Sports betting in Maine is expected to launch in November of this year, the state's Gambling Control Unit announced Monday.
The legislation was signed by Gov. Janet Mills in May of 2022 and officially became law on Aug. 2, 2022. Following a public hearing in January and a public comment period that concluded last month, the Gambling Control Unit said final rules have now been submitted to the Maine Attorney General's Office for legal review, "with an anticipated adoption in November 2023."
Temporary or initial licenses will be issued on the day of adoption, the agency said, to allow licensees to go live and offer wagers on sports.
Milt Champion, director of Maine's Gambling Control Unit, had released the proposed rules for gambling in January, and said at the time that it was important to move slowly to get it right. Until now, no specific timeline had been given for the launch of sports betting in the state.
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“I know this is a hot topic. I know everybody wants it out during the Super Bowl or during March Madness. But let’s face it. It’s just not going to happen” that quickly, Champion said in January.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills gave control of the mobile and online sports betting market to Native American tribes in Maine, providing an olive branch after her veto threat scuttled their proposal for greater sovereignty.
Mobile and online wagering is expected to account for 85% of the sports betting market in Maine, providing a conduit for revenue for the tribes. Each tribe can select its own vendor, meaning there could be up to four licenses for the Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy tribes at Indian Township and Pleasant Point, Houlton Band of Maliseets and Mi’kmaq.
Maine’s existing casinos in Bangor and Oxford also can request licenses along with off-track betting parlors.
Sports betting in Maine is expected to generate between $3.8 million and $6.9 million in revenue for the state, on top of $64 million from casinos and other legal gambling in 2022, Champion has said.
Thirty-eight states have already legalized sports gambling since a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2018 opened the door to wagering on sports. In New England, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island already allow sports betting, and Vermont is awaiting launch in January of 2024 after legalization earlier this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
