- Maine lawmakers are reconsidering a bill allowing four federally recognized tribes to offer online casino gaming and poker.
- The bill includes a 10% tax on online casino gaming, and licensing costing $200,000 for a four-year term.
- It also clarifies that mobile sports betting falls under the umbrella of internet gaming.
- Caesars Sportsbook, already active in Maine, could potentially introduce online poker.
“Cutting out Oxford and Hollywood casinos entirely from offering igaming is ill-advised in my opinion.”
Maine lawmakers took up a trio of tribal gaming bills it had postponed from last year, including one that calls for allowing the state’s four federally recognized tribes to offer online casino gaming and poker.
This comes just two months after the tribes launched sports betting with two operators — Caesars Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook.
Last Wednesday, the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs held a public hearing to discuss LD 1777, which Rep. Laura Supica (D-Bangor) introduced last April, but lawmakers opted to postpone further action on the bill in July.
Under LD 1777, the definition of “internet gaming” would be expanded to include online casino gaming, which would be taxed at 10%. The bill also calls for licenses to have a four-year term and to cost operators $200,000. It also clarifies that mobile sports betting falls under internet gaming — the sports wagering law would be amended by removing all references to mobile sports betting.
The bill includes online poker. LD 1777 defines internet gaming as “a game of skill or chance offered through the internet in which an individual wagers money or something of monetary value for the opportunity to win money or something of monetary value.” Fantasy contests and pari-mutuel pools for horse racing are excluded.
