January 9, 2026, 07:33 EST — Premarket
- DraftKings shares rose about 2.6% in premarket trading after the stock closed up 3.8% on Thursday
- Maine governor says she won’t veto a bill that would allow tribal online gambling, letting it become law
- Texas Capital kicks off coverage at Hold, warning volatility could flare around the “hold” and new product launches
DraftKings Inc (DKNG) shares were up about 2.6% in premarket trading on Friday after Maine Governor Janet Mills said she will allow a bill letting tribal nations run online gambling to become law. The stock was changing hands around $36.92. 1
Investors have been hunting for new states to greenlight legal online casinos — iGaming, or real-money casino games played online — a business that can throw off steadier revenue than sports betting. DraftKings closed up 3.8% at $35.98 on Thursday, though the stock remains roughly a third below its 52-week high. 2
Mills said she met with chiefs of the Wabanaki Nations and concluded the activity should be regulated, while still raising public-health concerns. “I am confident that Maine’s Gambling Control Unit will develop responsible rules,” she said in a written announcement. 3
Maine legislation LD 1164 would let the state’s federally recognized tribes run online casino games and other online gambling under a state rulebook that’s still being written. Online casinos are regulated in seven states — well below the number that allow sports betting — Bangor Daily News reported. 4
Texas Capital initiated DraftKings at Hold with a $39 price target, framing the setup as “Neutral but not negative” but cautioning the stock can swing on “hold” — the share of wagers the sportsbook keeps — and the industry’s push into prediction markets. It also flagged potential state tax increases as another pressure point. 5
The regulatory tailwind, though, isn’t entirely clean. The Portland Press Herald reported a national anti-iGaming group said it will push a “people’s veto” campaign to reverse the Maine law at the ballot box, warning that online casino play could damage existing casinos and deepen addiction. 6
Broader markets stayed on edge ahead of two possible jabs: the U.S. December jobs report and a Supreme Court decision on the legality of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, either of which could jolt sentiment around consumer and growth stocks. 7
Investors are tracking Maine’s calendar: The governor’s office said the bill would pass into law after the legislature’s third day, flagging midnight Saturday, January 10 — along with any clues on licensing, tax rates and when the market might launch. At DraftKings, the next big read-through is whether early-2026 betting volumes and promotional spending hold up as the NFL playoffs ramp. 8
