AUGUSTA — If countrywide tendencies are any indication, it’s possible that Maine will quickly legalize playing on football, baseball and other wearing events.
The massive questions going through Maine lawmakers are how and whilst to enroll in other states hoping to adjust – and capitalize on – a multibillion-dollar sports having a bet enterprise.
On Friday, representatives of Maine’s two casinos in addition to off-tune betting parlors and the harness racing enterprise spoke in prefer of shifting ahead – albeit judiciously – with legalized sports having a bet within the country. While a few lawmakers raised concerns approximately sports activities having a bet contributing to “hassle gambling,” there was no prepared competition to 5 legalization bills pending this session.
Scarborough Downs publicity director Michael Sweeney stated sports betting could help convey additional enterprise to the harness racing track, that is embarking on an extended-time period plan to redevelop The Downs as a blended-use web page.
“This is a possibility for industries which might be domestic-grown, domestically based totally, small mom-and-pop businesses to grow and thrive,” Sweeney said.
Setting up criminal sports having a bet industry in Maine would be nowhere near as complex because the modern, years-long effort to create a tightly regulated and taxed marketplace for leisure marijuana. For starters, Maine already has two casinos – Oxford Casino in western Maine and Hollywood Casino in Bangor – plus several different forms of playing which might be regulated by the country.
But the procedure is probably to be a prolonged one in Maine as lawmakers debate the details of a brand new gambling program. Other states offer examples to observe as well as some cautionary testimonies.
In the eleven months since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal prohibition, seven states joined Nevada in allowing gambling on carrying activities. While those early endeavors have yielded combined results in terms of revenues and participation, at the least more states seem poised to comply with match and legalization measures are pending in more than 20 others.
