Maine Governor Janet Mills received a deluge of bills after the legislature adjourned until next year, but because she had only 10 days to study them, most, including the online casino bill, will have to wait for the legislature to convene in January before she takes action.
Pocket Veto
Although Governor Mills did not sign LD 1164, that does not mean it was a pocket veto because the legislature will reconvene in early 2026. At that time, the governor will have time to study that and the many other bills that advanced to her desk at the end of the last session.
Due to Maine’s quirky biennial legislative schedule, lawmakers are returning, which opens a path for this bill to become law. However, if it were last session, a delay in signing would have meant a pocket veto, as the session was over.
As of this writing, we don’t know where Mills stands on the iGaming bill, but she will make her voice heard at the beginning of next year when the legislature convenes by either signing the bill, vetoing it, or not acting at all, making it become law without her endorsement.
Governor’s Office Issues Statement
Governor Mills’ office released a statement on the number of bills that required her signature at the end of the session, saying she has opted to hold the bills “until lawmakers return potentially next year.”
“The Legislature passed a significant number of bills at the end of the session, and the Governor takes seriously her constitutional obligation to thoroughly review all of them and to evaluate their implications on Maine people, Maine businesses, and the Maine economy.
“In order to meet that responsibility, she will continue to review these bills and gather more information, and she looks forward to acting on them at the beginning of the next legislative session.” The statement added.
Wabanaki Nations’ Exclusivity
Maine’s Wabanaki Nations include four tribal bands: the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, and the Mi’kmaq Nation. Due to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980, the state’s Native American tribes are not allowed to build casinos as in other states but must subsist on bingo parlors only.
However, when Maine launched mobile sports betting in 2023, the tribes were granted exclusivity, with three partnering with DraftKings while one struck an agreement with Caesars. Now that the more lucrative iGaming has come to the fore, the four tribes will once again be granted exclusivity if and when it is signed into law.
Legislative Push for iGaming Rights
Representative Ambureen Rana, the sponsor of LD 1164, has pointed out that the state’s tribes have been prohibited from building casino resorts and that economic disadvantage should be remedied.
“Because the Wabanaki Nations have not enjoyed anywhere near the level of economic growth as that of other tribes in this country, they face an ongoing economic crisis,” Rana stated.
Pos Basset, Chief of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik, testified on behalf of the bill, stating it would “generate revenues that will help us save enough money to do things like move our wastewater treatment plant and survive what’s to come from rising sea levels.”
However, the governor must also consider those who oppose the bill, like the Maine Gambling Control Unit, the Gambling Control Board, as well as the land-based casino operators themselves.
