Maine lawmakers return to Augusta this week with major gambling decisions at hand, including a decision on online casino legalization and a proposal to ban credit card-funded sports betting.
The Maine Legislature convenes Wednesday to open the 2026 session. Gov. Janet Mills will then have three days to act on LD 1164, the bill that would legalize online casino gaming in the state.
Lawmakers passed the bill in June, but Mills declined to sign or veto it before adjournment. Under Maine law, the governor cannot act on legislation while lawmakers are out of session, leaving the bill in limbo until now.
Maine iGaming legalization rests on governor
The Mills administration opposed the bill during the legislative process, as did the Maine Gambling Control Unit and the Gambling Control Board and the state’s two commercial casinos have also testified against the proposal.
If signed or allowed to become law without a signature, the bill would grant Maine’s four federally recognized tribes exclusive rights to offer online casino gaming through partnerships with commercial operators. The structure mirrors the state’s online sports betting framework, in which the Milkmaq Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Penobscot Nation are each partnered with Caesars and the Passamaquoddy Tribe with DraftKings.
A legislative fiscal note estimated the industry would generate roughly $1.8 million in state tax revenue in its first year at an 18% tax rate.
A veto could be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature, though prior votes indicate poor prospect of that margin.
Sports betting credit card ban proposed
At the same time, lawmakers introduced consumer protection legislation targeting sports betting payments.
Rep. Marc Malon, a Democrat from Biddeford, filed House Bill 2080, which would prohibit the use of credit to fund sports wagers in Maine. The proposal would bar sportsbooks from accepting wagers funded by credit cards, including through digital wallets unless the provider can verify that no credit card was used to load the account, which could impact popular payment options like Apple Pay.
Permitted payment methods would be restricted to debit cards, bank transfers, cash, prepaid cards not purchased with credit cards, bank wires, and approved digital wallets. The bill also directs regulators to require safeguards to prevent credit card wagering and refunds for prohibited wagers.
Maine launched its online sports betting market in 2023 and has generated nearly $10 million in tax revenue for the state.
Sweepstakes casino ban advancing
Lawmakers are also set to take up legislation targeting online sweepstakes casinos during the opening weeks of the session.
A bill scheduled for a hearing next week would prohibit online sweepstakes platforms that use dual-currency systems allowing virtual coins to be redeemed for cash prizes. The measure follows a warning issued last June by the Maine Gambling Control Unit, which said no sweepstakes or online casino sites are licensed in the state.
Similar sweepstakes bans passed in several states last year, including New York and Connecticut.
