The Maine State Senate has just introduced this week a new bill to authorise and regulate sports betting, a little over a year after its first attempt.
A comeback
Back in January 2020, the US state of Maine was about to “get ahead of the train”, as put by Senator Louis Luchini, and legalise sports betting. That was until Gov. Janet Mills vetoed this otherwise widely embraced bill, claiming that the state was not ready for sports wagering.
It is now happening. The new bill, Senate Bill 1352, was introduced by Sen. Luchini on April 5 and calls for authorisation of a sports wagering licence for the state under the Department of Public Safety Gambling Control Unit.
Outlines
SB 1352 provides that sports betting licences must be either a commercial racetrack, an off-track betting facility, a slot machine or casino operator or a federally recognised tribe.
Each operator may receive one licence, with the fee set at $20,000.
The bill also outlines that land-based licences will be taxed 10% on retail revenue and 16% on mobile revenue and ban on in-state college betting. Players must be 21 or over to place bets under the law.
The passing chances of this new bill remain unknown, but like last year, in concept legislators are on board.
