Can you gamble online in Maine?

Only on fantasy sports and some pari-mutuel wagering platforms. Online casino gambling and sports betting is prohibited, though social casino sites are completely legal.

What is the legal gambling age in Maine?

The minimum gambling age in Maine casinos is 21. For pari-mutuel wagering and lottery, it’s 18.

What Maine casinos are eligible for a gaming license?

Maine law allows only two casinos: Oxford Casino and Hollywood Casino (a racino) in Bangor. The Maine Supreme Court in 2018 refused to consider whether the state’s tribes can offer casino gaming without approval of the state legislature.

Do I need to live in Maine to online gamble once it goes live?

There would be no residency requirement to set up an account. But bettors would need to be physically located inside Maine to legally place a wager. Casino sites use geolocation technology to ensure that.

Why do some sites have online casino offers in Maine?

Some of these offers are from offshore-based casino gambling sites, which attempt to circumvent federal and state laws, and should be avoided. Other offers are from social or sweepstakes casinos, in which free online slots and table games can be played for prizes or amusement.

What forms of gambling are allowed in Maine?

Casino gambling, Daily Fantasy Sports, pari-mutuel wagering, lottery and high-stakes bingo are allowed in Maine.

Where can I gamble in Maine?

Oxford Casino and Hollywood Casino Bangor; Scarborough Downs; four off-track betting facilities; retail lottery locations across the state.

Who will regulate online gambling in Maine?

The Maine Gambling Control Unit and Gambling Control Board.

Will online gambling in Maine be safe once legal?

Yes, as long as you are playing at a licensed and regulated online casino site. The state’s Gambling Control Board would be responsible for ensuring that all games are fair and electronic equipment is properly tested. You should avoid offshore sportsbooks and gambling sites as they are not regulated and there is no guarantee all games are fair or that your funds are safe.

How will Maine tax my gambling winnings?

All gambling winnings are subject to federal and state tax. Federal and state taxes of 25% and 5% respectively will automatically be withheld on winnings over $5,000.

Maine Online Gambling & Casinos

Reviewed By Larry Henry

Fact Checked by Daniel Smyth

Last Updated: Mar 7^th, 2024

Maine is home to a small but steady commercial gambling industry and was a signature away from adding adding sports betting to the menu.

Best Maine Online Casino Sites

Affiliate Disclosure: At Gambling.com, we want to ensure that players are matched with the right casino and sportsbook offers for them. For this reason, some of the recommended site links are affiliate links. This means that if you visit a website through our link and make a deposit, Gambling.com will receive a commission payment at no extra cost to you. At Gambling.com, we want to ensure that players are matched with the right casino and sportsbook offers for them. For this reason, some of the recommended site links are affiliate links. More

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Is Online Gambling Legal in Maine?

Best online casinos is not legal in Maine. Social and sweepstakes casinos such as WinStar, LuckyLand and Chumba Casino are available and offer free online casino games such as slots, blackjack and roulette. No money changes hands at social and sweepstakes casino sites, but players can win prizes and jackpots with free virtual coins. Gambling.com’s top-rated social casinos are listed above.

Online casino gambling with offshore-based sites is not recommended. Most offshore betting sites are not regulated and operate with little or no oversight, placing your funds and personal information at risk. There is also no way to ensure the games you are playing there are fair.

Maine allows online gambling on Daily Fantasy Sports and pari-mutuel wagering. However, it will take some time for locals to find promotions like NJ online casino bonuses.

Will Maine Legalize Online Gambling?

Pursuing online casino gambling is not on the immediate agenda for Maine lawmakers, who made legal sports betting a higher priority. If online sports betting in Maine eventually becomes law and exceeds projections, state legislators might consider an online casino gambling bill, but that appears far off in the future.

Land-Based Casinos in Maine

Maine offers casino gaming at a land-based casino resort and a racino. Both offer electronic gaming devices and table games.

Casino	City	Address	Hours of Operation
Oxford Casino	Oxford	777 Casino Way	24 hours
Hollywood Casino Bangor	Bangor	500 Main Street	9 a.m.-midnight

Oxford Casino

Address: 777 Casino Way, Oxford

Hours of Operation: Open 24 hours

Website: www.oxfordcasino.com

About: Located about 40 miles northwest of Portland. Opened in 2012 and purchased the following year by Churchill Downs, Inc. Casino has 27,000 square feet of gaming space with just under 1,000 slot and video poker machines and 28 table games. Most popular Maine casino accounts for more than 60% of total statewide gaming revenue.

Hollywood Casino Bangor

Address: 500 Main Street, Bangor

Hours of Operation: 9 a.m.-midnight

Website: www.hollywoodcasinobangor.com

About: Racino located about two hours northeast of Oxford Casino. Hollywood Casino Bangor has more than 800 slots and video poker machines, more than a dozen table games and the only live poker room in Maine. Facility includes harness track with live racing May-November. The state’s first licensed slots facility added table games in 2012. Operated by Penn National Gaming.

Note: Hours of operation and number of available games at both Maine casinos are subject to change due to COVID-19 and social distancing restrictions.

Four Maine Indian tribes are permitted to offer high-stakes bingo games, but no other forms of gambling. The Maine Indian Claims Settlement subjects the tribes’ lands to state law, meaning the more gambling-friendly federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act does not apply.

Which Maine Casinos Will Offer Online Gambling?

State law accounts for two facilities that allow commercial casino gambling and both are operated by experienced online operators. So if online casino gambling becomes legal in Maine, both Churchill Downs Inc. (Oxford Casino) and Penn National Gaming (Hollywood Casino Bangor) are well-positioned to take advantage.

Mobile Casino Apps in Maine

As we've seen at NJ casino app, mobile casino apps are popular with bettors because they allow wagering on a smartphone or tablet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from anywhere inside the state. The apps provide access to all the games available on your desktop or laptop computer, designed to fit your mobile device.

Mobile casino apps are free, easy to download and available for iOS and Android devices. If and when online casino gambling becomes legal in Maine, mobile apps will play a significant role.

Expected Online Casino Games to Launch in Maine

Maine would likely offer all of the most popular real money online casino games, including:

Online Slots: Nearly all of the traditional slot games at your favorite land-based casino are available on your computer and mobile device, specifically designed to adjust to your screen size. New games with state-of-the-art graphics and animation are rolled out on a regular basis.

Online Poker: Several operators that offer online poker are experiencing a surge in revenue as the coronavirus shutters cardrooms. Online cash games, tournaments and Sit and Go events are available for a variety of buy-ins at top poker sites.

Roulette: Simple rules make roulette a popular game both online and at physical casinos. An electronic random generator determines the winning numbers in online roulette, replacing the physical wheel.

Online Blackjack: Players can find a large variety of this popular casino game online, including Spanish 21, Double Exposure and Blackjack Switch, with lower minimum bets available.

Lottery: Maine already allows players to buy subscriptions online. That means players can purchase tickets for 26, 52 or 104 drawings of Powerball and Mega Millions, and also manage their account online. Individual lottery tickets can only be purchased at retailers.

Live Dealer: Online operators try to recreate the live casino experience with actual people dealing the games (blackjack, roulette, baccarat) from a studio or live casino setting, with the action streamed to your computer or mobile device. Players can live chat with the dealer and other players at the table. Live dealer is available in some states with legal online gambling and not in others, so it is unclear if it would be offered to Maine players.

Online casino gambling operators want to make deposit and withdrawal options as simple and efficient as possible. The most popular payment methods:

PayPal: The most popular e-wallet option. Can be used for deposits and withdrawals, with quick processing and low fees.

Credit/debit cards: Visa and MasterCard are the most widely accepted, and generally can be used for deposits, but not withdrawals. Note that some financial institutions will not process online gambling-related transactions, though the number is gradually declining, and those that do may charge fees.

Play+: A casino-branded prepaid card. Players can usually apply for one on the casino operator’s website. You can load funds onto a Play+ card with a credit/debit card, transfer it to your casino account and start playing right away. Players can withdraw winnings back on to the card and access the money at an ATM.

ACH/bank transfer: Digital connection established between your bank account and online casino account.

Check or money order: Both are still generally accepted. If time’s not a factor, request a withdrawal via check and one will be mailed to you.

What Online Casino Bonuses Will be Available in Maine?

Online casino operators compete to sign up new players, making bonuses and promotions a part of doing business. Bonuses typically have playthrough requirements, so always read the terms and conditions. Among the most popular bonus offers:

No deposit casino bonus: Receive a small bonus just for signing up for a new account.

Deposit match: Make your initial deposit and your online casino operator will match that amount up to 100%. Deposit match offers generally include playthrough requirements, meaning you must wager that bonus money a specified number of times before it can be redeemed, and not all games will count 100% toward satisfying the requirements.

Free spins no deposit: Offered to players to try new or different slot games.

Loyalty rewards: Earn points and credits that can be redeemed for cash or prizes. The higher your level of play, the more points compiled, with rewards earned when specific thresholds are met.

Maine Gambling Laws & History

In a general sense, Maine is a liberal state with regards to gambling. Although this attitude hasn’t always resulted in laws being accepted quickly, the underlying ethos has helped legalize various forms of betting over the years.

To give you a snapshot, casino gaming, poker, horse racing and lotteries are all legal in the state. But for now, this hasn’t resulted in legal online gambling in Maine.

@infoSlider([ "title" => "Timeline of Gambling Legislation in Maine", "showDate" => true, "showItemPosition" => true, "items" => [ ["title" => "", "date" => "Feb 6, 2023", "text" => "Advertising restrictions were a controversial topic during a rules hearing. It’s not clear if these restrictions will be lessened."], ["title" => "", "date" => "2020", "text" => " Gov. Janet Mills vetoes sports betting bill. State Senate overrides Mills’ veto, but House attempt fails, ending state’s sports betting effort until at least 2021."], ["title" => "", "date" => "2019", "text" => " State lawmakers approve bill to legalize online and in-person sports betting. Legislation would make Maine the 15th state to legalize sports wagering."], ["title" => "", "date" => "2012", "text" => " Oxford Casino opens. Hollywood Slots adds table games and is renamed Hollywood Casino. "], ["title" => "", "date" => "2004", "text" => "Slot machines approved at racetracks. Hollywood Slots in Bangor opens the following year."], ["title" => "", "date" => "1980", "text" => "Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act settles land claims of state’s Indian tribes. A U.S. District Court judge rules 15 years later that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, a federal law that establishes the framework for Indian gaming, does not apply to Maine tribes due to earlier settlement act. "], ["title" => "", "date" => "1974", "text" => "Maine Lottery is approved in statewide referendum. Charitable bingo is approved the following year."],["title" => "", "date" => "1935", "text" => " Pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing is legalized. Scarborough Downs is the first pari-mutuel track to open in 1950."], ] ])

References

Maine Gambling Control Unit (August 3,2020). Retrieved August 3, 2020, from https://www.maine.gov/dps/gamb-control/
US Department of Justice (January 24,2020). Retrieved Feb. 6, 2020, from https://www.justice.gov/
American Gaming Association (n.d.). Retrieved Feb. 5, 2020, from https://www.americangaming.org/
National Council on Problem Gambling (n.d.). Retrieved Feb 6, 2020, from https://www.ncpgambling.org/programs-resources/resources/
International Association of Gaming Regulators (n.d.). Retrieved February 1, 2020 from https://www.iagr.org/

FAQ

Can you gamble online in Maine?: Only on fantasy sports and some pari-mutuel wagering platforms. Online casino gambling and sports betting is prohibited, though social casino sites are completely legal.
What is the legal gambling age in Maine?: The minimum gambling age in Maine casinos is 21. For pari-mutuel wagering and lottery, it’s 18.
What Maine casinos are eligible for a gaming license?: Maine law allows only two casinos: Oxford Casino and Hollywood Casino (a racino) in Bangor. The Maine Supreme Court in 2018 refused to consider whether the state’s tribes can offer casino gaming without approval of the state legislature.
Do I need to live in Maine to online gamble once it goes live?: There would be no residency requirement to set up an account. But bettors would need to be physically located inside Maine to legally place a wager. Casino sites use geolocation technology to ensure that.
Why do some sites have online casino offers in Maine?: Some of these offers are from offshore-based casino gambling sites, which attempt to circumvent federal and state laws, and should be avoided. Other offers are from social or sweepstakes casinos, in which free online slots and table games can be played for prizes or amusement.
What forms of gambling are allowed in Maine?: Casino gambling, Daily Fantasy Sports, pari-mutuel wagering, lottery and high-stakes bingo are allowed in Maine.
Where can I gamble in Maine?: Oxford Casino and Hollywood Casino Bangor; Scarborough Downs; four off-track betting facilities; retail lottery locations across the state.
Who will regulate online gambling in Maine?: The Maine Gambling Control Unit and Gambling Control Board.
Will online gambling in Maine be safe once legal?: Yes, as long as you are playing at a licensed and regulated online casino site. The state’s Gambling Control Board would be responsible for ensuring that all games are fair and electronic equipment is properly tested. You should avoid offshore sportsbooks and gambling sites as they are not regulated and there is no guarantee all games are fair or that your funds are safe.
How will Maine tax my gambling winnings?: All gambling winnings are subject to federal and state tax. Federal and state taxes of 25% and 5% respectively will automatically be withheld on winnings over $5,000.

Updated by

Larry Henry

Fact Checked by

Daniel Smyth