Maine’s Online Casino Legislation Awaits Governor’s Approval

This bill has cleared both chambers of the legislature and grants exclusive online casino rights to Maine’s four tribal nations, which include:

• Passamaquoddy Tribe
• Penobscot Nation
• Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians
• Mi’kmaq Nation

Under this bill, the state of Maine would receive a portion of the revenue generated by online casinos. Specifically, the state expects to receive 18% of the gross revenue, an estimated $1.8 million in its first year of operation.

The bill could soon pave the way for legalized online gambling in Maine, just months after it looked like it wasn’t going to happen. If the new bill is approved, Maine will become the eighth state in the U.S. to allow online casinos.

Awaiting Governor Mills’ Decision

The online casino bill now awaits the next critical step: approval from Governor Janet Mills. With the bill on her desk, Governor Mills has a few options. She can:

1. Sign the bill into law
2. Allow it to become law without her signature
3. Veto it

Given that the Governor’s administration, along with the Maine Gambling Control Unit and Gambling Control Board, testified against the bill earlier this legislative session, it remains uncertain how she will proceed. Governor Mills has a 10-day window to make her decision.

Governor Mills has rejected gambling bills before. In 2020, two years before she approved legal sports betting, she turned down the idea after it had passed the legislature. In 2021, she also stopped a proposal that would have let the Wabanaki tribes open casinos or other gambling businesses on their lands.

The progress of this bill is also tied to the state’s budget through appropriations. Before any of the proposed changes can take effect, funding must be finalized to support the regulatory framework. This means that the bill’s future is partially dependent on financial allocations that are yet to be settled. Less than 10% of bills that made it onto the “appropriations table” this year became law.

Potential Timeline for Online Casino Launch in Maine

If LD 1164 becomes law, whether by direct approval or lack of a veto, significant groundwork will be needed before any online casinos can start operating.

The Maine Gambling Control Unit will have to develop licensing rules and regulatory guidelines. Tribal nations will then need to apply for these licenses and select their online platform partners. With these steps involved, it’s likely that the first legal online casinos in Maine might not launch until late 2025 or early 2026.

Current State of Online Gambling in Maine

Currently, you can’t legally play casino games for money online in Maine, but you can bet on sports, play fantasy sports, and do advance deposit wagering—all of which are regulated by the state. Maine is trying to join this list of seven states that have legal online casino gambling, including:

1. Delaware: The first state to legalize in 2012, offering various online games.
2. New Jersey: Legal since 2013, it has a well-established market.
3. West Virginia: Introduced online casinos in 2019, along with sports betting and poker.
4. Pennsylvania: Legalized in 2017, providing a range of casino games and poker.
5.  Michigan: Entered the market in 2021, quickly growing in online casino and poker offerings.
6.  Connecticut: Legalized online gambling in 2021, including sports betting, casino games, and poker.
7. Rhode Island: Added online casinos to its iGaming portfolio in 2024.

There are other states at various stages of the legislative process, with Maryland, Indiana, Wyoming, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Virginia drawing the most attention as potential new markets for legal online casinos in the near future.

The History: How Maine Got Here

Maine has been discussing the idea of legalizing online casino gambling for several years, but efforts intensified in 2023 and 2024.

Previously, a bill called LD 1777 aimed to give the state’s tribes exclusive rights to run online casinos. That bill nearly passed but was ultimately defeated, despite last-minute efforts to allow a public vote on it.

This year, lawmakers began debating LD 1164, which is similar to Maine’s current sports betting law that also gives tribes exclusive rights. The central question has always been about who gets to control online gambling.

Supporters of the bill argue that granting the four recognized tribes—Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, and Mi’kmaq Nation—exclusive rights could generate significant revenue and create job opportunities for these communities. They believe that legalizing online casinos would turn a currently illegal activity into a regulated one, generating tax revenue. It could also help fund community programs, like those for addiction prevention, and might achieve success similar to online sports betting in 2024.

On the other hand, the state’s two commercial casinos—Hollywood Casino in Bangor and Oxford Casino in Oxford—express concerns. They worry it might hurt their business and result in job losses. Opponents fear it could create a monopoly for the tribes and lead to increased gambling addiction. They believe that the public should have a say in any decision to expand gambling laws.

Deciding the future of online casinos in Maine involves potential economic benefits, honoring tribal rights, and the broader landscape of gambling in the state. What the governor decides and how lawmakers respond will be crucial and could influence the gambling scene throughout New England.