The smallest iCasino state just ran the most interesting experiment in who gets to own one.
Maine legalizes online casinos — hands the keys to the tribes
The short answer
Maine's LD 1164 became law in 2025, giving Wabanaki tribes exclusive online casino rights. It makes Maine the first state to build an iCasino market on tribal exclusivity from day one — with launch rulemaking now underway.
In this article
Maine has become the eighth state to legalize online casino gaming — and the first to hand the market to tribes from the start. LD 1164 gives the Wabanaki Nations exclusive internet gaming rights, completing a framework that began when the tribes received the state's online sports betting exclusivity in 2023.
The structure
Under the law, each of the four federally recognized Wabanaki tribes can partner with one iCasino operator — names like DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM are expected to compete for the slots — under the Gambling Control Unit's oversight. The model mirrors the sports betting structure that went live in November 2023: tribal licenses, commercial skins, revenue flowing to both the tribes and the state.
Illustrative example
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| License holders | Four Wabanaki tribes, exclusively |
| Commercial partners | One operator skin per tribe |
| Tax | ~16% of iGaming revenue to the state |
| Regulator | Maine Gambling Control Unit |
| Significance | First tribal-exclusive iCasino market from launch |
Why the model matters
Every other iCasino state grafted online play onto existing commercial casino licenses. Maine inverted it — the tribes hold the only licenses, and commercial operators must come through them. For tribal gaming advocates it's the template: proof that internet gaming can expand tribal sovereignty rather than erode it, at a moment when compacts nationwide are being renegotiated around digital rights. Expect the Maine framework to appear in testimony everywhere tribal iCasino is debated next.
The tribal context: tribal gaming revenue hit $46.2B in FY2025, the current map in online casino states, and the shared-liquidity question Maine could join via MSIGA.
