2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 8: AMUSEMENTS AND SPORTS › Chapter 31: GAMBLING CONTROL BOARD › Subchapter 2: LICENSING AND REGISTRATION › 8 §1018. Fees; term of license or registration; nontransferability; vested rights

§1018. Fees; term of license or registration; nontransferability; vested rights
1.  Fees.
The application fee for a license and the annual fee for a registered slot machine or table game under this chapter are as set out in this subsection.
A. Except for slot machines operated as part of a training and education program as provided by section 1011, subsection 1‑B, the initial registration fee for a registered slot machine is $100. The annual renewal fee is $100 for each registered slot machine.   [PL 2011, c. 585, §5 (AMD).]
A-1. Except for table games operated as part of a training and education program as provided by section 1011, subsection 1‑B, the initial registration fee for a registered table game is $100. The annual renewal fee is $100 for each registered table game.   [PL 2011, c. 585, §6 (AMD).]
B. The initial application fee for a slot machine distributor license is $200,000. The annual renewal fee is $75,000.   [PL 2005, c. 663, §7 (AMD).]
B-1. The initial application fee for a table game distributor license is $5,000. The annual renewal fee is $1,000.   [IB 2009, c. 2, §34 (NEW).]
C. The initial application fee for a slot machine operator license is $200,000. The annual renewal fee is $75,000 plus an amount, set by rules of the board, equal to the cost to the board of licensing slot machine operators and determined by dividing the costs of administering the slot machine operator licenses by the total number of slot machine operators licensed by the board.   [PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. B, §11 (AFF).]
C-1. The initial application fee for a casino operator license is $225,000, except that the initial application fee for an applicant that is a commercial track that was licensed to operate slot machines as of January 1, 2011 is $25,000. The annual renewal fee is $80,000 plus an amount, set by rules of the board, equal to the cost to the board of licensing casino operators and determined by dividing the costs of administering the casino operator licenses by the total number of casino operators licensed by the board. In addition, a casino operator shall pay an initial gaming table fee of $100,000 for the privilege to operate each gaming table for a period of 20 years as long as the casino operator is licensed. Each gaming table is also subject to an annual gaming table renewal fee of $1,000. The gaming table fees authorize the casino operator to conduct any authorized table game at the gaming table during the 20-year period. A casino licensed in accordance with section 1011, subsection 2‑A, paragraph A is not required to pay the gaming table fees until after one calendar year of table game operation. Fees collected in accordance with this paragraph must be deposited to the Gambling Control Board administrative expenses Other Special Revenue Funds account, which is a nonlapsing dedicated account.   [PL 2011, c. 417, §4 (AMD).]
D. The annual application fee for a license for a gambling services vendor is $2,000.   [PL 2005, c. 663, §7 (AMD).]
E. The initial application fee for an employee license under section 1015 is $250. The renewal fee for a one-year employee license is $25. The renewal fee for a 3-year employee license is $50.   [PL 2021, c. 697, §1 (AMD).]
In addition to the application fee for a license or annual fee for a registered slot machine or table game, the board may charge a one-time application fee for a license or registration listed in paragraphs A to E in an amount equal to the projected cost of processing the application and performing any background investigations. If the actual cost exceeds the projected cost, an additional fee may be charged to meet the actual cost. If the projected cost exceeds the actual cost, the difference may be refunded to the applicant. All fees collected pursuant to this section must be deposited directly to the Administrative Expenses Other Special Revenue Funds account, which is a dedicated nonlapsing account within the Gambling Control Board, except that $25,000 of the annual renewal fee for a slot machine operator or casino operator must be deposited to the Gross Slot Income Other Special Revenue Funds account within the Gambling Control Board to be transferred to the municipality in which the slot machine facility or casino is operated, in accordance with subsection 2. All application and registration fees are nonrefundable and are due upon submission of the application.
[PL 2021, c. 697, §1 (AMD).]
1-A.  Fees for slot machine and casino operator licenses on or after September 1, 2012.
Notwithstanding subsection 1, paragraphs C and C‑1, beginning September 1, 2012, an applicant for a slot machine operator license or a casino operator license must pay a $250,000 nonrefundable privilege fee to be submitted with the application for the license and a minimum license fee, or cash bid if the license is part of a competitive bidding process established by law, of $5,000,000. This subsection does not apply to a casino licensed for operation in the State as of September 1, 2012.
[PL 2011, c. 699, §2 (NEW).]
2.  Term of license; renewal, renewal fees.
Except as provided in section 1073, subsection 6 for licenses to conduct advance deposit wagering or as otherwise provided in this subsection, licenses issued by the board under this chapter are effective for one year, unless revoked or surrendered pursuant to subchapter 5. Employee licenses issued by the board under this chapter may be renewed for a one-year term or a 3-year term. Upon proper application and payment of the required fees and taxes and in accordance with rules adopted by the board, the board may renew a license for an additional year if municipal approval has been obtained as provided in section 1012 or 1012‑A. The board shall transfer $25,000 of the renewal fee required by subsection 1, paragraph C to the municipality in which the slot machines are operated.
[PL 2023, c. 440, §8 (AMD).]
3.  Not transferable.
A license issued under this chapter is not transferable or assignable.
[PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. B, §11 (AFF).]
4.  Hearing.
A full adjudicatory hearing is not required for the denial of an initial license or registration application. Appeals of license or registration denials must be conducted in accordance with section 1051, subsection 4.
[PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. B, §11 (AFF).]
5.  Vested rights.
A person does not have any vested rights in any license, registration, authorization, permit, application or process provided or offered under this chapter.
[PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. B, §11 (AFF).]
6.  Rules.
Rules adopted pursuant to this section are major substantive rules, except that a rule adopted pursuant to subsection 1 that proposes to establish a fee for renewal that is less than $10,000 is a routine technical rule in accordance with Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.
[PL 2005, c. 663, §8 (AMD).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2003, c. 687, §A5 (NEW). PL 2003, c. 687, §B11 (AFF). PL 2005, c. 663, §§7,8 (AMD). IB 2009, c. 2, §34 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 417, §4 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 469, §5 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 585, §§5, 6 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 699, §2 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 22, §6 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 697, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 440, §8 (AMD).