Maine Online Casino Bill Reconsidered by Local Lawmakers

Maine legislators are considering reviving the Maine online casino bill that will authorize real money online casinos in the state. Last April, LD 1164 was tabled following a unanimous vote by the state's Joint Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee.

LD 1164, sponsored by Rep. Ambureen Rana, seeks to have online casinos to operate through the Wabanaki Nations. It is worth noting that the Wabanaki Nations is one of the four tribes within the Pine Tree State that is federally recognized. 

Under LD 1164, the other tribes will be given online casino gaming licenses, allowing them to work with one iGaming operator. Furthermore, Maine's Gambling Control Unit shall regulate and impose a 16% tax rate on online casino gaming. Apart from this, Maine's recognized tribes shall also be tied to operations with online sportsbooks.

Maine Online Casino Bill Faces Push Back from Retail Casinos

While Rep. Rana and the Wabakani Nations favor advancement of LD 1164, there is some resistance within retail casino operators. Churchill Downs' Oxford Casino and Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway Bangor were critical on LD 1164. They voiced that the bill would give the tribes monopoly over online casinos.

Dan Walker, representative of the Oxford Casino, stated that tribes monopolizing online casinos would be detrimental to Maine's economy. Moreover, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Fanatics urged changes to the bill, seeking to let tribes partner with multiple operators.

Earlier Online Casino Bill Attempts Failed

Prior to the current online casino bill, there were efforts to jumpstart online casino gaming in Maine. In 2023, LD 1777 was introduced by Rep. Laura Supica. It was passed in the Senate and later voted down in the House by a 75-70 vote. 

LD 1777 gave exclusive access to online casino operator licenses in Maine to the Wabanaki Nations. It also proposed taxing online casinos at a 10% rate compared to LD 1164's 16% rate.

There was backlash on the bill that dealt with concerns from various parties. Namely, the opposition pointed out problem gambling and the inability of the state's commercial casinos to generate revenue from online casinos.