Maine BANS Sweepstakes Games With LD 2007

Maine officially banned online sweepstakes casinos and poker sites on April 6, 2026. On that date, Governor Janet Mills (D) signed LD 2007 into law. This bill is entitled, “An Act Regarding the Prohibition of Online Sweepstakes Games.”

What Does LD 2007 Do?

The meat of LD 2007 is pretty short and sweet. The new law basically says what's marked on the tin. Here's a direct quote:

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.
1. Fine. A person that violates this section is subject to a fine of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000.

Basically, anyone caught operating or promoting online sweepstakes games is guilty of a civil violation and subject to a fine of between $10,000 and $100,000. Other provisions of LD 2007 dictate that any funds collected from these fines are to be allocated to the state's Gambling Addiction Prevention and Treatment Fund. Licensed gaming entities that break the rules about sweepstakes games can have their licenses revoked, and others who lack licensure may be prevented from obtaining it in the future.

As with many other legislative texts, the devil's in the details, so let's look at how Maine defines “online sweepstakes game”:

"Online sweepstakes game" means any game, contest or promotion that:
A. Is available on the Internet and accessible on a mobile telephone, computer terminal or similar access device;
B. Uses a dual-currency system of payment; and
C. Simulates casino-style gaming, including, but not limited to, slot machines, poker and other table games, lottery games, bingo or sports wagering.

This is pretty clear wording and definitely encompasses online sweeps poker games along with casino fare and sports betting. The bill actually goes into considerable detail when defining what a “dual-currency system of payments” is, and a lot of extraneous wording seems to have been put in place specifically to circumvent attempts to get around this law by redefining terms.

Legislative History of LD 2007

LD 2007 began its legislative journey on Dec. 3, 2025, sponsored by Maine State Senator Craig Hickman. It was referred to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs.

It was reported out of committee on March 5, 2026 and passed by the Senate on March 12. It then proceeded to the House where it passed with a vote of 87 – 55 on March 26. The versions of the bill approved by each chamber differed slightly from each other, so LD 2007 was sent back to the Senate for concurrence on March 30. On April 2, the Senate approved the legislation.

The document then went to Governor Janet Mills who signed it into law on April 6.

Maine Governor Janet Mills Signed LD 2007 Into Law

What Operators Are Affected?

LD 2007 prohibits sweepstakes casino games and sports betting from being offered over the internet. Unlike similar legislation passed earlier this year by Indiana, Maine's bill specifically mentions sweepstakes poker as being included within the remit of the new law.

Thus, all the largest and most well-known sweepstakes gaming organizations, like Global Poker, Chumba Casino, Stake.us, and Clubs Poker, will very likely have to abandon the state. ClubWPT Gold recently altered the structure of its site to get around anti-sweepstakes laws in various states, but the provisions of LD 2007 seem pretty airtight, and so ClubWPT Gold will probably have to quit Maine too.

Maine Protecting Its Nascent Gaming Industries?

In May 2022, Maine legalized sports betting with LD 585, and in January 2026, it followed up by regulating online poker and casino games with LD 1164.

It's too early for any Maine-licensed online casinos or poker rooms to have appeared yet. However, there are several in-person sportsbooks in the state as well as online bookmaking websites operated by DraftKings and Caesars.

With regulated sports betting already a reality and legalized online gaming just over the horizon, Maine is likely looking to clear out the competitive space to bolster its own licensed operations. After all, every dollar wagered on online sweepstakes games is a dollar that's not bet at Maine-licensed gambling destinations and, therefore, a dollar that's not taxed.

Consumer Protection Enhanced?

Lest we be accused of undue cynicism (ProfessionalRakeback? Cynical? *shocked gasp*), there may be reasons other than maximizing tax receipts that led Maine's authorities to make this anti-sweepstakes move. Sweepstakes casinos, even in the best of circumstances, are using convoluted logic to get around existing gambling laws, and their rules and restrictions each differ in subtle and confusing ways. We've even heard of people who purchased play money chips from sweepstakes gaming companies, thinking they would also receive the “secondary” cashable currency, only to discover that they wasted their money on non-redeemable practice tokens.

On the same day that Governor Mills signed the anti-sweepstakes law, she also signed a bill that prevents credit cards from being used at licensed online sportsbooks and casinos. Thus, consumer protection does seem to legitimately be one of the goals of Maine's leaders, and LD 2007 certainly can be viewed in this light.

Other Online Poker + Casino Options

There are currently no Maine-licensed internet poker or casino providers, and pretty shortly, sweepstakes gaming operators may find the instate heat too much to take. Nevertheless, you can still access and play at traditional offshore poker and casino sites. These organizations are located far offshore, beyond the reach of U.S. and Maine law.

Among the best of them is Ignition, which hosts both a poker room and casino gaming. When you create an account, you'll qualify for a 150% up to $1,500 poker bonus and a similarly sized bonus for casino gaming as long as you make a deposit through crypto-currency. Click the button below to get started:

To learn more before signing up, check out this thorough Ignition Casino review. For other options available to residents of Maine, head over to this Maine offshore poker guide. If you reside in another state, then perhaps this page about offshore poker in the USA would pique your interest.

April 14, 2026 – by Max Golden, Editor-in-Chief