Following weeks of relative radio silence, some progress has been made regarding the Maine online casino industry, which is expected to launch sometime in 2026. According to a press release, Caesars Entertainment expanded on its existing partnership with three Wabanaki Nations tribes in the state. As a result, when the Maine iGaming market goes live, the state will feature three Caesars online casinos.

Caesars snatches three of four Maine online casino licenses

Under state law that passed earlier this year, there are four licenses up for grabs for incoming iGaming platforms, all of which come via the four Wabanaki Nations tribes. 

By expanding its agreement with the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Mi’kmaq Nation and the Penobscot Nation, Caesars Entertainment will account for three of those Maine online casino licenses. 

In an announcement, it opens the door for the rollout of Caesars Sportsbook & Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and the flagship Caesars Palace Online Casino, which likely will feature a welcome offer via a Caesars Casino bonus code.

The long-term agreement, per the announcement, sets up Caesars to debut those platforms in 2026, pending regulatory approvals.

The expanded partnership comes on the heels of the 2023 introduction of Caesars’ online sportsbook. In addition to a commitment to offer a best-in-class and responsible online gambling experience, Caesars will invest in local workforce development by employing, training and developing members of each tribe to provide “meaningful financial support to help fund tribal community programs and initiatives,” according to a press release.

Caesars expanded partnership ‘a meaningful opportunity’

There has been no update as to if the Passamaquoddy Nation will partner with a legal gambling online casino for that fourth and final license, although it does have DraftKings in its corner for online sports betting.

Until then, it is only Caesars Entertainment platforms that residents can look forward to enjoying when the market launches in 2026.

“Together, we’ve built a strong and responsible sports wagering experience, and this next phase reinforces our commitment to our tribal partners and to delivering a differentiated, localized digital gaming experience for Mainers,” Eric Hession, president of Caesars Digital, said in a statement. “We’re grateful to Gov. Janet Mills, the Maine Legislature and the Maine Gambling Control Unit for their continued leadership and thoughtful approach to gaming in the state.”

Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Nation added that integrating these new online casinos from Caesars “represents a meaningful opportunity to build on that foundation” already in place with Caesars Entertainment.

Lawsuit still pending regarding Maine online casinos

While there has been some movement for the future of legal casino games online in Maine, there remains a lawsuit still pending in the state.

Churchill Downs – which operates Oxford Casino Hotel, one of two commercial land-based casinos in Maine – sued to have the iGaming law invalidated, saying that the state legislature “blessed a race-based monopoly” by awarding online casino licenses to tribal partners only.

Penn Entertainment, which owns Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway, is not involved in the litigation, but CEO Jay Snowden criticized Maine’s framework in a Q4 2025 earnings call.

Snowden emphasized how the property has been in operation since 2005, investing hundreds of millions of dollars and being “as involved in the community” as any entity can be. Yet Maine lawmakers chose to “hand a monopoly to a third party that’s never invested a dollar in the industry.”

Responsible Gambling

Bettors must be 21 years or older and otherwise eligible to register and place wagers at online casinos. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please seek assistance from trained professionals such as the Problem Gambling Help Network at 1-800-MY-RESET.

For decades, Dysart’s Restaurant and Truck Stop was the kind of spot where night didn’t really end.

Truckers came off long-haul drives looking for coffee and a hot meal. Hospital workers stopped in after overnight shifts. When the bars closed, late-night crowds spilled through the doors, still awake and hungry. At any hour, someone could sit down just outside Bangor and be served a hot meal.

But in 2019, Dysart’s ended its around-the-clock restaurant service, marking what felt like the end of an era for Maine’s late-night dining scene.

Once, a handful of diners and roadside restaurants across the state stayed open through the night, serving the workers, travelers and night owls who kept Maine moving after dark. Today, those options have all but disappeared.

What remains is mostly convenience-store food and a handful of 24/7 Burger King locations.

Restaurant industry veterans and experts say a host of combining factors have made 24/7 restaurants harder to sustain, including Maine’s demographics and changes to the way people work.

Norman O’Reilly, dean of the University of New England’s College of Business, says Maine’s status as the nation’s oldest state is likely a key factor.

“Most of those people are retired, or semi-retired, or doing consulting work,” he said. “They’re not out looking for a Becky’s late-night coffee and meals, right?”

O’Reilly also said the seasonal, tourist-centric nature of Maine’s economy creates inconsistency, making it potentially harder for businesses to maintain 24/7 service year-round.

Maine’s not alone in having fewer all-night options: A Yelp survey found that 24/7 restaurants declined nationwide by 11% from 2020 to 2025. Even New York City, “the City that Never Sleeps,” has seen a decrease; the New York Times attributed that to rising costs and changing sleep schedules.

Until 2019, Dysart’s Restaurant in Hermon was one of the last 24/7 restaurants that’s not a major chain in Maine. (Teddy Almond/Staff Writer)

THE LAST BASTION

Dysart’s, founded in 1967 in Hermon, was one of the last true 24/7 restaurants in the state.

“Either in 2016 or 2017, we started noticing a significant difference,” said Carol Brooks, a manager with more than 20 years of experience at the restaurant.

Brooks attributes the decline in late-night diners to two trends: changes in the trucking industry and a downturn in local nightlife.

“When they started making the truck drivers stop for a full eight hours, they (would just) come in and sleep,” she said. “They don’t eat anymore at night because they don’t have to keep on the road.”

O’Reilly also noted the advent of remote work in recent years has meant fewer people stopping for a meal on their way home.

Brooks reminisced about how Dysart’s used to often see an influx of late-night partiers after the bars closed — everyone from the patrons of the local strip club, Diamonds, to hospital shift workers coming off duty.

But soon, it got to the point where Dysart’s was spending more money staying open at all night than it was they were making. By then, the restaurant only had one cook and one server for the overnight shift.

O’Reilly noted that there’s been a national decline in nightlife, with fewer Americans going out to bars and restaurants late at night, making around-the-clock dining less profitable for businesses.

Although Dysart’s restaurant is no longer 24/7, its adjacent truck stop is. It’s stocked with premade hot meals like pot pies and hot dogs. While nothing compared to the menu once offered all night, sales of the premade meals are steady, Brooks says, with a lot of late-night construction workers stopping by to grab a bite.

WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS?

It’s not clear exactly how many 24/7 joints once operated in Maine, but many Mainers can recall at least one they frequented in the past.

Biddeford’s popular Palace Diner used to serve patrons 24/7 in the 1960s, said co-owner Chad Conley. Although now the diner closes at 2 p.m. each day, back when Biddeford was a bustling mill town, Palace Diner served workers as they got off shifts throughout the night.

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