Opinion ID: 2196302
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Commercial Track Determination

Text: [¶ 8] Davric asserts that the court erred because 8 M.R.S.A. § 271 does not require the Commission to determine whether the track is a commercial track pursuant to section 275-A before it issues a license. Section 271, however, does require the Commission to consider whether all the statutory requirements of the chapter are satisfied before it issues a license. See 8 M.R.S.A. § 271(1). Section 271(1) provides that the Commission may issue a license once the commission is satisfied that all of this chapter and rules prescribed by the commission have been substantially complied with during the past year and will be fully complied with during the coming year ... See id. [¶ 9] Further, the record manifests that the Commission did analyze whether BHT was a commercial track pursuant to section 275-A. The Commission noted, at the February 25th hearing, that it considered what types of tracks it was licensing when it issued licenses and race dates. More importantly, when the Commission listed BHT as a commercial track on the race date list and simultaneously issued its license, the Commission explicitly expressed its judgment that BHT was a commercial track. Implicit in this statement is the Commission's conclusion that BHT substantially complied with all the requirements of Chapter 11, including meeting the definition of a commercial track pursuant to section 275-A(1). See 8 M.R.S.A. § 271(1); Driscoll v. Gheewalla, 441 A.2d 1023, 1029-30 (Me.1982) (upholding agency finding because record implicitly supported such a finding even though no express finding existed). [¶ 10] Section 275-N further supports the conclusion that the Commission found BHT to be a commercial track. Section 275-N requires that the commercial tracks in the state hold a total of 150 live race dates in the preceding calendar year before the Commission may allow interstate simulcasting or off-track betting. See 8 M.R.S.A. § 275-N. The Commission issued Davric 138 live race dates and BHT 37 live race dates. Implicit in the Commission's allotment of less than 150 live race dates to Davric is the Commission's determination that BHT was a commercial track; otherwise, the simulcasting and off-track betting would not be allowed for the 2000 race year. See id.; Driscoll, 441 A.2d at 1029-30. Thus, the Commission made a final decision concerning BHT's status as a commercial track in its decision dated December 7, 1998. [9]