Maine Governor Delays Action on Online Casinos, DOJ Seeks Bitcoin Funneled Through Stake

Maine Residents See Online Casino Legalization Delay

There were a lot of Maine citizens that were excited when the state's lawmakers passed LD 1164 back in June of this year. The bill would legalize online casino gambling in the state and give the exclusivity to four of the state's tribes: Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Mi’kmaq Nation, and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.

Under the terms of the legislation, each of the four tribes would be offered one license to partner with sites like FanDuel to offer an online casino in the state.

The bill would set an 18% tax rate and raise a projected $1.8 million and $3.6 million in the first two years.

Maine already has legalized sports betting through tribal groups via a law passed in 2022.

The Maine legislature is currently out of session. Under Maine law, the governor is not able to act on bills during session breaks.

There are roughly sixty bills sitting on the governor's desk, including LD 1164. Once the legislature convenes in January, the governor has three days to veto any bills she doesn't approve; absent that move, the bills will become law.

While we have seen a lot of sweeps casino legislation sail through state legislatures with ease, the Maine legalization effort was not without detractors. The bill passed rather comfortably in the House, gaining an 85-59 approval margin. However, in the Senate, the bill only had a one vote margin, passing 18-17.

Governor Mills (D) has been an opponent to gambling expansion measures in the past; in 2021, she vetoed a tribal casino bill that landed on her desk.

Should Mills veto the bill, it doesn't look likely to ultimately become law. With the thin margin in the Senate, the chances are near zero that the bill would gather the two-thirds majority to override the stroke of her veto pen.