Governor Janet Mills has announced that she will sign a bill to give state tribes a monopoly on online casinos, making Maine the eighth state in the U.S. to legalize iGaming....
Maine Governor delays action on the tribal iGaming bill
Maine Governor Janet Mills has taken no action on the bill that would significantly expand the online gambling rights of the Wabanaki Nations tribe.
Legislative Document 1164 (LD 1164) has passed both chambers of the Maine Legislature and would authorize the Wabanaki Nations to operate online casino platforms.
However, Governor Mills didn’t sign the bill before the legislature’s adjournment on June 25, which could result in what’s called a “pocket veto,” nullifying the bill.
According to her administration, Mills reviews 60 bills that were left undecided when the legislative session ended. Her staff ensures that all pending legislation will receive full and fair evaluation.
LD 1164 builds upon the precedent set by Maine’s 2022 law that granted the Wabanaki Nations exclusive rights to offer online sports betting within the state. The new measure would extend those rights to include online casino gaming.
Under the bill, tribes would be allowed to partner with third-party vendors to build and manage mobile and desktop platforms for iGaming operations.
Despite legislative approval, the Mills administration had earlier expressed opposition during committee hearings. Administration officials raised multiple concerns, most notably the potential displacement of jobs at Maine’s two existing commercial casinos in Bangor and Oxford. They also voiced worry about the long-term viability of the state’s brick-and-mortar gaming establishments if online alternatives become dominant.
The bill’s passage comes amid a broader movement by the Wabanaki Nations to reclaim greater self-determination over economic development, including gaming rights long on hold due to limitations of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980.
Critics of the current agreement have often pointed out the legal contradiction between Maine’s tribes and other federally recognised tribes across the US, particularly in how their gaming rights are restricted. LD 1164 was seen by tribal advocates as a step toward closing that gap.
A bill that would have authorized online gambling in the state was voted down by the Maine House of Representatives last week. Representative Laura Supica introduced the...
