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The preliminary numbers are in for the first few days of Maine sports betting. DraftKings and Caesars, the state’s only two sports betting operators, generated more than $4 million in handle and nearly $1 million in revenue.
Sports betting launched in Maine on Nov. 3, less than two years after Gov. Janet Mills legalized it.
A look at Maine sports betting revenue
In Maine, the four Indigenous tribes have exclusive rights over sports betting. Regulations allowed tribes to select their operator.
Three tribes—the Maliseet, Micmac, and Penobscot—partnered with Caesars, while the Passamaquoddy agreed to a contract with DraftKings.
As is the trend in legal sports betting jurisdictions, DraftKings grabbed most of the market share in the first five days of Maine sports wagering:
DraftKings (Nov. 3-Nov. 6)
| Date | Handle | Revenue | Voided bets | Payouts to players | Federal taxes | State taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 3 | $664,924 | $246,308 | $308 | $417,408 | $900 | $24,631 |
| Nov. 4 | $1,158,074 | $232,408 | $2,716 | $921,093 | $1,857 | $23,241 |
| Nov. 5 | $1,583,868 | $341,284 | $3,494 | $1,236,406 | $2,685 | $34,128 |
| Nov. 6 | $798,278 | $208,669 | $1,848 | $586,322 | $1,439 | $20,867 |
| Total | $4,205,144 | $1,028,669 | $8,366 | $3,161,229 | $6,881 | $102,867 |
Caesars (Nov. 3-Nov. 7)
| Date | Handle | Revenue | Voided bets | Payouts to players | Federal taxes | State taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 3 | $113,812 | $48,520 | $154 | $64,955 | $184 | $4,852 |
| Nov. 4 | $194,156 | $34,675 | 2,054 | $157,006 | $420 | $3,468 |
| Nov. 5 | $220,955 | $36,334 | $326 | $183,713 | $582 | $3,633 |
| Nov. 6 | $74,943 | $14,691 | $290 | $59,772 | $191 | $1,469 |
| Nov. 7 | $56,228 | $12,569 | $40 | $43,515 | $104 | $1,257 |
| Total | $660,094 | $146,789 | $2,864 | $508,961 | $1,481 | $14,679 |
Maine bettors prefer gambling on the weekend
Typically, states report their monthly sports betting revenue totals. Maine’s launch, however, has given us insight into daily sports betting data.
After reviewing the Maine Gambling Control Unit’s November revenue report, a big takeaway from the initial numbers in the state is that sports betting skyrockets on the weekend.
DraftKings doubled its handle from Friday to Sunday, while Caesars saw 70% growth from Friday to Saturday and nearly doubled Friday’s handle on Sunday. The NFL and college football season are the two biggest factors in the weekend jumps, along with the fact that bettors simply have more time to gamble on the weekend than they do during the work week.
Between the two sportsbooks, the average daily handle was around $1.2 million. Based on those numbers, we should see Maine’s total November handle finish around $25 million.
If the revenue trends we saw in the first few days hold up, total monthly revenue should hit somewhere around $6 million.
