Maine Clarifies Online Casino Rules Ahead of Launch

Maine’s push to become the eighth state to have online casinos continues, with several changes added to the rule sheet.

The Maine Gambling Control Unit has clarified some of the finer points of how online casinos will operate in the Pine Tree State.

Live dealer games can now be hosted outside state lines, a change to the earlier rules. There are also better responsible gambling measures in place, including real-time self-exclusion tools.

Third Change of Rules Since Summer

The Maine Gambling Control Unit has been honing its proposals all year since giving the green light to online casinos in January.

Online casinos are exclusively tied to Maine’s Wabanaki tribes, something that’s causing issues with the state’s commercial entities.

After launch, Maine will be the eighth U.S. state to have legalized online casino gaming, joining Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, West Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. However, a firm launch date has still not been set.

Maine Gambling Control Unit Rule Changes

• Live dealer systems can operate outside state lines
• No marketing aimed at players under 21
• Less clearance for game updates
• Commercial operators must give equal billing to their tribal partner
• Better responsible gambling tools, inc. real-time self-exclusion

Live Dealer Changes: In-State or Out?

The third rule update for Maine casino gambling affects live dealer games. While the main server must be within Maine borders, the backend systems won’t need to be. These include the random number generators (RNGs) used to determine bonus numbers in games like Evolution’s Lightning Roulette.

Maine’s summer update didn’t clarify how live dealer games differed from regular online casino games. However, the September rules do, adding that regular audits will be required. There’s even a stipulation on who picks up the tab.

Live dealer games are a bedrock of all regulated online casinos in the U.S. It’s likely that Evolution Gaming will be front and center when the first online licenses are handed out. It currently provides its games to most of the regulated online casinos in NJ, WV, and others.

Tribes to Strengthen Brand Awareness

While rules have been added restricting targeting advertising to under-21s, there’s a strengthening of tribal brand awareness.

Under the proposed rule changes, promotions must feature the name of the tribe who partners the online casino. Additionally, any tribal name must be displayed the same size as the operator’s.

This is in contrast to some states, such as Michigan, where a tribal partner’s name is sometimes displayed much smaller than the online casino’s.

Caesars & DraftKings Prepare

Maine legalized online casinos in January after Gov. Janet Mills signed LD 1164 into law.

Online casinos will be operated exclusively in partnership with Maines’ four tribes: the Penobscot Nation, the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Mi’kmaq Nation, and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.

Caesars has signed deals with three tribes to bring its online casino brand to Maine. The Passamaquoddy Tribe has signed a partnership deal with DraftKings. Those partnerships already existed after Maine legalized online sports betting in 2022.

Commercial Casinos Still Opposed

However, legal challenges could still disrupt any move toward online casinos going live. Maine has two brick-and-mortar casinos – Oxford Casino and Hollywood Casino – both of whom are opposed to what they see as a “monopoly” on online casino gaming.

Oxford Casino filed a lawsuit against the state in January. Owner Churchill Downs Inc. argued that a monopolized online casino setup in Maine could cost it a fortune. However, with the only rule changes proposed so far involving advertising and font sizes, the governor seems unmoved.