Maine formally banned on-line sweepstakes casinos and poker websites on April 6, 2026. On that date, Governor Janet Mills (D) signed LD 2007 into legislation. This invoice is entitled, “An Act Concerning the Prohibition of On-line Sweepstakes Video games.”
What Does LD 2007 Do?
The meat of LD 2007 is fairly quick and candy. The brand new legislation mainly says what’s marked on the tin. Here is a direct quote:
An individual that operates or promotes a web-based sweepstakes sport or helps the operation or promotion of a web-based sweepstakes sport commits a civil violation.1. Fantastic. An individual that violates this part is topic to a high quality of not lower than $10,000 and less than $100,000.
Mainly, anybody caught working or selling on-line sweepstakes video games is responsible of a civil violation and topic to a high quality of between $10,000 and $100,000. Different provisions of LD 2007 dictate that any funds collected from these fines are to be allotted to the state’s Playing Habit Prevention and Remedy Fund. Licensed gaming entities that break the foundations about sweepstakes video games can have their licenses revoked, and others who lack licensure could also be prevented from acquiring it sooner or later.
As with many different legislative texts, the satan’s within the particulars, so let’s take a look at how Maine defines “on-line sweepstakes sport”:
“On-line sweepstakes sport” means any sport, contest or promotion that:A. Is offered on the Web and accessible on a cellular phone, pc terminal or related entry machine;B. Makes use of a dual-currency system of fee; andC. Simulates casino-style gaming, together with, however not restricted to, slot machines, poker and different desk video games, lottery video games, bingo or sports activities wagering.
That is fairly clear wording and undoubtedly encompasses on-line sweeps poker video games together with on line casino fare and sports activities betting. The invoice truly goes into appreciable element when defining what a “dual-currency system of funds” is, and plenty of extraneous wording appears to have been put in place particularly to avoid makes an attempt to get round this legislation by redefining phrases.
Legislative Historical past of LD 2007
LD 2007 started its legislative journey on Dec. 3, 2025, sponsored by Maine State Senator Craig Hickman. It was referred to the Committee on Veterans and Authorized Affairs.
It was reported out of committee on March 5, 2026 and handed by the Senate on March 12. It then proceeded to the Home the place it handed with a vote of 87 – 55 on March 26. The variations of the invoice accepted by every chamber differed barely from one another, so LD 2007 was despatched again to the Senate for concurrence on March 30. On April 2, the Senate accepted the laws.
The doc then went to Governor Janet Mills who signed it into legislation on April 6.
Maine Governor Janet Mills Signed LD 2007 Into LegislationWhat Operators Are Affected?
LD 2007 prohibits sweepstakes on line casino video games and sports activities betting from being provided over the web. In contrast to related laws handed earlier this 12 months by Indiana, Maine’s invoice particularly mentions sweepstakes poker as being included throughout the remit of the brand new legislation.
Thus, all the most important and most well-known sweepstakes gaming organizations, like World Poker, Chumba On line casino, Stake.us, and Golf equipment Poker, will very possible need to abandon the state. ClubWPT Gold just lately altered the construction of its web site to get round anti-sweepstakes legal guidelines in varied states, however the provisions of LD 2007 appear fairly hermetic, and so ClubWPT Gold will most likely need to give up Maine too.
Maine Defending Its Nascent Gaming Industries?
In Might 2022, Maine legalized sports activities betting with LD 585, and in January 2026, it adopted up by regulating on-line poker and on line casino video games with LD 1164.
It is too early for any Maine-licensed on-line casinos or poker rooms to have appeared but. Nonetheless, there are a number of in-person sportsbooks within the state in addition to on-line bookmaking web sites operated by DraftKings and Caesars.
With regulated sports activities betting already a actuality and legalized on-line gaming simply over the horizon, Maine is probably going trying to filter out the aggressive house to bolster its personal licensed operations. In any case, each greenback wagered on on-line sweepstakes video games is a greenback that is not guess at Maine-licensed playing locations and, due to this fact, a greenback that is not taxed.
Client Safety Enhanced?
Lest we be accused of undue cynicism (ProfessionalRakeback? Cynical? *shocked gasp*), there could also be causes aside from maximizing tax receipts that led Maine’s authorities to make this anti-sweepstakes transfer. Sweepstakes casinos, even in one of the best of circumstances, are utilizing convoluted logic to get round current playing legal guidelines, and their guidelines and restrictions every differ in delicate and complicated methods. We have even heard of people that bought play cash chips from sweepstakes gaming corporations, considering they might additionally obtain the “secondary” cashable forex, solely to find that they wasted their cash on non-redeemable follow tokens.
On the identical day that Governor Mills signed the anti-sweepstakes legislation, she additionally signed a invoice that stops bank cards from getting used at licensed on-line sportsbooks and casinos. Thus, shopper safety does appear to legitimately be one of many targets of Maine’s leaders, and LD 2007 actually will be considered on this mild.
Different On-line Poker + On line casino Choices
There are at present no Maine-licensed web poker or on line casino suppliers, and fairly shortly, sweepstakes gaming operators could discover the instate warmth an excessive amount of to take. Nonetheless, you may nonetheless entry and play at conventional offshore poker and on line casino websites. These organizations are situated far offshore, past the attain of U.S. and Maine legislation.
Among the many better of them is Ignition, which hosts each a poker site and on line casino gaming. If you create an account, you may qualify for a 150% as much as $1,500 poker bonus and a equally sized bonus for on line casino gaming so long as you make a deposit via crypto-currency. Click on the button beneath to get began:
To study extra earlier than signing up, try this thorough Ignition On line casino evaluate. For different choices obtainable to residents of Maine, head over to this Maine offshore poker information. In the event you reside in one other state, then maybe this web page about offshore poker within the USA would pique your curiosity.
April 14, 2026 – by Max Golden, Editor-in-Chief
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