Online casinos now legal in US state of Maine, how they will work
Maine Governor Janet Mills has announced she will allow LD 1164 to become law after meeting with tribal leaders who expressed support for legalizing online casinos, making online casinos legal in the US state of Maine starting in 2026.
Physical and in-person gambling is already legal in Maine, but the state has no online casino platforms because they have remained illegal to date. Lawmakers had proposed multiple measures over the years to attempt to legalize mobile betting and gambling, but none had gained sufficient traction to make it into law.
LD 1164 proposed a state-wide legalization of iGaming, and Maine will now have online casinos, but with a caveat, and this measure was the one to finally pass.
Online casinos legalized in Maine with tribal-exclusive licenses
Governor Mills’s meeting with Maine tribal leaders ended with the latter supporting the legalization of online betting in 2026 and beyond to generate more revenue and better the state’s economic prospects. Online casinos have previously been banned in Maine, but players have used offshore alternatives, causing the state to lose out on potential tax revenue and putting players at further risk by exposing them to unregulated options.
Legislative Document 1164 gives Maine’s four federally recognized tribes, including the Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Mi’kmaq Nation, and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians exclusive rights to run regulated online casino platforms within the state.
Image credit: Canva
Maine will now only allow four online casino operators, one for each tribe, who can individually operate online casinos or partner with a third-party operator. This model is similar to Maine’s sports betting framework, where the tribes have partnered with other operators such as DraftKings.
There will be an 18% tax on online casino operators’ revenues. The state estimated mobile casinos will bring in approximately $1.8 million in taxes in the first year and over $3 million in each successive year after that. Online casinos will be regulated under both tribal and state authorities, following the existing sports betting model in the state.
LD 1164 faced significant pushback from some Maine lawmakers, who argued that passing it would allow tribes a monopoly over the business of online betting sites in the US state, with the state’s commercial casinos, Hollywood Casino and Oxford Casino, being left out in the cold. Commercial operators also opposed the bill during the legislative process, alleging that the bill would not be able to replicate the regulated online casino markets of other US states.
Despite that feedback on the bill, it has ultimately passed, but that doesn’t mean the very next step is for Maine’s operators is to launch their own online betting platforms. The state must first draft rules for licensing, platforms, responsible gambling, and partnerships. Once rules and regulations are in place, tribes will be able to select their partners and apply for licenses.
This process may take a few months or even up to a year, and 2027 is a more realistic timeline by which players in Maine will be able to participating in regulated online casino play.
Maine isn’t the only US state pushing to legalize these practices, as other states such as New York and Virginia also have active legislation as of early 2026 with the aim of attempting to allow regulated iGaming.
Feature image credit: Canva
Khizar Mundia has been playing video games for as long as he can recall. Things have come a long way since the many days he spent playing the original NES, though. He now covers a variety of competitive games and esports, as well as the world of streaming, ranging from Twitch to Kick. If it’s of interest to gamers, it’s of interest to Khizar.
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