Maine online casinos: Legal online casinos coming to Maine (February 2026)

In January, Gov. Janet Mills announced her intention to allow a bill to become law that legalizes Maine online casinos and sets the state up to become the newest state to offer online casino gambling. This guide will detail what users can expect from the Maine online casino industry, including how many and which operators could begin operating in the state.

LD 1164 was one of many bills held by Gov. Janet Mills for consideration in January. LD 1164 is set to become law 90 days after the state House session ends. The session concludes on April 17.

With Gov. Janet Mills allowing LD 1164 to pass, Online casinos will officially become legal in Maine in July 2026, which will make the state the eighth to authorize state-regulated iGaming. 

Maine online casinos will need additional time to launch, though, with officials hoping for them to go live by early 2027. Between now and then, regulators will finalize official rules for the online casino industry before awarding licenses to operators, with up to four Maine online casino platforms earning the right to offer casino games online.

While LD 1164 legalized Maine online casinos, they are not yet live in the state. Before awarding up to four Maine online casino licenses, state regulators need to finalize rules and bylaws for the industry and then review and vet any interested iGaming operators. This is all to ensure that any licensed entity abides by strict regulations that protect Maine online casino users, including security measures to verify their ages and identities, as well as protect their personal and financial information.

The countdown is on for the launch of Maine online casinos, which officials hope will go live by early 2027. Here's a glimpse into how the state got here:

According to the bill that was enacted into law, each of the four state's Wabanaki Nations tribes can partner with commercial operators to offer Maine online casino platforms. That includes the Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Mi'kmaq Nation and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.

Each licensee will be taxed at an 18% tax rate that officials project could generate around $100 million in annual revenue. The Maine Gambling Control Unit would oversee the industry, with members appointed by the governor.

As for what kind of casino games online users can expect, incoming mobile casinos in Maine should offer an array of formats, including popular games such as:

The Maine Gambling Control Unit (MGCU) was created in 2004, operating within the Department of Public Safety, in preparation for the first land-based casino – Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway Bangor – to open in fall 2005.

While the Maine Gambling Control Board oversees and regulates operations of land-based slot machines and table games in casinos, the MGCU is responsible for licensing and rules for mobile sports betting in the state, which will likely carry over to Maine online casinos.

As such, the MGCU will finalize Maine online casino regulations, including requirements for operators to offer secure payment methods, firewalls, geolocation technology, responsible gambling tools, and age and user verification measures to ensure that all Maine online casino users have their personal and financial information protected from potential fraudulent activity while promoting responsible gambling.

When Maine online casino operators do go live, eligible users can expect to encounter several key features that are typically required by state regulators.

For starters, when signing up and creating an account, each customer will need to provide a few pieces of personal information – including their full name, mailing address, phone number and Social Security number. Each Maine online casino uses this info to confirm users' identity and eligibility to play at the top online casinos. By law, eligible customers must be at least 21 years old and otherwise eligible while also located within state lines.

To confirm player locations, casino apps use geolocation technology. That means users on mobile apps will need to share location services with the Maine online casino of their choice, while desktop players will be required to install geolocation software, which takes only a few minutes and is provided via pop-up notifications by operators.

Once approved, customers can connect their preferred payment methods – such as debit cards, online banking and digital wallet options like PayPal and Venmo – to make real-money deposits and begin exploring casino games with the best odds, as some online casinos offer better odds than others for some games. Users should be sure to review which payment methods are accepted by their favorite Maine online casinos, as they can vary.

Popular deposit methods include:

Users should also become familiar with the array of responsible gambling tools operators are required to offer their customers to help them stay within their financial means and keep Maine online casinos a form of entertainment rather than a reliable source of income.

Among the typical offerings are some variations of the following, which users can find within the responsible gaming section of their favorite Maine online casinos:

The law allows for each of Maine's four Wabanaki Nations tribes to partner with an online casino operator. While nothing is set in stone about which platforms will open up shop in the state, there are a few brands that could look to expand into Maine – particularly well-established online casinos, including:

These brands are part of the online casino market in other states, including PA online casinos. 

Michigan, NJ and WV online casinos are some of the other options interested Mainers could look at to see what the iGaming market could look like when it goes live in their state. 

While Maine online casinos have yet to launch, and eligible gamblers can enjoy online sportsbooks, that is not all that the state has to offer, thanks to two land-based casinos in Maine, both of which provide access to plenty of popular slots and table games.

Maine is obviously in a state of legal gambling expansion after launching online sports betting in the fall of 2023 and soon adding online casinos. Of course, many are concerned that such growth could lead to higher rates of problem gambling. Fortunately, Maine does not lack in support, offering residents a number of resources and help for those who suffer from a gambling addiction.

Currently, no. Legal online casinos are not yet live in Maine, meaning any platform offering casino-style games is operating illegally and unregulated by Maine regulators.

Gov. Janet Mills allowed LD 1164 to pass in January 2026, effectively legalizing Maine online casinos. However, there is still plenty of work to be done before operators launch, such as finalizing rules and regulations for the Maine online casino industry. This is to ensure that all Maine online casinos protect the personal and financial information of their users through age and identity verification, location verification, and various security and firewall measures to provide security against potential fraudulent activity.

Officials hope that Maine online casinos will launch by early 2027.

The Maine Gambling Control Unit will oversee and regulate Maine online casinos.

All legal online gambling activities are regulated by the Maine Gambling Control Unit.

Individuals can legally gamble at casinos and sportsbooks in Maine if they are at least 21 years old and otherwise eligible.

As it stands, Maine features DraftKings Sportsbook and Caesars Sportsbook. With up to four online casino licenses available in the state, it's likely those two brands (DraftKings Casino and Caesars Palace Online Casino) will fill half of the field, while the other two slots could be taken by some of the other top online casinos in the country, including BetMGM Casino, FanDuel Casino and Golden Nugget Casino.

Yes. All gambling winnings must be reported on federal and Maine state income tax returns, regardless of the amount. Winnings are considered taxable income by the IRS and should be reported as "other income."

Currently, BetMGM Casino is not licensed and operational in the state. But with up to four Maine online casino licenses available, the BetMGM Casino app could make an effort to expand its brand into the state.

Yes. Eligible gamblers in Maine can currently bet with DraftKings Sportsbook, which is licensed and regulated in the state. It's likely that DraftKings Casino could join the Maine online casino market once the industry goes live, thanks to a preexisting partnership with the Passamaquoddy Tribe.

Grant Lucas