Maine
Maine sports betting revenue bounces back despite handle dip in April
Sports betting revenue in Maine climbed 51.9% month-on-month to $4.1m (£3.3m/€3.8m), halting three consecutive months of decline in the state, despite a fall in player spending.
Adjusted gross receipts from sports betting in April was comfortably higher than $2.7m in March. Incidentally, March’s total was the lowest monthly amount since Maine launched legal sports wagering in November last year.
Maine calculates adjusted gross receipts by subtracting voided and cancelled bets, federal excise tax and player winnings from handle. Void bets in April totalled $173,638, with federal excise tax at $93,326, and player winnings $33.9m.
The revenue increase came despite a 19.5% drop in total handle to $38.3m. Players in Maine wagered $47.6m in March, a monthly record for the state.
DraftKings out in front in Maine
At present, sports betting is only available through two licensed operators in Maine: Caesars and DraftKings. To date, DraftKings has eclipsed Caesars, drawing significantly more wagers and turning a much higher revenue.
In April, DraftKings, partnered with the Passamaquoddy tribe, generated $3.8m in adjusted gross receipts. This came after players wagered $31.6m through the partnership.
Turning to Caesars, the operator is working with three Wabanaki nations: the Houlton band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq nation and Penobscot nation. Caesars posted $342,841 in adjusted gross receipts during April from $6.7m in bets.
As for the calendar year to date, adjusted gross receipts in Maine for the four months to April stands at $16.5m. Players have wagered a total of $157.8m.
Maine misses out on online casino
Despite the recent introduction of legal sports betting, Maine had no such success in also launching online casino.
Talks were ongoing with tribes to roll out online casino in the state, with a bill having been put forward to pave the way to a legal market.
However, last month, the bill was declared all-but dead. In an unusual move, after the bill tribes failed to pass the house, it was still moved over to the senate. A day later, the senate declined to pass the proposal and then voted to table the issue.
This meant it could technically revisit the bill before the end of the session. However, the bill eventually died between houses in mid-April.
The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition says over the past two weeks its immigrant defense hotline has seen an uptick in reported ICE detentions.
They say this corresponds with a national shift in ICE activity, including bids for local businesses to cooperate with ICE.
In Maine, the arrests follow a broader trend of targeting Black and brown immigrants, including people navigating immigration proceedings.
The coalition, which represents more than 100 organizations, says it’s ready to protect civil and human rights and is urging immigrants to prepare themselves and their families.
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They suggest having the defense hotline ready in case you witness ICE activity, making sure you have important personal documents in case of detention, and reviewing rights around judicial warrants in private spaces, like your home or workplace.
It wouldn’t be Mother’s Day without a stop at the florist.
According to Fox Business, about 154 million flowers are sold during the week of Mother’s Day. So it’s safe to say it was a busy day for stores like Estabrook’s Maine Garden Center and Nursery.
Plenty of families stopped by to pick out flowers on Sunday, looking to choose the perfect bouquet for their moms.
“I think Mother’s Day is tradition, you know, and so it’s great to see families here. We have a lot of new families that have come today for the first time with their young children and their mother. Watching the young kids and seeing how excited they are—their eyes light up at all the beautiful flowers,” Tom Estabrook, president of Estabrook’s, said.
Estabrook says Mother’s Day tends to be a great kickoff to the spring season.
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