Vetoed by Governor Janet Mills

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass with amendment a bill that legalizes sports wagering.

Highlights:

• Authorizes licensed commercial tracks, off-track betting facilities, casinos, and federally recognized Indian tribes to be eligible for facility sports wagering licenses and mobile sports wagering licenses to conduct in-person or digital platform sports wagering in the state (Sec. 3).

• Specifies that sports betting operators may accept wagers on professional, collegiate, and amateur sports events, including international sporting events as well as the individual performances of athletes (Sec. 3).

• Prohibits sports wagering on high school events, or other events where the majority of participants are less than 18 years of age, and events involving Maine-based colleges and universities (Sec. 3).

• Requires individuals be at least 21 years old in order to legally participate in sports wagering, and prohibits operators from accepting wagers from the following individuals, including, but not limited to (Sec. 3):

• Participants of the sports event such as athletes or officials;

• Individuals with an interest in the outcome of the sports event;

• The operators own directors or employees; and

• Third person parties making wagers on behalf of another individual.

• Requires a sports wagering facility licensee remit 10 percent and a mobile sports wagering licensee remit 16 percent of their adjusted gross sports wagering receipts to the state which will be deposited in the General Fund for the administrative expenses of the gambling control unit (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes licensed fantasy contest operators to offer a fantasy contest based on the performance of participants in collegiate athletic events (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text