Casino Gambling in Maine

Maine Casino Guide

Facts About Gambling & Online Casinos in Maine

Known for its gorgeous beaches, lush forests, and friendly residents, Maine earns the nickname “Vacationland” for good reason. Gambling is something that’s newer to Maine, however, yet changes to the laws starting in 2010 have opened up the doors to legalized gambling and the launch of the state’s first casino.

History of Gambling in Maine

While lotteries have been available in Maine, casinos are a newer entity. Governor Baldacci signed the Act to Establish the Gambling Control Board to License and Regulate Slot Machines into law in 2004. Once the Gambling Control Board was established, Maine citizens voted to allow the state’s first casino in a former harness racing track. This casino opened in 2012.

For a casino license, the building itself has to meet a number of strict criteria, including being within 20 miles of a former harness racing track, being no more than 15 miles from the county sheriff’s office, and being within 30 miles of a level one or two trauma center. These restrictions are meant to ensure the safety of any casino patrons, with easy access to interstates, hospitals, fire stations, and police stations.

Age Restrictions for Gambling in Maine

To gamble in Maine casinos, players within the casino must be the legal drinking age, 21. For other forms of gambling, such as lotteries or bingo games, the age limit depends. For lotteries, players must be 18 or older. For bingo, if the bingo hall does not serve alcoholic beverages, teens as young as 16 are okay if the prize is not monetary, such as a credit for food served within the establishment. Children under the age of 16 are allowed in bingo halls if they are with a parent or guardian of legal age.

Maine’s Casino Gambling Outlook

While casinos are new to the state, they’re already proving to be a huge success. Hollywood Casino brought in more than $54 million in revenue in 2014, and Oxford did even better with just under $73 million. It is expected that more and more Maine casinos will be established and from there it’s only a matter of time before the state begins looking into developing websites for online casinos in Maine.

Local Casinos

As of 2015, Maine has two casinos. One is in the northern part of the state in Bangor, home of bestselling author Stephen King. The other is in Oxford, near Lake Sebago and closer to the southern state lines.
Hollywood Casino & Raceway

Located in Bangor, Hollywood Casino has it all. There’s a lounge with live entertainment in the center of the casino, almost 1,000 slot machines, and multiple live dealer tables for Blackjack, Craps, Poker, and Roulette. Hollywood Casino is part of a resort hotel, so guests will find lodging, meals, and entertainment all in one Maine’s most charming cities.

Oxford Casino

Oxford Casino is a smaller establishment, but there is plenty to do. The casino is open 24 hours a day and features table games like Blackjack, Craps, Mini Baccarat, Poker, and Roulette. There are more than 850 video slots and video poker machines, too. Players who bring friends to Oxford Casino receive $10 in free spins on the casino’s slots.