Maine will become the eighth U.S. state to legalise regulated real-money online casino gambling after Governor Janet Mills said on Thursday she would allow a bill granting exclusive rights to the state’s federally recognised tribes to become law without her signature.
The legislation, known as LD 1164, gives the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the Mi’kmaq Nation, also known as the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, the sole authority to operate online casino gaming in Maine. Each tribe may partner with one licensed platform provider, with annual licence fees set at $50,000 per platform.
Online casino gaming could begin 90 days after the adjournment of the upcoming legislative session.
Mills said she decided to support the bill after meeting with five elected chiefs of the Wabanaki Nations, who described the measure as critical for economic sovereignty and a source of “life-changing revenue” for tribal communities.
“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,” Mills said in a statement. She added that she was confident the Maine Gambling Control Unit would develop responsible rules and standards “while ensuring that Maine’s tribes benefit from its operations.”
“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.
Tribal leaders welcomed the decision, calling it a milestone for self-determination and economic development. Passamaquoddy Chief William Nicholas Sr. said Mills’ support marked “an economic turning point for the Passamaquoddy people and for all Wabanaki Nations,” adding that tribal economies were “undoubtedly stronger due to positive state policy changes under Governor Mills.”
Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis said revenues from online casino gaming would fund essential governmental services and benefit neighbouring rural communities.
The bill faced opposition from state regulators and anti-gambling groups. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maine Gambling Control Board raised concerns about addiction risks, workforce impacts and the expansion of online gambling.
The Maine Gambling Control Board had previously objected to excluding Maine’s existing brick-and-mortar casinos from online gaming, arguing that “cutting out Oxford and Hollywood Casinos entirely from offering iGaming is ill-advised and creates a monopoly that is harmful to consumers and the Maine workers employed by Oxford and Hollywood Casinos.”
The National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG) criticised Mills’ decision, saying it represented “a clear break from the Governor’s previously stated position.” The group argues Mills disregarded 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.”
NAAiG said recent polling showed online casino gaming was broadly unpopular with Maine voters and accused Mills of reversing her stance during a U.S. Senate campaign. “The timing of this decision cannot be ignored,” the group said, adding that it was difficult to view this decision “as anything other than a political calculation rather than a policy driven by evidence or public interest.”
The group said it plans to pursue a people’s veto to overturn the law at the ballot box. “We will not accept this decision quietly, and we will ensure the people of Maine have the final say,” it said.
Under the new law, the state will receive 18% of gross online casino receipts, with funds earmarked for gambling addiction prevention and treatment, opioid use prevention and treatment, Maine Veterans’ Homes, the Fund for Healthy Maine, school renovation loans and emergency housing relief.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/01/09/117058-maine-to-legalise-online-casino-gambling-through-exclusive-agreement-with-state-tribes
