Maine
Vacationland — Updated March 2026
Your Quick Guide to Gambling & Casinos in Maine
Two casinos. Online sports betting run exclusively by the Wabanaki Nations. Online casino gaming just became law — making Maine the eighth state in the country to legalize iGaming. The Pine Tree State is quietly rewriting its gambling story, and things are about to get a lot more interesting.
Gambling Options for Mainers
From Oxford Casino to your phone in Portland, here's where Maine players can get in the game right now.
Every Legal Way to Gamble in Maine
Maine's gambling market is small but fast-moving, and the Wabanaki Nations sit at the center of almost all of it.
Online Sports Betting
Legal since November 2023. Maine grants mobile sports betting rights exclusively to the four Wabanaki Nations tribes, who partner with commercial operators. Currently DraftKings (Passamaquoddy) and Caesars are the two online options. The 2025 handle hit roughly $600 million. Age 21+ required.
Prediction Markets
Platforms like Kalshi let Maine players trade on real-world outcomes, sports results, elections, economic data, under federal CFTC oversight rather than state gambling law. A data-driven alternative accessible in Maine right now with no state-level restrictions.
Daily Fantasy Sports
DFS has been legal in Maine since 2017, regulated as a skill-based contest. FanDuel and DraftKings both operate in the state. Note: In 2023 the Maine Gambling Control Unit fined Underdog Fantasy $392,000 for Pick'em-style contests that violated state regulations, not all DFS formats are treated equally here. Age 18+ required.
Horse Racing
Maine has a long harness racing tradition. Live meets run at Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway in Bangor and Cumberland Fairgrounds in Cumberland, plus brief meets at six agricultural fairs July–October. Three off-track betting parlors operate in Lewiston, Sanford, and Waterville. Greyhound racing has been banned since 1993.
Maine Lottery
The Maine State Lottery has been running since 1974, offering scratch-offs, Powerball, Mega Millions, and Keno. Minimum age is 18 (though those under 18 may receive tickets as gifts). Online lottery sales are not offered directly by the state — you'll need to visit a retailer or use a courier app.
Land-Based Casinos
Maine law permits exactly two commercial casinos: Oxford Casino Hotel (Churchill Downs Inc.) in Oxford and Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway (PENN Entertainment) in Bangor. Both offer slots, table games, and poker rooms. Oxford accounts for roughly 60% of statewide casino revenue. Age 21+ required for all gaming areas.
Social Casinos
Social casinos let you play all your favorite casino games, slots, blackjack, roulette, and more — completely free. No real money wagered, no financial risk. Just fun. A great option while Maine's regulated online casino market completes its launch process.
Online Casinos
LD 1164 became law on January 10, 2026, making Maine the 8th U.S. state to legalize iGaming. The framework grants exclusive rights to Maine's four Wabanaki Nations tribes, each able to partner with one online operator. The Maine Gambling Control Unit still needs to finalize licensing rules before any platform goes live. Expect a late 2026 or 2027 launch.
Poker
Live poker is legal only at Maine's two licensed casinos. Both Hollywood and Oxford offer table games including Three Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, and Ultimate Texas Hold'em, with Hollywood running regular tournaments. Online poker is not currently available in Maine, though it may launch alongside the broader iGaming framework.
The Maine Gambling Landscape
Maine is not your typical gambling state. With just 1.4 million residents scattered across the most northeastern corner of the country, and no major professional sports franchise to anchor a betting culture, the Pine Tree State has taken a deliberately cautious, tribal-first approach to gambling expansion. And yet, the changes are accelerating fast.
The foundation is small but solid: two commercial casinos, a decades-old lottery, and harness racing that predates most other forms of legal wagering in the state. Online sports betting launched in November 2023, with mobile rights granted exclusively to Maine’s four federally recognized Wabanaki Nations, the Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Mi’kmaq Nation, and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians. That model, tribal exclusivity partnered with national commercial operators, is now being extended to online casino gaming.
In January 2026, Governor Janet Mills allowed LD 1164 to become law without her signature, a deliberate political move. She had met with tribal leaders who argued passionately for iGaming as economic sovereignty for their communities. The bill passed narrowly (85–59 in the House, 18–17 in the Senate), over objections from the state’s commercial casino operators, who are excluded from the online market. Oxford Casino’s parent company Churchill Downs filed a federal lawsuit challenging the tribal exclusivity as unconstitutional. The legal fight is ongoing, but the law stands for now.
How Maine Compares to Neighboring States
Maine is the most isolated New England gambling market. New Hampshire has no commercial casinos but legalized sports betting in 2019. Massachusetts runs three full-scale resort casinos and launched sports betting in 2023, though online casino gaming is still being debated there. Vermont legalized sports betting in 2023 but has no casinos at all. Maine’s iGaming legalization actually puts it ahead of Massachusetts on the online casino front, a fact that would have seemed unthinkable five years ago.
Top Gambling Experiences in Maine
The best ways to play in the Pine Tree State right now.
FAQs
Yes — as of January 10, 2026, online casino gaming is legal in Maine following Governor Mills allowing LD 1164 to become law. However, no platforms are live yet. The Maine Gambling Control Unit must finalize licensing rules, and Maine’s four Wabanaki Nations tribes must select commercial iGaming partners and apply for licenses. A realistic launch window is late 2026 or 2027.
Currently two mobile sportsbooks are licensed in Maine: DraftKings (partnered with the Passamaquoddy Tribe) and Caesars (partnered with the Penobscot Nation and other tribal partners). Retail sports betting is available through Caesars at “Oddfellahs” in Portland, which opened in September 2024. Both casinos — Oxford and Hollywood — may also add retail sportsbooks under state law
Yes. Maine state law grants mobile sports betting and online casino rights exclusively to the state’s four federally recognized Wabanaki Nations: the Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Mi’kmaq Nation, and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians. The legislature designed this model to provide economic sovereignty for tribal communities. The tribes partner with commercial operators like DraftKings and Caesars to run the actual platforms, but retain a significant portion of revenue.
Maine has two licensed commercial casinos: Oxford Casino Hotel in Oxford (operated by Churchill Downs Inc.) and Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway in Bangor (operated by PENN Entertainment). Hollywood is technically a racino, combining harness racing with full casino gaming. State law currently limits commercial casino licenses to these two locations.
You must be 21+ for casino gaming and sports betting. The lottery minimum age is 18 (though receiving a ticket as a gift has no minimum). Daily fantasy sports also requires players to be 18 or older. The Maine Gambling Control Unit enforces age verification strictly at licensed venues and on online platforms.
Yes, you can bet on college sports outcomes in Maine through DraftKings and Caesars. However, Maine restricts prop bets on individual in-state college athletes — similar to restrictions adopted by other states concerned about student welfare. You can bet on game results, point spreads, and totals for college games.
LD 1164 became law in January 2026, but there is no official launch date yet. The Maine Gambling Control Unit must draft and finalize licensing rules, after which the Wabanaki Nations will select commercial iGaming partners and submit applications. Industry analysts expect the earliest realistic launch is late 2026, with 2027 being more likely. There is also an ongoing federal lawsuit from Churchill Downs challenging the tribal exclusivity that could affect the timeline.
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