In the first month after sportsbook betting became legal on Nov. 3, $37.6 million was wagered online across Maine. The state pocketed $468,000 in state taxes due to player payments and a 10% tax on sportsbook revenue with federal taxes.
“We were afraid [getting] many complaints [this first month] “I knocked on the tree and it went silent. I’m really surprised and very grateful,” said Milt Champion, director of the Maine Gaming Authority.
80% of wagers are placed on the DraftKings online betting platform, with the remainder placed at Caesars Sportsbook. The four online sportsbook licenses available in Maine are divided among the state’s four federally recognized Native American tribes. Caesars Sportsbook has signed agreements with three of the tribes as a management services provider, and Passamacody has partnered with DraftKings. Fifty percent of the total revenue is collected by the tribe.
Champion estimates Maine should collect about $6 million in state taxes in its first year of operation. He said NFL games attract the most spectators, with about a quarter of all bets taking place on Sundays.
“People bet on other things. [like] “Maybe it’s golf or something like that. But the Super Bowl and March Madness are two important times for sports betting, so we’ll have to see how that works out,” Champion said. said.