The launch of online casinos in Maine could be pushed beyond the first quarter of 2027 if regulators make major changes to the state’s third set of proposed rules.
Maine Gambling Control Unit Executive Director Milt Champion said during Tuesday’s meeting that significant revisions would require a fourth publication of the rules.
The MGCU is also working to hire six new staff members to oversee iGaming and received approval for a new licensing database and portal. Maine will be the eighth state in the U.S. to launch an online casino market.
Fourth publication could push launch past Q1
Maine released the third publication of its proposed iGaming rules Sept. 30, with several revisions from the previous draft.
“We’re in our third publication, and the comments are due the 30th of October,” Champion said Tuesday. “If we don’t accept any more major substantive changes, we’ll go on with the process. But if we do accept any major substantive changes, that will go through a fourth publication.”
A fourth publication would open another comment period. Under Maine’s rulemaking law, the MGCU would then have up to 120 days after comments close to adopt the rules, and the Office of the Attorney General would have up to 150 days from that same date to approve them for legality. That could push the launch beyond the first quarter of 2027.
Champion did not provide a specific timeline during the meeting.
Licensing portal and new staff
Champion said Tuesday that the MGCU received approval to implement a new licensing database and portal.
It will allow applicants to apply and pay for licenses online and handle most operational processes, including approvals and invoicing. Licensees can create logins and receive alerts on those activities.
“This is obviously a great addition to our regulatory oversight,” Champion said.
The MGCU is also working to add six staff members to oversee iGaming. Champion compared the rulemaking process to the state’s sports wagering rollout in 2022 and 2023.
“It’s been as busy as the time frame that we had with sports wagering,” Champion said. “More so because it’s a new product.”
Tribal framework and revised rules
Gov. Janet Mills allowed LD 1164 to become law in January, despite a letter from the state’s gaming regulators asking her to veto it. The law gives the state’s four federally recognized Wabanaki tribes exclusive rights to operate online casinos, similar to Maine’s online sports betting framework.
Three of the tribes partner with Caesars for online sports betting, while the Passamaquoddy Tribe works with DraftKings.
The latest draft of the rules made several changes from the July version. Live dealer studios can now operate outside Maine with director approval, and backend systems no longer need to be in the state, though the primary server that accepts and stores live dealer wagers must remain in Maine. Routine game updates, such as patches and security fixes, no longer require separate approval.
The September rules also restrict marketing aimed at anyone younger than 21 and require ads to include the beneficiary tribe’s name and logo in the same font size as its operator partner’s. Self-exclusion will move to a real-time automated system run by a third party.
Key financial terms remained unchanged, including the 18% tax on adjusted gross iGaming receipts, the $50,000 operator license fee and the $500,000 bond operators must hold.
