Sports Betting In Maine
You may be wondering if you can participate in sports betting in Maine. The simple answer to this question is that yes, you most definitely can bet on sports in this state. You just have to use an online sportsbook. State lawmakers have passed sports betting legislation in the state in both the House and Senate. However, it has not been signed by Governor Janet Mills just yet. Due to certain rules within the State Congress, we might have to wait until 2022 or for a special session for land-based sports betting or state-regulated online sportsbooks to become officially legal in Maine. A similar situation happened in 2019 and 2020 where Governor Mills vetoed the bill, but hopefully she will change her mind on the issue this time around.
But that doesn’t mean that you have to wait for the governor to sign the bill so you can bet on your favorite teams. In fact, you can bet on sports right now if you so please. You might be wondering how that is possible. This sports betting in Maine page will cover all of the bases, including the legality of using an online sportsbook, the age you have to be before you place your wagers, and which online sportsbooks are legal and safe to use. We also cover some of the more commonly asked questions that residents have about sports betting in Maine. By the end of this page, you will be ready to bet on your favorite teams across the entire world.
Does Maine Have Legal Land-Based Sports Gambling?
Maine does not have legal land-based sports gambling yet. This could change in the near future. Maine lawmakers passed sports betting legislation that allows land-based sports betting to take place. But we need to wait for Maine’s Governor to sign the bill for sports betting to become active. Unless there is a special session, that will not happen until 2022. Until then, there are no legal-land based sportsbooks. If you use a bookie or use other land-based options to make a sports bet in Maine, that is against the law and we do not condone this. Stick with an online offshore sportsbook and you will be able to place sports bets legally.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal In Maine?
Yes, online sports betting is legal in Maine. The main question about online sports betting legality is where are you going to find your sportsbook. For Maine residents right now, the only way to bet on sports is at an online offshore sportsbook. As we have already mentioned, Maine residents are waiting for the governor to sign the sports betting bill to legalize both online and mobile sports betting. But online sports betting is available now through online offshore sportsbooks. Long story short: No, you cannot get in trouble for betting sports on the Internet in Maine. In fact, one of the only ways to get in trouble is to own or operate an online gambling site. This falls into existing legislation until lawmakers pass sports gambling laws. Otherwise, it’s perfectly safe for you to bet on online sports fr om Maine.
Maine Sports Betting Laws + Statutes
To place real-money wagers online, it’s important for players to have a basic understanding of Maine’s current gambling laws. There aren’t too many that affect you right at this moment, but that will change soon. Sports betting legislation has been drafted up and passed and one bill came out on top. Maine lawmakers have consolidated the best parts of all the sports betting bills to create ME LD 1352 to legalize sports betting. The most important thing to gather from this sports betting bill is that both land-based and online sports betting will become legal in Maine. Although online sports betting is already technically legal, sportsbooks based in Maine will start to appear in the future.
All we need to do now is wait for Maine’s governor to sign it. If she doesn’t, it will automatically become law. But this situation has happened in the past. In 2019, a similar bill ME LD 553 was passed by the state legislature. However, Governor Janet Mills waited until the first week of the 2020 legislative session to make a decision. She ended up vetoing the bill because she believed not enough time had passed in order to figure out if sports betting worked in other states. Seeing as to how neighboring states are now making millions of dollars annually, it should sway her to change her mind.
If she doesn’t change her mind, online sportsbooks that are operated overseas will always be a legal option. The reason is because the use of these sites is not mentioned anywhere in Maine’s gambling laws. These sites also operate outside of the legal purview of the federal government, making them a safe option no matter wh ere you travel outside the state.
Which Sports Betting Sites Accept Maine Residents?
Maine residents are in luck! Why? Because the top sports betting sites accept players from the state. Online offshore sportsbooks have been accepting sports bets from Maine residents for well over a decade. Even if Maine does create new sports betting laws and regulation, these websites will still be the best spot to bet on your favorite teams. The highest-ranked websites are known for their customer service and a wide array of betting options. They include all of the major sports leagues and even European events. To help you find a site that is safe, reliable, and fun to play, we’ve included a few reviews to get you started. All of these sites are incredibly easy to use and access from Maine, too, making them your top choice to bet on sports online!
Facts About Legal Online Sports Betting In Maine
- Maine has no laws banning internet sports betting
- Sports betting in Maine is most popular during football season
- When betting at a Maine online sportsbooks you will pay less juice than at a Vegas book
Bovada Sportsbook - We Rate Bovada As The Best Sports Betting Site In Maine
Bovada is an excellent site that sports bettors in Maine have used for a very long time. The amount of time that SportsBettingInMaine.com has been recommending this as our top online sportsbook for Maine residents is nothing compared to how long they have been around. With over 20 years under their belt Bovada is a paragon of trust in the online sports betting world that has been plagued by frauds and bullies.
One of the priorities of Bovada Sportsbook is making sure that users deposits are easy and reliable, but they also want to make sure no one can use their site fraudulently as well, requiring a credit card verification form before you can ever get a payout. On top of that, Bovada’s online sportsbook only offers services they know will reliably allow deposits like Visa or cash wire transfers like MoneyGram + Western Union and this website is know for having some of the fastest payouts found anywhere.
SportsBetting's Sportsbook - Bet On All Major Sports World Wide
When Maine residents look for sports betting sites, they almost always end up at SportsBetting.ag, and not just because of their name. How you may ask. Simply through providing great incentives and combining that with easy to use betting formats. It also doesn't hurt that they have been providing legal sports betting in Maine for over a decade and have become one of the leading online sportsbooks in the country during that time.
For instance, when users sign up, they are eligible to get a 50% bonus on your initial deposit for up to $1,000 dollars back with their welcome bonus. Just enter the promo code SB1000 at the cashier. Then once you go to start betting, you find that the bet slip not only tells you about all the betting types available, but it will also tell you how much you stand to win based on your bet. Any further confusion can be cleared up by an in-depth help guide that will tell you everything you need to know about placing bets.
BetOnline Sportsbook - There Is No Limit To Their 50% Match Bonus
Maine sports fans may be excited to hear that betting in football pools may be soon legalized in bars across the state. While this is a very interesting, residents of Maine that want to bet on sports should be even more interested in BetOnline, an online sportsbook that offers all the convenience of the aforementioned bar pools but with much higher quality service.
While BetOnline will not be serving drinks this online sportsbook can offer more variety in the way of wager types and sports. Maine's betting pools will most likely only allow football, meaning you won’t be able to bet for over half the year but since BetOnline has every sport known to man, Maine residents are able to legally wager here year round. Local pools won’t let you bet in different ways either. If you want to parlay, if-bet, or tease you can only get that on BetOnline.
Top Maine Sports Betting Sites
Other Types Of Gambling Available In Maine
Maine has an extremely healthy gambling industry. This includes a state-wide lottery, bingo halls, and a pair of casinos. These commercial casinos are relatively new, one of which opened in mid-2012. This is partially due to the state’s renewed interest in casino gambling. The Oxford Casino is in Oxford and the Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway is in Bangor. They offer table games like roulette and poker alongside electronic games like slots and video poker.
Due to its proximity to other pro-gambling states, Maine residents may see regulated online casino gambling in the near future. It boils down the existing casinos’ willingness to launch web-based platforms as well as in-state residents. As we have mentioned, sports betting is definitely in the cards for Maine. We just have to wait to see what state lawmakers end up deciding on what to do with the subject. For now, though, online sports betting is a definite possibility for players in Maine.
Does Maine Allow Pari-Mutuel Betting?
Maine has two thoroughbred racing facilities. The first is Scarborough Downs, a smaller track that has a solid reputation. There is also the Bangor Raceway that is tied into the Hollywood Casino Hotel. As you can see, horse racing is rather popular in Maine and going out to the races could be fun for the whole family. But what if you are just by yourself and you simply want to make a bet. Instead of having to go out to the tracks to place such a bet, you can go to an online offshore sportsbook to bet on the ponies. These online sportsbooks we suggest to you all have racebooks from horse races all over the country. This means you are not restricted to just races being held in Maine, but rather, you can bet on races happening all over the world.
How Old Do I Have To Be To Bet Sports Online In Maine?
The state legislature has decided the sports betting in Maine, even online sports betting can only be done by those who have reached the age of 21. Online sportsbooks are technically available to anyone over the age of 18, but you won’t be able to withdraw your funds until you’re 21 in Maine. Plus, underage gambling could end get you permanently banned from these websites. We highly suggest that you wait until you are 21 or older to place a bet on the New England Patriots or any of your favorite teams.
What Teams Can I Bet On In Maine?
There may not be very many college teams in the state, but there are still plenty of teams you can bet on in Maine. When you use an online sportsbook for sports betting in Maine, you’re able to access lines on every team in the United States, as well as thousands of international teams as well. At an online sportsbook, you can wager to your heart’s content. Maine’s top college team to wager on is the University of Maine Black Bears. Plus, Maine is part of the New England region, meaning that betting on the Patriots is extremely popular in the state. We’ve included some of the popular teams in surrounding states that residents can reference when sports betting in Maine, but you can bet on any teams from all over the world at our recommended online sportsbooks. There is also a large number of sports you can bet on at these websites. You can even bet on your favorite handball team while you are here.
Professional teams near Maine:
- New England Patriots
- New York Jets
- New York Giants
- New York Islanders
- Boston Bruins
- Boston Celtics
Best Deposit Methods For Maine Residents!
The best deposit methods for Maine residents depend entirely on what you’re trying to accomplish. You’ll need to know if you’re just looking for speed, or if you want to be able to deposit the most in a single transaction, regardless of how long it takes, or if you want some combination of the two. Every deposit method we recommend for sports betting in Maine is reputable, safe, and secure.
If you’re all about the speed, we recommend credit, debit, or prepaid cards. These are the most traditional way to fund your account and take only seconds. All you have to do is enter the amount you want to deposit, the basic card information, and press submit. Your account will be funded and you’ll be on your way to wagering just as quickly as you like.
Want to fund your account with as much as possible so that you can place large wagers or just so that you don’t have to refill it for a while? We recommend Bank Wire Transfers. They might take longer than credit cards, but they generally have the highest limit of any deposit method. Some books even allow these transfers to have no limit, giving you full reign on how much you put into your account.
Sports betting in Maine can be fast-paced, and if you see a line that’s just too good to pass up, you’ll want to fund your account as quickly as possible. But if you want to put a large amount of money down on that line as well, you’ll need a deposit method that gives you leeway in both departments. If this is the case, try a book to book transfer. This payment style is processed in moments and doesn’t have a limit, so you can have the best of both worlds. To use it, you’ll need to have multiple sportsbook accounts.
The absolute best deposit method we suggest though is using cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Litecoin. Using cryptos will fund your sports betting account faster than any other method. Not only that, but you can receive your winnings faster as well. Sportsbooks love using cryptos. There are exclusive bonuses in our recommended sportsbook that will earn you more money for using cryptocurrencies. If you want the fastest and most efficient banking method for our sportsbook account, cryptos are the way to go. No matter what deposit type you choose, you’ll be on your way to sports betting in Maine.
Can I Signup At More Than One Sportsbook?
When it comes to sports betting in the United States, the question shouldn’t be “can I signup at more than one sportsbook”. It should be why haven’t you. Having multiple sportsbook accounts allows residents to have an even wider selection of events to wager on. Sports betting in Maine should never be limited, so don’t just stop looking for an online book once you’ve signed up for one. Check out a few others, see what their bonuses are like, and see what sports they have to offer. There’s nothing to lose and so much to gain, so what are you waiting for?