Maine Bans Online Sweepstakes & Credit Card Funding for Digital Gaming
Governor Janet Mills recently signed a pair of bills, the first of which imposes a ban on online sweepstakes, while the second restricts the use of credit cards to fund digital sportsbooks and iGaming accounts in the Pine Tree State, marking a major shift in online sportsbook regulations in Maine.
Maine Gov Gets Tough
After state regulators issued a litany of cease-and-desist orders to sweepstakes companies, Senator Craig Hickman sponsored SB 2007 in December, a bill that would impose criminal charges and a $100,000 civil penalty on anyone operating an online sweepstakes site in Maine.
According to Maine Gambling Control Unit Executive Director Milton Champion, there are approximately 60 sweepstakes companies currently operating in the Pine Tree State.
In June of last year, Champion issued the following statement:
These operations, based out of state and often out of the country, include sites that may appear legitimate but lack any regulatory oversight in Maine. Examples of such unlicensed platforms may include, but are not limited to, certain “sweepstakes” or “social casino” sites that offer real-money payouts, coin-titled substitutes, dual-currency systems, material prizes, or gift cards.
On Monday, Janet Mills put her pen to paper and signed the measure that legislators are hoping will severely diminish, if not eliminate, dual-currency sweepstakes conducting online business in the state, a key move in shaping regulated online gambling markets.
Credit Cards No Longer Accepted
In addition to signing the sweepstakes ban, Governor Mills also approved Representative Marc Malon’s Legislative Document 2080, which bans the use of credit cards to fund online sportsbook and iGaming accounts.
“Since coming online, sports betting has become a pervasive part of American culture,” said Malon. “Although it has been economically successful, we want to make sure that we establish reasonable safeguards so that Mainers can participate without falling prey to addiction.”
The bill is designed to diminish problem gambling, which can be exacerbated by using credit to fund sportsbook and online casino accounts. Maine now joins a growing number of states, including Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Vermont, to impose a similar ban as part of evolving US betting regulations.
Online Casino Gambling in 2027
As the 2026 legislative year began, an online casino bill carried over from the last session was waiting for Governor Mills’ signature or veto. Early reports indicated she would invoke the latter, but a conversation she had last year with the state’s gaming tribes changed her mind.
“This fall, I met with the five elected Chiefs of the Wabanaki Nations, who each spoke passionately about the importance of this bill in offering life-changing revenue for Tribal communities, as well as providing a form of economic sovereignty for their Nations,” said Governor Mills. “I considered this bill carefully, and while I have concerns about the impacts of gambling on public health, I believe that this new form of gambling should be regulated, and I am confident that Maine’s Gambling Control Unit will develop responsible rules and standards to hold providers of this new form of gambling accountable while ensuring that Maine’s tribes benefit from its operations,” she added.
J.P. Morgan analyst Daniel Politzer believes Maine’s iGaming industry could generate up to $200 million per year, and it is expected to launch in 2027.
