Maine could have been the next New England state with legal sports betting. Alas, on January 10, Democratic Governor Janet Mills vetoed legislation approved months ago.
In a statement, Mills said that she understands there is a need for Maine to address illegal gambling but young and vulnerable gamblers need protection in the law. She is not convinced by the argument that sports gambling is “happening everywhere.”
“As I said in my veto letter, if you legalize it, regulates it, just because it’s happening and we know it’s happening, then you might as well legalize and formalize and promote betting on the weather, betting on the next election results, betting on the spelling bee champion of Cumberland County,” she said. “I don’t think that’s where Maine people are at just yet.”
Maine’s senate intends to hold a vote to override the veto this week.
Longtime Maine lawmaker Senator Bill Diamond, a fellow Democrat, said he thinks the override won’t succeed.
“I would expect that the veto will be sustained,” he told NBC10 Boston, based on conversations he had with colleagues. “Maine is a gambling state for sure, we just want to do it right.”
January is the beginning of Maine’s new legislative session, which means a compromise bill could potentially surface. Diamond said a revised bill would require a complete rewrite.
“We’d have to find out first if there is there a path for both sides to get there,” he says. “If there is, then maybe it’d be worth putting the time in and if it isn’t, it’ll probably have to wait until next year.”
In related news, the introduction of sports betting in New Hampshire has an unexpected blunder in one of the state’s most popular tourist destinations.
Anyone within approximately a half-mile of the Maine border cannot place bets on the DraftKings app, an area encompassing a significant portion of the city of Portsmouth’s downtown, and all of its waterfront establishments. The restriction also impacts the Tri-Cities, including most of downtown Somersworth, which saw sports betting as another tool in its revitalization efforts.
The New Hampshire Executive Council in November approved a six-year contract with DraftKings to operate sportsbooks. The state will receive 50 percent of sports betting revenue, and the wagering is expected to produce an estimated $7.5 million for education in fiscal year 2021 and $13.5 million two years later.
Currently, users near a “permitted border area” cannot place bets on the app. In a statement Tuesday, Governor Chris Sununu said, “Ensuring that everyone, anywhere in New Hampshire, can place a sports bet is critical and the Lottery Commission and DraftKings are on this issue to make the experience as seamless as possible.”
Bethany Hayes, owner of TJ’s Food and Spirits on Daniel Street, said her customers quickly discovered the discrepancy, so she reached out to DraftKings and the Lottery Commission for guidance.
“Our identity and such a large portion of my income are sports-related,” Hayes said in Seacoastonline.com. “Sununu said if you are in New Hampshire, you can place a bet using the app. There was no mention of limitations.”
Hayes received the following response from DraftKings: “Your location data indicates you are near a permitted border area which means that you will need to move further into the state of New Hampshire to place wagers. I understand that this may be frustrating, however, this is how we must operate per state regulations.”
E.J. Power, spokesperson for the New Hampshire Lottery, said the lottery and DraftKings are working to troubleshoot any issues customers have faced since the rollout.
“Since the launch of sports betting on December 30, the response has been overwhelming, with tens of thousands of players wagering millions of dollars,” Powers said. “We want to ensure that eligible customers within New Hampshire’s borders can easily access our app and participate. The lottery is working closely with DraftKings to troubleshoot any issues customers have and encourage those who have experienced technical difficulties to contact them at support@draftkings.com.”
Jennifer Aguiar, vice president of compliance and risk for DraftKings, said they are aware of a “few isolated instances in which customers have had difficulty placing online wagers while physically located in New Hampshire near a neighboring state’s border. We take our responsibility to ensure that only eligible New Hampshire customers place bets on DraftKings Sportsbook very seriously.”
The rare cases when it doesn’t work often trace back to the mobile phone’s signal pinging a tower outside New Hampshire, and is usually an intermittent problem, Aguiar said.
“We actively monitor these incidents and encourage any customers who encounter this problem to reach out to support@draftkings.com.”
Hayes noted Portsmouth is the state’s largest contributor in rooms and meals tax, so for the sports betting app to be inaccessible in a good portion of its downtown would be a missed opportunity. She is concerned the problem will negatively impact her business, as patrons may decide to watch games elsewhere.
“It’s a big deal and for us, that’s why we pay for NFL Sunday Ticket,” Hayes said. “Fantasy is a huge thing and the legalization of sports betting does cast a wider net of what people will watch. If people have a little bit of money on a game, it’s more interesting.”
She hopes the issue can be overcome before the NCAA’s March Madness, where for the last 10 years she’s had the same group of 100 men take off work and come to watch the first day of games.
The restriction could also affect residential and commercial areas in Dover, Rollinsford, Somersworth and Rochester. Somersworth Mayor Dana Hilliard said it’s troubling because local leaders are looking for every edge and strategy possible to spur economic growth and redevelopment. He worries the half-mile restriction could also cause operators of physical sportsbook locations, which the state authorized along with mobile sports betting last year, to bypass his city.
“Every state shares a border with another state,” Hilliard said. “Just like everyone else in a sport has to play fair, I think the state of Maine has to play fair when it comes to commerce and legalized activities (in New Hampshire).”
