Sep12
Kentucky Launches Regulated Sports Betting Market with a Bang
Sports Betting in Maine Waits for Better Days to Come (or Not?)
February 13, 2020 Aleksandra Zolotic
It seems as if Maine will remain without legal sports betting, at the time being, following House’s voting. The conclusion came after this institution sustained Governor Janet Mills’ veto of a bill seeking to permit this entertainment activity in the state.
Despite the concerns of the Governor, the Senate voted 20-10 in favor of overriding the veto, which implied the chances for the proposal to be approved were rather high. However, the House voted the opposite, and the outcome is the unpredictable destiny of sports wagering in The Pine Tree State.
Had the bill become law…
… sports betting would have been opened to Maine’s land-based gaming facilities. Those encom commercial racetracks, off-track betting facilities, commercial and tribal casinos.
Dead… or Still Breathing?
When asked to vote, the House faced a question: “Shall this Bill become a law notwithstanding the objections of the Governor?” Despite that, the voted 85-57 for the bill to progress. However, it did not secure the required two-thirds vote which would enable the proposal to into law.
With one excused, two vacant and seven being absent…
…the veto was sustained and the bill will now not progress to become law. As a result, the State of Maine Legislature labelled Legislative Document 553 as ‘DEAD’.
LD 553 was first filed by Senator Louis Lucchini in January 2019 and progressed through the House and Senate, unanimously and by a 19-15 vote, respectively.
Besides sports wagering…
…the proposal would have also allowed mobile operators to apply for certificates without the need for a land-based partner in the state. Land-based licensees would be taxed on 10% of sports wagering revenue, with mobile subject to a 16% tax rate.
Governors Concerns “Killed” the Bill
After progressing through the House and Senate, the proposal was sent to the governor’s office, remaining on her desk for more than six months due to a clause in Maine’s constitution. Under Article IV, Part III, the Governor does not need to sign or veto a bill ed at the end of a session until 10 working days after the start of the next one.
Mills vetoed the bill in January…
… saying that the residents are not ready for legalization of this activity, outlining that she would rather see the state examine the successes and failings of legal sports wagering elsewhere in the US before a bill was ed in The Pine Tree State.
Even though she praised the bill’s intention in bringing sports betting away from the black market, Mills simply did not believe such a proposal at this time was the will of the Maine people.
Expressing deep concerns, the Governor clarified that the bill would not do enough to prevent young people from being exposed to gambling through advertising. However, she did acknowledge that mobile sportsbook operators were able to implement sophisticated mechanisms to detect problem gamblers and underage play.
Source:
“Maine sports betting bill fails as Governor veto sustained”, Rob Fletcher, igbnorthamerica.com, February 12, 2020.
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: I think Maine should give sports and mobile betting a chance. There are states where this works just fine, so giving it a try would be a good move.