Poker Writer
Sweepstakes casinos continue to lose ground as two more states, Indiana and Maine, took significant action to ban them.
Indiana took the more significant step, as Republican Gov. Mike Braun signed Indiana HB 1052 into law on Thursday. The bill passed the House and the Senate in late February, with substantial majorities voting in favor in both chambers. All it needed at that point was Braun’s signature, which he provided promptly.
Gov. Braun’s signature officially bans sweepstakes casinos within the Hoosier State. The law targets online platforms that use dual-currency models in order to simulate casino-style gaming. Slot machines and table games are the bill’s target. For poker players, it includes a carveout that allows sweepstakes companies to continue providing peer-to-peer skill games.
The bill establishes civil and criminal penalties for those who operate illegal games, aiming to eliminate gaps in the law. Operators could face fines up to $100,000 if caught running any sweepstakes casinos.
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Maine Bill on Same Track
Maine is on track to enact a similar ban on sweepstakes casinos, as Senate Bill 207 passed on Thursday. The bill was introduced in December 2025. It seeks to impose fines between $10,000 and $100,000 per violation of the law, which would ban the operation of sweepstakes casinos.
The Maine Senate Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs had a hearing on the bill in February. The 10-member committee voted 8-2 in favor.
The situation in Maine is a bit more urgent, thanks to the state legalizing iGaming in January. Gov. Janet Mills passed LD 1164 to help the Tribal communities in the state.
LD 1164 authorizes the Wabanaki Nations to operate online gambling to support economic development and investments in Tribal communities.
The sweeps industry providing direct competition to legal iGaming makes it likely that the sweeps ban will get full legislative support.
iGaming is not expected to officially launch in Maine until early 2027.
