The Maine legislature won’t take up the issue of sports betting until January, but there’s a push to get it done in time for the 2020 NFL season.
That gives other New England states, such as Rhode Island and New Hampshire, the chance to be the pioneers and take the arrows.
That’s all right with Milton Champion, executive director of Maine’s Gambling Control Unit, who told News Center Maine, “You don’t want to necessarily want to be the first one because then you are the one that has to straighten everything out that goes wrong.”
Champion says it’s possible the state could take in between $3.7 million and 6.4 million in revenue annually.
Maine Governor Janet Mills commented about the delay earlier this year. “The legislature has passed a significant number of bills this session, and I take seriously my constitutional obligation to thoroughly review all of them, evaluate their implications and decide whether they are in the best interest of Maine people.”
One of those bills is the sports betting bill, whose author, Senator Louis Luchini, said he’s happy to work with Mills to create an acceptable version. His current bill allows casinos, racetracks, OTBs and Indian tribes to apply for sports betting licenses. He told News Center, “I think we’ll just use the time between now and then to see if there’s anything we can do to make the bill better.”
