One of the many legislation the Legislature put to her desk during their 2025 session is an iGaming statute, which Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) has chosen not to act on.

Legislative Document 1164 was authorized by the Maine State Legislature last month.

An Act to Give the Wabanaki Nations Economic Opportunities The law aims to grant the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot, Maine's four federally recognized tribes, the sole authority to run internet casino games. Due to laws passed in 2022, the tribes already have the sole authority to wager on sports online.

However, there is strong resistance to the iGaming bill, especially from Churchill Downs and Penn Entertainment, who run Maine's two physical casinos, Oxford Casino Hotel and Hollywood Casino Bangor, respectively. The governor has previously stated that she is against more gaming, and Mills' administration also testified against LB1164.

When compared to federally recognized tribes in the majority of other states, the four tribes' sovereign rights and benefits are greatly impacted by the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980. The Indian Regulatory Gaming Act (IRGA), which permits the majority of federally recognized tribes to operate Class I and II gaming on their sovereign grounds, is one federal policy that the state act specifically limits the tribes' access to.

The Inaction of Mills

On June 25, the day the State Legislature closed, Mills' office got the tribal iGaming bill.

After receiving a bill, the governor usually has ten days to either sign it or veto it. A bill that is on the governor's desk during a session of the State Legislature becomes law if she does not sign or veto it within ten days. Nevertheless, the bill does not become law if the State Legislature has adjourned for the year. According to the Maine State Legislature's "Path of Legislation" webpage, this is known as a "pocket veto."

The governor will not be taking action on almost sixty measures, including the Maine iGaming measure, according to Mills' office on Tuesday. Government observers claim that despite the governor's administration's explanation that the measure is being delayed until the State Legislature reconvenes, the action—or inaction—is effectively a veto.

internet casinos would have brought in over $19 million annually for the four tribes and their internet gambling partners, according to proponents of the iGaming Act. That would have increased state tax collection by almost $3.5 million annually.

A legal, regulated online casino framework, according to supporters of the expanded gambling initiative, would offer consumer safeguards for the numerous gamers in Maine who presently use unregulated, offshore casino websites or contentious online sweepstakes systems.

Anti-iGaming Organizations

The National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG) includes Churchill Downs and Hollywood Bangor's landlord, Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (GLPI). According to the lobbying group, iGaming poses a danger to physical casinos and the numerous employment and vital tax income they generate.

Additionally, NAAiG thinks that the only way to effectively prevent underage gambling, control excessive play, and handle problem gambling is through in-person gaming. According to the organization, iGaming causes a rise in gambling addiction, job losses, and a decrease in tax revenue.