Maine Gambling
Maine offers a wide variety of gambling options. The state expanded gaming in recent years. Some available options are permitted over the Internet.
Maine Casinos
There are two casinos in Maine. Both are located at tracks. The racinos are Oxford Casino in Oxford and Hollywood Casino in Bangor. Both offer slots, video poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, Three Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em and other house-banked poker games. Hollywood Casino also has a live poker room.
Nova Star Cruises once left Portland daily as a ferry to Nova Scotia. It permitted gambling along the way. The cruise stopped not long after casinos were legalized at the state’s racetracks. There was little demand for casino cruises after that.
North Dakota licenses Bet America which accepts legal online wagers for horse racing, dog racing and fantasy sports. This is legal for residents of this state (please read their terms and conditions to ensure this has not changed).
Maine Bingo
Charities are permitted to operate bingo. The Penobscot tribe offers high stakes bingo on its reservation with jackpots as high as $250,000.
Maine Horseracing
There are three active racetracks in Maine. Seven other facilities offer off-track betting but spread little or no live racing. Bars throughout the state are also permitted to offer off-track betting. Wagers may be made in-person or by phone at any Maine race book.
Maine Lottery
Maine was one of the first states to legalize a state lottery. It launched in June 1974. The first lottery drawings were lottos. In an unusual method, the state drew rubber balls with numbers on them out of a gumball machine. The first jackpot was just $20.
Times have changed for the Maine Lottery. It now uses a computer to draw lotto numbers. Interstate drawings like Powerball and Mega Millions are now offered. Scratch-off tickets are also sold.
Maine Online Gambling
The only form of legal online gambling in Maine is off-track betting. Wagers are available on Android and iOS platforms, as well as related websites. TVG, TwinSpires and several of the state’s off-track betting parlors offer these same services. The lines on all races are the same between the sites as it is all pari-mutuel betting. The only differences are the software and promotions.
Daily fantasy sports seem to be considered legal in Maine. No action has been taken by the state’s attorney general or the legislature that would lead anyone to feel otherwise. All major daily fantasy sports sites operate in Maine. This includes DraftKings, FanDuel, CBS Sports and Yahoo.
Dozens of websites offer poker, casino games and sports betting to Maine residents. None of these sites are related to the state’s casinos. These sites are unlicensed and located offshore. Players that get cheated or stiffed at these sites will have no recourse like they would at licensed gaming establishments in Maine.