An Act To Streamline Gaming Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1675
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: McCABE
Amends: 8 MRSA §1011, 8 MRSA §1018, 8 MRSA §1019, 8 MRSA §1020, 8 MRSA §1036

Legislative Document 
No. 1675 
H.P. 1171 
House of Representatives, December 30, 2013 
An Act To Streamline Gaming Laws 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 23, 2013.  Referred to the Committee on 
Veterans and Legal Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 401. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative McCABE of Skowhegan. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
PART A 
Sec. A-1.  8 MRSA §1011, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2005, c. 663, §6, is further 
amended to read: 
4.  Requirement for license; agreement with municipality where slot machines 
are located.  A slot machine operator or a person who is initially granted a casino 
operator license after January 1, 2014 shall enter into an agreement with the municipality 
where the slot machine operator's or casino operator's slot machines are located that 
provides for revenue sharing or other compensation, including, but not limited to, a 
provision requiring the preparation, in conjunction with the municipality, of a security 
plan for the premises on which the slot machines are located.  The revenue-sharing 
agreement must provide for a minimum payment to the municipality of 3% of the net slot 
machine income derived from the machines located in the municipality. 
Sec. A-2.  8 MRSA §1018, sub-§1-B is enacted to read: 
1-B.  Fee for initial casino operator license granted after January 1, 2014.  
Notwithstanding subsection 1, paragraphs C and C-1 and subsection 1-A, a person who is 
initially granted a casino operator license after January 1, 2014 shall pay an initial license 
fee of $5,000,000. 
Sec. A-3.  8 MRSA §1019, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2011, c. 417, §5, is 
repealed. 
Sec. A-4.  8 MRSA §1019, sub-§7, as amended by PL 2011, c. 417, §6, is further 
amended to read: 
7.  Countywide referendum; municipal vote.  After January 1, 2011, any proposed 
casino or slot machine facility may not be issued a license unless it has been approved by 
a statewide countywide referendum vote and a vote of the municipal officers or 
municipality in which the casino or slot machine facility is to be located, except that a 
commercial track licensed to operate slot machines on January 1, 2011 is only required, 
as a condition to obtain a casino license, to receive approval to operate a casino by means 
of a referendum of the voters of the county in which the commercial track is located. 
Sec. A-5.  8 MRSA §1020, sub-§3, ¶A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 585, §8, is 
further amended to read: 
A.  Except for slot machines used for training and educational purposes at 
postsecondary institutions as provided by section 1011, subsection 1-B, the total 
number of slot machines registered in the State may not exceed 3,000 5,000; and 
Sec. A-6.  8 MRSA §1036, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2011, c. 417, §7, is further 
amended to read: 
1.  Distribution for administrative expenses of board.  A slot machine operator 
licensed under section 1011, subsection 2 or a casino operator that is a commercial track 
that was licensed to operate slot machines under section 1011, subsection 2 on January 1, 
2011 shall collect and distribute 1% of gross slot machine income to the Treasurer of 
State for deposit in the General Fund for the administrative expenses of the board.  
Sec. A-7.  8 MRSA §1036, sub-§2-A, as amended by PL 2013, c. 118, §2, is 
further amended to read: 
2-A.  Distribution from casino of slot machine income.  A casino operator shall 
collect and distribute 46% of the net slot machine income from slot machines operated by 
the casino operator to the board for distribution by the board as follows: 
A.  Twenty-five percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded directly 
by the board to the Treasurer of State, who shall credit the money to the Department 
of Education, to be used to supplement and not to supplant funding for essential 
programs and services for kindergarten to grade 12 under Title 20-A, chapter 606-B; 
B.  Four 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 and to the Board of Trustees of the Maine Maritime Academy to be applied by 
the board of trustees to fund its scholarship program.  The slot machine income under 
this paragraph must be distributed as follows: 
(1)  The University of Maine System share is the total amount of the distribution 
multiplied by the ratio of enrolled students in the system to the total number of 
enrolled students both in the system and at the Maine Maritime Academy; and 
(2)  The Maine Maritime Academy share is the total amount of the distribution 
multiplied by the ratio of enrolled students at the academy to the total number of 
enrolled students both in the system and at the academy; 
C.  Three percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to 
the Board of Trustees of the Maine Community College System to be applied by the 
board of trustees to fund its scholarships program under Title 20-A, section 12716, 
subsection 1; 
D.  Four percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to 
the Treasurer of State, who shall distribute the funds to the tribal governments of the 
Penobscot Nation and the Passamaquoddy Tribe; 
E.  Three percent of the net slot machine income must be deposited to the General 
Fund for administrative expenses of the board, including gambling addiction 
counseling services, in accordance with rules adopted by the board; 
F.  Two percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded directly to the 
municipality in which the casino is located; 
G.  One 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 Agricultural Fair Support Fund 
established in Title 7, section 91; 
H.  One 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 established in section 298 
to supplement harness racing purses; 
I.  One percent of the net slot machine income must be credited by the board to the 
Sire Stakes Fund created in section 281; 
J.  One percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded directly to the 
county in which the casino is located to pay for mitigation of costs resulting from 
gaming operations;  
L.  Beginning July 1, 2013, 1/2 of 1% of the net slot machine income must be 
forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of State, who shall credit the money to the 
Maine Milk Pool, Other Special Revenue Funds account within the Department of 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to help fund dairy farm stabilization pursuant 
to Title 7, sections 3153-B and 3153-D; and 
M.  Beginning July 1, 2013, 1/2 of 1% of the net slot machine income must be 
forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of State, who shall credit the money to the 
Dairy Improvement Fund established under Title 10, section 1023-P. 
If a recipient of net slot machine income in paragraph D, H or I owns or receives funds 
from a slot machine facility or casino, other than the casino in Oxford County or the slot 
machine facility in Bangor, then the recipient may not receive funds under this 
subsection, and those funds must be retained by the Oxford County casino operator. 
Sec. A-8.  8 MRSA §1036, sub-§2-D is enacted to read: 
2-D.  Distribution of net slot machine income and net table game income from 
casino with commercial track initially licensed to operate slot machines after 
January 1, 2014.  A casino operator that is a commercial track that was initially licensed 
to operate slot machines and table games after January 1, 2014 shall collect and distribute 
39% of the net slot machine income from slot machines and 16% of net table game 
income from table games operated by the casino operator to the board for distribution by 
the board as follows: 
A.  Two and one-half percent of the sum received from the net slot machine income 
and net table game income must be deposited to the General Fund for administrative 
expenses of the board in accordance with rules adopted by the board under section 
1003, subsection 1, paragraph B, except that of the amount calculated pursuant to this 
paragraph, $100,000 must be transferred annually to the Gambling Addiction 
Prevention and Treatment Fund established by Title 5, section 20006-B; 
B.  Twenty percent of the sum received from the net slot machine income and net 
table game income must be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of State, who 
shall credit the money to the fund established in section 298 to supplement harness 
racing purses;  
C.  Five percent of the sum received from the net slot machine income and net table 
game income must be credited by the board to the Sire Stakes Fund created in section 
281; 
D.  Eight and one-half percent of the sum received from the net slot machine income 
and net table game income must be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of State, 
who shall credit the money to the Agricultural Fair Support Fund established in Title 
7, section 91; 
E.  Five percent of the sum received from the net slot machine income and net table 
game income must be forwarded directly to the municipality in which the slot 
machines and table games are located; 
F.  Seven and one-half percent of the sum received from the net slot machine income 
and net table game income must be forwarded directly to the county in which the slot 
machines and table games are located; 
G.  Two and one-half percent of the sum received from the net slot machine income 
and net table game income must be forwarded directly to the municipalities that abut 
the municipality in which the slot machines and table games are located.  The 
revenues must be paid in equal portions to each municipality in order to provide 
property tax relief to those municipalities; 
H.  Two and one-half percent of the sum received from the net slot machine income 
and net table game income must be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of State, 
who shall credit the money to the Fund to Stabilize Off-track Betting Facilities 
established by section 300, as long as a facility has conducted off-track wagering 
operations for a minimum of 250 days during the preceding 12-month period in 
which the first payment to the fund is required; 
I.  One and one-half percent of the sum received from the net slot machine income 
and net table game income must be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of State, 
who shall credit the money to a nonprofit fraternal organization fund established by 
rule; 
J.  One and one-half percent of the sum received from the net slot machine income 
and net table game income must be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of State, 
who shall credit the money to the Coordinated Veterans Assistance Fund under Title 
37-B, section 514; 
K.  Two and one-half percent of the sum received from the net slot machine income 
and net table game income must be forwarded by the board directly, in equal 
amounts, to the governing bodies of the federally recognized Indian tribes in the 
State; 
L.  Twenty and one-half percent of the sum received from the net slot machine 
income and net table game income must be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer 
of State, who shall credit the money to the Department of Education for the purpose 
of funding kindergarten to grade 12 education; and 
M.  Twenty and one-half percent of the sum received from the net slot machine 
income and net table game income must be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer 
of State, who shall credit the money to the Local Government Fund under Title 30-A, 
chapter 223 for the purpose of revenue sharing with the municipalities of the State. 
PART B 
Sec. B-1.  Issuance of casino operator license.  Notwithstanding the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 8, chapter 31, subchapter 2, or any other provision of law to the 
contrary, the Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Board shall issue a casino 
operator license to the best-value bidder selected by the Commissioner of Administrative 
and Financial Services, referred to in this Part as "the commissioner," in accordance with 
this section. 
1.  Solicit bids.  In accordance with the process for a competitive bid outlined in Title 
5, chapter 155, subchapter 1-A, the commissioner shall solicit bids for the operation of a 
new casino to be located in the southern part of the State. 
2.  Submission deadline; application fee.  A bid submitted pursuant to this section 
must be: 
A.  Submitted no later than July 30, 2014; and 
B.  Accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee of $250,000, which must be 
credited to an Other Special Revenue Funds account within the division of purchases 
within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services to be used to defray 
the costs of managing the application process. 
3.  Information provided by bidders.  A bid submitted pursuant to this section must 
include the building plans and site designs for the proposed casino and information 
regarding: 
A.  The bidder's financial capacity and access to capital for use in maintaining the 
proposed casino; 
B.  How the proposed location of the proposed casino would benefit the State; 
C.  The bidder's knowledge of the gaming industry or a related field; 
D.  The bidder's knowledge of the hospitality industry or a related field; 
E.  The bidder's knowledge of and experience in operating a commercial harness 
racing track; 
F.  The impact that the bidder's overall proposal will have on the economy, 
employment and revenues of the host municipality, abutting municipalities, the host 
county and the State; and 
G.  The bidder's willingness to construct a destination resort gaming facility with 
harness racing, slot machines and table games. 
A bidder must include with the information submitted pursuant to this subsection a 
statement that the bidder has not been found to have violated any state or federal law or 
rule governing gaming and attesting to the good moral character of the bidder and any 
principal officer of the bidder. 
4.  Award of bid.  The commissioner shall review the bids submitted pursuant to this 
section, consider the information provided pursuant to subsection 3 and shall award the 
contract to the best-value bidder. 
5.  Contract requirements.  As part of the contract awarded pursuant to this Part, the 
bidder must agree to: 
A.  Construct a resort that includes a hotel, spa and pool and multiple dining options; 
B.  Construct an integrated, 5/8-mile, all-weather surface harness racing track located 
at the gaming facility; 
C.  Include an entertainment venue at the resort; and 
D.  Include retail space at the resort. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services to 
solicit bids for the operation of a new casino located in southern Maine and directs the 
Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Board to issue a casino operator license 
to the entity that is awarded the bid.  The casino operator must enter into an agreement 
with the municipality where the slot machines are located that provides for revenue 
sharing or other compensation of at least 3% of the net slot machine income.  The fee for 
this license is $5,000,000.  The limit on the number of slot machines that may be 
registered in the State is raised from 3,000 to 5,000. 
The casino operator must distribute 1% of gross slot machine income to the General 
Fund for the administrative expenses of the Gambling Control Board.  The casino 
operator must distribute 39% of net slot machine income and 16% of net table game 
income as follows: 
1.  Two and one-half percent for the administrative expenses of the Gambling Control 
Board and for the Gambling Addiction Prevention and Treatment Fund; 
2.  Twenty percent to supplement harness racing purses; 
3.  Five percent to the Sire Stakes Fund; 
4.  Eight and one-half percent to the Agricultural Fair Support Fund; 
5.  Five percent to the municipality in which the slot machines and table games are 
located; 
6.  Seven and one-half percent to the county in which the slot machines and table 
games are located; 
7.  Two and one-half percent to the municipalities that abut the municipality in which 
the slot machines and table games are located; 
8.  Two and one-half percent to the Fund to Stabilize Off-track Betting Facilities; 
9.  One and one-half percent to a nonprofit fraternal organization fund established by 
rule; 
10.  One and one-half percent to the Coordinated Veterans Assistance Fund; 
11.  Two and one-half percent to the federally recognized Indian tribes in the State; 
12.  Twenty and one-half percent to the Department of Education for the purpose of 
funding kindergarten to grade 12 education; and 
13.  Twenty and one-half percent to the Local Government Fund under the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, chapter 223 for the purpose of revenue sharing with the 
municipalities of the State.