Janet Mills (the governor of Maine) is expected to oppose the bill at the public hearings Wednesday.
Maine will open its sports betting industry in 2023. Mills, who had long opposed betting, granted the tribes rights to sports wagering before November’s launch.
LD 585, however, states that internet sports betting can only run by tribes approved in the state. The tribes may apply for an online gambling licence. Each tribe may partner with one online betting operator.
The tribes now want to enter the igaming market, and this Wednesday’s Augusta hearings could bring them closer to getting exclusive online betting rights.
Maine sports betting a big success
In the first month that Maine has legalized sports betting, more than $36.00m was wagered (US$34.0m/£29.1m).
DraftKings led the way in the first month with a total of $37.6m. DraftKings, in partnership with the Passamaquoddy Tribe posted a $4.3m adjusted gross with a handle of $30.5m.
Caesars, on the other hand, lags behind in terms of handling, at $7.1m. Gross receipts are only $382.374. Caesars has a presence in Maine, thanks to partnerships formed with three Wabanaki Nations. The three Wabanaki nations are the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians (also known as Houlton Indians), Mi’kmaq Nation and Penobscot Nation.
Tribes fighting for sovereignty
The National Indian Gaming Commission has published its annual report 2022, which shows that revenues for tribal gaming increased 4.9% to $40.9bn in 2022. This $1.9bn increase is the largest ever.
Tribes are still on the edge as politicians and commercial interests could potentially cut into their gambling rights.
Maine is following California and Florida in granting exclusive tribal rights to tribes. Both states will take steps to increase access for tribes to their gaming offers by 2023.
