Maine's Bill That Would Ban Sweepstakes Casinos Has Hearing Scheduled

The Maine legislative session kicks off on Jan. 7, and a hearing on its anti-sweepstakes casino legislation, Legislative Document 2007, is scheduled for Jan. 14. 

This comes after it was filed in December. The hearing will be before the Joint Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee at 10:00 am EST. 

Maine is among the few states with anti-sweepstakes legislation under consideration, along with Florida, Indiana, and Massachusetts. Massachusetts has a reporting deadline set for its bill for March. 

In 2025, California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Montana banned them. 

More About the Bill

The Maine legislation, LD2007, provides a detailed definition of sweepstakes casinos, including the purchase of Gold Coin packages, which have no cash value, to receive Sweeps Coins, which do have cash value. It labels sweepstakes casinos as a “dual-currency system of payment.”

It then goes into specifics like the following: 

“A. Prevents a person from directly purchasing coins, tokens or other representations of value that are redeemable for any cash prize, cash award or cash equivalents or the chance to win any cash prize, cash award or cash equivalents; and

“B. Encourages a person to purchase services, products, coins, tokens or other representations of value that are not exchangeable for a prize, award, cash or cash equivalents or a chance to win a prize, award, cash or cash equivalents in order for that person to obtain the coins, tokens or other representations of value that are exchangeable for prizes, awards, cash or cash equivalents or a chance to win a prize, award, cash or cash equivalents.”

This bill would also grant the Maine Gambling Control Unit sole discretion and authority to determine what constitutes a sweepstakes casino. This is similar to the bill signed into law last month in New York by Governor Kathy Hochul. 

Chances For Passing Are High

In June 2025, the Maine Gambling Control Unit targeted sweepstakes casinos, telling state residents that “illegal interactive gaming (‘iGaming’) websites and applications that may be currently operating in the State," which included sweepstakes casinos. 

The statement also said the following: 

“Despite the legality of online advance deposit wagering, fantasy contests and sports wagering, online casino games like slots, blackjack, and roulette for real money remain strictly prohibited in the State,” the MGCU statement read. “Numerous unregulated entities continue to target Maine residents, offering illicit iGaming opportunities. 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.

“The Gambling Control Unit wants to make it very clear: no online casino, iGaming, or sweepstakes site is licensed by the Gambling Control Unit.”

In response, the Social and Promotional Games Association (which has merged with the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance) clapped back against the notion that sweepstakes casinos were like offshore sportsbooks, saying that platforms part of their group "operate legally within the U.S., pay appropriate taxes, and follow a strict code of conduct to ensure consumer protection and fair play."

The current Maine legislative session ends in April, and given that a hearing is scheduled one week after it opens, this bill appears poised to move quickly, giving it a strong chance of passing.