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Underdog Sports is out of Maine after deciding not to renew its gaming license in the state.
The daily fantasy sports company is no longer offering daily fantasy sports in the Pine Tree State, one of five companies that recently decided to cease their offerings in the state according to the Maine Gambling Control Unit.
Underdog’s exit comes nearly six months after it was fined close to $400,000 by the state for allegedly offering illegal fantasy games.
Six daily fantasy sports operators remains
Underdog Sports was one of five operators that decided not to renew their licenses in the state. The other four operators leaving Maine are as follows:
- DataForce
- Bid Ventures
- Boom Shakalaka
- Sports Hub Games Network
An Underdog Sports spokesperson said the company’s exit from Maine was simply a business decision.
“In states across the country, we make business decisions on where to offer our games, and we chose to not pursue a renewal of our fantasy sports license in Maine,” the spokesperson told Saturday Down South.
The remaining daily fantasy sports operators in Maine are Draftkings, FanDuel, Fantasy Football Players Championship, Sports Hub Games Network, Yahoo Fantasy Sports, RealTime Fantasy Sports, and Certamen Games.
Underdog reported $1.07 million in gross revenue daily fantasy sports revenue in 2023, which resulted in more than $107,000 in tax revenue for Maine.
In total, all daily fantasy sports operators contributed $3.2 million in gross revenue for 2023, which led to more than $320,000 in daily fantasy sports tax revenue for the year. DraftKings had the most successful year, reported more than $1.6 million in gross revenue in 2023.
Underdog fined by Maine in late 2023
Underdog’s departure comes six months after the Maine Gambling Control Unit fined the daily fantasy sports operator nearly $400,000 for offering its pick’em games in the state.
The Maine Gambling Control Unit issued a $391,850 fine to Underdog Fantasy for allegedly offering illegal fantasy games in the state in late October 2023. Maine gambling regulators took aim at Underdog Fantasy’s pick’em games in May 2023 sending the operator a cease-and-desist letter.
Underdog ceased its pick’em games in the state after receiving the fine.
Pick ‘Em style DFS games involve customers playing against the house and making over-under type selections on a combination of statistical outcomes for athletes.
The initial complaint to Underdog Fantasy over the summer noted that the Pick ‘Em style games did not meet the Maine definition of a fantasy contest, which is a simulated game or contest where fantasy contestants compete against each other by using their knowledge and skill to select and manage a team roster.
Robert is an expert on sports betting in the United States, specifically the legalization process and regulation surrounding the industry.
