Adam Roarty is a journalist covering sports betting, regulation, and industry innovation for CasinoBeats. His coverage includes tax increases in the UK, covering breaking stories in the ever-evolving landscape of US betting such as the...
Read Full BioMaine is poised to become the eighth state to legalize online casinos, following the approval of legislation. Governor Janet Mills said she is ready to sign the bill, despite previously voicing opposition.
The Maine Gambling Board requested that Mills veto the bill, but in a change of stance, the Governor released a statement on Thursday saying she would approve the legislation.
Mills stated, “I considered this bill carefully, and while I have concerns about the impacts of gambling on public health, I believe that this new form of gambling should be regulated, and I am confident that Maine’s Gambling Control Unit will develop responsible rules and standards to hold providers of this new form of gambling accountable while ensuring that Maine’s tribes benefit from its operations.”
Bill Offers ‘Life-Changing’ Revenue to Tribes
The bill, titled “An Act to Create Economic Opportunity for the Wabanaki Nations Through Internet Gaming,” legalizes online casinos with tribal exclusivity.
Mills added, “It has always been my strong desire to work with Tribal leaders to improve the lives and livelihoods of the Wabanaki Nations, and it is my hope that this new revenue will do just that.”
She said she met with the Wabanaki Nation tribal leaders, “who each spoke passionately about the importance of this bill in offering life-changing revenue for Tribal communities.”
Under the bill’s terms, the tribes will pay 18% of revenue in taxes to the state, which is estimated to generate $1.8 million in the first year, rising to over $3 million annually thereafter.
Gaming Control Board Opposes Plans
The Gaming Control Board stated that it wanted legalization to include the state’s commercial casinos and warned that excluding them would result in job losses.
In a hearing last year, the board’s chair Steve Silver commented, “Oxford and Hollywood Casinos employ nearly 1,000 Mainers. Legalizing iGaming without permitting them to participate will lead to job cuts — I am willing to bet on it.”
Oxford Casino representative Dan Walker added, “This bill would create a gaming monopoly for the Wabanaki Nations with little economic benefit to Maine.”
The Board also warned that children could participate in iGaming, writing, “The most poignant argument against iGaming revolves around the inability of online casino companies to stop teenagers and children from accessing iGaming on their and their parents’ phones.”
NAAiG Criticizes Governor
The National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG) stated that it was “deeply disappointed” with Gov. Mills’ decision to approve the legislation. The organization released a statement noting, “This decision represents a clear break from the Governor’s previously stated position and disregards overwhelming public opposition, expert warnings from her own regulators, and a proven gaming framework that has delivered meaningful benefits to Maine communities and tribal nations for more than a decade.”
It went on to add that public opinion opposes iGaming, citing a recent poll in which 65% of respondents said they do not want to legalize it. This decreased to 54% when people were informed that online casinos would only be legalized through the state’s tribes.
Maine is the first state in over two years to legalize online casinos, following Rhode Island, which launched its market last year. The NAAiG says, “Maine’s action is a striking outlier at a time when states across the country are exercising increased caution.”
Other states with legal online casinos include:
- Delaware — first to legalize in 2012 (sites launched 2013).
- New Jersey — legal since 2013.
- Pennsylvania — launched online casinos in 2019.
- West Virginia — iGaming began in 2020.
- Michigan — launched in 2021.
- Connecticut — legalized in 2021.
- Rhode Island — legalized in 2023 and went live in March 2024.
While no other state has passed legislation since Rhode Island, a bill was filed this week in New York proposing to allow the state’s licensed gambling operators to launch online casino platforms. Lawmakers in Virginia have also introduced legislation that would bring iGaming to the state.
The NAAiG will oppose any plans to expand online casinos to other states and also said it will continue fighting against Maine’s proposal. The organization ended its statement by writing, “We will not accept this decision quietly, and we will ensure the people of Maine have the final say.”
