The Maine iGaming market could launch in the first quarter of 2027, but several obstacles remain before wagering can begin, Gambling Control Unit Executive Director Milt Champion said.
Champion said the first quarter is a potential launch window for Maine iGaming, not a firm deadline. The agency continues work to finalize regulations, prepare an online application portal, and hire six staff members to oversee the industry.
The next step hinges on public comments due Oct. 30. If those comments do not lead to substantive changes, the proposed rules will go to the Office of the Attorney General, which has up to 120 days to review their legality.
“As with sports wagering, iGaming is new, and the rulemaking process has followed in the same lengthy fashion as with sports wagering,” Champion said.
How Maine iGaming buildup arrived here
Maine legalized sports betting in May 2022. The market opened in November 2023. Gov. Janet Mills allowed Maine iGaming legislation to become law without her signature in January. It will be the eighth state with live iGaming, joining:
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- West Virginia
Legal review could bring another round of rulemaking
Maine published its latest proposed iGaming regulations Sept. 30, opening another opportunity for public feedback before the rules move toward final adoption.
The close of that comment period will not necessarily put the state on a direct path to launch. Champion said the attorney general’s review could require another publication of the rules, extending the process.
“If that legal review requires a fourth publication, then it will push back the final adoption,” he said. “If not required, then the rules will be sent to the Secretary of State for final adoption.”
Alongside final stretch of rulemaking, the GCU is building administrative infrastructure needed to license and oversee the new market. That includes hiring six new staff members.
Revised iGaming rules address live dealers, advertising
The latest proposed Maine iGaming rules address several aspects of how the online casino market would operate, including live dealer games, advertising and self-exclusion.
Under the revised proposal, approved live dealer studios and certain supporting systems could operate outside Maine. However, the primary server that accepts and stores live dealer wagers must be located in the state. The revisions also remove separate approval requirements for certain routine game updates.
Advertising rules would prohibit marketing aimed at people younger than 21, and require advertisements to display the beneficiary tribe’s name and logo in the same font size as its operator partner’s. The proposed framework also includes an automated self-exclusion system that would give operators real-time access to additions and removals.
Maine iGaming framework
The market gives the four federally recognized Wabanaki tribal nations exclusive Maine iGaming rights. The framework extends the tribes’ role in Maine’s online gambling industry beyond sports wagering.
Online casino operators will likely resemble the sports betting market, where the online sportsbooks are DraftKings and Caesars. Caesars already announced it expanded its tribal partnerships for iGaming.
Caesars operates in Maine through partnerships with:
- Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians
- Mi’kmaq Nation
- Penobscot Nation
The fourth Wabanaki nation, the Passamaquoddy Tribe, partnered with DraftKings. The state has two commercial casinos owned by Churchill Downs and Penn Entertainment.
Maine also acted to restrict other gambling products ahead of the regulated online casino rollout. In April, Mills signed legislation banning sweepstakes casinos and credit card use for gambling.
Maine monitoring prediction markets
While preparing for Maine iGaming, the GCU is also watching developments involving prediction markets.
Champion said the agency is aware of the platforms and regulatory discussions in other jurisdictions but has no active investigations involving them in Maine, as the unit has not detected any negative effects.
“These platforms are not regulated by the Gambling Control Unit, and regulatory oversight of prediction markets is handled at the federal level,” he said. “We have not seen a negative impact on the gaming programs regulated by the Unit.
“The Gambling Control Unit will continue to monitor developments involving prediction markets, including any potential impact on Maine’s regulated gaming industry.”
