Maine sports betting set for launch after regulator ratifies rules
Pine Tree State operators permitted to start pre-launch advertising ahead of November 3 debut, capping 15-month journey to regulated market
Legal sports betting will begin in Maine with effect from November 3, after the Maine Gambling Control Unit (MGCU) ratified rules regulating the vertical.
Beginning today, licensed operators and their management service providers and suppliers will be able to start pre-launch advertising, accepting registrations, and account deposits in a soft-launch-style staggered debut.
The market will officially go live at 9am on Friday, November 3.
“Milton Champion, Gambling Control Unit’s executive director would like to thank the dedicated staff at DPS [Maine Department of Public Safety], GCU [Maine Gambling Control Unit], AdCare Maine Problem Gambling Services, the Attorney General’s Office, and the sports wagering industry for their input and patience in the rulemaking process,” a statement from the Maine Department of Public Safety confirmed.
The announcement caps a 15-month journey to regulated sports betting, which began on May 2, 2022, when Governor of Maine Janet Mills signed a bill legalizing the vertical for both retail and online.
Legislation gave exclusive rights to the lucrative online betting market to the state’s indigenous tribes, with that bill becoming law 90 days later.
Maine’s first sports betting rules were published in January by the MGCU, sent for public comment and then revised, before being sent to the state Attorney General’s office for review in July.
Under the rules, the state’s three federally recognized tribes can build their own sportsbook on a B2B basis or via a B2C agreement with an online operator.
In addition to the online licenses, there are 10 retail licenses available to casinos, horse racing tracks, and off-track betting facilities in the state. Licenses for both retail and online sportsbooks run for a maximum term of four years, with mobile licenses costing $200,000 and retail licenses coming in at a far lower price of just $4,000.
In respect of mobile operators specifically, sportsbooks are only allowed to take bets from those “affirmatively located” and physically present in the state, with all operators obliged to display rules on their respective websites. Geolocation software must be utilized by any firm operating in the state.
Operator sportsbook revenues are taxed at a rate of 10%, however the tax itself is not levied on gross revenues and allows operators to make deductions including promotional expenses and federal excise payments from the total amount taxable.