An Act to Implement a Facility-based Monitoring System for Slot Machines
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 2070
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: HICKMAN
Amends: 8 MRSA §1001, 8 MRSA §1003, 8 MRSA §1004, 8 MRSA §1006, 8 MRSA §1020

Legislative Document
No. 2070
S.P. 871
In Senate, December 22, 2023
An Act to Implement a Facility-based Monitoring System for Slot 
Machines
Submitted by the Department of Public Safety pursuant to Joint Rule 203.
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on December 20, 2023.  Referred to the Committee 
on Veterans and Legal Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator HICKMAN of Kennebec.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  8 MRSA §1001, sub-§13-B is enacted to read:
13-B.  Facility-based monitoring system.  "Facility-based monitoring system" means 
an on-site computer system at a casino or slot machine facility that is accessible by the 
department to which all slot machines at the casino or slot machine facility communicate 
for the purpose of auditing capacity and real-time information retrieval of the details of any 
financial event that occurs in the operation of the casino or slot machine facility, door 
openings and closings, power failure and disabling of slot machines.
Sec. 2.  8 MRSA §1003, sub-§2, ¶J, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and 
affected by Pt. B, §11, is repealed.
Sec. 3.  8 MRSA §1003, sub-§2, ¶J-1 is enacted to read:
J-1.  Ensure the board or the director or staff has the ability to regulate, manage and 
audit the operation, financial data and program information relating to slot machines 
that enables the department to audit the operation, financial data and program 
information of a casino or slot machine facility licensee, as required by the board, and 
provide the department with the ability to monitor at any time on a real-time basis 
wagering patterns, payouts, tax collection and compliance with rules adopted by the 
board for the regulation and control of slot machines operated under this chapter;
Sec. 4.  8 MRSA §1003, sub-§2, ¶K, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and 
affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
K.  Maintain Ensure the board or the director or staff has the ability to activate and 
deactivate the operation of individual slot machines including via the central site a 
facility-based monitoring system under authority of board staff or persons contracted 
by the board;
Sec. 5.  8 MRSA §1003, sub-§2, ¶M, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and 
affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
M.  Inform commercial track operators applying for a license to operate slot machines 
that any slot machines licensed by the board must be compatible with the central site a 
facility-based monitoring system of on-line monitoring used by the board;
Sec. 6.  8 MRSA §1003, sub-§2, ¶N, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and 
affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
N.  Cause the central site a facility-based monitoring system to disable a slot machine 
that does not meet registration requirements provided by this chapter or rules adopted 
under this chapter or as directed by the department;
Sec. 7.  8 MRSA §1003, sub-§2, ¶O, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and 
affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
O.  Cause the central site a facility-based monitoring system to disable a slot machine 
and cause the department to seize the proceeds of that slot machine if the funds from 
that slot machine have not been distributed, deposited or allocated in accordance with 
section 1036;
Sec. 8.  8 MRSA §1004, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. 
B, §11, is amended to read:
§1004.  Central site Facility-based monitoring system
1.  Generally.  In order to facilitate the auditing and security programs required by 
section 1003, subsection 2 and in addition to the requirements of under section 1003, 
subsection 2, paragraphs J to O, all slot machines at a casino or slot machine facility must 
communicate electronically with the central site monitoring system required pursuant to 
section 1003, subsection 2, paragraph J licensee's facility-based monitoring system.  The 
board shall select a central site monitoring system.  The central site facility-based 
monitoring system, in addition to other functions the board determines necessary, must:
A.  Be a fully operational slot machine control system that has the capability of 
supporting all slot machines licensed for operation in the State at the casino or slot 
machine facility and is capable of being upgraded to maintain a fully operational and 
proper reporting capability;
B.  Use a widely accepted gaming industry protocol to facilitate slot machine 
manufacturers' ability to communicate with the central site facility-based monitoring 
system;
C.  Have the capability to support progressive slot machines, both in-house and wide-
area, as approved by the board.  For purposes of this paragraph, "progressive slot 
machine" means a slot machine or series of slot machines in which the payback amount 
to an individual player increases as that player continues to play the slot machine or 
slot machines;
D.  Allow the slot machine operator to install independent player tracking systems to 
include cashless technology as approved by the board;
E.  Be incapable of altering the statistical awards of slot machines, as designated by the 
slot machine manufacturer and approved by the board;
F.  Provide redundancy to ensure that each component of the network facility-based 
monitoring system is capable of operating independently if another component of the 
network facility-based monitoring system fails and to ensure that all transactional data 
is captured and secured; and
G.  Have the ability to meet the reporting and control requirements set forth in section 
1003, subsection 2, paragraphs A to T S.
2.  Third-party contractor.  If the board contracts with a 3rd party to operate the 
central site monitoring system, the 3rd party must meet, as determined by the board, the 
suitability requirement described in section 1016, subsection 2.
3.  Initial acquisition of central site monitoring system.  The board shall select the 
central site monitoring system presenting the lowest overall cost alternative, taking into 
consideration the capital costs, operating costs and impact on gross slot machine revenues, 
that is capable of satisfying the requirements of this section and section 1003, as determined 
by the board.
Sec. 9.  8 MRSA §1006, sub-§1, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 11, §1, is amended 
to read:
D.  Financial, statistical and surveillance information related to the applicant or licensee 
that is obtained by the board or department from the central site a facility-based 
monitoring system or surveillance devices, except that such records or information may 
be disclosed with the written consent of the licensee as the facility-based monitoring 
system operator;
Sec. 10.  8 MRSA §1006, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 11, §1, is repealed.
Sec. 11.  8 MRSA §1006, sub-§4, as amended by IB 2009, c. 2, §28, is further 
amended to read:
4.  Monitoring and surveillance records and information.  Financial, statistical and 
surveillance information obtained by the board or department from the central site a 
facility-based monitoring system or surveillance devices is confidential and may not be 
disclosed, except as provided in subsection 1, paragraph D.  The board shall prepare and 
make publicly available monthly and annual reports on the results of slot machine and table 
game operations using the information described in this subsection pursuant to section 
1003, subsection 2, paragraphs Q and R, as long as the board takes appropriate measures 
to protect the confidentiality of specific information designated as confidential by this 
section.
Sec. 12.  8 MRSA §1020, sub-§2, ¶F, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and 
affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
F.  Must have technology compatible with the central site licensee's facility-based 
monitoring system used by the board;
SUMMARY
This bill amends the laws relating to the auditing and security of slot machines by 
replacing the requirement that the Department of Public Safety maintain a central site 
monitoring system with a requirement that all slot machines communicate electronically 
with an on-site facility-based monitoring system that is accessible by the department.