Several states attempted to pass iGaming legislation in 2025, with some of those proposals being pushed back, including Maine’s, until the 2026 session convenes.
It is unclear as to whether any of the states will pass iGaming measures in the New Year, but some are more promising than others.
Maine’s iGaming Bill on the Line
There is an iGaming measure on the table in Maine, and it is awaiting Governor Janet Mills’ signature. Considering her office publicly objected to the bill during hearings, it is unlikely she will sign on the dotted line within the first three days of the New Year, or she could veto it.
If she does nothing, this bill, LD 1164, which would authorize online casinos under the exclusive control of the Wabanaki Tribes and has been passed in the legislature, would become law. Several proponents of the bill, like Brian Reynolds, the new Tribal Representative for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, testified earlier this year in favor of it.
Tribal Support and Consumer Protection
“Regulating iGaming gives us the tools to enforce safeguards like age verification, betting limits, and addiction resources that the offshore platforms ignore,” Reynold said on the floor. “By bringing this market under Maine’s laws, we’re not only protecting the Maine gaming market, we’re protecting people.”
Should the measure pass either through the governor’s signature or without her express veto, it is unclear whether the tribal gaming communities would use a third-party iGaming platform, ala FanDuel, DraftKings, or any other online casino entity, to launch the new industry at a tax rate of 16% by the state.
Maine Puts Sweepstakes Ban Ahead of iGaming
Maine’s legislative session does not begin until January 7th, but a bill banning sweepstakes using dual currency in Maine was filed on December 5th and has already advanced to committee review.
Senator Craig Hickman, D-Kennebec, sponsored the bill, An Act Regarding the Prohibition of Online Sweepstakes Games (SP 825), and it has been referred to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs.
Milton Champion, executive director of the Gambling Control Unit, issued a June 9th statement that read, “No online casino, iGaming, or sweepstakes site is authorized to operate in Maine.”
The proposal by Senator Hickman is an attempt to legislate Champion’s dictate, and the bill states the following: “A person that operates or promotes an online sweepstakes game or supports the operation or promotion of an online sweepstakes game commits a civil violation.”
The measure goes on to say, “A person is guilty of unlawful gambling if the person operates or promotes an online sweepstakes game or supports the operation or promotion of an online sweepstakes game.”
Similar Online Sweepstakes Bans in Other States
Maine is not unique in its attempt to ban online sweepstakes, as similar measures have been advanced in New York, Massachusetts, and Indiana, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an online sweepstakes ban into law on December 5th.
The issue concerning these dual-currency sweepstakes platforms is that they are initially free but then allow customers to purchase tokens to continue to play, much like they would an online casino. If they win, they can cash in their tokens for US currency. Legislators believe this is a way to circumvent license requirements and taxes paid to the jurisdictions in which they operate.
