Maine House blockades sports betting, overriding Senate approval
In a twist of events, the Maine House has broadsided the sports betting enthusiasts by failing to overturn Governor Janet Mills' veto on a bill that could've opened the gates for legal sports betting in the state. The decision, made on Tuesday, marked a 85-57 vote to uphold the Governor's veto on LD 553, a bill that initially passed back in 2019.
The Senate had overturned the veto just five days prior, with a 20-10 vote. However, one Senator seems to have made an honest mistake, voting "yes" unintentionally. The two-thirds majority of present members needed to overrule the veto amounted to 94, but only 85 representatives supported the overturn, leading to the veto standing firm.
The aftermath saw casino company Penn National attempting to sway the House's decision, lobbying hard against LD 553. The proposed bill was appealing because it would allow for mobile sportsbooks to enter the market without any relationship with an existing casino property. Penn National, on the other hand, wants Maine to require mobile platforms to be tethered to bricks-and-mortar locations, giving them control over market access.
The squabble didn't seem to end inside the chamber. Representatives argued that legalizing sports betting is hypocritical, given Maine's ongoing struggles with vice-related crises. Meanwhile, proponents of legal sports betting reasoned that it's already happening in Maine, with residents crossing over to New Hampshire to place their bets. They argued for an open, competitive marketplace, saying it'd provide the fairest playing field.
The dirty politics around LD 553 could have long-lasting implications. It's possible that lawmakers won't revisit the issue until 2022, meaning Maine might be three years away from the legal placement of a sports bet at best. This is a significant setback, considering neighboring states like Rhode Island and New Hampshire have already jumped on the legal sports betting bandwagon, offering mobile options as well. Massachusetts and Connecticut are also moving towards legalization, while Virginia is actively pursuing the path.
The misstep by Senator Lisa Keim last week, where she reportedly voted to overturn the veto by mistake, might have been a massive relief. The rest of the opposed Senators corrected their votes accordingly. Maine, it seems, will continue to lose out on sports betting dollars, diverting them from legal to illegal markets, and missing out on potential tax revenue. As Independent Representative Jeffery Evangelos put it, "We tried to do that, it was called Prohibition, and that resulted in the mob." Perhaps it's time for Maine to reconsider its stance on legal sports betting.
Sports betting enthusiasts experienced a setback as the Maine House upheld Governor Mills' veto on LD 553, a bill that could have legalized sports betting in the state. The decision came despite the Senate's previous successful attempt to overturn the veto, with one Senator mistakenly voting in favor. The legislation would have allowed mobile sportsbooks to enter the market without a physical casino counterpart, but casino company Penn National lobbied against it, preferring a tethered mobile platform model. In the midst of this political drama, the legalization of sports betting in Maine was discussed in terms of its potential impact on vice-related crises and the loss of revenue to illegal markets. As neighboring states move ahead with legal sports betting, Maine may be three years away from facilitating legal sports betting, which Independent Representative Jeffery Evangelos compared to Prohibition, stating "We tried to do that, it was called Prohibition, and that resulted in the mob." This analogy suggests a reconsideration of Maine's stance on sports betting may be necessary.
