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 brief and candy. The brand new legislation principally says what’s marked on the tin. This is a direct quote:
An individual that operates or promotes an internet sweepstakes sport or helps the operation or promotion of an internet sweepstakes sport commits a civil violation.1. Nice. An individual that violates this part is topic to a wonderful 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 wonderful 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 Dependancy 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 obtainable on the Web and accessible on a cellular phone, laptop terminal or related entry gadget;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 positively encompasses on-line sweeps poker video games together with on line casino fare and sports activities betting. The invoice really goes into appreciable element when defining what a “dual-currency system of funds” is, and a number 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 RegulationWhat 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 biggest and most well-known sweepstakes gaming organizations, like International Poker, Chumba On line casino, Stake.us, and Golf equipment Poker, will very probably must abandon the state. ClubWPT Gold just lately altered the construction of its website to get round anti-sweepstakes legal guidelines in numerous states, however the provisions of LD 2007 appear fairly hermetic, and so ClubWPT Gold will in all probability must 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. Nevertheless, 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 seeking to filter the aggressive house to bolster its personal licensed operations. In spite of everything, each greenback wagered on on-line sweepstakes video games is a greenback that is not wager at Maine-licensed playing locations and, due to this fact, a greenback that is not taxed.
Shopper Safety Enhanced?
Lest we be accused of undue cynicism (ProfessionalRakeback? Cynical? *shocked gasp*), there could also be causes apart from maximizing tax receipts that led Maine’s authorities to make this anti-sweepstakes transfer. Sweepstakes casinos, even in the perfect of circumstances, are utilizing convoluted logic to get round current playing legal guidelines, and their guidelines and restrictions every differ in refined and complicated methods. We have even heard of people that bought play cash chips from sweepstakes gaming firms, considering they’d additionally obtain the “secondary” cashable forex, solely to find that they wasted their cash on non-redeemable observe 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, client safety does appear to legitimately be one of many targets of Maine’s leaders, and LD 2007 actually could be seen on this gentle.
Different On-line Poker + On line casino Choices
There are presently 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 will 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 by crypto-currency. Click on the button beneath to get began:
To be taught extra earlier than signing up, try this thorough Ignition On line casino assessment. For different choices accessible to residents of Maine, head over to this Maine offshore poker information. For those who 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
