Gamblers in Maine are making use of new online betting, with nearly $239 million in wagers in the first six months.

Milton Champion, executive director of the state’s gambling control unit, said Friday that he found betting operations have gone smoothly since online betting began in November 2023. That includes high-volume periods such as the Super Bowl and NCAA March Madness.

“In all avenues of oversight, the operators have been very cooperative, and just great to work with,” he said.

Gov. Janet Mills granted Maine’s federally recognized Native American tribes’ exclusive rights to operate online sports betting, with 10% of the tribes’ adjusted revenues going to the state. 

The state unit’s data on revenues is split between two vendors: Boston-based DraftKings, which the Passamaquoddy tribe selected for its vendor, and Caesar’s Sportsbook, of Reno, Nevada, the vendor used by the Penobscot Nation, Maliseets and Mi’kmaq.

Overall, DraftKings brought in the most, with just over $197 million in gross receipts alone from November 2023 through April 2024. After nearly $178 million in winnings payouts, federal taxes and other fees, the Passamaquoddy Tribe earned a net receipt of more than $23 million. Of that, state taxes added up to $2.3 million.

Caesars secured $42.8 million in gross revenues from November 2023 through April 2024. The Penobscot Nation, Maliseets and Mi’kmaq split nearly $2.3 million after paying out $40.5 million in payouts, fees and federal taxes. State revenues from Caesars totaled more than $229,600.

Between both vendors, state revenues since November 2023 totaled more than $2.5 million. 

Champion said it will take a full single calendar year to truly grasp whether the venture into online sports betting will earn Maine what officials are estimating in terms of tax revenue. 

Initial estimates, Champion said, ranged from $3.8 million to as high as $6.9 million.

“I’d been leaning a little bit more toward the six,” Champion said, but acknowledged that $3.8 million is more realistic.

So far, Champion said, revenues are on track to at least beat the $3.8 million estimate. For the first four months of 2024, he said, state revenues add up to $1.6 million. If the trend continues, he said, that could make for as much as $4.8 million for the year. 

Whether that will happen, Champion said, remains to be seen. The first four months of the year, he noted, are particularly busy for sports gambling.

“I’m going to be really interested to see how those summer months work out as well,” he said.

With 2024 being an Olympic year, Champion said betting on the Olympics might give online betting a boost this year. 

There is little indication that the first six months of online betting have had an impact on gambling addiction.  

A spokesperson from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention noted that its Office of Substance Abuse Problem Gambling indicated there was no sign of an uptick in calls for assistance due to online sports betting.

Champion said his office also monitors systems for self-exclusion. Similar to gambling casinos, he said customers who fear they are gambling too much can volunteer to haver online betting vendors block them from using the service. So far, he said, only four people have asked to be excluded.

The claim: Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows convicted of treason, sentenced to death

A May 20 Real Raw News article claims Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows faces serious legal trouble for a decision she made against former President Donald Trump. 

“The U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps convicted and sentenced to death Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows on Wednesday for intentionally misconstruing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution to stop President Trump’s name from appearing on the state’s primary ballot last December,” the article begins.

The article was shared more than 100 times on Facebook according to CrowdTangle, a social media analytics tool. 

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Our rating: False

There is no credible evidence Bellows was ever charged with a crime, much less convicted of one and sentenced. She appeared in public after the date of her supposed arrest. Real Raw News frequently publishes false claims about the arrests of high-profile figures.

Bellows targeted with swatting call for ballot decision, but arrest claim is baseless

In December 2023, Maine voters challenged Trump’s nomination petition, saying he engaged in insurrection against the U.S. for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

After a hearing, Bellows decided that Trump was ineligible to appear on the ballot due to Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars people from holding several public offices if they took an oath to support the Constitution and later “shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same.”

Bellows became the second secretary of state to remove Trump, following Jena Griswold of Colorado. However, she reversed that move in March after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Colorado’s objection.

But claims that she was arrested for her initial decision are baseless. Bellows has been seen in public after May 15, the date of her supposed arrest.

She appeared in a livestreamed interview May 17 with The Maine Monitor, a nonpartisan publication affiliated with the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting. The nearly hour-long interview covered the election process in the state.

Emily Cook, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office, told USA TODAY the Real Raw News story is “just fiction.”

Fact check: No ban on face masks in North Carolina – yet. Vote sends bill to House 

While Bellows hasn’t been arrested, she did face backlash for her initial decision. On Dec. 29, 2023, her home was swatted – an illegal practice that involves making a phony call for help to cause a large number of police officers to respond to the home.

Bellows wrote about the situation in an Instagram post the following day and noted that her address had also been publicized online.

Real Raw News is a serial spreader of misinformation that often publishes fabricated stories about “white hats” trying to undermine “the deep state” by arresting government officials. USA TODAY has previously debunked numerous other claims about the arrests of high-profile figures stemming from Real Raw News. 

USA TODAY reached out to Real Raw News but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

• Emily Cook, May 24, Email exchange with USA TODAY
• Maine Department of the Secretary of State, Dec. 28, 2023, Maine Secretary of State Decision in Challenge to Trump Presidential Primary Petitions
• Maine Department of the Secretary of State (YouTube), Dec. 15, 2023, Hearing Regarding Challenges to Trump Primary Nomination Petition
• The Maine Monitor, accessed May 24, About Us

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.

Madison Michaud of Gorham, looks to control a pass during a Maine Footy game last season. Michaud, who plays collegiately at the University of Maine, is one of six players returning for Maine Footy’s second season. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

SOUTH PORTLAND — After having a good experience playing for Maine Footy in its inaugural season, Monmouth’s Audrey Fletcher was happy to rejoin the team this summer.

“Last year, I loved how everyone took it seriously and we were all there for the same reason. I grew as a player and a teammate and that encouraged me to come back,” Fletcher said.

Maine Footy, which goes by The Tide, opened the season on May 18 with a 3-1 loss to New England Mutiny in Ludlow, Massachusetts. Maine Footy takes on Worcester Fuel FC on Saturday night in Franklin, Massachusetts. The home opener is June 1 at Deering High’s Memorial Stadium against Worcester Fuel FC.

The Tide are a member of United Women’s Soccer, a league made up of 44 teams across the country, up from 40 last season. Maine Footy is one of 18 teams in the East division. Each team’s roster is made up of college players, and the league prides itself on being a pathway to professional soccer. On the league’s web page, it boasts that seven of the first 10 players selected in National Women’s Soccer League draft were United Women’s Soccer alumni.

Of the 22 players on the The Tide roster, eight are from Maine. Aside from Maine, seven states and six foreign countries are represented on the roster. Six players returned to the team from last season, including Fletcher, who transferred to the University of Southern Maine after previously playing collegiate soccer at the University of Maine at Farmington, and Gorham’s Madison Michaud, who plays at the University of Maine.

“Last year was a very good introduction to playing with people from outside of Maine. This year, I feel like we’re more of a diverse team. We have people from all over the country and international (players),” Michaud said. “We kind of have something to build on from last year. We’re all working towards that common goal, all trying to get better.”

Also back is head coach Will Pike. The men’s soccer coach at St. Joseph’s College, Pike said after learning the league last season, this season is about getting the team to jell quickly.

“Every player has their own (college) system. Getting them all on the same page is probably the hardest part. It’s not hard, but you have to do it quickly,” Pike said. “They’re all pretty professional. The biggest thing is, how fast can I get the chemistry of the team going, knowing the league now.”

Young players join Maine Footy players before their inaugural game last season. The Tide is entering its second season and will continue to make community outreach a priority. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

The Tide finished in fifth place in the 17-team East Conference last season, falling to Sporting Connecticut in the first round of the playoffs. While that was a strong season for a first-year program, Pike said the goal this season is to earn a top four regular-season finish and host a playoff game.

“I think we have a huge level of talent,” said Wells native Emma Badger, who plays collegiately at Florida Gulf Coast University. “I think it’s a really competitive environment. There’s a lot of potential. It’s exciting.”

Like last season, Maine Footy has a focus on community outreach. The club has a series of soccer clinics scheduled at St. Joseph’s College from June 17-21 for high school players. The Tide Rising girls camp for players U9 to U14 is scheduled June 24-28 at Cheverus High School.

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