Arkansas and Maine Halt Online Casino Legislation for 2025

Online gaming, also known as iGaming — which includes internet slot machines and interactive table games — appears to be staying restricted to just seven U.S. states for now. Despite efforts in 2025 to expand the digital casino space, legislation in several states, including Arkansas and Maine, failed to gain traction.

iGaming Expansion Hits a Wall

As it stands, only Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia regulate online casino platforms. In 2025, lawmakers in several additional states explored joining this group, but most efforts ultimately stalled or were withdrawn.

Arkansas Shelves iGaming Legislation

In Arkansas, legislators spent the 2025 session reviewing proposals to allow adults aged 21 and older to participate in online casino gaming on computers and mobile devices. One proposal linked the expansion to supporting Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) programs at state colleges and universities.

When that plan failed, state Rep. Matt Duffield (R-Russellville), along with seven Democratic co-sponsors, introduced House Bill 1861. The bill aimed to authorize iGaming and allow the state’s three commercial casinos — Saracen, Oaklawn, and Southland — to partner with online operators like DraftKings and FanDuel.

However, the effort ended this week when Duffield withdrew the bill from the House Judiciary Committee after members recommended further study on the potential effects of online gambling in Arkansas. As a result, no iGaming legislation will move forward in the state this year.

National Momentum Slows

Since Rhode Island became the seventh state to legalize iGaming in 2023, no new state has joined the list. The state’s online casinos officially launched in March 2024. Several states — including Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Wyoming — discussed iGaming proposals this year, but no new laws have passed.

Legislation remains active in Indiana, Maryland, and Ohio, but there’s been no significant movement to suggest imminent change.

Bleak Outlook for 2025

At the beginning of the year, analysts from Deutsche Bank predicted that no new states would legalize online casino gaming in 2025 — a forecast that is proving accurate. While iGaming tends to generate more tax revenue than online sports betting, which typically yields lower margins, lawmakers remain hesitant.

Concerns about cannibalizing revenue from physical casinos and fears of rising problem gambling continue to stall online casino legislation across the U.S.

For now, the landscape of legal iGaming remains static, with expansion looking unlikely in the near term.