Does Maine law prohibit debit card purchases of lottery tickets? | Fact brief

Maine law does not prohibit debit card purchases of lottery tickets or restrict which types of payment ticket sellers can accept.

Individual retailers may restrict customers to cash-only ticket purchases to avoid paying card processing fees, but it isn’t required by law.

The Maine State Lottery sells tickets through a network of licensed retailers and vending machines located throughout the state, in addition to sales via the lottery office itself.

In the 2024 calendar year, the most recent for which figures are available, the lottery generated $413.8 million in ticket sales. Annual sales have exceeded $400 million since 2021.

Since its inception in 1974, the Maine State Lottery has paid out more than $2.2 billion in prizes, ranging from as little as 50 cents to more than $9 million. It has transferred more than $1.24 billion to Maine’s General Fund.