Maine Governor Janet Mills has signed a bill that allows the state’s tribes to operate retail and mobile sportsbooks, with casinos and OTBs permitted to offer retail sports betting, But they will have to wait for rules to be written governing the activity, even though the law goes into effect this summer.
Mobile sportsbooks are by far the most lucrative, amounting to 85 percent of all sports wagering. Under the new law, profits will be taxed at 10 percent, of which 6.5 percent will go the state general fund.
Milt Champion, executive director of the Gambling Control Unit, has said he will need to add two employees and draft new laws and applications.
A public notification period and public hearings will be required before the rules can be adopted. This could take up to 18 months, said Champion. That would take until early 2024 to complete before the actual launch could take place.
Champion told the Bangor Daily News, “Compared to other states, while Maine may be low in population and potential revenue from sports wagering, as director I will not take any shortened measures to regulate this industry.”
