- Maine becomes the eighth state to legalize online casinos, giving exclusive rights to four tribal nations instead of commercial operators.
- Each tribe can partner with one online casino platform and will pay 16% of revenue to fund problem gambling programs, opioid treatment, and other state services.
- Most Maine voters oppose the move due to concerns about minors accessing gambling sites and rising addiction rates, but the bill still passed and takes effect in April.
AUGUSTA, Maine – Legal online casinos are coming to Maine as it becomes the eighth state to legalize online casino gambling, though it’s taking a pretty unique approach. Governor Janet Mills approved legislation that hands exclusive iGaming rights to the state’s four Wabanaki Nations – the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot tribes.
Mills has never been big on gambling. She’s been pretty vocal for years about her concerns with expanding gaming options in the state. But after meeting with tribal chiefs this fall, her perspective changed. The leaders persuasively argued that this could provide their communities with much-needed income that truly enhances people’s lives.
This is how it operates. Each tribe is given one legal online casino platform. 16% of its total gaming earnings will be sent to the state, which will use it for veterans’ homes, opioid treatment, emergency response funds, housing help, and problem gambling initiatives. Whatever is left over is used to pay the gaming regulator’s operating costs.
This comes after Maine granted tribes the sole ability to perform legal sports betting in 2022. The Passamaquoddy chose DraftKings, while three tribes joined together with Caesars Sportsbook and divided the earnings.
These Maine sportsbooks are essentially using the same strategy for online gambling since they have been operating successfully.
In Opposition
However not everyone is having a good time. Hollywood Casino Bangor and Oxford Casino vigorously retaliated, citing their more than $500 million in tax income over the previous 15 years. They argued that current casino taxes already help tribes. Tribal leaders retaliated by claiming that this was about financial independence and, at last, having control over their own income.
There are other locations besides casinos where the resistance is present. A December 2025 poll found that 64% of Maine voters oppose online gambling because of concerns about kids using their parents’ phones to access gambling sites and the rising rates of addiction. Despite these worries and the fact that no state has permitted iGaming since 2023, the measure was approved.
The law takes effect ninety days after the current legislative session concludes, undoubtedly in April. It remains to be seen if Maine’s tribes will benefit from this risk or if it turns out to be a mistake.
