Classic casino gambling in Maine is possible only at two licensed locations, where people can play games like slots, roulette, and similar.
Sports betting remains unregulated in Maine. However, pari-mutuel horseracing betting is legal. There are two racetracks where bettors can make wagers in person, as well as many off-track betting parlors across the state.
Maine also has its state-run lottery, which provides scratch-off games and multi-state drawing games such as Mega Millions and Powerball.
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Interesting Facts About Maine
Want to learn some facts about Maine? It’s the area where the Vikings had landed about half a century before Christopher Columbus set sails for the New World. Fast-forward a millennia and Maine is an important part of the United States. It’s the easternmost US state and the one whose residents are the first to see the sun rising.
Nowadays, Maine is famous for lobsters, lighthouses, and its most famous resident Stephen King. Most of his horror stories are set in this state, including his masterpiece Pet Sematary. Maine and horrors seem to go hand in hand. Apart from King’s novels, Maine is where the horror video game Silent Hill is set.
Still, there’s nothing scary about Maine. Just the opposite is true. For example, Maine has more than 150 licensed craft breweries. It’s also home to hundreds of wineries. There are also many sports venues and concert halls around the state. When it comes to gambling, Maine is not exactly the statewide leader, but there are some places casino fans might want to visit.
Maine Gambling Venues
Internet casinos are not legal in this state at the moment of writing. This makes Maine one of many states that still haven’t legalized online gambling. In fact, there are only three states where gambling at online casinos is possible. Those are, namely, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
In 2020, the state rejected a proposal that would bring sports betting to Maine. As a result, there are no land-based sportsbooks in the state. Online betting also remains unregulated.
Horse racing betting, however, is legal in this state. There are two racetracks where it’s possible to make wagers. One of those is the Scarborough Downs in Scarborough. The other is the Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway in Bangor, which is actually a racino. What this means is that apart from horseracing betting, visitors can also gamble on classic casino games.
The Hollywood Casino is one of only two licensed casinos in Maine, the other one being Oxford Casino in Oxford. Only in these two places can Maine gamblers play slots and table games.
The Maine gaming law permits Native American tribes to conduct bingo games, but they are not allowed to run classic casino operations. At the moment, there are no tribal bingo halls in Maine since Penobscot High Stakes Bingo closed down a couple of years ago.
Frequently Asked Questions
The state currently allows horse race betting, lotteries, and land-based casinos. Online gambling is neither regulated nor prohibited in Maine. Although, it is very likely that online casino websites will be state-regulated in the nearest future. For now, online casino players in Maine have to play on offshore gambling sites. Offshore sites are not under the jurisdiction of the state, so you must make sure to play at a credible offshore gambling site.
To take part in pari-mutuel betting in Maine, you must be at least 18 years old. Slot gambling patrons must be at least 21 years old, and the legal gambling age to play on offshore websites is 18.
If you will be playing on an offline gambling website, it is important that you conduct thorough research online to ensure the credibility of the website you are playing on. As long as you play on only reputable sites, you can prevent your personal details from being compromised. Even after finding a reputable online casino, you must take some safety measures such as using a strong password, betting only within your budget, and ensuring that your device has an up-to-date antivirus.
