Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0805
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: JACKSON, MARRACHE, SULLIVAN
Amends: 8 MRSA §1011, 8 MRSA §1020, 8 MRSA §1036

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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124th MAINE .LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 805 
S.P.313 
In Senate, March 3, 2009 
Ali Act To Change Current Limits on Commercial Harness Racing 
Tracks 
. Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator JACKSON of Aroostook. 
9t9(J~ 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senat~ 
Cosponsored by Senators: MARRACHE of Kennebec, SULLIVAN of York, Representative: 
CRA Y of Palmyra. 
. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be Ii enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 8 MRSA §1011, sulb-§2, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and 
affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read: 
. 
2. Eligible persons. The board may accept applications for a license to operate slot 
machines from any person who is licensed to operate a commercial track that satisfies the 
following criteria: 
A. The commercial track is located at or withffi a 5 mile radius of the center of a 
commercial track that conducted harness racing with pari-mutuel wagering on more 
than 25 days during calendar year 2002; and 
lOB. The operation of slot machines at the commercial track is approved by the voters 
of the municipality in which the commercial track to be licensed is located by 
referendum election held at any time after December 31, 2002 and before December 
31,2003. 
Sec. 2. 8 MRSA §1020, sulb-§3, ~A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and 
affected by Pt. B, § 11, is amended to read: 
. 
A. The total number of slot machines registered in· the State may not exceed +,500 
3,000; and 
Sec. 3. 8 MRSA §1036, sulb-§2, CUE, as amended by PL 2005, c. 663, §12, is 
further amended to read: 
E. Ten percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to the 
State Controller to be credited to the Fund for a Healthy Maine established by Title 
22, section 1511 and segregated into a separate account under Title 22, section 1511, 
subsection 11, with the use of funds in the account restricted to the purposes 
described in Title 22, section 1511, subsection 6, paragraph E, except that, if the net 
slot machine income' is generated by slot machines located at the premises of a 
commercial track that was initially approved for operation of slot machines after 
January 1, 2009, this amount must be forwarded by the board to the TreasUrer of 
State for deposit inthe General Fu...d; 
Sec. 4. 8 MRSA §1036, sulb-§2, EifIF, as amended by PL 2005, c. 663, §12, is 
further amended to read: 
. 
. 
F. Two percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to the 
University of Maine System Scholarship Fund created in Title 20-A, section 10909", 
except that, if the net slot machine income is generated by slot machines located at 
the premises of a commercial track that was initially approved for operation of slot 
machines after January 1,2009, this amount must be forwarded by the board to the 
Treasurer of State for deposit in the General Fund; 
Sec. 5. 8 MRSA §1036, sub-§2, ~G; as amended by PL 2005, c. 663, §12, is 
further amended to read: 
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G: One percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to the 
board of trustees of the Maine Community College Bystem to be applied by the board 
of trustees to fund its scholarships program under Title 20-A, section 12716, 
subsection 1, except that, if the net slot machine income is generated by slot 
machines located at the premises of a commercial track that was initially approved 
for operation of slot machines after January 1, 2009, this amount must be forwarded 
by the board to the Treasurer of State for deposit in the General Fund; 
Sec. 6. 8 MRSA §1036, sub-§2, ~, as amended by PL 2005, c. 663, §12, is 
further amended to read: 
H. Four percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to 
the Treasurer of State, who shall credit the money to the Fund to Encourage Racing at 
Maine's Commercial Tracks, established in section 299; however, the payment 
required by this paragraph is terminated when all commercial tracks have obtained a 
license to operate slot machines in accordance with this chapter. If the net slot 
machine income. is generated by slot machines located at the premises of a 
commercial track that was initially approved for operation of slot machines after 
January 1, 2009, this amount must be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of 
State for deposit in the General Fund; 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the laws. governing commercial tracks and licensing for slot 
machines. 
1. Current law requires that an applicant for a license to operate slot machines by a 
person licensed to operate a commercial track be located "at or within a 5-mile radius of 
the center of a commercial track" that conducted harness racing with pari-mutuel 
wagering on more than 25 days during calendar year 2002. This bill removes the 5-mile 
radius requirement but retains the specification that the commercial track operated by the 
applicant has conducted harness racing with pari-mutuel wagering during that period of 
time. 
2. This bill removes language limiting the operation of slot machines to commercial· 
tracks licensed by a referendum election held prior to December 31, 2003. 
3. The bill provides that, for slot machines located at commercial tracks initially 
licensed for slot machines after January 1, 2009, the revenue designated for distribution 
to the Fund for a Healthy Maine, the University of Maine Scholarship Fund, the Maine 
Community College System and the Fund to Encourage Racing at Maine's Commercial 
Tr~cks would instead be deposited in the General Fund. 
4. The bill increases from 1,500 to 3,000 the total number of slot machines allowed 
in the State. 
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