Maine lawmakers revive effort to legalize online casinos

The revival of the bill has prompted discussions beyond gambling, including reactions to the announcement. This could see the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot tribes, native to the state of Maine, partnering with gambling firms, such as FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM, if the bill is signed.

These partnerships open up conversations about how tribes govern themselves within the country, the fairness of wealth distribution within communities, and how certain parties are pandering to specific demographics to advance their agendas.

Why now?

Introduced originally on March 20, 2025, this proposition moves Legislative Document 1164/House Paper 769 to the Legislature’s House of Representatives and Senate for deliberation.

The bid was brought into action after Governor Janet Mills called a special session, following the Democratic Party's issuance of a two-year budget plan that fell short of the two-thirds majority threshold required.

In the eyes of Maine lawmakers, this bill would represent a new way to raise public funds through taxation in the state.

Tribal-exclusive proposal: Wabanaki nations in focus

This legislation would grant exclusive iGaming rights to the four federally recognized tribes. The tribes would then partner with one commercial iGaming operator, such as big names like FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM.

The proposed bill expands on the existing rights of the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot tribes regarding online casinos within Maine, which were previously granted to them in 2022 by Governor Janet Mills.

Currently, three out of the four aforementioned tribes are partnered with Caesars Sportsbook, and the Passamaquoddy tribe is partnered with DraftKings.

The alleged proposal aligns with the state’s current regulations on sports betting, while also maintaining tribal exclusivity with commercial operators.

What are the projected gains of the bill?

If the bill were to be passed, the Maine economy's projections would see the state benefit from $1.8 million in the first year and $3.6 million in the second. This is a relatively small projected financial gain, considering the state’s budget is in the billions.

Maine would become the eighth state in the country to allow iGaming if the legislation is passed. The seven states that currently permit online gambling in some form are New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, and Nevada*.

State	Year Legalized	Tribal Involvement	Tax Model / Structure	Key Operators
New Jersey	2013	No	~15% on GGR	BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel
Delaware	2012	No	State-run monopoly (888)	888
Pennsylvania	2017	No	54% (slots), 16% (table games)	BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars
West Virginia	2019	No	~15% on GGR	BetRivers, DraftKings, BetMGM
Michigan	2021	Yes (commercial + tribal)	20–28% tiered (commercial); tribal revenue shared	FireKeepers, Golden Nugget, FanDuel
Connecticut	2021	Yes (tribal exclusive)	~18–20% GGR via tribal compacts	Mohegan/FanDuel, Foxwoods/DraftKings
Rhode Island	2024	No	Similar to WV	— (state lottery licensed operators)

* Nevada is a unique case as only online poker is allowed, not full-scale iGaming (slots, tables).

Pushback

There has been some resistance to this bill from opponents, such as Penn Entertainment and Churchill Downs. This is because it could have detrimental effects on their positions within the industry, including factors like customers pulling away from their businesses, projected job losses, and decreased state tax revenues.

The governor has historically taken a negative stance on the expansion of the iGaming industry in Maine and has been skeptical about new online casino-based proposals.

In 2021, Mills vetoed a bill that would have granted tribes the right to participate in online sports betting. Her change of heart has been met with much skepticism.

What next?

If lawmakers accept the proposal, it could correct a historic exclusion of tribes from gambling opportunities within the state. The bill’s mission is to enhance tribal sovereignty and provide new economic opportunities to Native American tribes.

The iGaming industry is keeping a close watch on this legislation and Governor Janet Mills, to see if the state will fold or go all in to change the shape of Maine’s gambling industry.