Chavdar Vasilev is a gambling news writer with several years of experience in the iGaming industry. He started creating promotional content but soon found he loved reporting on the industry itself. Since then, he’s delivered...
Read Full BioLD 1164, Maine’s online casino bill, passed its final legislative hurdle on June 25 as the Senate voted to enact it in concurrence with the House. However, its fate remains uncertain as Gov. Janet Mills may ultimately veto the bill.
Maine Online Casino Bill Clears Legislature
The path of LD 1164 has been anything but straightforward. After its introduction in March, it appeared dead when a House Committee tabled it in April.
Then, at the beginning of June, during the Maine Legislature’s special session, the House resurrected it. The chamber amended the tax rate from 16% to 18% and ultimately passed the proposal.
Less than a week later, in a day filled with procedural confusion, political maneuvering, and legislative theatrics, the Senate passed the measure as “to be engrossed as amended.”
Under normal circumstances, as both chambers engrossed LD 1164, it would mean that the bill is on track for passage. However, the Senate advanced it without a majority roll-call vote, deferring the final decision to the enactment stage.
The House quickly enacted the bill. However, on a motion by Sen. Peggy Rotundo, the Senate placed it on the Special Appropriations Table.
The Senate’s decision effectively paused the progress until the state’s budget-writing committee approved further action. Rotundo, the committee chair, played a pivotal role in the earlier drama.
The Senator abstained from the vote to pass the bill, meaning it failed by one vote. Still, she voted against a separate motion to reject it, keeping it alive.
After a week, Rotundo moved to take LD 1164 off the Special Appropriations Table. The Senate then voted to pass it to be enacted in concurrence with the House.
Why is a Gubernatorial Veto Possible?
While it received support from both chambers, LD 1164 faces its most formidable challenge yet: a potential veto by Gov. Mills.
The governor has not indicated or publicly commented on her intentions. Still, representatives of the native tribes that will control the iGaming licenses believe that there’s little interest from the governor to legalize online casinos.
One possible reason for hesitation is the strong opposition by government officials, civic groups, and industry stakeholders.
In a testimony, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services expressed concerns about addiction and 24/7 access to casino games.
Maine Gambling Control Board Chair Steve Silver echoed addiction concerns. He stated that iGaming legalization will result in job losses for the retail sector, which will cut revenue for education and other causes.
Meanwhile, the Christian Civic League of Maine warned that iGaming could prey on vulnerable populations, including young adults and individuals facing financial hardship.
In an unusual twist, several iGaming operators, including FanDuel, BetMGM, and Fanatics, also testified against LD 1164. Their concern is that they will likely be left out.
The native tribes have currently partnered with DraftKings and Caesars, and these partnerships are likely to extend to iGaming as well.
Governor Mills’ track record also signals a potential veto. She has previously vetoed gambling bills. Those include a sports betting proposal in 2020 and a tribal retail casino bill in 2021. While she signed the sports betting bill in 2022, that came after months of negotiations and compromise.
If Mills does veto the proposal, a legislative override is unlikely. That’s because it would need a two-thirds vote in both chambers, which is doubtful, given the lack of clear support in the Senate.
