The law goes into effect today. But Maine sports betting will be held up at least eight months… possibly longer. In fact, the Gambling Control Unit says they may need more than year to get things in order. Potentially pushing any launch date all the way back to January of 2024.
In a state as small as Maine this seems a bit odd. After all, there are currently 30 states with live, regulated sports betting in America. Only eight of those states took more than a year to get things up and running. In fact, a twelve-month time frame is on the long side of average. And it’s not like they are starting from scratch at this point.
It was May 2nd when Governor Janet Mills signed the Maine sports betting law, setting the wheels of regulation in motion. Now three months later, Milt Champion, the Executive Director at the Gambling Control Unit, says that the residents will be able to make their first bets sometime “Between April 2023 to January 2024… just to be on the safe side of things.”
The three Native American Tribes in the state will be able to partner with providers to create their own sportsbooks, or simply create a book of their own. There will also be retail sports betting outlets allowed in casinos and at horse tracks.
Champion estimates the state’s annual cut of sports betting – set in the law at 10 percent of gross revenues after payouts to bettors – will be somewhere between $4 and $6 When Maine sports betting does eventually launch, Vermont will be the only state in New England that is not regulating the activity.