STATE TRACKER · ME

Sweepstakes casinos in Maine

Current status

Prohibited

State law prohibits dual-currency sweepstakes casinos here.

In effect since: July 29, 2026
Last review: August 6, 2026
Authority: Me. Pub. L. 2025, ch. 645

We list and link no operator promotions for a prohibited state. If you still hold a Sweeps Coins balance with an operator that has exited, contact its support about redemption. Tell us what happened to you

Sweeps Coins (SC) redemption: Prohibited
Gold Coin (GC) free play: Generally not targeted. 81 of 121 operators we track are recorded as not accepting Maine
Minimum age: 18+
Age floor source: 1 M.R.S. § 73 (Majority); see also 1 M.R.S. § 72(5-A)/(11) (definitions of adult/minor)
In effect since: Jul 29, 2026
Latest action: Jul 29, 2026: effective

PRIMARY-SOURCE NOTE

Maine makes online sweepstakes games a civil violation and a crime

What the law does

Chapter 645 of the Public Laws of 2025 added chapter 38 to Title 8, and its section 1352 makes it a civil violation for any person to operate or promote an online sweepstakes game, or to support the operation or promotion of one¹. Section 1351 covers a game that is on the internet, runs on a dual-currency system of payment, and simulates casino-style play such as slots, poker, lottery games, bingo or sports wagering¹. The text names no payment processor or affiliate, and it does not define promote or support¹. The same conduct became unlawful gambling under new subsection 1-B of 17-A M.R.S. section 954, which grades that offense as a Class D crime with forfeiture of related income¹³. A holder of a license the chapter lists, which includes the Maine fantasy contest, sports wagering and internet gaming licenses⁶, must lose it if found in violation, and a violator cannot receive one¹.

What has happened since

The Department of Public Safety submitted the bill, and the Senate received it on December 3, 2025⁴. On March 5, 2026 the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee reported it out divided, a majority for passage as amended and a minority against². Its amendment moved the text into a new chapter to avoid a conflict with Public Law 2025, chapter 538, and added that law's internet gaming license to the list⁵. The Governor signed it on April 6, 2026². The law took effect on July 29, 2026, the one entry in our event history for Maine. That day the Gambling Control Unit issued an advisory that warned about unlicensed platforms and said it cannot intervene in disputes over winnings or accounts on illegal gambling services⁶. It named no operator. We mark 81 tracked operators as not serving Maine; our exit records name BabaCasino (June 14, 2026), MegaBonanza (June 14, 2026), Jackpota (June 14, 2026) and LuckyBitsVegas (June 26, 2026).

What is still open

Section 1351 lets the Gambling Control Unit adopt rules that further define a dual-currency system of payment, and classes any such rule as a major substantive rule¹. Our event history holds no proposed rule, and the unit's site, read on September 28, 2026, has rulemaking pages for the games it licenses but none for the sweepstakes chapter⁷. The other question is reach. Our state record marks no affiliate liability for Maine, yet the civil and criminal texts both cover a person who supports the promotion of a game. Does that phrase reach a payment processor, a game supplier or a site that publishes offers, or does it stop at the operator and its own marketing? No fine, order or ruling on our record has tested it.

Enforcement search: Our tracked event history for Maine holds no fine, order or court action under the new chapter; its only entry is the effective date. The Gambling Control Unit's advisory issued that day warned residents about unlicensed platforms and named no operator.
Question still open: Whether supporting the operation or promotion of a game reaches payment processors, game suppliers or publishers, and whether the Gambling Control Unit will use its power to define a dual-currency system by rule, has no answer on our record.

Sources for this note

Public Law 2025, chapter 645 (L.D. 2007, S.P. 825), chaptered law as approved April 6, 2026 (Maine Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
L.D. 2007 (132nd Legislature) text and status (Maine Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
17-A M.R.S. section 954, Unlawful gambling (Maine Revisor of Statutes) accessed Sep 28, 2026
L.D. 2007 as introduced, December 5, 2025 (Maine Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
Committee Amendment A to L.D. 2007, Veterans and Legal Affairs (Maine Legislature) accessed Sep 28, 2026
Gambling Control Unit press release on online sweepstakes, July 29, 2026 (Maine Department of Public Safety) accessed Sep 28, 2026
Maine Gambling Control Unit home page and rulemaking index (Maine Department of Public Safety) accessed Sep 28, 2026

Sources rechecked 2026-09-28. Next scheduled review 2026-12-28.

What the law says

Operating, promoting, or supporting the operation/promotion of an online sweepstakes game is a civil violation with a fine of $10,000-$100,000 per 8 M.R.S.A. §1352 (fines fund the Gambling Addiction Prevention and Treatment Fund). It is also criminal unlawful gambling under new 17-A M.R.S.A. §954(1-B), and any Maine gaming licensee in violation faces mandatory license revocation and license ineligibility.

How we got here

Every tracked event for Maine, newest first.

Jul 29, 2026

In effect effective

Me. Pub. L. 2025, ch. 645 (L.D. 2007) takes effect as non-emergency legislation 90 days after the 132nd Legislature's second regular session adjourned sine die on April 29, 2026. From this date, operating or promoting an online sweepstakes game is a civil violation carrying a $10,000-$100,000 fine per 8 M.R.S.A. §1352 and criminal unlawful gambling under 17-A M.R.S.A. §954(1-B).

Source document

Operators and Maine

Because of Maine's status, we don't list or link operator promotions for this state.

81 of the 121 operators we track are recorded as not accepting Maine players, and 21 of those records cite the operator's own terms.

38 operators we track do not list Maine among excluded states in the terms we last read, dated June 10, 2026 to July 17, 2026.

Of the remaining records that do not exclude Maine, 2 rest on the operator's site configuration or other records.

Operator families whose every tracked brand is recorded as not accepting Maine: Realplay Tech Inc and VGW (Virtual Gaming Worlds).

Operators that exited Maine:

LuckyBitsVegas exited 2026-06-26
BabaCasino exited 2026-06-14
MegaBonanza exited 2026-06-14
Jackpota exited 2026-06-14

How this classification was reached

Show the record, the citation and the method

What the Maine classification rests on

Source date: July 29, 2026 (effective)
Last human review: August 6, 2026
Effective date: July 29, 2026
Basis of classification: statutory

How to read these rows

Where the operator counts come from

Of the 40 records that do not exclude Maine, 29 cite the operator's own terms or rules, 1 comes from the operator's site configuration, 9 are inferred because the terms do not list Maine and 1 rests on other records. Of the 81 exclusion records, 11 cite the operator's own terms or rules, 10 come from a backfill of the operator's terms, 59 come from our bulk backfill without a terms citation and 1 rests on other records.

Citation as stored

Me. Pub. L. 2025, ch. 645 (L.D. 2007 / S.P. 825, 2026): 8 M.R.S.A. §§1351-1352 (Online Sweepstakes Games Prohibited) + 17-A M.R.S.A. §954(1-B).

Maine questions

Are sweepstakes casinos legal in Maine?

State law prohibits dual-currency sweepstakes casinos here. Authority: Me. Pub. L. 2025, ch. 645, in effect since July 29, 2026.

Will the Maine Gambling Control Unit step into a dispute over winnings on a sweepstakes site?

The advisory the unit issued on July 29, 2026 says it cannot provide assistance or intervention in disputes over winnings or other account issues that arise from play on illegal gambling services.

Which operators accept Maine players?

81 of the 121 operators we track are recorded as not accepting Maine players, and 21 of those records cite the operator's own terms. Trust Score leaderboard →

I still hold a Sweeps Coins balance with an operator that left Maine. What should I do?

4 operators we track have an exit record for Maine: LuckyBitsVegas (June 26, 2026), BabaCasino (June 14, 2026), MegaBonanza (June 14, 2026), Jackpota (June 14, 2026). If you hold a balance with one of them, contact its support about redemption windows, and file a report on how it goes. When an operator leaves your state →

This page is information, not legal advice. Laws and thresholds change quickly, so confirm with the operator and your state attorney general before depositing, or consult a lawyer. Last verified August 6, 2026. Send a correction.