An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Fantasy Contests
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0033
Sponsors: HICKMAN
Amends: 8 MRSA §1101, 8 MRSA §1103, 8 MRSA §1104, 8 MRSA §1105

Legislative Document
No. 33
S.P. 51
In Senate, January 8, 2025
An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Fantasy Contests
Submitted by the Department of Public Safety pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on January 6, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Veterans and Legal Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator HICKMAN of Kennebec.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  8 MRSA §1101, sub-§4, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 303, §2, is amended 
to read:
A.  One Six or more fantasy contestants pay an entry fee to participate;
Sec. 2.  8 MRSA §1101, sub-§9-A is enacted to read:
9-A.  Proposition bet.  "Proposition bet" means a wager made regarding the 
occurrence or nonoccurrence of an event or circumstance during a sports event that is not 
dependent on the final outcome of the sports event, including a contest in which a contestant 
must choose, directly or indirectly, whether an individual athlete or a single team will 
surpass an identified statistical achievement, such as points scored.
Sec. 3.  8 MRSA §1103, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 303, §2, is amended to 
read:
1.  License required.  A person or fantasy contest operator may not offer a fantasy 
contest in the State without first being licensed by the director, except during such time as 
the person's or fantasy contest operator's application for a license is pending before the 
director as provided in subsection 9.
Sec. 4.  8 MRSA §1103, sub-§3, ¶F, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 303, §2, is amended 
to read:
F.  The type and estimated number of fantasy contests to be conducted during the term 
of the license and during any period of operation authorized under subsection 9;
Sec. 5.  8 MRSA §1103, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 303, §2, is amended to 
read:
6.  License fee; term.  The initial and renewal fee for a license for a fantasy contest 
operator that had gross fantasy contest revenues during the 12 months preceding 
application equal to or greater than $100,000 is $2,500 $5,000.  A fantasy contest operator 
that had gross fantasy contest revenues during the 12 months preceding application of less 
than $100,000 is not required to pay a license fee.  Licenses must be renewed annually.
Sec. 6.  8 MRSA §1103, sub-§9, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 303, §2, is repealed.
Sec. 7.  8 MRSA §1104, sub-§2-A is enacted to read:
2-A.  Proposition bets prohibited.  A fantasy contest may not be based on a 
proposition bet or a contest that has the effect of mimicking a proposition bet.
Sec. 8.  8 MRSA §1105, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 303, §2, is amended to 
read:
2.  Allocation of funds.  The director shall collect for deposit to the General Fund 10% 
of gross fantasy contest revenues, including any revenues earned while operating pending 
approval of an application submitted to the director as described in section 1103, subsection 
9, from a fantasy contest operator licensed under this chapter that has gross fantasy contest 
revenues of $100,000 or greater.
SUMMARY
This bill updates the definition of "fantasy contest" to mean a contest in which 6 or 
more contestants pay an entry fee to participate and adds a definition of "proposition bet."  
It also updates the initial and renewal fee for a license for a fantasy contest operator to 
$5,000 and repeals the law allowing a fantasy contest operator to operate a fantasy contest 
while an initial license, license renewal or license transfer is pending.  The bill also 
prohibits fantasy contests based on proposition betting.