Maine lawmakers have online casino legislation and plan to wait for the governor’s action on the gaming bill. This would allow the tribal nations to offer regulated online gambling, creating an economic and social change. This is now delayed until early mid 2026, as the regulators and locals are concerned. The American Gaming Association states that before online gambling, states experienced an increase in digital gambling revenue.
Maine is now center stage as the governor has not signed or vetoed the proposed online casinos legislation. The bill was passed in 2025, and now the legislators can only inline to the end of January 2026. The delay has changed the manner in which and how legislators will seek to control digital gambling, especially as the tribal nations will seek to control and regulate online gaming. It is also important to note that digital gaming has provided increased revenues for states that have legalized online casinos, which creates question on how Maine will regulate digital gambling.
Governor Delays Decision on Online Casino Bill
The governor’s delay first reported by Zamsino.com referred to the hold on Maine’s Legislative Document 1164, which would authorize online casino operations managed by tribal nations in partnership with licensed operators. Zamsino is an online gambling industry resource, where the analyst studies online gambling, consumer protection, and gaming legislation across various regions.
The delay has given other states’ processes regarding online gaming an opportunity to be highlighted. For example, online casino revenue in New Jersey was $2.91 billion in 2025, a 22 per cent increase from the previous year; thus, per the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, internet gambling had become a prominent revenue contributor to the state’s gaming industry.
Even as the Maine Gambling Control Board called on the governor to veto the bill last year, citing social impact concerns and the exclusivity of tribal rights contained in the bill, local news reported the board’s position.
Lawmakers Reevaluate Gambling Legislation
While the governor’s decision is still pending, the legislators have started new hearings to determine costs and the proposed safeguards of any further growth of online gaming. They have to figure out the proper equilibrium when it comes to casino profit versus the obligations to combat potential gambling addiction. Mature iGaming markets in the U.S. have reports from the National Gambling Impact Study Commission that detail the extensive regulations on advertising, age checks, and self-exclusion that are imposed on gaming operators.
They are arguing that these regulations will provide a safer, more regulated gaming marketplace and will make it more difficult to access illegal gaming sites. On the other hand, some feel these regulations will provide the opposite and make it easier for people to access illegal and unsafe gaming sites. Legislators have heard testimony from both sides.
Another issue has been the proposed exclusive rights for the four federally recognized Wabanaki Nations. Legislators face the challenge of weighing the benefits of this model to the state against the impact of other potential frameworks to broaden participation from other advocates.
Public Opinion Shapes Future of Online Casinos
Maine’s public opinion remains polarized. Polling for the late 2025 period shows mixed willingness to accept legalized online gambling. Younger constituents support the change, while older voters appear more concerned about the social and economic impacts of legal gambling, as noted in the Pew Research Center. This gaming-related public opinion split is consistent with the general public’s opinion on the gaming debate in the country, where states that have done extensive public outreach before enacting gaming legislation have been able to implement better regulations.
In 2025, for the first time, online casinos in New Jersey generated more revenue than land-based casinos, demonstrating the change in consumers’ preferences for online gaming (New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement). New Jersey is the first state to legalize online gaming, and other states like Maine are looking to regulate online gambling, seeing the potential revenue that an unregulated online gaming market could generate, although concerns about gambling addiction and consumer protection persist.
Recent community forums in Maine have attracted supporters and opponents of the proposed legislation. These forums have assisted policy makers in drafting the responsible gaming provisions, particularly the marketing restrictions aimed at vulnerable populations and the dedicated funding for addiction services.
Economic Implications of Delayed Approval
The delay in legislative approvals is not merely a matter of policy discussions. Revenue from online casinos could be taxed, and the revenue could be dedicated to funding state services and to subsidizing tribal governments, but the current situation is a lack of funding, in part, because of the delay. There have been a number of studies conducted regarding the economics of iGaming, and they conclude that the states that adopted iGaming early enjoyed rapid increases in revenue from digital gambling, which in turn, fostered tourism and created new jobs in the technology sector, according to a study from Oxford Economics.
New Jersey is the best example of this. Their total gaming revenue is projected to be $7 billion in the coming year, an $800 million increase from the previous year, and online gaming drove that growth, according to a report from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. This projection has been encouraging for the supporters of the proposed legislation, who wish to see the online gaming market in Maine experience similar growth, even in the absence of traditional casinos.
