bringing in $38.3 million in wagers for the month.
April 9, 2024: Maine’s online casino bill advances though fate remains unclear.
March 12, 2024: Maine’s sports betting handle and revenue decrease in February, only earning $33.6 million in total wagers.
Feb. 22, 2024: Maine’s sports betting revenue increases in January even as handle falls to lowest since launch.
Jan. 8, 2024: Maine lawmakers are pushing to legalize iGaming in 2024 to pair with its established legal online sports betting market, which launched in 2023.
Nov. 3, 2023: Caesars Sportsbook and DraftKings accept the first legal Maine sports betting wagers online at 9:00 a.m. ET.
Oct. 31, 2023: DraftKings joins Caesars Sportsbook in Maine as it partners with the Passamaquoddy Tribe. The Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Unit announces that Maine sports betting will arrive on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. ET.
Oct. 3, 2023: Recent comments by the executive director of the Maine Gambling Control Unit indicate the state remains on track for the launch of sports betting in November.
July 18, 2023: The Maine Gambling Control Unit expects to award temporary wagering licenses to operators and launch legal sports betting in November 2023.
April 4, 2023: A lack of interest from online sportsbook operators increases the likelihood of a 2024 Maine sports betting launch.
Jan. 11, 2023: Maine’s proposed sports betting rules are published. Milton Champion notes that, if everything goes smoothly, sports betting could launch as early as April 2023. However, he maintains that the go-live date could be as late as January 2024.
Aug. 2, 2022: Milton Champion, the executive director of the Maine Gambling Control Unit, says that legal online sports wagering may not launch in Maine until January 2024.
May 29, 2022: Denise Terry, president of Scarborough Downs off-track betting, announces that May 30 will be the final day of operation.
May 2, 2022: Gov. Janet Mills signs Maine sports betting legislation into law to allow specific state tribes to offer statewide mobile sports betting. The bill goes into effect on July 31, 2022.
April 25, 2022: LD 585 is freed from the Senate’s “Special Appropriations Table.” The sports betting bill goes to Gov. Mills to be signed into law.
April 19, 2022: Gov. Mills’ sports betting bill is approved via a 23-11 vote by the Maine Senate. The Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, and Maliseet tribes would control mobile wagering, while in-person betting would be allowed at casinos. The bill now requires the governor’s signature to be passed into law.
Feb. 11, 2022: Gov. Mills is working on a bill that would give Maine’s tribes exclusive rights to offer mobile sports betting.
Jan. 18, 2022: Sen. Luchini resigns to take a position with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Meanwhile, the sports betting legislation he created still sits on the Appropriations Table.
July 20, 2021: Despite reaching the Appropriations Table, LD 1352 stalls out. It remains there until the close of the 2021 legislative session.
July 2, 2021: A setback occurs with LD 1352, as it must go through the Appropriations Table before reaching Gov. Mills. The committee is to ensure that the bill is fiscally sound.
June 23, 2021: The House of Representatives approves LD 1352 and prepares to send it to Gov. Mills.
June 1, 2021: The Senate passes LD 1352 on to the House of Representatives, but not before amending it to require mobile sportsbooks to be tethered. Sen. Luchini votes against this bill version, arguing that tethering gives casinos too much control.
Apr. 5, 2021: Sen. Louis Luchini revitalizes hopes for legalized Maine sports betting by filing LD 1352. Notably, the bill contains language that would not require mobile sportsbooks to be tethered to an in-state casino to operate.
Feb. 11, 2020: The House of Representatives fails to overturn Gov. Mills’ veto of LD 553 by a vote of 85-57, effectively ending the hope of legalizing Maine sports betting for the year.
Feb. 6, 2020: The Senate votes 20-10 to override Gov. Mills’ decision to veto LD 553, sending the motion to the House of Representatives.
Jan. 10, 2020: Gov. Mills vetoes LD 553, a bill introduced in 2019 that would have legalized mobile and retail sports wagering in the state.
May 2018: The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) repeals the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), permitting each U.S. state to legalize and regulate sports betting.
