Maine’s ban on sweepstakes-style casino platforms takes effect on July 14, ending the operation of online games that use a dual-currency payment model to simulate casino play. The law, LD 2007, was signed by Governor Janet Mills in April and exposes operators to civil fines of $10,000 to $100,000 per violation.
The bill’s text defines an online sweepstakes game as an Internet-based game, contest or promotion that can be accessed by mobile phone or computer, uses a dual-currency system of payment, and simulates casino-style gaming. The list includes slot machines, poker, table games, lottery games, bingo and sports wagering.
LD 2007 says a person who operates, promotes or supports the operation or promotion of such a game commits a civil violation. It also creates a new chapter titled “ONLINE SWEEPSTAKES GAMES PROHIBITED” and adds a new unlawful-gambling provision in Maine law.
The statute defines a dual-currency system as one that allows play with direct or indirect consideration and is designed to prevent the direct purchase of redeemable coins or tokens for cash prizes or cash equivalents, while encouraging the purchase of non-exchangeable value that can later be exchanged for prizes or cash equivalents.
Under the law, fines collected by the Gambling Control Unit are to be sent to the Gambling Addiction Prevention and Treatment Fund. A licensee convicted of unlawful gambling under 17-A MRSA §954(1-B), or otherwise found in violation through the administrative process, must have its license revoked, and anyone found in violation is ineligible for the kind of licence described in the statute.
Legislative papers show that LD 2007 was introduced in the Senate in December 2025. They also show an approval marker dated April 6, and reporting at the time said the measure would take effect about 90 days after the legislature adjourned on April 15.
The move places Maine among a growing group of states acting against the model. One report said the state becomes the eighth to ban sweepstakes casinos and the dual-currency structure outright, as operators and lawmakers have grown more hostile to the category.
The same week, Maine allowed LD 1164 to become law, authorizing the state’s tribal governments to operate online gambling to support tribal communities and economic development. Governor Mills said she believed the form of gambling should be regulated and that the Gambling Control Unit should write responsible rules and standards to hold providers accountable while ensuring Maine’s tribes benefit.
LD 1164 follows LD 585, signed in 2022, which authorized tribes to run online sports wagering. In her announcement, Governor Mills said she had met with the five elected chiefs of the Wabanaki Nations and that they had described the bill as a source of life-changing revenue and economic sovereignty.
Tribal leaders welcomed that step. Chief William Nicholas Sr. called it an economic turning point for the Passamaquoddy people and all Wabanaki Nations, while Chief Sheila McCormack said it would restore the Nation’s jurisdiction and provide new, sustainable revenue. Chief Kirk Francis said the proceeds would help fund health, education, housing, law enforcement, environmental management and other essential services.
