The Maine Senate voted on Monday against a proposed legislation for the establishment of a full-scale, resort-style gambling venue in the southern part of the state. The negative vote may eventually result in the bill not making it through this year’s legislative session.
The bill fell just two votes short on Monday as Senate members voted 18-16 against it. Last week, the House of Representatives voted 83-61 against the proposal. In addition, Maine Governor Paul LePage has formerly said that he was not particularly keen on the proposal, which means that even if the bill eventually reaches his desk, it may be vetoed. In order for the veto to be overridden, the casino proposal would need to win an approval from two-thirds of all state legislators.
People familiar with the matter have said that the proposed legislation did not manage to gain much momentum mainly because it has faced staunch opposition from Maine’s two existing gambling venues in Bangor and Oxford.
Generally speaking, lawmakers representing regions in or near the two cities that host the state’s two casinos have been opposing the project for the launch of a $500-million casino resort. Legislators from Southern Maine have been mainly supportive of the proposal.
If approved, the bill will establish a bidding process which would allow for interested operators to place their bids for the right to build a casino in York or Cumberland Counties. It is important to note that the project will be subjected to a countywide vote, once a final location for the venue is determined.
LD 1280 was introduced last year and was backed by the state harness racing industry as well as developer Ocean Properties. It is very similar to another casino proposal that stalled in the Legislature in 2015. A significant difference in the two bills is the fact that the more recent one features an increased license fee of $50 million.
The fee will be divided between the Maine General Fund and the Mitigation Fund in case one of the two existing casinos close within the first five years of the new resort’s operations. Revenue from the potential new gambling venue will be contributed to the state’s harness racing industry, various veterans organizations, the host municipality, Oxford, Bangor as well as to various causes related to Maine’s residents welfare.
