Summer, it would appear, has been good to the sports betting aficionados of Maine. Per a recent report, Maine’s sports betting handle was $42.9m in July, the second-highest since the state launched sports betting in November. According to the Maine Gambling Control Unit, revenue was $6m, up from $3.4m in June and the previous record of $5.4m in January. There are currently two licensed sports wagering operations in the state. In July, DraftKings, partnered with the Passamaquoddy tribe, posted $36.8m in bets. Caesars, partnered with the Wabanaki nations Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq nation, and Penobscot nation, reported $5.9m. Maine, according to the report, keeps 10 percent of adjusted gross receipts in tax. July’s figures resulted in $603,283 paid to the state.
For this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from the latest gaming news and updates coming from Maine, as well as some more notes about gaming in the area.
Noted in another report, the Gambling Control Unit only publishes figures so it is not clear what sports drove the betting activity. However, it led to a significantly improved hold of 14.1%, which meant adjusted gross revenue increased 76.1% month-over-month to $6m. Noted above, DraftKings and Caesars are the only two licensed mobile operators in the state. However, DraftKings has a significant lead in Maine. Its $36.9m handle made up the vast majority of the wagers in the state, up 11.1% from June. A 14.5% hold meant revenue shot up 77.6% to $5.3m. From the state’s 10% tax on AGR, it paid $533,478.44 to the state.
Caesars lags behind with $5.9m in handle, a 6.9% drop from the prior month. A strong hold of 11.8% meant revenue grew significantly month-on-month, however. This includes rising 65.5% to $698,059.17. This meant it paid $69,805.92 in taxes for July.
Noted in another local report, after a strong summer and with football season set to begin, a proposal is in front of city officials in Portland that could pave the way for Maine’s first in-person sports wagering location. After enjoying a better-than-average summer, Maine heads into perhaps the biggest sports season of the year. With the NFL and college football seasons set to begin, Maine will offer a full slate of gambling’s biggest sport for the first time. The state missed the first couple of months of the year before it went live on November 3rd.
“The NFL is always king,” said Steven Silver, the chair of the Maine gambling control board. “September through December (being) in the $45 to $50 million (in wagers) range is certainly reasonable to predict, in terms of the handle. It’s just a popular time, people are familiar with the apps now. I think that’s a safe bet.”
Additionally noted in the article, Mainers could have a new way to bet on those games this season. First Track Investments is seeking approval from the Portland City Council this month for a sports bar at 55 Market Street, the former location of the music club, “The Big Easy.” According to First Track Manager Michael Cianchette, the property would look for a license to host in-person sports betting from the Department of Public Safety, which would make it the state’s first retail sports wagering location.
Maine also will look for strong football numbers to continue what has already been a successful debut season. Through July, the state’s seven-month haul in taxes – equal to 10% of the adjusted gross receipts brought in by DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook – was just over $2.9 million, putting the state in line to easily meet the Gambling Control Unit Executive Director Milt Champion’s estimate of $3.8 to $6 million in annual revenue.
“Now that we’ve gone through the seasons, it shows that there’s a huge appetite in Maine for sports betting, people want to do it, and people are continuing to do it,” Silver said. “That’s the other thing that’s always the big question mark. You launch this new thing, people try it out, do they keep using it? And clearly, we’re seeing that they are.”
With a full offering of football ahead, Maine could be looking at its busiest stretch yet one report notes. This is mainly due to the fact that American football continues to excel as perhaps the most-watched sports in America year-in and year-out.
Once you are all squared away regarding the most recent updates and notes coming from Maine, make sure to of course peruse the awesome variety of info for you at SBS. Of course, for even more information on the topic at hand, you should definitely check out the Maine sports betting guide which goes over all kinds of great notes from the state and beyond. On a separate note, if you are someone who is interested in diversifying their deposit and withdrawal options, look no further than the payment methods breakdown. On this page, eligible customers can find all kinds of options from traditional banking routes to cryptocurrencies and more. Finally, for those intrigued by some higher stakes wagering, you should definitely check out the VIP sports betting sites rundown which goes over the perks of VIP wagering and more.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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