When Will Maine Online Casinos Launch? Here's What Happens Next

Earlier this year, online casino play became legal in Maine, but there aren't any operators up and running, and Mainers cannot place wagers.

Why is that? Well, while the law is in place, the state still needs to finalize the rules, approve licenses, and oversee launches. When is that happening? It's really only just beginning. 

Sure, we're seeing things such as Caesars linking up with local tribes for a launch, but that's not happening yet. 

That said, Maine became just the eighth state to legalize online casinos. 

All of this leads to one central question: When will it be operational? 

To start, let's look back at how we got here. 

How Maine Online Casinos Became Legal

Maine online casino play started with LD 1164, also known as "An Act to Create Economic Opportunities for the Wabanaki Nations Through Internet Gaming." 

The bill passed in the legislature in June 2025; it became law without a signature from Governor Janet Mills in January 2026, and now, in July, the law has taken effect, and the regulatory process is beginning. 

Now, there's a laundry list of things that must be done before launches happen. These include finalizing rules, operators applying and being approved for licenses, platforms being tested and approved, and partnerships between the tribes and operators. 

The unit in Maine responsible for this, the Maine Gambling Control Unit, is small and now has to handle this task. 

Thus, there's a scenario where online casino play doesn't come to Maine until 2027. 

Tribal Partnerships Are Taking Shape

Going back to the partnerships between tribes and operators, this grants exclusive access through the federally recognized Wabanaki Nations, which include the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, and the Mi'kmaq Nation. 

Each of these can partner with one online casino operator, so, in total, there will be four online casinos. As mentioned, Caesars has linked up with these tribes, including three of the four. This will result in brands such as Caesars Palace Online Casino coming to the state once everything is approved. 

The only tribe without a partner is the Passamaquoddy Tribe. One potential partnership could be with DraftKings, which is headquartered not too far away in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Lawsuit and Regulatory Process Could Delay Launch

There's also a lawsuit out right now that was filed by Churchill Downs Inc. and Oxford Casino Hotel (which it owns), challenging the tribal-exclusive nature of the online casino law. This could also slow things down a bit. 

With the current law, in addition to only one partner and tribal exclusivity, there's a tax rate of around 18%, and credit cards cannot fund these accounts. 

There are also sweepstakes casinos, which were recently banned in the state, and that law has since been enforced. 

So, with all of these other things going on and the process only getting started, late 2026/early 2027 could be when online casino play comes to Maine.