It has been over 400 years since the first settlement was established in New England on the brink of the English civil war; today, those colonies have turned into several states looking to forge ahead with USA online casino gambling.
While only one state in New England currently has legislation passed to allow online casino gambling, several other surrounding states are looking toward online gambling expansion. Connecticut is currently the only state that offers online casino games from state-licensed casinos. However, New Hampshire and Maine have recently tried to pass online casino legislation but have failed.
New Hampshire SB 104
New Hampshire recently offered SB 104, a bill that would legalize online casino gambling from state-licensed casinos, but the House committee shot down the bill stating that it needs more work. The consensus from state legislatures is that the bill must include rhetoric about how the revenue generated will be allocated to the community college education fund.
Maine LD1777
The Maine state legislature has recently proposed an online casino bill that will exclusively give the Tribal casinos online casino and sports betting options. The bill gives each of the federally recognized tribes one internet gaming license.
Connecticut Online Gambling Laws
In 2021, CT Governor Ned Lamont signed HB 6451 into law allowing mobile casino apps in the state. In addition to online casinos, the bill authorized online sports betting following the legalization trend sweeping the United States.
Connecticut is one of the only states to have ever passed a law making online casino gambling operating outside the state a punishable crime. Since then, the law has been receded, but many online casino and sports betting sites still won’t accept players from the state.
What Is Next For The New Englanders?
Online casino legalization has proven to be a more formidable challenge than the sports betting expansion that has swept the USA, but New Englanders could lead the way, with Connecticut already passing legislation and a few more states hammering out the details.
It is unlikely that we will see any online casino bills in New England take effect in 2023, but the options will remain on the table going into the next legislative session.