Maine Sees Massive September Handle As NFL Season Kicks Off

Maine is entering its first full NFL season with a legal sports betting market, and the results have been fantastic.

The Pine Tree State set a new record with a sports betting handle of $51.8 million. That represents a 45% increase from the month before, thanks to the start of the NFL season. Sports betting launched in Maine in November 2023, making this the first year bettors will be available to wager on September games.

DraftKings again dominated the market share over Caesars in September. The industry leader had a handle of $46.6 million for the month, while their Las Vegas rival finished with a handle of $5.1 million. 

The biggest surprise from the state’s September numbers is that Caesars actually saw a 9% drop in its handle compared to August. That is stunning, given that August tends to be a slow month, while September represents one of the busiest times of the year for sports betting. 

The strong September led to $660,000 in tax revenue for Maine between the two sportsbook operators.

Caesars Launches Retail Sports Betting

While Caesars had a rough month in the online sports betting market, things weren’t all bad in September. The operator launched the first retail sportsbook in partnership with First Tracks Investments. The sportsbook, named Oddfellash, opened in Portland on September 14.

“I think this adds a certain new dimension to coming into the Old Port. I hope it attracts sports enthusiasts who want to fully participate in supporting their team,” Mayor Mark Dion told the Portland Press Herald. “It stimulates participation in the Old Port district. They’re going to come in here, they make their wager, they’ll consume beverages, they’ll go on to other restaurants and have a full evening.”

While the retail location was only open for the second half of September, it still received over $158,000 in wagers.