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Sports betting in Maine is finally live. As of Friday at 9 a.m. local time, all eligible players (21 or older) could place legal bets in the state.
The state law, approved by Gov. Janet Mills in May of last year, gives Maine’s four Indigenous tribes the exclusive right to conduct online sports betting.
The four tribes are aligned with DraftKings and Caesars. The Maliseet, Micmac and Penobscot Tribes have agreed to a deal with Caesars, whereas DraftKings announced an agreement with Maine’s Passamaquoddy Tribe.
The law also permits the two Maine commercial casinos and five off-track betting sites to offer retail sports betting.
Caesars Sportsbook and DraftKings launch in Maine
Both Caesars Sportsbook and DraftKings revealed their presence in Maine.
As Caesars announced on X, Maine players can earn Caesars Rewards with every wager. Their loyalty program includes dining, hotel stays, and event tickets at over 50+ Caesars Rewards destinations. The operator’s welcome offer says “Bet $50, get $100 in bonus bets.”
To announce its presence, DraftKings says “Maine, the wait is over!” and throws in its bonus offer, “Bet $5, get $200.”
In a DraftKings news release from Tuesday, Jason Robin, DraftKings’ CEO said the company’s primary focus in Maine is to attract customers:
“Building a relationship with the Passamaquoddy Tribe is a fantastic opportunity for DraftKings, as we look to bring customers in the state of Maine safe and legal sports betting. We look forward to our continued collaboration with the Maine Gambling Control Unit as we become the official mobile sports betting provider of the Passamaquoddy Tribe and launch in our industry-leading 25th state.”
DraftKings’ betting options include in-game, pre-match, and its in-house same-game-parlay features.
Maine becomes the fourth US state to launch online sportsbooks in 2023
Maine is the fifth US jurisdiction and the fourth US state to launch legal online sports betting since the beginning of the year.
- Ohio was the first to allow online sportsbooks to go live on Jan. 1
- Massachusetts was next, permitting online sportsbooks to launch in March
- Puerto Rico allowed online sports betting in June
- Kentucky’s online sports betting market launched in September
Vermont is expected to be the next US market to go live and could launch before the end of 2023.
