Maine Sends Sweepstakes Casino Ban to Gov Janet Mills

Maine is one step away from banning sweepstakes casino sites. Lawmakers passed LD 2007 on Thursday, and the bill now heads to Gov. Janet Mills. The timing matters because Maine is also building a regulated online gaming structure centered on tribal operators.

Good to Know

• LD 2007 would ban online sweepstakes casino sites that copy casino gambling through dual currency systems.
• Civil penalties would range from $10,000 to $100,000 per violation.
• The bill also puts pressure on licensed gambling companies that support sweepstakes platforms.

Maine Draws a Clearer Line

The bill, introduced by Sen. Craig Hickman, targets sites that offer products such as slots, poker, and sports betting through two forms of currency. One is a virtual coin players buy. The other is a promotional credit that can later be redeemed for prizes.

Lawmakers say that setup has allowed operators to argue they were following gambling law. LD 2007 is meant to remove that argument by creating a direct legal framework that treats the operation and promotion of those sites as illegal.

Penalties are steep. Civil fines can run from $10,000 to $100,000 for each violation, with that money going to Maine gambling addiction prevention and treatment efforts. The bill also changes criminal law so that companies and individuals tied to sweepstakes casino activity can face prosecution.

Licensed operators face another risk. Any gambling business found to be supporting sweepstakes platforms would face mandatory license revocation and could be shut out of future approvals.

The vote came after a long path through the legislature. The measure went to the Senate Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee in December, passed the Senate on March 12, and then cleared the House by an 87 to 55 vote on Thursday.

Maine is not acting in isolation. Other states have also started going after sweepstakes casino models. Similar bills are pending in Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Maryland. Earlier in the month, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed HB 1052 into law to ban sweepstake style casino platforms.

The bigger backdrop in Maine is regulated tribal iGaming. The Wabanaki Nations now hold exclusive internet gaming rights under legislation backed by Gov. Mills and signed in January. Tribal leaders argued that a legal framework would bring economic gains and stronger consumer safeguards. That gave the state another reason to separate licensed gaming from gray market sweepstakes products.

Mills has taken a gradual approach to tribal authority, backing targeted reforms while resisting broader changes. With a governor race ahead, that debate is still very much alive in Maine politics.

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