While some US states have passed legislation to make daily fantasy sports legal or illegal, many have remained somewhat on the fence. Fortunately, Maine has been very clear on the matter and daily fantasy sports became explicitly legal in the state in August 2017. The state’s Gambling Control Unit oversees the running on DFS and it has become extremely popular.

Todd Winkler, Editor at online-gambling.com

• Twitter
• Email

Todd Winkler has been an editor at online-gambling.com for 6 years. His focus is on guides and articles about poker games, blackjack, and DFS. With relatives in New Zealand, he is also well aware of the gambling industry in the country.

More About Todd Winkler

Online Daily Fantasy Sports in Maine- Overview

Maine legalized daily fantasy sports in August 2017, becoming the fifth state to legalize paid-entry fantasy sports that year, and the fifteenth state overall. The bill that made this happen had sat with Governor Paul LePage for over a month and no one was sure what was going to happen. The Governor had the options to either sign or veto the bill or do nothing at all in which case the bill would be passed. This is what happened; LePage’s inaction allowed the bill to pass into law.

The new law puts numerous regulations surrounding DFS into place. For example, there is a licensing fee of $2,500 for operators with revenue in state of more than $100,000. This threshold also applies for tax of 10% on gross revenue in the state. The law has other rules in place prohibiting operator employees from playing, establishing responsible gaming protocols, and segregating players’ finds from operational funds. You can find more information on gambling in Maine at our dedicated Maine gambling page.

Now that residents of Maine are free to play daily fantasy sports, let’s take a look at some of the sports on offer.

Online Daily Fantasy NFL – Everyone Loves NFL

Although Maine may not have any particularly strong ties with NFL since there is no Maine-based team in the league, it is still a wildly popular daily fantasy league. The NFL is one of the top picks all over America and people are always keen to draft their dream NFL team. Playing DFS NFL is pretty simple. Once you have chosen which competition you would like to enter, you need to draft a lineup of nine players. Remember, you do need to stay within the set salary cap, so make sure you think through where you want to put your money. Once the competition has played out, the winners will receive their cash prizes.

Online Daily Fantasy NHL – Friends in High Places

Maine may not have a team in the NHL, but the state is still definitely interested in hockey. The Maine Mariners ice hockey team play in the ECHL which has a collective bargaining agreement with the NHL. So, while the Mariners do not play in the NHL, they are affiliated with the New York Rangers who do. Playing DFS NHL is pretty much the same on all sites. The aim is to accumulate the most points from your lineup. You will need to draft six forwards, two defensemen, and a goalie. You can then win points in a number of different ways, including goals, shots on goal, blocked shots, saves, and penalty minutes.

Online Daily Fantasy MLB – We Know Him!

When you are choosing your team for daily fantasy Major League Baseball you need to remember that you are playing with a $50,000 salary cap. With this money, you need to get ten men including two pitchers and a hitter or first-baseman. Since you have a budget, you should think about whether putting all your money on one star player is a good strategy. If they have an off night, then it could throw your whole game plan. Maine does not have a team in the MLB, but this state still has reason to follow the sport. Great players like Ryan Flaherty are from Maine, so people are always interested in seeing how their fellow residents are doing.

Online Daily Fantasy NBA – They’re the Lobsters

People are always more interested in a sport if they have a home team to support through the competitions. In the NBA, Maine has the Maine Red Claws from Portland. Fun fact: the team’s name was chosen in a name-the-team contest. Voters could choose from the Red Claws, Beacons, Crushers, Destroyers, Swarm, and Traps. Both the name and logo feature lobsters due to the importance of lobster in the New England area. In fantasy NBA, you must draft eight players from at least two different NBA teams. As usual, you have a salary cap, this time of $50,000. Points can be won for moves like a steal or an assist.

College Hockey – Black Bears

The Maine Black Bears represent the University of Maine. The men’s ice hockey program is extremely successful. It was introduced in 1977 and since then has won the Hockey East title five times, appeared in eleven Frozen Fours, and won two National Championships. Numerous professional players have come from the Black Bears’ team, including Paul Kariya, Eric Weinrich, Keith Carney, Garth Snow, Mike Dunham, Dustin Penner, and Jimmy Howard. The Black Bears also compete in the Hockey East Conference which brings together other college teams such as Boston University, New Hampshire, and Northeastern.

Timeline of Daily Fantasy Sports Legislation

Maine is an interesting state when it comes to gambling history. While horse racing is legal and there are tribal gaming laws in place, neither of these are straight forward. We will take you through the gambling history of the state outside of daily fantasy sports too.

For more information on gambling in Maine, you can have a look at our state-specific page.

Legal Daily Fantasy Betting Age in Maine

While gambling such as sports betting is still illegal in Maine, there are a number of types of gambling which are legal. There are two racetrack casinos in the state – Hollywood Casino Bangor and Oxford Casino – which offer gaming machines and table games. Pari-mutuel betting on harness racing is also available at both casinos. You must be at least 21 years old to gamble, unless it is pari-mutuel wagering, in which case the minimum age is 18 years old.

In many cases, Maine prosecutes the operator rather than the player for gambling crimes. However, you can be charged as an individual too. Most gambling offenses are misdemeanors are carry penalties of up to $500 fine or six months in prison.

• DFS Betting Age
  The minimum age for playing daily fantasy sports in Maine is 21 years old.
• Alcohol Age
  The legal age to buy and consume alcohol in Maine is 21 years old.
• Weed Age
  You must be at least 21 years old in order to purchase or possess marijuana legally.

Is Daily Fantasy Betting Legal Outside of the State?

While daily fantasy betting is also becoming popular in other countries across the globe, the USA still has the highest percentage of people playing DFS at 10%. Despite this, it is still illegal in some states, while others do allow residents to play DFS but have not passed specific legislation to make it explicitly legal.

Maine passed a law in August 2017 to make DFS legal in the state. This is not too surprising, as it is also allowed in the neighboring states as well. New Hampshire made DFS legal in July 2017, and Vermont did the same a month earlier, even though the Attorney General had ruled DFS to be an illegal form of gambling just a year before. Massachusetts has similar legislation in place and has done since March 2016. Connecticut, on the other hand, does not have any laws explicitly making DFS legal in the state, but people can still legally access DFS sites like Draft Kings and FanDuel.

The Best Fantasy Sports App in Maine

Pretty much everything from communication to clothes shopping is now faster and easier with your smart phone. The same can be said of daily fantasy sports. All of the big DFS sites have great mobile apps that you can download, as well as mobile optimized versions of the site if you would rather not download anything but still want to play from your phone. Drafting your teams is super easy and you can do it from anywhere. Here is our top pick for the best DFS mobile app in Maine.

Taxes on Daily Fantasy Winnings: Legal Overview

All gambling winnings are subject to federal taxes which is 25%. The state of Maine also requires an additional 5% state tax on winnings over $5,000. You should know that while some winnings may be automatically withheld, this may not cover your tax obligations in their entirety, so it is important to know how much you should be paying. If you are claiming over $600 in winnings, then you will need a claims form from the IRS.

By reporting the full amount of your gambling winnings each year to the IRS, you can also deduct gambling losses. You cannot deduct losses that are more than your winnings, however.

Upcoming Regulation Changes to Be Aware Of

Gambling rules and regulations in Maine have changed a lot in recent years. 2010 was a big year for the state when a law passed to allow casinos. Those invested in the only two licensed casinos are reluctant to change things too much since they currently have a near-monopoly on the state.

However, things may change in other areas. New Jersey and Delaware are both nearby states which have regulated poker sites. If these set a good example, with significant tax revenue and no major problems, it is likely that Maine will follow suit.

Daily Fantasy Guides for Nearby States

• New Hampshire
• Vermont
• Massachusetts
• Connecticut