Gaming LDs / Bills for the 131st Maine Legislative Session
The 131st Maine Legislature convened on December 7, 2022 and Adjourned on January 3, 2024
| LD/Bill | LD 147 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Senator David P. LaFountain, (D - Kennebec) |
| Title | An Act to Increase the Amount of Money Allowed to Be Raised for a Charitable Purpose by Certain Raffles |
| Summary | This bill increases the amount of a noncash prize that can be offered by an eligible organization in a raffle and the amount of the prize value for a 50/50 raffle held during a game of chance tournament. |
| Status | PASSED MAY 15, 2023 |
| LD/Bill | LD 311 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Senator Russell J. Black, (R - Franklin) |
| Title | An Act to Delay the Repeal of the Law Governing the Sale of Pari-Mutuel Pools for Simulcast Harness Racing |
| Summary | This bill amends the laws governing harness racing to clarify that, for the purpose of the sale of pari-mutuel pools and common pari-mutuel pools for simulcast races, the enclosure of a racetrack consists of all contiguous land and buildings owned or leased by a commercial track. The bill also delays the repeal of the law governing the sale of pari-mutuel pools and common pari-mutuel pools for simulcast races to January 1, 2026. |
| Status | PASSED MAY 8, 2023 |
| LD/Bill | LD 504 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Senator Joseph Baldacci, (D - Penobscot) |
| Title | An Act Regarding Licensing Fees for Small Slot Machine Distributors |
| Summary | This bill sets the initial application fee for a slot machine distributor that distributes fewer than 50 machines annual at $50,000 and the annual renewal fee for those distributors at $10,000. |
| Status | PASSED APRIL 22, 2024 |
| LD/Bill | LD 731 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Senator Bradlee Thomas Farrin, (R - Somerset) |
| Title | An Act Regarding the Licensing of Persons to Conduct Advanced Deposit Wagering |
| Summary | This bill repeals the provision of law that directs the Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Board to award, through a competitive bidding process, one bidder the privilege to be licensed to conduct advance deposit wagering and instead allows commercial tracks, off-track betting facilities and multijurisdictional account wagering providers to obtain a license to conduct advance deposit wagering. It requires advance deposit wagering licensees to remit 1% of in-state gross wagering income and 1% of out of-state gross wagering income to the board for distribution. The bill requires licensure of employees of advance deposit wagering licensees. |
| Status | PASSED JULY 26, 2023 |
| LD/Bill | LD 949 (Labor and Housing Committee) |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Representative Amy J. Roeder, (D - Bangor) |
| Title | An Act to Protect Workers from Employer Surveillance |
| Summary | This bill prohibits employer surveillance unless the surveillance is strictly necessary for employee health and safety or the security of the employer, with certain limitations. It requires employers to provide, upon a verifiable request by an employee, data collected on the employee and certain information regarding that data. It specifies that an employer must provide notice to its employees prior to beginning employer surveillance. It provides that an employee has a private right of action |
| Status | DEAD NOVEMBER 20, 2024 (Placed in the Legislative Files) |
| LD/Bill | LD 1088 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Representative Shelley Rudnicki, (R - Fairfield) |
| Title | An Act to Update the Gambling Laws to Allow Once-annual Game Nights for Eligible Organizations and Registered Political Committees |
| Summary | This amendment replaces the bill and changes the title. The amendment establishes the requirements for conducting a once-annual game night and authorizes the Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Unit to accept a once-annual game night registration from an eligible organization, the proceeds from which are dedicated to a charitable purpose, or from a registered party committee, political action committee or ballot question committee, the proceeds from which are for the purpose of fund-raising. The Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices is required to adopt rules regarding the reporting of proceeds from a game night. |
| Status | PASSED JULY 6, 2023 |
| LD/Bill | LD 1292 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Senator Jeffrey L. Timberlake, (R - Androscoggin) |
| Title | An Act to Increase the Prize Limits Allowed for Raffles |
| Summary | This bill increases the prize limits allowed for a raffle without having to register with 34 the Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Unit. |
| Status | DEAD MAY 9, 2023 (Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)) |
| LD/Bill | LD 1777 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Representative Laura D. Supica, (D - Bangor) |
| Title | An Act to Create Economic Opportunity for Wabanaki Nations Through Internet Gaming |
| Summary | This bill authorizes each federally recognized Indian nation, tribe or band in this State to operate Internet gaming pursuant to a license from the Gambling Control Unit within the Department of Public Safety. Only a federally recognized Indian nation, tribe or band in this State is eligible to obtain a license and operate Internet gaming. The licensing structure follows the law governing sports wagering. The law governing sports wagering is also amended to remove mobile sports betting, which the bill regulates as Internet gaming |
| Status | DEAD APRIL 17, 2024 (Died Between Houses) |
| LD/Bill | LD 1944 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Representative Benjamin T. Collings, (D - Portland) |
| Title | An Act Regarding Tribal Gaming |
| Summary | This bill requires the State to negotiate with any federally recognized Indian tribe in this State or any combination of federally recognized Indian tribes in this State that wishes to own and operate a casino on tribal land for a license to operate a casino. The State also may negotiate with all of the federally recognized Indian tribes in this State for a license to operate a casino on land that is not owned by the tribes in a county other than Penobscot County or Oxford County. The license to operate a casino on land that is not owned by the tribes would be in addition to licenses negotiated to operate casinos on tribal land. The negotiations between the State and a federally recognized tribe, combination of tribes or all of the tribes must include but are not limited to taxes and regulations governing the casino. |
| Status | NOT PASSED FEBRUALRY 6, 2024 (Ought Not to Pass Pursuant To Joint Rule 310) |
| LD/Bill | LD 1992 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Representative Benjamin T. Collings, (D - Portland) |
| Title | An Act to Legalize Historical Horse Racing and Electronic Beano to Allow Maine Gaming Licensees and Federally Recognized Indian Tribes to Compete with Other Gaming States |
| Summary | This bill authorizes the licensed operation of electronic beano terminals and historical horse racing terminals by federally recognized Indian tribes, off-track betting facilities, commercial tracks, slot machine facilities and casinos. Licenses are issued by the director of the Gambling Control Unit within the Department of Public Safety. The bill requires an operator of an electronic beano terminal or a historical horse racing terminal to collect 10% of net terminal income for distribution to the General Fund for administrative expenses of the Gambling Control Unit and to gambling addiction prevention and treatment services, harness racing purses and agricultural fairs. |
| Status | DEAD APRIL 17, 2024 (Died Between Houses) |
| LD/Bill | LD 2070 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Senator Craig Hickman, (D - Kennebec) |
| Title | An Act to Implement a Facility-based Monitoring System for Slot Machines |
| Summary | This bill amends the laws relating to the auditing and security of slot machines by replacing the requirement that the Department of Public Safety maintain a central site monitoring system with a requirement that all slot machines communicate electronically with an on-site facility-based monitoring system that is accessible by the department. |
| Status | PASSED MARCH 19, 2024 |
| LD/Bill | LD 2080 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Representative Marc G. Malon II, (D - Biddeford) |
| Title | An Act to Create a Universal Exclusion List for All Forms of Gambling in the State |
| Summary | This bill allows individuals to voluntarily exclude themselves from a slot machine facility, casino, advance deposit wagering, a fantasy contest or sports wagering collectively or separately and also allows the Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Unit and licensees to work with a universal list and not a list for each separate area of regulation. The bill also includes provisions for the inclusion on the universal list of individuals who are involuntarily excluded from a slot machine facility, casino, advance deposit wagering, a fantasy contest or sports wagering. |
| Status | PASSED APRIL 16, 2024 |
| LD/Bill | LD 2108 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Senator Jeffrey L. Timberlake, (R - Androscoggin) |
| Title | An Act to Amend Maine's Charitable Organization Gaming Laws |
| Summary | This bill allows the Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Unit to impose a fine of not more than $100 per violation on a beano or games of chance licensee or registrant or a licensee's or registrant's agent or employee that has violated the laws or rules governing beano or games of chance, subject to an appeal and hearing before the Commissioner of Public Safety. It also allows the issue of the imposition of such a fine to be resolved by the execution of a consent agreement. The bill removes the provision that no more than one registrant may operate a game of chance at a time on the same premises and provides that an agricultural society must determine the number of registrants permitted to operate a game of chance during the annual fair of the agricultural society. It also provides that a bona fide nonprofit organization may operate a registered game of chance to which the general public has access no more than 4 times in a calendar year for a period not to exceed the duration of the annual fair of an agricultural society or the duration of a special event rather than for a period not to exceed 4 consecutive days as in current law. |
| Status | PASSED MARCH 28, 2024 |
| LD/Bill | LD 2117 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Senator Craig Hickman, (D - Kennebec) |
| Title | An Act to Amend the Laws Regarding Sports Wagering Licensing |
| Summary | This bill amends the laws governing the regulation of sports wagering licensing. It lowers the fee for an initial or renewed facility sports wagering license from $4,000 to $1,000, reduces the term of the license from 4 years to one year and provides that the term of a temporary license may be extended. The bill makes similar changes regarding the mobile sports wagering license, except that it lowers the fee from $200,000 to $50,000. It also makes similar changes regarding the supplier license and the management services license, except that it lowers the fee from $40,000 to $10,000. |
| Status | PASSED MARCH 28, 2024 |
| LD/Bill | LD 2124 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Representative Benjamin T. Collings, (D - Portland) |
| Title | An Act to Clarify the Eligibility of an Off-track Betting Facility to Receive Funding |
| Summary | This bill amends the laws governing the Fund to Stabilize Off-track Betting Facilities to provide that the fund provides revenues to off-track betting facilities licensed and in operation as of December 31, 2003, regardless of whether the facility relocates or is sold after December 31, 2003. |
| Status | PASSED APRIL 2, 2024 |
| LD/Bill | LD 2213 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Senator Harold L. Stewart III, (R - Aroostook) |
| Title | An Act to Support Nonprofit Organizations and Federally Recognized Indian Tribes by Authorizing the Operation of Electronic Lucky Seven or Similar Sealed Ticket Devices and Updating the High-stakes Beano Law |
| Summary | This bill updates laws related to the Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Unit's licensing and fees for selling lucky seven or similar sealed tickets to include electronic versions. It also places restrictions on the number, location and operation of electronic lucky seven devices and requires licensees to operate at least one kiosk for the redemption of electronic lucky seven vouchers. The bill also adds definitions of "electronic lucky seven device" and "lucky seven or similar sealed tickets." The bill also removes the restriction that allows the sale of lucky seven or similar sealed tickets only during the period beginning 2 hours before and ending 2 hours after a "beano" game. |
| Status | DEAD DECEMBER 4, 2024 (Died Upon Conclusion of the 131st) |
| LD/Bill | LD 2260 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Senator Craig Hickman, (D - Kennebec) |
| Title | An Act to Update the Laws Regarding the Sale of Pari-mutuel Pools for Simulcast Races |
| Summary | This bill is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs pursuant to Public Law 2023, chapter 440 and amends the provision of law that allows a person to sell pari-mutuel pools and common pari-mutuel pools for simulcast races by expanding the locations that a person is authorized to sell from to include within facilities owned or controlled by federally recognized Indian tribes in the State or within facilities owned or leased by the racing licensee and approved by the State Harness Racing Commission and the municipality in which the facility is located. The bill also repeals the provisions related to the State Harness Racing Commission authorizing a person licensed to conduct harness horse racing with pari-mutuel betting to sell pari-mutuel pools and common pari-mutuel pools for simulcast races at a facility if it is located within the same county as the commercial track where the race or races are conducted, it is not located within the same municipality as an off-track betting facility and the municipal officers of the municipality in which the facility is located approve the sale of pari-mutuel pools or common pari-mutuel pools at the facility. The committee has not taken a position on the substance of this bill. By reporting this bill out, the committee is not suggesting and does not intend to suggest that it agrees or disagrees with any aspect of this bill. The committee is reporting the bill out for the sole purpose of having a bill printed that can be referred to the committee for an appropriate public hearing and subsequent processing in the normal course. The committee is taking this action to ensure clarity and transparency in the legislative review of the proposals contained in the bill. |
| Status | NOT PASSED APRIL 1, 2024 (Ought Not to Pass Pursuant To Joint Rule 310) |