Maine’s Governor Janet Mills has decided not to take action on LD 1164, a bill aimed at legalizing online casinos in the state. Without her veto or signature, the bill will wait until the 2026 legislative session for further action.
Come January 2026, Gov. Mills must sign or veto the bill within three days, or it will become law.
will not grant online casino rights to Maine’s two commercial land-based casinos
LD 1164 intends to give the Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Aroostook Band of Micmac, and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians the exclusive right to provide online casino platforms. However, the passing of the bill will not grant online casino rights to Maine’s two commercial land-based casinos, Oxford Casino Hotel and Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway.
The bill proposes a 16% tax on adjusted gross revenue from online casinos, significantly lower than many other US states. For comparison, New Jersey recently increased its online casino tax rate to 19.75%, while Pennsylvania charges online slots a 54% tax.
Gambling taxes in the US are under scrutiny due to a clause in the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill that President Trump recently signed into law. The legislation decreased the amount gamblers can deduct from their winnings equal to losses from 100% to 90%. Lawmakers have pushed forward legislation to try to remove this measure.
