• About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling
This site contains commercial content
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
No Result
View All Result

Maine Lawmakers Aiming To Please Governor Or Create Veto-Proof Sports Betting Bill

Committee hears from stakeholders, discusses tethered vs. untethered platforms, plans work session

Jill R. Dorson by Jill R. Dorson
May 3, 2021
in Regulation
Zoom-Screen-Maine-Committee

(Screenshot Courtesy Maine Joint Committee on Legal Affairs)

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Nearly two years ago, Maine lawmakers crafted a bill that would have made the state a first mover in New England and created one of the most open, competitive sports betting marketplaces at that time.  Gov. Janet Mills let the bill languish on her desk until the tail end of the legislative session and then vetoed it in January 2020, saying, “I remain unconvinced at this time that the majority of Maine people are ready to legalize, support, endorse and promote betting on competitive athletic event.”

Lawmakers tried, but failed, to mount enough votes for an override.

On April 30, Sen. Louis Luchini — sponsor of the failed 2019 bill — started anew, leading a discussion on four sports betting bills in the Maine Joint Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee. His goal will be to create legislation that is either amenable to Mills or veto-proof, according to sources. The April 30 session was a prelude to a not-yet-scheduled work session during which details of the bill will be hammered out.

“It’s no longer a debate about whether to legalize or not,” Steve Silver, a Maine gaming attorney who was recently selected as the chairman of the Maine Gambling Board, told Sports Handle. “It’s about how to legalize so all the stakeholders and governor are on board.”

To tether or not, that is the question

To that end, committee members heard from stakeholders advocating both for and against tethering sports betting platforms to existing gaming venues — Churchill Downs and Penn National Gaming both have retail interests in the state — as well as from the NFL, which asked for an official league data mandate, and several OTB owners looking for a piece of the action. Lawmakers also discussed adding more guardrails around problem gambling to the bill, likely in an effort to appease Mills, whose biggest concern seems to be that legal sports betting will turn state residents into sports gambling addicts.

Jeff Morris, the vice president for public affairs and governmental relations at Penn National, argued against the official league data mandate and for the tethering of digital sportsbook platforms to existing casinos. His company owns the Hollywood Casino in Bangor.

“We also believe that it is critical that the operation of retail and mobile sports betting be limited to existing licensed gaming operators, who have invested hundreds of millions in economic development in Maine, and our designated skin partners,” he said. “By way of background, a ‘skin’ is an online sportsbook license that is typically tethered to a casino or racing license.”

Sports betting is back before the Maine Legislature and it’s still complicated https://t.co/XA8ZA8KXO1 #mepolitics

— Bangor Daily News (@bangordailynews) April 30, 2021

 

Rebecca London, who is in the government affairs department for DraftKings, stopped short of testifying against tethering, but did say, “While states have taken slightly different approaches in their respective sports wagering frameworks, one thing is clear: an online marketplace with multiple qualified and experienced
operators is critical to the success of the industry.” She was testifying on behalf of DraftKings and competitors BetMGM and FanDuel, all of whom have aligned across the country to push forward the stand-alone mobile option.

In most states with existing casinos, digital operators are required to be tethered to existing casinos or racetracks. A notable exception is Illinois, where three stand-alone mobile licenses were written into the sports wagering law, though none have yet been claimed for a price tag of $20 million. In Tennessee and Virginia, neither of which yet have any existing gaming infrastructure, digital platforms stand on their own.

New Hampshire a key concern

Since the Maine legislature sent its sports betting bill to Mills in July 2019, neighboring New Hampshire legalized and has gone live with sports betting, bringing the number of legal states in New England to two. In Connecticut, the state recently came to an agreement with local tribes, and it is expected that lawmakers will legalize sports betting by the end of the year. In Massachusetts, multiple bills continue to circulate on Beacon Hill with no clear consensus on what sports betting should look like.

The movement in neighboring states is relevant, because New Hampshire is sandwiched between two non-legal sports betting states — Massachusetts and Maine — and offers statewide legal digital wagering through a partnership with Boston-based DraftKings. And there’s likely no question that Mainers are crossing the border to bet and the state is missing out on — if nothing else — the tax revenue flowing into New Hampshire from Maine.

On legal sports betting, NH Gov. Chris Sununu tells the @BostonGlobe that Mass. legislature’s “lack of action is our opportunity, and we’re not going to miss it.”https://t.co/twRuSXngbB

— Nick Stoico (@NickStoico) October 30, 2019

“I think that what New Hampshire provides … it proves that people want this, that the volume is there, and how bets are being placed,” Silver said. “Over 80% are online, and their numbers are driven by Massachusetts and Maine not being legal. It’s kind of the perfect storm — or maybe rainbow — in New Hampshire. They went live right around when Maine got vetoed, and Massachusetts didn’t move, and COVID happened.”

DraftKings, which has a digital monopoly in New Hampshire and pays the state 51% of its gross gaming revenue, launched its digital site on Dec. 30, 2019, just 11 days before Mills vetoed the Maine bill.

“It’s unreal the amount of people who cross the border to make their bets,” Rep. Tim Roche said during the hearing. “I worry that money is leaving, and at this time we need money in this state. The other thing I want to stress is that [sports betting] is being done in this state. In the old days, supposedly when the mafia was in charge, you heard about people getting into trouble, but when was the last time you heard a [sports betting] pool or anything like that getting into trouble?”

Details must be worked out

Lawmakers also discussed whether to prohibit wagering on in-state Maine college teams, as well as how to “address the governor’s veto letter.” Luchini said his latest bill would allow stand-alone mobile, set a 10% tax rate on brick-and-mortar wagering revenue and 16% on mobile betting, allow for betting on all college sports, and provide “dedicated funding to problem gambling, including player-protection protocols, child-support interceptions, and self-exclusion” options. The bill does not cap the number of potential sports betting licenses that would be available.

“We voted on this last session,” Luchini said. “We felt that it was a free-market approach. This bill technically does not require tethering, which raises the cost of the service, which passes that on to the bettor via worse odds and payouts.”

Committee members will hash out the details of tethering — or not — in a work session later in May, but Silver said he still thinks the end result will be “both brick-and-mortar and mobile, and a reasonable tax and fee structure.” He also said it’s unlikely legislation will include “integrity fees or a data mandate,” and he expects it to include “reasonable limitations around advertising.”

It’s also possible that Maine’s legislation will go a step further than that of many other U.S. jurisdictions — in a nod to the governor, it could include more clear framework and guardrails around problem gambling, rather than leaving those decisions to regulators.

ShareTweetShare
Jill R. Dorson

Jill R. Dorson

Jill has covered everything from steeplechase to the NFL and then some during a more than 30-year career in sports journalism. The highlight of her career was covering Oakland Raiders during the Charles Woodson/Jon Gruden era, including the infamous “Snow Bowl” and the Raiders’ 2003 trip to Super Bowl XXXVII. Her specialty these days is covering sports betting legislation across the country. You can reach Jill at jill@bettercollective.com

Related Posts

whats on tap
Industry

What’s On Tap: Super Bowl LVII, ICE London, And LeBron’s Pursuit Of NBA Scoring Record

February 6, 2023
Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images
Promotions

FanDuel Promo Code: $3,000 No Sweat First Bet for No. 3 Houston at Temple

February 5, 2023
Load More

Top Stories

fanduel-retail-sportsbook-front

Requiem For The So-Called ‘Risk-Free Bet’

February 2, 2023
garnett mgm springfield

Sports Betting Launches In Massachusetts, Giving Three Retail Books A Head Start

January 31, 2023
springfield thunderbirds betmgm opening

What’s Next For BetMGM As Entain Nears End Of Commitment To U.S. Joint Venture?

February 3, 2023
anthony-grant-coaching

Regulators, Colleges Grapple With Impact Of Angry Online Gamblers

February 6, 2023

State Sports Betting Guides

Ohio (U.S. state) flag waving against clear blue sky, close up, isolated with clipping path mask alpha channel transparency, perfect for film, news, composition

Ohio Sports Betting – Where To Play, Bonus Offers And Promo Codes

by Brian Pempus
February 2, 2023

Downtown Detroit at twilight (Shutterstock)

Michigan Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
February 6, 2023

VA captial

Virginia Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonus Offers

by Brett Smiley
January 17, 2023

nj flag

New Jersey Sports Betting — Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
October 20, 2022

pa online sportsbooks

Pennsylvania Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonuses

by Brett Smiley
October 6, 2022

Canada Sports Betting Guides

Canada Sports Betting – Best Sportsbook Apps & Bonus Offers

British Columbia Sports Betting – Legal Update, Available Sportsbooks, and FAQ

Ontario Sports Betting – Legal Status And Where To Play

gambling therapy
ncpg
igaming ontario
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (MI/NJ/OH/PA/WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN).
19+. Please play responsibly. Terms and conditions apply. 
Individuals must be 19 years of age or older to participate in igaming in Ontario. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. If you, or someone you know, has a gambling problem in Ontario and wants help, please visit ConnexOntario or call their helpline at 1-866-531-2600. Operators on this website operate pursuant to an Operating Agreement with iGaming Ontario.

Search Sports Handle

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling

No Result
View All Result
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News

loading

Please wait while you are redirected to the right page...

Please share your location to continue.

Check our help guide for more info.

share your location