At a recent public hearing, lawmakers, regulators, licensed operators, and sweepstakes companies all showed up to debate a simple question with messy consequences: should online sweepstakes casinos still be allowed in Maine?
The discussion centers on Legislative Document 2007 (LD 2007), a bill that would ban most dual-currency online sweepstakes games. It’s early in the process, but the tone of the hearing made one thing clear, Maine is no longer treating sweepstakes as a fringe issue.
What LD 2007 Actually Targets
LD 2007 goes after online games that:
- Use two currencies
- Simulate casino-style play, lottery games, bingo, or sports wagering
- Allow players to pay, either directly or indirectly, for a chance to win something of value
If that sounds familiar, it should. That description fits the modern sweepstakes casino model almost perfectly.
Just as important is what the bill doesn’t target. Games that only offer non-cash rewards aren’t affected. Social games, loyalty points, and pure entertainment products are left alone.
This isn’t an attempt to shut down online gaming across the board. It’s a focused attempt to cut off casino-style sweepstakes specifically.
Regulators Are Publicly on Board
Unlike some states where lawmakers are guessing at the problem, Maine’s gambling regulator isn’t shy about its position.
Milton Champion, Executive Director of the Maine Gambling Control Unit (MGCU), told the committee that sweepstakes casinos are already operating in the state, and that, from the regulator’s perspective, they cross a clear line.
His view was blunt: once players pay to play for something of value, Maine law already considers that gambling.
That distinction matters. When the state’s top gambling regulator publicly backs a ban, it signals this isn’t just lawmakers posturing. It’s enforcement catching up to something regulators believe is already happening.
DraftKings Backs the Ban
One of the more telling moments came from DraftKings, which showed up in support of LD 2007.
This wasn’t a neutral voice. DraftKings is one of just two licensed online sports betting operators in Maine and it’s now operating in a state that has officially approved legal online casino gaming. In other words, DraftKings has skin in the game.
From its perspective, sweepstakes casinos are siphoning players away from platforms that are licensed, taxed, and tightly regulated. Platforms that play by the rules.
The subtext was hard to miss: if Maine has gone through the work of building a regulated gaming system, why keep making room for casino-style games that sit outside it?
That’s a question lawmakers are being asked more often, and it’s getting harder to dodge.
Sweepstakes Operators Push Back
As expected, sweepstakes companies didn’t stay quiet.
VGW, the company behind Chumba Casino and one of the biggest names in the space, opposed the bill and leaned on arguments lawmakers have heard many times before. A ban, the company warned, would hurt innovation and push players toward less transparent alternatives.
VGW also repeated a familiar talking point: most of its users never spend real money, and free players receive the same gameplay experience as those who do.
The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) reinforced that message, arguing that bans don’t eliminate demand. Instead, they argue that bans drive compliant operators out of a state while offshore and illegal platforms continue operating untouched.
This isn’t a new fight. It’s the same sweepstakes debate lawmakers in other states have already had, and Maine is simply the next stop on the circuit.
Why Now?
Maine didn’t just wake up worried about sweepstakes. The state recently legalized online casino gaming, creating a regulated framework built around oversight, consumer protection, and licensing.
Once that system exists, sweepstakes casinos stop looking like harmless workarounds and start looking like competitors operating outside the rules. And once lawmakers can point to a legal alternative, tolerance drops quickly.
What Comes Next
LD 2007 isn’t law yet. The joint committee plans to hold a policy workshop to dig deeper into how sweepstakes actually work and how they fit into Maine’s gaming ecosystem.
Regulators are watching. Licensed operators are lobbying. Sweepstakes companies are defending their model. And lawmakers are deciding whether Maine wants to draw a hard line.
For now, sweepstakes casinos remain live in Maine. But the state isn’t asking whether these platforms exist anymore. It’s deciding whether they still belong.
Blaise Luis
