Maine Governor Janet Mills approved legislation to authorise online casinos in the state, according to a media report. The bill had faced setbacks after its introduction in April 2025; the report said it was due to be passed at the start of the new legislative session.
The reported approval would establish online casino legislation in Maine, a new state market for operators and suppliers.
The day’s most important stories, free. One email a day.
A Maine judge granted the four Wabanaki tribes’ motion to intervene in Oxford Casino Hotel’s lawsuit challenging the state’s online casino law. Oxford alleges the law creates an unlawful race-based monopoly; the tribes argue their exclusive rights stem from their sovereign political status. The lawsuit seeks to block the law, while the article reports platforms could launch next year if it proceeds.
A federal judge allowed Maine’s Wabanaki Nations to intervene as defendants in Churchill Downs’ challenge to the state’s tribal online gaming law. Churchill Downs argues that granting the tribes exclusive online gaming rights violates state and federal equal-protection clauses; the tribes will be able to defend the law in court.
Maine lawmakers passed LD 2080 on 25 March, sending the bill to Governor Janet Mills for consideration. If signed, it would bar sports betting and internet gaming operators from accepting credit-card-funded wagers and require regulators to ensure the restriction applies across digital and retail channels.
Oxford Casino, owned by Churchill Downs, sued Maine over LD 1164, which reserves online casino operation to the state’s four federally recognised tribes. The casino alleges the law violates constitutional protections and seeks to block its implementation; the case remains ongoing, with no final decision reported.
Maine Governor Janet Mills said she would allow a bill giving the state’s four tribes exclusive online casino operating rights to become law. The measure takes effect three months after the legislature adjourns on 15 April and sets an 18% tax on iGaming revenue; the Maine Gambling Control Board had urged Mills to veto it.