Maine Governor Janet Mills announced on Thursday (January 8) that she is going to let LD 1164, a bill that gives the state’s Wabanaki Nations the right to run online casino gambling, become law. The move quickly sparked strong reactions, both from tribal leaders and from the National Association Against iGaming.

The bill, officially called “An Act to Create Economic Opportunity for the Wabanaki Nations,” allows the tribes to operate online gambling platforms as a way to boost their local economies. It expands on a 2022 law that already gave them the ability to offer online sports betting.

iGaming is coming to Maine. That's according to a statement released by Gov. Janet Mills earlier today.

Based on the statement's wording, it appears she's letting it become law without her signature. pic.twitter.com/0GKMFjUlTC

— Steve Bittenbender (@BittGDCG) January 8, 2026

Mills said she reached her decision after sitting down with tribal leaders and carefully considering how the bill could affect the state.

“This fall, I met with the five elected Chiefs of the Wabanaki Nations, who each spoke passionately about the importance of this bill in offering life-changing revenue for Tribal communities, as well as providing a form of economic sovereignty for their Nations,” Mills said in a release.

“I considered this bill carefully, and while I have concerns about the impacts of gambling on public health, I believe that this new form of gambling should be regulated, and I am confident that Maine’s Gambling Control Unit will develop responsible rules and standards to hold providers of this new form of gambling accountable while ensuring that Maine’s tribes benefit from its operations.”

Tribal leaders welcomed the decision, calling it a big step toward economic self-sufficiency and more investment in ...