Seven months after lawmakers in Maine approved a bill to legalize online poker and casinos, the measure has finally become law.
On Thursday, Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) said she will allow LD1164 to become law without her signature.
The Maine Legislature approved the bill in June that legalizes online casinos, including poker, through the state’s four federally-recognized tribes. Tribal casinos already have exclusive rights to mobile sports betting in the Pine Tree State.
Tribes Swayed Mills
Mills initially opposed the bill and even threatened a veto. Under state law, a bill becomes law on the third day of a new legislative session if it is not signed or vetoed. The deadline for LD1164 was today.
“This fall, I met with the five elected chiefs of the Wabanaki Nations, who each spoke passionately about the importance of this bill in offering life-changing revenue for tribal communities, as well as providing a form of economic sovereignty for their nations,” Mills said in a statement on Thursday.
“I considered this bill carefully, and while I have concerns about the impacts of gambling on public health, I believe that this new form of gambling should be regulated, and I am confident that Maine’s Gambling Control Unit will develop responsible rules and standards to hold providers of this new form of gambling accountable while ensuring that Maine’s tribes benefit from its operations.”
Another Online Poker State
Maine now joins Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, West Virginia, and Connecticut in legalizing online poker. With a population of just 1.4 million people, Maine is not large enough to create a robust online poker market on its own.
However, the state can join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement shared liquidity market to be part of larger prize and player pools. The MSIGA currently includes all legalized online poker states except Connecticut.
It seems likely that tribes will partner with larger third-party operators like PokerStars, WSOP Online, and BetMGM. For example, PokerStars partners with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians in Michigan.
Many operators now take an omni-channel approach to online gaming, offering online casino, sports betting, and poker to customers. That could be the case in Maine in the coming years as well.
Approval Comes After Significant Opposition
The proposal faced significant opposition from both the state’s two commercial casinos and from residents. A recent survey by the National Association Against iGaming (NAAIG) showed that a majority of Maine voters were against adding online gaming.
The poll found that 64% of voters opposed legalizing iGaming, with 49% strongly opposed.
The NAAIG expressed disappointment in the governor’s decision and warned that giving the tribal groups a monopoly on the industry would have a negative impact on commercial gaming revenue.
“For the past 15 years, Maine’s two licensed casinos have generated more than half a billion dollars in tax revenue for the state,” the association noted. “That funding has supported education, public safety, community programs, local aid, and tribal allocations. This record of shared success is not theoretical. It is measurable, transparent, and relied upon by communities across Maine.
“It is important to be clear. Tribal nations already benefit from the existing casino tax structure. Opposition to this bill is not about excluding tribes or protecting narrow interests. It is about preserving a model that has worked for Maine workers, Maine communities, and tribal governments alike. Dismissing these concerns as self-interested complaints ignores both the facts and the substantial public stake involved.”
In related news, Virginia legislators are also considering legalizing online gaming and poker.
