The announcement that Maine would become the eighth state to launch an iGaming industry is regarded as positive news for stakeholders in other states who are considering their own online casino gaming legislation.
Maine Could Pave the Way
Although Maine’s decision to legalize online casino gaming is germane only to those residing in or visiting the Pine Tree State, the more states that take advantage of this new revenue stream, the easier it will be for legislators in other states to follow suit.
New York and Virginia are both reintroducing iGaming legislation that did not gain enough traction last year. Meanwhile, Massachusetts and Ohio have also openly discussed the topic and appear ready to consider it again.
Although sports betting is available in either mobile, retail, or both in 38 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., the welcome has not been nearly as warm for iGaming. Now that Maine has approved it, eight of the 50 states will offer an online casino, available 24 hours a day/7 days a week, replete with virtual slots and casino table games, including blackjack, roulette, and many others.
But lawmakers believe iGaming is more addictive than sports betting, and it can also steal business from land-based casinos that pay millions in taxes and employ hundreds, if not thousands, of workers. Yet, if we have learned anything from the increasingly popular sports betting industry, the more states that begin to say yes, the harder it will be for others to say no.
Tribal Chief Says Mills Is the Greatest Governor Ever
Maine Governor Janet Mills has had several months to ponder an online casino gaming bill that she chose not to sign but rather carry forward into the 2026 session. Yet, her earlier statement decrying digital casino gambling served as a bellwether as to the fate of iGaming in Maine.
However, a conversation she had with the Wabanaki tribes over the summer shifted her perspective and convinced her that the iGaming bill being considered, LD 1164, would allow their communities to prosper, as they would be granted exclusive control of the industry, the same as they currently enjoy with mobile sports betting.
“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,” wrote Mills in a statement announcing her decision, “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.”
Tribal Control, Vendor Partnerships, and Tax Structure
The four federally recognized gaming tribes that enjoy a monopoly on mobile sports betting will also be granted the same privilege with iGaming, and it appears as though the same relationships the tribes have established with third-party vendors such as Caesars and DraftKings will apply to their online casino gaming platforms as well. Maine will levy an 18% tax on the tribes’ iGaming revenue.
Chief William Nicholas Sr. of the Passamaquoddy Tribe was effusive in his remarks about Governor Mills, stating, “Our economies are undoubtedly stronger due to positive state policy changes under Governor Mills. Through her leadership over two terms, she has demonstrated an unmatched commitment to tribal self-determination and prosperity, earning her place as the greatest-ever Maine governor champion for Wabanaki economic progress. We are deeply grateful for her partnership and support.”
