Maine lawmakers move sweepstakes casino ban ahead of 2026 session
Dual-currency platforms addressed
Although Maine’s Second Regular Legislative Session will not begin until January 7, 2026, a Senate bill seeking to ban online sweepstakes games has already advanced to committee review following its December 5 filing.
The proposal, titled An Act Regarding the Prohibition of Online Sweepstakes Games, was introduced in the Maine Senate on December 5, 2025. Presented by Sen. Craig Hickman, D-Kennebec, the measure was submitted by the Department of Public Safety and assigned Legislative Document No. 2007 (SP 825). It has been referred to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs.
The filing follows regulatory action earlier in the year. In June, the Maine Gambling Control Unit, which operates under the Department of Public Safety, issued a public notice addressing illegal online casino activity.
“No online casino, iGaming, or sweepstakes site is authorized to operate in Maine,” said Milton Champion, executive director of the Gambling Control Unit, in a statement issued June 9.
The notice coincided with legislative activity involving LD 1164 (HP 769), a proposal revived in June that would legalize online casinos in the state.
Under existing law, Maine allows sports betting, fantasy contests, and certain types of horse wagering. Online casino-style games remain prohibited.
Discussion of internet gaming authorization through the Wabanaki Nations may return when lawmakers convene for the Second Regular Session in January 2026.
S.P. 825 outlines definitions related to sweepstakes gaming, including “dual-currency system of payment” and “online sweepstakes game.”
The bill states, “A person that operates or promotes an online sweepstakes game or supports the operation or promotion of an online sweepstakes game commits a civil violation.”
It further provides, “A person is guilty of unlawful gambling if the person operates or promotes an online sweepstakes game or supports the operation or promotion of an online sweepstakes game.”
Penalties under the proposal include fines ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, possible revocation of an existing gambling license, and ineligibility to obtain a gambling license.
The bill defines unlawful gambling to include simulated casino-style games such as slots, table games, poker, lottery games, and bingo. Sports wagering offered through dual-currency platforms would also fall under the prohibition.
To collect penalties, the legislation would establish a Gambling Addiction Prevention and Treatment Fund.
The Maine proposal follows legislative action taken in several states during 2025, including California, Connecticut, Montana, New Jersey, and Nevada, which enacted bans on sweepstakes casinos.
The bill was introduced on the same day New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a sweepstakes casino ban into law on December 5.
Language in the Maine measure is similar to provisions included in draft legislation considered in Indiana. States that have enacted sweepstakes bans, including New York, Massachusetts, and Maine, have also reviewed legislation related to real-money online casino authorization.
https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/12/17/116841-maine-lawmakers-move-sweepstakes-casino-ban-ahead-of-2026-session