How Do I Gamble Online in Maine?

No matter the type of gambling involved, people can gamble online in Maine. The trick is finding honest online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms that accept Maine gamblers. Because you play in the offshore online gambling market, trust and reputation are the keys to gambling online in Maine.

Once you read our guide to Maine online gambling, you will know how to sign up at offshore gambling sites. You will know the important Maine gambling laws, have a sense of the state’s land-based gaming venues, and read tips on the best online casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks. In short, you will have everything you need to make smart decisions about gambling online while in Maine.

Maine Online Gambling Laws

Maine has not regulated online casinos and poker sites, so players must sign up at offshore gambling sites to play for real money. Luckily, offshore casino sites and poker rooms accept real money play from Maine. While these sites are not regulated by Maine or other US gaming authorities, they are licensed and audited by legitimate international gaming agencies. Also, Maine officials do not prosecute residents if they play for real money at offshore gambling sites.

At the moment, online sports betting works the same in Maine. The state has passed a mobile sports betting bill and expects to launch operations in 2024. For now, Maine sports bettors’ only option is to join an offshore bookmaker site. Whatever online gambling type you choose, you will find huge welcome bonuses, a full list of games, and fair gaming. Since players play without legal protections, the key is reading online gambling site reviews and depositing at trusted sites only.

Gambling Availability in Maine

Maine Online Gambling Timeline & History

• May 14, 2018: The US Supreme Court repealed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), the federal law which governed sports betting in America for the previous 25 years. PASPA’s repeal opened the door to legal sports betting by individual US states.
• 2019: A Maine sports betting bill failed to pass in the state legislature after a debate and vote. This bill would have legalized retail sports betting, online sportsbooks, and electronic sports betting. The bill would have banned betting on college and high school sporting events. The bill failed to gain approval.
• 2020: Janet Mills vetoed Legislative Document 1352, an early version of the Maine sports betting bill. Senator Louis Luchini submitted the bill.
• 2021: Senator Louis Luchini again submitted LD 1352, but it failed in the Maine legislature.
• May 3, 2022: Janet Mills signed into law a sports betting bill (LD 585).
• January 11, 2023: Gambling Control Unit (GCU) Director Milton Champion, during a public hearing, suggested that Maine sports betting could launch in the Summer of 2023.
• March 10, 2023: Milton Champion announced proposed rules for sports betting in Maine while stating the rules should be finalized by May 2023. In the comments, Champion stated that a June launch date would not happen, and that another public hearing might be needed before a launch.
• January 2024: The current launch date for Maine sports betting. Licensed sportsbooks will not offer bets on the 2023 NFL regular season, though they might be active by Super Bowl 58 in February 2024.

How to Gamble Online for Real Money in Maine

Gambling online in Maine is easy, but new players might not be familiar with the steps required. Read our step-by-step guide to signing up and betting online in Maine and you’ll be playing in minutes. Our guide applies to online casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks, though our sample here applies to casino sites.

1. Find Trusted Gambling Sites: Research the best online casinos by reading casino reviews and player forums. Learn the consensus about sites based on fairness, safety, entertainment, and trust.
2. Get a Casino Account: Sign up for a player account at a casino site. Registration requires your name, username, address, and email address. A photo ID is required for verification.
3. Make a Casino Deposit: Verify your email, then log in to your account. Once logged in, you can make a deposit using credit cards, debit cards, Bitcoin, other crypto deposit methods, web wallets, and bank wire transfers.
4. Accept a Casino Bonus: Sites offer welcome bonuses for new depositors. These involve thousands of dollars in welcome bonus cash and free spins. If you use crypto deposits, the amount of bonus cash will be larger.
5. Read Rollover Terms: Bonuses have wagering requirements that stipulate how many times you must wager the bonus cash before requesting a payout. Read the terms of use and make certain you satisfy the rollover before making a withdrawal.
6. Play Real Money Games: Next, play casino games for real money. Online slots, scratch cards, and keno often satisfy the requirement at 100%. Table games and video poker clear the rollover at 5% to 20%. Clear the requirement, then make a withdrawal request.
7. Claim a Payout: Once the requirement is cleared, make a withdrawal request through the casino’s cashier page. Wait a few minutes for many crypto payouts to a few days for credit cards, e-wallets, and bank wire transfers.

The Best Online Casinos and Sportsbooks for Maine Players

Maine Land-Based Gambling Industry

Maine approves most forms of land-based gambling. Its brick-and-mortar casino industry is restricted to one venue, though Maine has 9 different race tracks with pari-mutuel wagers. Maine has a large charitable gaming niche and was one of the first states with lottery betting. Here is the full rundown of Maine’s land-based gambling industry.

Does Maine have land-based casinos?

Maine has one land-based casino: Oxford Casino Hotel in Oxford, Maine. The inception of Oxford Casino is somewhat fraught, so it is not likely Maine voters will allow more brick-and-mortar casinos are not likely to appear. Oxford Casino has 1,000 gaming machines and 20 table games, plus two restaurants.

Does Maine have legal betting tracks?

Maine has 8 traditional legal betting tracks and 1 race track casino (racino). These sites have pari-mutuel wagering and simulcasting. The eight race tracks are associated with county fairgrounds across Maine. One each is located in Cumberland Center, Farmington, Fryeburg, Oxford, Presque Isle, Skowhegan, Topsham, Union, and Windsor.

The Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway, located in Bangor, is the horse track racino in Maine. It boasts 730 gaming machines, 14 table games, 4 poker tables, and a race book. The available table games include blackjack, roulette, craps, and Mississippi Stud.

Does Maine allow off-track betting?

Maine has four off-track betting facilities, which are Brunswick, Lewiston, Sanford, and Waterville. The OTBs in Sanford and Waterville are part of the Favorites OTB chain. The facilities in Brunswick and Lewiston are part of the Winners OTB, which has operations throughout New England. All four OTB venues have pari-mutuel betting and simulcasts.

Does Maine allow charitable gaming?

Maine has legal charitable gaming, which is administered by the Gambling Control Unit. The list of approved charitable games includes Bingo/Beano, raffles, and licensed card games. High hand competitions and internet raffles are allowed. The law stipulates that card games contribute 100% of gross revenue to charity, while the entry fees are either $1.00, $0.50, or $0.25.  The biggest bet that can be placed per deal is $5. Two poker run events per month are allowed, with accepted wagers set at $50 per poker run.

The types of groups that can host charitable gaming are varied. Specific rules stipulate those who conduct the games at agricultural fairs, for instance, and the allowed people are members of the agricultural society or a bona fide nonprofit. Outside of agricultural fairs, the games must be conducted by members of the license holder (fraternal group) or by the bartender of the licensee.

Does Maine allow lottery betting?

Maine has had a state lottery since 1974. The Maine State Lottery joined the Powerball multistate lottery association in 2004 and the Mega Millions lottery in 2010. The current lotto tickets are Tristate Megabucks Maine, Lotto America, Lucky For Life, Pick 3, Pick 4, Gimm3 5, WPT Featuring All-In, Powerball, and Mega Millions.

Is social gambling allowed in Maine?

Yes, but organizers of private poker games must follow strict rules. The host cannot charge a rake or other fees that would amount to a profit. The only way money should transfer hands is through a combination of skill and luck at the poker table. No one should have a built-in advantage, except through luck.

“Social gambling” has a specific meaning in Maine. It means a contest of chance in which the only participants are players and from which no person or organization receives or becomes entitled to receive something of value or any profit whatsoever, directly or indirectly, other than as a player. The host or organizer cannot collect any type of remuneration, including “a fee, remuneration connected with gambling or such activity as arrangements or facilitation of the game (‘a rake’), permitting the use of premises or selling or supplying for-profit refreshments, food, drink service or entertainment to participants, players or spectators. ”

What is the legal gambling age in Maine?

The legal gambling age in Maine is 18 for pari-mutuel wagering, lottery betting, and charitable gaming. For slot machines or table games, the legal gambling age is 21. If you wish to play at offshore online casinos, sportsbooks, or poker sites, the age limit is 18.

Maine Land-Based Casinos, Horse Tracks, and OTBs

Online Gambling Maine FAQ

Is online gambling legal in Maine?

Online gambling is legal in Maine. For most of its history, Maine’s online gambling niche involved offshore online casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks. At present, that continues to be the case. If you want to gamble online for real money, you need to sign up at an online poker site, casino, or sportsbook. That won’t always be the case, or even be the case that much longer.

Maine legalized online sports betting in 2022, though the state has yet to launch retail sportsbooks or mobile sports betting apps. According to the head of Maine’s chief gaming regulator, sports betting should launch by January 2024. Licensing issues and other concerns have delayed implementation so far.

Can I legally gamble at online casinos in Maine?

Residents can legally gamble at online casinos in Maine. Offshore online casinos accept Maine residents for real money play and even feature welcome bonuses and other VIP rewards for new players. Casino sites feature hundreds of online slots, dozens of table games, cool specialty games like keno and scratch cards, and a handful of live dealer games. When it’s time to fund your account or cash out winnings, you can use Visa, MasterCard, Bitcoin, Ethereum, web wallets, or bank wire transfers.

Can I gamble for real money at online sportsbooks in Maine?

Maine sports bettors can gamble for real money at online sportsbooks. Offshore bookmaker sites accept real-money play from Maine residents and even give large welcome bonuses to people who make a deposit. These sportsbooks offer a full range of bet options, including moneyline bets, point spread bets, futures bets, teasers, pleasers, parlay bets, and prop bets. Maine bettors can gamble on NFL football, NHL hockey, MLB baseball, NBA basketball, and other major US and global sporting events. Starting in 2024, Maine sports bettors will be able to gamble online at licensed sportsbooks.

Can I gamble at online poker sites in Maine?

Residents can legally gamble at offshore online poker sites in Maine. The card rooms accept real money play from Maine residents. In fact, they offer hundreds of dollars in poker bonuses and freeroll tournaments for new depositors. Maine poker sites feature Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven-Card Stud. Events include cash games, sit-and-go events (SNGs), and big poker tournaments. The guaranteed prize pool on weekend events is $100K or more, while the weekly prize pool is $1.5 million or more.

How do I gamble online in Maine using crypto deposits?

Maine residents can gamble at online casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks using crypto deposits. The offshore gambling sites that support crypto payments feature large Bitcoin bonuses worth thousands of dollars. They also feature the casino games players prefer, like online slots, blackjack, craps, roulette, video poker, and live dealer games. Sites like Wild Casino, Planet 7 Casino, and Las Atlantis Casino support play with Bitcoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and more altcoins. Some even support sports betting and poker gaming.

How to Gamble Online in the United States