An Act To Amend Maine's Gambling Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1771
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: FARNHAM
Amends: 8 MRSA §1011, 8 MRSA §1013, 8 MRSA §1020, 8 MRSA §1021, 8 MRSA §1035, 8 MRSA §1035-A, 8 MRSA §1054

Legislative Document 
No. 1771 
S.P. 610 
In Senate, January 11, 2012 
An Act To Amend Maine's Gambling Laws 
Submitted by the Department of Public Safety pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
JOSEPH G. CARLETON, JR. 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator FARNHAM of Penobscot. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  8 MRSA §1011, sub-§1-B is enacted to read: 
1-B.  Operation of slot machines for training and educational purposes.  
Notwithstanding subsections 1 and 1-A, an accredited postsecondary institution may 
possess and operate slot machines and table games for the purposes of training and 
education.  Any casino or slot machine training or education program is subject to 
approval by the board. 
Sec. 2.  8 MRSA §1013, sub-§3 is enacted to read: 
3.  Distribution of table games by licensed slot machine distributors.  A person 
who qualifies for and is licensed as a slot machine distributor under subsection 2 may 
also distribute table games. 
Sec. 3.  8 MRSA §1020, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and 
affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read: 
1.  Registration required.  A slot machine may not be operated or distributed 
pursuant to this chapter unless the slot machine is registered by the board and the slot 
machine operator and the slot machine distributor are each licensed by the board or the 
slot machine is distributed to and operated by an accredited postsecondary institution for 
the purposes of training and education under section 1011, subsection 1-B. 
Sec. 4.  8 MRSA §1021, sub-§1, as enacted by IB 2009, c. 2, §38, is amended to 
read: 
1.  Registration required.  A table game may not be operated or distributed pursuant 
to this chapter unless the table game is registered by the board and the casino operator 
and the table game distributor are each licensed by the board or the table game is 
distributed to and operated by an accredited postsecondary institution for the purposes of 
training and education under section 1011, subsection 1-B. 
Sec. 5.  8 MRSA §1035, as amended by IB 2009, c. 2, §43, is further amended to 
read: 
§1035.  Location of slot machines 
Slot machines may be located only on the premises of a commercial track or, the 
premises of a casino or the premises of an accredited postsecondary institution for the 
purposes of training and education under section 1011, subsection 1-B.  For the purposes 
of this section, "premises of a commercial track" means property owned by the person 
who owns the property on which a commercial track is located and that is either within 
feet of the outside edge of the racing oval or, if the commercial track was owned by a 
municipality when a license to operate slot machines in association with that commercial 
track was issued, within 2,000 feet of the center of the racing oval. 
Sec. 6.  8 MRSA §1035-A, as enacted by IB 2009, c. 2, §44, is amended to read: 
§1035-A.  Location of table games 
Table games may be located only on the premises of a casino or the premises of an 
accredited postsecondary institution for the purposes of training and education under 
section 1011, subsection 1-B. 
Sec. 7.  8 MRSA §1054, sub-§§3 and 4, as amended by IB 2009, c. 2, §49, are 
further amended to read: 
3.  Operation or distribution without license.  Operates or distributes a slot 
machine or table game in this State without a license.  This subsection does not apply to 
the operation of a slot machine or table game by an accredited postsecondary institution 
for the purposes of training and education or the distribution of a slot machine or table 
game to an accredited postsecondary institution for the purposes of training and 
education; 
4.  Operation or distribution of unregistered slot machine or table game.  
Operates or distributes a slot machine or table game that is not registered in this State.  
This subsection does not apply to the operation of a slot machine or table game by an 
accredited postsecondary institution for the purposes of training and education or the 
distribution of a slot machine or table game to an accredited postsecondary institution for 
the purposes of training and education; 
Sec. 8.  8 MRSA §1054, sub-§8, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and 
affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read: 
8.  Failure to deposit funds.  Violates section 1036, subsection 2; or 
Sec. 9.  8 MRSA §1054, sub-§9, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and 
affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read: 
9.  Failure to grant access to premises, equipment and records.  Violates section 
1042.; or 
Sec. 10.  8 MRSA §1054, sub-§10 is enacted to read: 
10.  Theft at a casino or slot machine facility.  Commits a theft at or from a 
licensed casino or slot machine facility. 
SUMMARY 
This bill makes the following changes to the laws governing gambling: 
1.  It permits licensed slot machine distributors to also distribute table games; 
2.  It creates the Class C criminal offense of theft at or from a casino or slot machine 
facility; and 
3.  It clarifies that accredited postsecondary institutions may possess and operate slot 
machines and table games for training and educational purposes.