A last-ditch effort to grant the Wabanaki Nation exclusive rights to online gambling passed the Maine Senate last week, only to go down in the House. The legislature rejected the same pitch earlier this year. But Assistant Senate Majority Leader Mattie Daughtry asked for another vote.
Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador Maulian Dana praised the reconsideration in the Senate.
“Sovereignty remains the ultimate goal of all Wabanaki tribes, but economic development is critical to the tribes’ desire for self-determination,” Dana told Live Casino Direct. “This bill would definitely help us do that.”
But the House vote ended efforts.
Opponents criticized the proposal because of its potential economic impact on casino jobs and the loss of revenue.
Supporters say a vote for the bill dealt with inequities against the tribes, helped municipal budgets and the state, as tribes would invest new revenue projected $100 million in five years.
Tax revenue was earmarked to fund 911 systems, emergency housing and gambling addiction programs, had the bill been approved.
