Guide to the Maine Gambling Age: Casinos, Sports Betting & More

The Maine gambling age varies between 21 years old for casinos and poker rooms to 18 years old for a variety of small games. The legality between different gambling subtypes varies for a number of reasons, and throughout this article we will help you better understand the legality of gaming for each type in the state of Maine. As you can see below, Maine prohibits several key subtypes of wagering, including sports betting and the majority of online gaming. The legal gambling age in Maine for casino entrance is set at the national base rate of 21 years old, and bingo, lottery, daily fantasy sports and pari-mutuel horse race betting are all capped off at 18 years or higher. In the following we’ll discuss the legal situation of each gaming type, introduce the best casinos in Maine and discuss the future outlook for progressive online betting legislation.

The table above gives a very direct overview of the legality of each gambling subtype available to residents of Maine, of course, there is very little context to any of these figures – and the following sections will provide you with the application of these limits and their meaning for the real gaming experience in Maine. The crucial aspect of the gambling offering for Maine is the allowance and provision of casino gambling which is fully licensed and regulated by the state. In the following sections we will focus a lot on the current debate embroiling online gambling and discuss the future prospects of its legalization in this state.

Legal Gambling Age in Maine for Casino

There are numerous fantastic gambling options available in Maine, and this state offers its residents access to several quality land-based casino establishments. The legal gambling age in Maine for casino gaming is 21 years old and over, which is in line with the national standards adhered to by the majority of jurisdictions throughout the United States. In Maine you won’t have an enormous range of venues to choose from that we have seen in several other states, in fact, the current offering in Maine only has two licensed casinos in operation. In these two fine venues you’ll find a massive range of classic casino games, from table wagering options, slot machines and classics such as roulette and blackjack.

Maine must be considered as a home of the gambling enthusiast simply because of its willingness to allow casinos to be licensed and operate in its land. This is a very sparsely populated area, so it isn’t a surprise that the state isn’t packed full of casinos, with only a little bit more than 1 million inhabitants, the two casinos located in Maine do an amazing job of fulfilling the demand. However, online casinos have been resisted for some time in this state, and as the population increases, legalizing online casino gaming or building more casinos are the only viable solution to meet the increasing demand.

Which Casinos In ME Accept 18 Year-olds?

If your wish is to find 18 year old casinos in Maine you’ll be very sadly disappointed. This state, much like those of the surrounding area is one where you cannot enter a casino until the age of 21 years old. The primary reason for this resistance to allowing younger guests on premises is due to the sale and licensing agreements of alcohol. It violates the terms of the agreements casino venues have with state lawmakers if they allow younger guests on site. As alcohol is such an important component of the casino gambling operating model, it is no surprise that gambling age Maine requires entrants to its two largest casino venues to be 21 years old. The two establishments list below both adhere to the legal gambling age in Maine, and they offer an excellent experience to punters looking for a relaxed and sophisticated casino trip.

Sports Betting In Maine

A major blow to the prospects of sports betting enthusiasts has been dealt here, as in Maine unfortunately you’ll have a lot of difficulties accessing a fully licensed and regulated bookmaker. The gambling age Maine takes a tough stance against sportsbook gambling, and since the introduction of a betting legal code in this state they have resisted calls to introduce licensed bookmaking. Nothing comes close to the excitement and raw intensity that betting on live sports can create, and whilst elite sports teams in Maine are not particularly world famous or successful, residents still possess the urge to bet on the games they view on television. Fortunately, not all forms of sports gambling are banned, the pari-mutuel horse racing betting plays a major role in local gambling sphere of entertainment.

US Online Gambling Age

The current status of online gambling age legality across the United States is somewhat unclear, states are given the right to individually determine how they wish to proceed and many have outlawed the existence of online gambling firms. The casino age in Maine for online gambling does not exist because it is completely illegal, however, if it were to become part of the legal code and be drafted into legislation, one could expect this rate to be given the same treatment as neighboring jurisdictions at 18 years old. The illegality of online casinos presents a major problem for many residents of Maine, as there are only two casinos in the state causing a big restraint on accessibility for elderly individuals or those without an effective means of transport.

One of the major consequences of the prohibition of online gambling within the state of Maine is the flourishment of offshore gambling providers. As the legal system has not provided a means to meet the demand, the power of economics ensures that someone else will fulfill this. In the United States a common feature of states where gambling online is illegal remains the ease of access to offshore casinos. As the gamble age Maine prohibits most forms of gambling and outright bans online gaming, companies located in places with more favorable regulatory conditions have established a business model where they make their platforms easily accessible to residents of the United States, allowing them to gamble online at high-quality and safe platforms. Whilst it is illegal to host a gambling website from Maine, simply engaging with an offshore casino as a user will not attract the same level of attention from law enforcement.

Online Poker/Poker Gambling Age

The legal gambling age in Maine for poker rooms is set at 21 years old. This benchmark age is a popular threshold opted for by gambling organizers and represents the sentiment adopted by the majority of states throughout the country. The major drawback of course for poker gambling in Maine is the prohibition of online poker platforms. The absence of such services means the only legal alternative is to visit one of the poker gaming venues located throughout the state – but with only a few such locations in the state, it is difficult for residents to truly engage with this game.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Whilst sports betting in the classic sense has been outlawed in Maine, the daily fantasy sports activities that exist on apps such as FanDuel and DraftKings connects thousands of players across the country as they try and construct the ultimate player loadout in a number of sports. This fun version of sports gambling rewards punters for backing the right players, if the footballer or baseball player you pick and place a wager on performs well in a series of games then you can expect a financial reward for your investment. This modern and alternative form of gambling has attracted lots of popularity and is often played by the new generation of players with a better comprehension of data analysis and technology tools.

Legal Age to Play the Lottery in Maine

Opening in 1974, the Maine lottery is a fun and popular organization that provides many different gaming options to residents of the state. They enforce an 18+ policy on participation in their games catalog, which is vast and many, including national draw games, locally managed lotteries and a wide-variety of instant win scratchers. The opportunity to win a life changing sum of money always exists when playing the lottery, and the risk-to-reward ratio is one of the most alluring aspects of this form of gambling compared to other options. The gambling age Maine for lottery is particularly low compared to other states where 21 seems to be the norm. This liberal approach is something that proponents of looser restrictions on gambling will seek to extend in upcoming debates into the issue.

Maine Gambling Laws & Future Outlook

Maine gambling laws remain on the side of liberalism and the right to social-freedoms, despite this, there are still numerous fundamental weaknesses to the Maine gambling legal code – and truth be told, it is not such a prominent part of social discourse in the small state. The region has barely 1 million inhabitants which makes it one of the smallest and least populated parts of the country, casino gambling laws rarely make it into the talking points of parliamentary debate. But there are signs that things are changing, the Supreme Court decision in 2018 which provided states with the individual rights to dictate their own laws towards online sports betting has reinvigorated the debate and brought this issue once again to the fore.

With this tough stance towards online gambling playing a pivotal role in the rise of offshore gambling services throughout the United States – many politicians have correctly identified the outpouring of lost tax revenues to these unregulated operators. It appears that local residents are completely undeterred by the laws preventing online gambling firms, and they continue to gamble online despite the tightening of laws. All of this presents huge question marks over the worthiness of this tight approach towards online bookmaking, and future congressman will surely seek to resolve this issue in a way that ensures minimum economic distortion.

The future outlook of Maine gambling age looks positive, there are numerous well-established land-based gambling hubs, and there seems to be a real desire to implement online solutions to bridge the current accessibility issues with gambling services. On the surface, the state lottery, bingo and daily fantasy sports gambling opportunities seem plentiful and vast, but given the lack of population concentration across the geography of Maine, it is difficult to fulfill the demand for all inhabitants. The answer is online gambling, and the overriding consensus is that it is only a matter of time until the legal casino age in Maine incorporates all forms of gambling, both remote and land-based. Head over back to our homepage to learn more about the casino gambling age across the country.

Frequently Asked Questions

Throughout the course of this article we have sought to bring you the most up-to-date and concise information regarding the current legality of gambling in the state of Maine. To read some further interesting points see our most frequently asked questions and answers down below.