An Act To Establish the Gambling Control Board To License and Regulate Slot Machines at Commercial Harness Racing Tracks
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1820
Committee Amendment CA_A-HA_A_H879 (House)
Amends: 8 MRSA §299

HOUSE 
AMENDMENT 
to COMMITTEE 
AMENDMENT 
"A" to H.P. 
1342, L.D. 1820, Bill, "An Act To Establish the Gambling Control 
Board To License and Regulate Slot Machines at Commercial Harness 
Racing Tracks" 
Amend the amendment by striking out all of section A-4 (page 
3, lines 11 to 50 and page 4, lines 1 to 5 in amendment) and 
inserting in its place the following: 
'Sec. A·4. 8 MRSA §299 is enacted to read: 
§299. 
Harness Racing Stabilization Fund 
1. 
Fund created. 
The Harness Racing Stabilization Fund, 
referred to in this section as "the fund," is established to 
provide financial assistance to Maine's commercial tracks and 
off-track betting facilities. 
2. 
Reqgest for financial assistance. 
Each commercial track 
licensed under section 271 and each off-track betting facility 
licensed and in operation as of December 31. 
2003 may file a 
request for financial assistance with the Department of Public 
Safety. 
Gambling Control Board established in chapter 
and 
referred to in this section as "the board." 
The request for 
financial assistance must be on forms provided by the board and 
must meet the criteria established by the board pursuant to 
subsection 3. 
A request for financial assistance must be renewed 
annually by December 31st. 
3. 
Criteria for financial assistance. 
The board. by major 
substantive 
rulemaking 
pursuant 
to 
Title 
5. 
chapter 
375. 
subchapter 
2-A. 
shall 
establish 
criteria 
for 
determining 
financial need. 
The criteria for off-track betting facilities 
must include proof of loss of revenue due to the presence of slot 
machines registered pursuant to chapter 31. subchapter 2. 
Page l-LR2664(5) 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
HOUSE 
AMENDMENT "It" to COMMITTEE 
AMENDMENT 
to A" to H. P . 
L.D. 1820 
1342, 
4. 
Distribution; timing. 
Within 30 days of receipt of a 
request for financial assistance under subsection 2, the board 
shall determine whether the request meets the board's criteria 
under subsection 3 and, if the criteria are met. the amount to 
which the 
commercial 
track or off-track betting facility is 
entitled. 
If the board denies. in whole or in part, the request 
for financial assistance, the board shall notify the commercial 
track or off-track betting facility of the board's decision and 
its reasons for the decision. 
If the board grants the reguest, 
it must make payments pursuant to subsection 5 to the commercial 
track or off-track betting facility within 5 working days of its 
decision. 
If the amount in the fund is insufficient to satisfy 
the amount the board determines the Commercial track or off-track 
betting facility is entitled to, 
the board may establish a 
schedule 
for 
making 
payments 
to 
that 
commercial 
track 
or 
off-track betting facility or may modify the amount to be paid to 
reflect the limit of the fund. 
5. 
P~nt limits; lapse of funds. 
Payments from the fund 
to commercial tracks may not exceed 213 of the amount deposited 
annually into the fund pursuant to section 1036, subsection 2, 
paragraph 
H. 
Payments 
from 
the 
fund 
to off-track betting 
facilities may not exceed 113 of the amount deposited annually 
into the fund pursuant to section 1036, subsection 2, paragraph 
H. 
The total annual payments from the fund as of July 1st may 
not exceed the total deposits to the fund as of the following 
June 30th. 
Any funds remaining in the fund after all annual 
distributions pursuant to subsection 4 lapse to the General Fund. 
6. 
Termination of pa~nts. Payments to commercial tracks 
and off-track betting facilities must be discontinued upon the 
earlier of: 
A. 
The placement and operation of slot machines as defined 
in section 1001 or electronic video machines as defined in 
Title 17. section 330 at all commercial tracks and off-track 
betting 
facilities 
eligible 
for 
financial 
assistance 
payments; and 
B. 
A determination by the board that financial assistance 
payments are no longer necessary. 
7. 
Repeal. 
This section is repealed 6 months after the 
date the board terminates financial assistance payments pursuant 
to subsection 6.' 
Further amend the amendment on pages 15 and 16 by striking 
out all of paragraphs H, 
I and J 
(page 15, lines 38 to 50 and 
the following: 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
L.D. 1820 
.. A .. to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
"A" to H. P. 1342, 
'H. 
Six percent of the total gross slot machine income must 
be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of State, who 
shall credit the money to the Harness Racing Stabilization 
Fund 
established 
in 
section 
to 
provide 
financial 
assistance 
payments 
to 
gualified 
commercial 
tracks 
and 
off track betting facilities. 
Once payments to commercial 
tracks 
and off-track betting facilities 
have 
terminated 
pursuant to section 299, subsection 6, 6% of the total gross 
slot machine income must be forwarded to the Treasurer of 
State. who shall credit the money to the General Fund: and 
I. 
One percent of the total gross slot machine income must 
be forwarded directly to the municipality in which the slot 
machines are located.' 
SUMMARY 
Under Committee Amendment "A," 4°t> of the total gross slot 
machine income must be deposited in the Fund to Encourage Racing 
at Maine's Commercial Tracks and 
2% of the total gross slot 
machine 
income 
must 
be 
deposited in the 
Fund 
to Stabilize 
Off-track Betting Facilities for the distribution of revenue to 
commercial tracks and off-track betting facilities, respectively. 
This 
amendment 
instead creates 
a 
new 
fund, 
the Harness 
Racing Stabilization Fund, into which 
6~ of the total gross slot 
machine income must be deposited. 
The new fund serves as 
a 
source of revenue for licensed commercial tracks and off-track 
betting facilities who apply to the Gambling Control Board for 
financial assistance payments. 
The board, by major substantive 
rulemaking, is required to establish criteria that the commercial 
track or off-track betting facility must meet in order to be 
eligible for financial assistance payments. 
One criterion that 
an off-track betting facility must meet is a showing of loss of 
revenue due to the presence of licensed slot machines in the 
State. 
The board determines whether the track or off-track 
betting facility has met the criteria and the amount of the 
financial assistance payment. 
The commercial track or off-track 
betting facility must apply annually for a financial assistance 
payment. 
The financial assistance payments cease when all commercial 
tracks 
and off-track betting facilities 
have 
slot machines, 
including electronic video machines, or the board determines that 
financial assistance payments are no longer necessary, whichever 
occurs first. 
When the financial assistance payments cease, or 
if the amount of payments to the fund exceeds the amount of 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
HOUSE 
AMENDMENT ,,4 to COMMITTEE 
AMENDMENT 
"A" to H.P. 1342, 
L.D. 1820 
financial assistance payments, the money allocated to the fund 
lapses to the General Fund. 
SPONSORED BY: 
(Representative 
TOWN: 
Dixfield 
FISCAL :\OTE RE(JURED 
(See attached) 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
Appropriations! Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Revenue 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 04/07/04 M'ae 
l2lst Maine Legislature 
Office of Fiscal and Program Review 
LD 1820 
An Act To Establish the Gambling Control Board To License and 
Regulate Slot Machines at Commercial Harness Racing Tracks 
LR 2664(05) 
Fiscal Note for House Amendment" It to Committee Amendment It It 
Sponsor: Rep. Hotham 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Projections 
ProjeCtions 
2003-04 
2004-05 
2005-06 
2006-07 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
The changes in certain Other Special Revenue Funds accounts within the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural 
Resources will not have any net impact on either the allocations or revenues for the department. 
LR2664(S) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 2