While this looks good on surface, the tribes don’t have the same rights as those in other states because the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act subjects the tribal lands to stale law, and therefore the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act does not apply. The four federally recognized tribes have the exclusive right to offer mobile sports betting as well as high-stakes bingo games.

The Indian tribes in Maine have no rights to operate a land-based casino. In 2011, both casinos were allowed to include table games. In 2010 another referendum was held and that’s how the Oxford location got its casino. In 2003, slot machines were approved by a referendum but rejected by local voters at Scarborough, so Bangor had the only permitted casino. Two casinos are allowed under Maine state law, and each was approved by a state-wide referendum. This is the newer of the two casinos as it opened in 2012. The Oxford Casino is owned and operated by Churchill Downs. Oxford Casino, Oxford County Image Credit: The Hollywood Casino in Bangor belongs to a well-known Hollywood brand and it’s operated by Penn Entertainment.

Let’s just briefly mention the two casinos that exist in Maine, as we’ll describe them in more detail in the Portland casino section. Numerous attempts by the tribe to upgrade the gaming operation were blocked by the Maine officials, and eventually went out of business. The Penobscot Indian Nation used to operate the Penobscot High Stakes Bingo in Old Town, which was the only tribal gaming facility in the state. The two casinos had a total annual net gaming revenue of $165 million as of 2022. If there will be, a state-wide referendum would be required beforehand. These are the only two casinos that have a state license and there aren’t expected to be any new ones built. You’ll find two land-based casinos in Maine, catering to a population of over 1 million one in Bangor and one in Oxford County.

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