Maine to begin licensing sportsbooks from November

Officials in Maine have confirmed their intention to issue sports betting licenses to operators for the state’s regulated market from November.

Maine’s Department of Public Safety, which oversees the main regulator for the state, the Maine Gambling Control Unit (MGCU), confirmed the instigation of a process to meet this deadline in a statement.

“The final rules have been submitted to the Office of the [Maine] Attorney General for legal review with an anticipated adoption in November 2023,” the release said.

“Temporary or initial licenses will be issued on the day of adoption to allow licensees to go live and offer wagers on sports according to law and rule,” the Department of Public Safety added.

Initial rules to govern the emerging Maine sportsbook market were released by the MGCU in January, with officials keen to proceed as slowly as possible with regulation in order to avoid any costly mistakes.

The declaration is the first indication of an implementation deadline released by the MGCU since then.

Under state rules, the Attorney General’s office has a maximum of 120 days to accept or turn down the rules, with the rejected rules going back to the MGCU for refinement and potential resubmission.

As part of the process, prospective operators will be required to provide full company details, including the names of any and all shareholders and directors as part of their application.

Individual company officers will also be required to submit applications to work in the state.

The licensing is expected to include licenses for Maine’s four tribal gaming operators.

State and federal tax returns will also be required as well as a list of all licenses obtained in other US states, as well as the payment of application fees amounting to $5,000 for a retail operator, rising to $10,000 for a mobile application.

Initial license fees start at $4,000 for a retail facility license, $40,000 for both management services licenses and supplier licenses, and $250 for an occupational license. Mobile operators would be required to pay a license fee of $200,000, according to the guidelines.

While the application review process is ongoing, operators will be issued with temporary permits valid for one year allowing them to operate in the state.

Each full license will run for a four-year period and must be renewed within 60 days of the original license expiry. All platforms are likewise required to be tested and certified by a state-chosen testing entity.

According to latest MGCU estimates, Maine is expected to generate between $3.8m and $6.9m in revenue from the legalization of sports betting, with online and mobile likely to account for a substantial amount of this total.