Maine Sports Betting Legislation Faces Uncertainty

Maine sports bettors will likely have to wait for a while before the activity earns legal status in the state.

Earlier this week, Governor Janet Mills decided not to sign the sports betting bill into law.

Gov. Mills cites concerns regarding gambling in the state, and some problems it could potentially bring.

Still, on the same matter, Gov. Mills doesn’t want the administration linked to expanding gambling in Maine.

At the same time, however, Gov. Mills hasn’t vetoed the bill.

Rather, she is open to digging deeper into the theme in order to gather information.

In other words, the bill is simply on hold.

Another possibility would be legislators recalling the bill and changing some potentially controversial topics.

At the end of the day, however, Maine sports betting law won’t come into effect before 2020.

What is the Current Situation Regarding Sports Betting in Maine?

Naturally, with the bill essentially iced, it means that sports betting in Maine is still illegal.

This situation will likely remain the same until 2020.

It doesn’t completely kill off the bill, however.

Rather, everything remains on hold until a second order.

Two bills were introduced with the purpose of legalizing sports betting in Maine.

It doesn’t have too many differences compared to similar legislation from other states.

Maine’s new legislation on sports betting would allow wagers to be placed on professional sports.

This would naturally include all major leagues in the U.S. as well as international competitions.

Betting on high-school sports would remain illegal.

Betting on sports in which the majority of the participants are minors is also considered illegal.

Another interesting point is related to betting on video-game competitions, which is also considered illegal.

In other words, it would still be illegal to bet on esports in Maine.

A license would cost US$20,000, with sports books taxes ranging from 10% to 16% of their revenue.

Additionally, online-based sports books would not be required to partner a physical location.

The Benefits of a Legislation on Sports Betting

One of the points raised by Governor Janet Mills is a growing gambling problem in Maine.

Gov. Mills does not deny the existence of an illegal betting market in the state.

A bill that legalizes betting would be a way to counter the black market.

Additionally, legalizing the activity would provide the state with resources coming from the activity.

With a new industry in place, there is also the possibility of creating new jobs.

And with proper regulations in place, dealing with gambling-related problems becomes easier as well.

As of now, it’s time to sit down and review the potentially controversial points to decide on the best possible outcome.