Another vote in each chamber of the Maine legislature is required before a sports betting bill is sent to Governor Janet Mills for approval or veto.
LD 1352, like all bills, must be voted on twice in each chamber—whereas it has only been voted on once in the Senate and the House. The first vote was done over the protests of the bill’s sponsor, Senator Louis Luchini, who opposes the tethering requirement in the bill that would legalize mobile sports betting.
The bill would require that any online provider be tethered to one of the state’s two casinos, OTB vendors and racetracks.
If the bill is finally sent to the governor, she will have ten days to decide to let it become law or veto it, as she did for another sports betting bill two years ago.
If Mills signs it, sports betting will probably go live in 2022.
Steve Silver, chairman of the Maine Gambling Control Board, told Sports Handle, “No matter when the deadline for Governor Mills to act expires, I hope we do not experience an 11th-hour veto again.” He added, “It is clear that the majority of Mainers want what the majority of American states already provide — the ability to wager on sports in a legal, regulated market.”
