The Maine Highway To Sports Betting A Few Miles From Destination

• Maine sports betting bill LD 1352 will go through two more votes on Thursday, one in the House and one in the Senate.
• Lawmakers have already placed the measure on the Special Appropriations Table which means they believe LD 1352 will pass in its second vote in both chambers.
• It is still possible for Maine to have regulated sports betting go live in 2021 if all approvals are met on time.

AUGUSTA, Maine – Like a Stephen King novel, the process of regulating sports betting in Maine has had numerous twists and turns and as of Thursday, lawmakers are still on board for the ride.

As previously reported by news outlets across the globe, including LSB, Governor Janet Mills has not actually received sports gaming bill LD 1352 for her signature. Yet.

LD 1352 would give Maine a regulated sports betting industry and although it passed in the House and the Senate, which led to the confusion, the Maine State Legislature requires that every bill approved receive two votes of passage from each chamber, not just the one as is the standard for other states.

Those votes are expected to occur on Thursday in both the House and the Senate. Once the House votes on the bill, the Senate will then vote on it, officially checking the boxes for the required two votes per chamber and allowing LD 1352 to move forward.

What’s On The Agenda For LD 1352?

LD 1352 would regulate a Maine sports wagering industry. The proposal opens the door for eight retail sportsbooks that will be seen throughout the state. Each of these venues will be given three mobile sport betting skins for a total of 24 platforms to be used statewide by sports bettors.

Mobile sportsbooks will be tethered to land-based locations as was the Governor’s previous problem with a sports gaming bill she vetoed in 2020. She wanted mobile and online sports wagering to be tied to an actual gambling business in the state rather than run as standalone operations.

A 16% tax will be implemented for mobile platforms on all GGR while a 10% tax will be seen for the eight brick and mortar locations. A $100,000 application fee will be needed at the time an application is submitted to the state and then a renewal fee for licenses is required every two years for the same amount of money by all running sportsbooks.

After Thursday’s votes, which are expected to be favorable once again, LD 1352 will go on to a hearing next month as it’s already been placed on the Special Appropriations Table. Having placed it on this table prior to the second vote means that lawmakers believe it’ll pass in what can be seen as a process formality rather than a change of heart on the subject.

What’s Next?

Should the Special Appropriations Table pass the measure, it will finally go to Governor Mills’ desk where she will have 10 days to either approve or veto the bill.

Sundays are not included within that 10-day span.

However, it is still possible for Maine to have regulated sports betting launch in the state before the end of 2021.

If LD 1352 can pass through these final four hurdles without issue, 2021 sportsbooks are still a prospect and it would allow for NFL sports betting with local in-state operators. If not in 2021, 2022 would be when the sports gaming market in Maine would go live.

 

News tags: Janet Mills | LD 1352 | Maine | Maine House | Maine Senate | Maine State Legislature | NFL | Special Appropriations Table