A bill to authorize and regulate sports betting has been introduced in the Maine State Senate, echoing previous attempts.
Senate Bill 1352 was introduced by Senator Louis Luchini and calls for authorization of a sports wagering license for the state under the Department of Public Safety Gambling Control Unit.
Sports betting licensees 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.
Separate licenses are available for suppliers providers of management services, with a $20,000 fee for each.
The bill outlined that land-based licenses will be taxed 10% of revenue, while mobile betting operators will be taxed 16%.
Players must be 21 or over to place bets under the law.
The bill was received on April 5 and has been referred to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs.
Luchini filed a similar bill, Legislative Document 553, in January 2019. The bill passed the House and the Senate, but was vetoed by Janet Mills, Governor of Maine, in January 2020.
The veto was sustained the following month as Mills claimed that the state was not ready for sports wagering.