Maine was gearing up for sports betting early this year, but it looks like that plan is in jeopardy. Milton Champion, executive director of Maine’s Gambling Control Unit (MGCU), said the department received more than 581 comments on the first set of betting rules.
Champion said he had hoped for sports betting to be up and running by the summer, but alas, he told reporters last Friday that wasn’t possible. His staff, which he described as him and one other person, has to process the public comments it received in January when the first set of betting rules were unveiled. The deadline for public comments was last week and that is when Champion said nearly 600 people weighed in.
“We’ll look at each one of the comments. We’ll either accept the comment or reject it and the reasons why,” Champion told News Center Maine. “We want our visitors in the summer, when they come up to camp, to be able to [bet here], right? Because any wagers in the state of Maine, we get the revenue. So, this is kind of why I kind of wanted to get this cranking by June, but it’s not going to happen.”
Champion said the next round of proposed rules should be posted in May and the public will have a period of 14 to 30 days to make additional comments.
Maine residents have seen nearby states, such as Massachusetts, launch mobile betting, but they have many more staff members to tackle gambling-related issues.
“And that’s not Maine’s fault. That’s not anybody’s fault,” Champion told NCM. “It is what it is and we’ll get the job done as expeditiously as we can. We realize Mainers want this.”
Despite the setback on a start date for sports betting, the MGCU is moving ahead on implementing a virtual self-exclusion program. The program allows people to voluntarily exclude themselves from casinos in Maine for a period of one to five years.
The new program coincides with March’s Problem Gambling Awareness Month.
The advantage of the virtual self-exclusion option was that it should be easier for those who wanted to be banned from a casino. The previous way was a person would have to go to a casino and fill out a form.
The National Council on Problem Gambling has designated March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month. They estimate that one percent of U.S. adults are estimated to meet the criteria for severe gambling problems. Another two to three percent experience mild or moderate gambling problems.
Another rule to help avoid problem gambling is the state’s stance on sports betting advertising rules. Champion told Legal Sports Report he won’t change the ban on sportsbooks not using celebrities in TV advertisements. He also added that the MGCU will approve every television ad before they air.
The American Gaming Association sent a letter to Champion suggesting he reconsider the advertising rules.
“As Maine has recognized, legal sports betting enhances consumer protections and helps promote transparency and game integrity while also supporting job growth and generating tax revenue,” the AGA wrote. “However, to realize these benefits, it is important to avoid policy decisions that – even if well-intended – will ultimately undermine the ability of the regulated marketplace to compete against illegal sportsbook operators.”
Champion said he considered their suggestions but is likely to keep the rules as they are.
