Maine is ready to grow to be the eighth U.S. state to authorize real-money on-line on line casino gaming after Gov. Janet Mills introduced Thursday that she is going to permit LD 1164 handed final session to take impact with out her signature.
“I thought of this invoice fastidiously, and whereas I’ve issues concerning the impacts of playing on public well being, I consider that this new type of playing ought to be regulated,” Mills wrote in a press release saying her resolution, “and I’m assured that Maine’s Playing Management Unit will develop accountable guidelines and requirements to carry suppliers of this new type of playing accountable whereas making certain that Maine’s tribes profit from its operations.”
The legislation grants Maine’s 4 federally acknowledged tribes unique rights to function on-line on line casino gaming, with every tribe permitted to companion with one third-party operator. Two of the tribes have already aligned with Caesars and DraftKings, giving these corporations an early benefit if and when iGaming launches within the state. DraftKings was among the many restricted variety of operators that testified in assist of the laws.
There isn’t a official launch timeline. Implementation will rely on the event of regulatory guidelines and licensing approvals, a course of anticipated to take months. That might be quick, contemplating that throughout the pond, the method of building a complete authorized framework for on-line UK on line casino and the Playing Act 2005 being absolutely operational took roughly two years. That being stated, one is a state, the opposite a complete nation, so the dimensions is kind of completely different.
Tribal-Solely Framework Attracts Business and Regulatory Pushback
The invoice superior regardless of objections from the Maine Playing Management Board, which oversees the Playing Management Unit however wouldn’t regulate iGaming underneath the brand new legislation. In a letter despatched to the governor final month, the board warned that the tribal-only construction might injury Maine’s current on line casino trade.
“Chopping out Oxford and Hollywood Casinos solely from providing iGaming is ill-advised and creates a monopoly that’s dangerous to customers and the Maine staff employed by Oxford and Hollywood Casinos,” the board wrote. “Moreover, eradicating on line casino video games from the regulatory authority of the Playing Management Board violates Maine legislation and renders the Board successfully ineffective.”
A number of main industrial operators additionally opposed the invoice, together with FanDuel, Fanatics, and BetMGM. FanDuel’s Michael Ventre testified final yr that the proposal “wouldn’t create the wholesome, regulated market that we’ve got seen in lots of different states.”
Maine’s two industrial casinos — Oxford On line casino Lodge & Sportsbook and Hollywood On line casino Bangor — have been among the many most vocal opponents. Churchill Downs, which operates Oxford On line casino, is a member of the Nationwide Affiliation Towards iGaming, an advocacy group that claims robust public opposition to on-line on line casino enlargement.
Mills Cites Tribal Sovereignty and Financial Impression
Mills’ resolution marked a shift from her prior stance on playing enlargement. She has repeatedly expressed skepticism about including new types of playing throughout her time in workplace. That place softened after conferences with tribal leaders.
“This fall, I met with the 5 elected Chiefs of the Wabanaki Nations, who every spoke passionately concerning the significance of this invoice in providing life-changing income for Tribal communities, in addition to offering a type of financial sovereignty for his or her Nations,” Mills stated. “I thought of this invoice fastidiously, and whereas I’ve issues concerning the impacts of playing on public well being, I consider that this new type of playing ought to be regulated, and I’m assured that Maine’s Playing Management Unit will develop accountable guidelines and requirements to carry suppliers of this new type of playing accountable whereas making certain that Maine’s tribes profit from its operations.”
Mills added that it has “at all times been my robust need to work with Tribal leaders to enhance the lives and livelihoods of the Wabanaki Nations.”
Beneath the laws, on-line casinos will share a portion of their gross gaming income with the state, with funds earmarked for downside playing companies, emergency response applications, opioid use dysfunction remedy, veterans’ properties, housing aid, and administrative prices.
Nationwide iGaming Debate Continues Past Maine
Maine’s transfer comes as a number of different states revisit on-line on line casino laws in 2026. Lawmakers in New York and Virginia have reintroduced proposals that failed to achieve traction in prior periods. If authorized, New York would create essentially the most profitable iGaming market within the nation.
Virginia lawmakers are additionally renewing efforts after shelving the same push final yr. Their proposal would permit every of the state’s 5 licensed casinos to function as much as three cell on line casino partnerships.
These efforts be part of ongoing discussions in Ohio, Massachusetts, and Illinois, the place iGaming has confronted repeated political and regulatory hurdles. Whereas 39 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have legalized some type of sports activities betting, on-line on line casino gaming has confirmed far tougher to go.
Seven states at present permit real-money iGaming, although solely a handful function aggressive markets. Regardless of restricted availability, on-line on line casino gaming generated $8.4 billion in gross gaming income in 2024, outpacing the income of authorized sportsbooks as a result of greater margins and tax charges.
That monetary efficiency has not eased political resistance. Critics from each events proceed to explain on-line casinos as “a slot machine in each pocket,” citing issues over dependancy, entry, and round the clock availability.
For now, Maine joins a small however rising group of states prepared to check tribal-led iGaming fashions, at the same time as comparable proposals elsewhere stay stalled by acquainted issues.
