State Senate votes to legalize sports betting, and override Mills' veto

File Photo Gov. Janet Mills in January vetoed a bill that would have legalized sports gambling in Maine. But on Thursday, the state Senate voted to override her veto.

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By Staff

The odds of sports betting becoming legal in Maine increased Thursday when the state Senate voted, 20-10, to override a veto by Gov. Janet Mills.

Mills last month nixed legislation that would have allowed online and live wagering on competitive sports, and made Maine one of a growing number of states with this legalized form of gambling.

The governor had held over the bill, LD 553, from the Legislature’s first session. Then, in her Jan. 10 veto letter, she opted for a wait-and-see approach.

“Before Maine joins the frenzy of states hungry to attract this market, I believe we need to examine the issue more clearly, better understand the evolving experiences of other states, and thoughtfully determine the best approach for Maine,” she wrote.

But on Thursday, most senators disagreed in a bipartisan vote.

One of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Louis Luchini, D-Ellsworth, said Maine risked losing potential revenue to states like New Hampshire, where sports betting was legalized in December. In January, about $17 million in legal sports bets were placed there, he said.

Spurred by a 2018 Supreme Court decision that voided a federal ban on most sports betting, states have gone all in. According to ESPN, 14 of them now have legalized sports betting, while another seven have passed laws but not yet legalized it. Another two dozen states are considering legislation.

“The rationale for these bills is largely because the illegal market in the U.S. is massive, as most of us know,” Luchini said. The American Gaming Association estimates that sports bets total $150 billion a year, he noted.

If the Maine legislation is adopted, it would generate taxes and fees of over $5 million a year for the state's General Fund, according to estimates.

But first the House must vote on Mills’ veto. If it's overridden in both chambers, the legislation would become law after a three-month waiting period.