Maine Ban on Sweepstakes Casino Games Now in Force

AUGUSTA, Maine: Maine’s ban on online sweepstakes casino games has officially taken effect.

The law blocks dual-currency casino-style games in the state while Maine players wait for regulated real-money online casino gaming to launch.

Legislative Document 2007, signed by Gov. Janet Mills in April, classifies operating or promoting online sweepstakes casino games as unlawful gambling. The Maine LD 2007 status page lists the bill as enacted during the 132nd Legislature.

Ban Follows Spring Approval

The law took effect 90 days after the end of Maine’s legislative session. It applies to online games that simulate casino-style gambling and use a dual-currency or multi-currency model, including formats involving Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins.

The effective date follows Maine’s earlier move to ban sweepstakes casinos after Gov. Mills signed LD 2007. The measure made Maine one of the latest states to move against sweepstakes-style gambling products operating outside traditional casino regulation.

Operators that continue serving Maine players after the effective date can face civil penalties. The law sets fines beginning at $10,000, with higher penalties possible depending on the violation.

In practice, many sweepstakes casino operators had already started exiting the Maine market after the bill was signed. Players were warned to use account balances or redeem available sweepstakes currency before access ended.

Real-Money iGaming Still Pending

The ban leaves Maine players in a transition period. The state has legalized real-money online casino gaming, but the regulated market has not yet gone live.

Maine’s online casino framework is tied to the Wabanaki Nations, which hold the exclusive right to offer iGaming through commercial partners. That structure follows the state’s existing approach to online sports betting, where tribal partnerships control the regulated market.

The path to launch remains complicated. Oxford Casino, owned by Churchill Downs, has challenged the implementation of the iGaming law, arguing that the tribal-only structure creates unfair treatment. Requests for an injunction have been denied, but litigation remains a factor in the market timeline.

Caesars has already moved toward an online casino launch through a Wabanaki partnership, while DraftKings has not announced the same level of detail. The timing means Maine may have a legal iGaming framework before players have active real-money casino sites available.

State Targets Unregulated Casino-Style Play

The sweepstakes ban reflects a wider state-level push against casino-style products that use alternative currency systems while avoiding conventional gambling licensing. Supporters of these bans argue that dual-currency games resemble online casino gambling without the same consumer protections, tax obligations or regulatory oversight.

For Maine, the law also clears space for the state’s future regulated iGaming model. By removing sweepstakes casino operators, lawmakers have narrowed the online casino options available to residents before licensed real-money platforms begin operating.

Players in Maine can still access legal sports betting through the state’s regulated tribal-partner model. However, sweepstakes casino games are now prohibited, and legal real-money online casino play remains dependent on the state’s implementation process and the outcome of remaining legal challenges.

The ban gives regulators a clearer line between legal, licensed gambling and unlicensed casino-style products. It also adds Maine to the growing list of states using legislation, rather than only enforcement actions, to push sweepstakes casino operators out of the market.

RELATED TOPICS: Regulation