Maine mulls tribal exclusivity on sports betting and igaming with new bill
Proposed changes to already legal framework opening the door to the Pine Tree State’s four recognized Indian tribes
Legislators in Maine have tabled a bill which would legalize tribal online gambling and sports betting, conferring exclusivity to the Pine Tree state’s four Indian tribes.
Legislative Document 1777, authored by Representative Laura Supica would give the Wabanaki Nations exclusive rights to online casino and sports betting, something which the legislature legalized in 2022 but has yet to launch.
The legalization of online gambling in the state does come with certain caveats, which make Maine online gambling potentially a very unique proposition of the sector.
Firstly, LD 1777 stipulates that “each federally recognized Indian nation, tribe or band in this State may receive only one Internet gaming license under this section,” ambiguous language which suggests one license for all the Wabanaki Nation tribes or separate licenses for each.
In both cases, the legislations requires that tribal partners operate both online sports betting and online casinos, language which seemingly opens the door to partnerships with heavyweight operators like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars, which operate both.
This seems to indicate the Wabanaki Nations could get one license for all four tribes, or all four tribes could get separate licenses.
Maine’s current sports betting laws limit the amount which operators can collect in respect of revenue from handle to 30%.
Under the legislation, sports betting licenses would cost $200,000 and be valid for a four-year period, subject to a renewal fee payable of $200,000.
Temporary licenses are also available to tribal groups, with a cost of $200,000 and a validity of one year, with these licenses allowing operators to launch pending a full license being granted.
LD 1777 would also create a statewide self-exclusion program for gambling in the state and would see the prohibition of all advertising which may target people under the age of 21.
LD 1777 has been referred to the Maine Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs in both the House and the Senate for further consideration, ahead of debates in both chambers.