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How close did other states come to legalizing online casinos in 2025?
Another year went by that saw states attempt to legalize online casinos. While none crossed the finish line, did any get near the homestretch?
Legal online casinos have proven to be valuable commodities in the seven states that feature them, with casino apps combining to generate billions of dollars in tax revenue. That kind of bottom line is certainly among the major factors as to why other states want to authorize iGaming, and why several jurisdictions introduced legislation to legalize online casinos.
Three states made the most significant progress toward legalization in 2025: Maine, Ohio and Massachusetts. While each effort fell short of passage, the question now is: How close did they get, and could that mean more success could come in 2026?
Bill to legalize Maine online casinos sits on governor's desk
Of any state that introduced bills to legalize online casino sites for real money, Maine came the closest to succeeding.
The bill – LD 1164, which would offer the Wabanaki Tribes exclusivity to offer casino games online – faced plenty of opposition along the way, particularly from the state government and land-based casinos run by Penn Entertainment and Churchill Downs. Despite that pushback, LD 1164 got through the state legislature and landed on the desk of Gov. Janet Mills just before the session ended in June.
All it needed was Mills' signature to become law. In early July, however, Mills' office announced that she was delaying dozens of bills, including LD 1164. Lawmakers are set to reconvene in January, during which time Mills will have three days to sign the bill, veto the proposal or let it become law through inaction.
Mills, though, has been vocal about her resistance to gambling expansion, with her office even testifying against the bill. What's more, the Maine Gambling Control Board wrote a letter to Mills urging her to veto the proposal. With all of these factors in play, the likelihood of the bill becoming law seems low.
Ohio tried to address in-state concerns – but still fell short
Many believed Ohio would join the list of the next states to legalize online casinos in 2025, and that appeared true when both the Senate and House saw bills emerge to authorize casino apps.
As a way to address potential cannibalization concerns, both proposals seemingly protected in-state casinos. The House's legislation, for example, would limit the online casino landscape to companies that run brick-and-mortar facilities in Ohio while also banning dual-currency sweepstakes casinos.
The Senate proposal set a tax rate of 36% for land-based casinos in the state but a 40% rate – and a higher licensing fee – for out-of-state operators. Despite these considerations, neither bill gained much steam.
It certainly didn't help that Gov. Mike DeWine offered a viral take over the summer, in which he said that legalizing online casinos was a "not a great idea." A few months later, the governor emphasized that he "absolutely regrets" even legalizing sports betting in Ohio.
The takeaway: So long as DeWine is in office, Ohio will not be authorizing online casino gaming anytime soon.
Time will tell for Massachusetts online casinos
Legalizing online casinos in Massachusetts appeared a long shot from the jump in early 2025, as bills filed in both state chambers failed to build any momentum.
By the fall, though, another proposal emerged from Rep. David Muradian Jr., one that at least warranted a joint committee hearing and would carve out up to nine online casino licenses. Muradian argued that Massachusetts residents were already gambling online with illegal and offshore sites. By legalizing casino apps, the state could generate upward of $275 million in state tax revenue.
Like many other states, Massachusetts saw pushback coming from land-based operators, particularly Wynn Resorts, which runs the state's top brick-and-mortar casino in Encore Boston Harbor. Wynn submitted testimony that said MA online casinos would cut into in-person casino revenue as well as hotel stays, dining and entertainment.
Ultimately, lawmakers voted to delay Muradian's bill – and a similar proposal from Rep. Daniel Cahill – to March 2026. Theoretically, that creates more time to bring opposing sides to the table and find a happy medium. Yet with Massachusetts looking to launch internet lottery next year, it doesn't appear likely that the state would also legalize online casinos.
