Maine still on track to launch sports betting in November
Gov. Janet Mills signed the law legalising sports betting in Maine in May 2022.
US.- The Maine Gambling Control Unit has announced that legal sports wagering is expected to go live sometime between November 5 and 15. The state attorney general’s office is going through the proposed adopted rules for final legal review. This is the third version submitted following more than a year of work.
“Once they’ve approved it, then I will forward it to the Secretary of State’s office,” said Milt Champion, executive director of the Maine Gambling Control Unit. “They typically take three to five business days and then once (the Secretary of State’s office) posts the adopted rules on their website, then we go live.”
Maine’s governor Janet Mills signed a law to legalise sports betting in May 2022, giving tribes exclusive rights to conduct online wagering. Sports betting is expected to generate between $3.8m and $6.9m in revenue for Maine. Casinos and other legal gambling generated $64m in 2022.
Under Maine’s sports betting legislation, each of the state’s four Native American tribes will be able to apply for a single mobile sports betting licence. The state will receive 10 per cent of adjusted gross sports wagering receipts.
Tax revenue would be distributed in several ways including to the state’s general fund. Each mobile licence will cost $200,000 and last four years, while the four-year retail sports betting licences will cost $4,000. FanDuel and DraftKings are live in Maine via their fantasy offerings.
