Augusta Seeks Major Expansion of Gambling 'Industry' By Staff of the Christian Civic League of Maine Feb 2, 2010 - 5:39:03 PM

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Lawmakers in Augusta are poised for a major expansion of gambling with the help of new legislation that has escaped the notice of much of the public. Spurred on by the success of Hollywood Slots, legislators have put forward a plan in which the state government will directly control slot machines and casino gambling, both of which have a long association with organized crime, and were formerly criminal activities under Maine law. The laws governing gambling in Maine are still listed in the Maine criminal statutes  between "Assault and Battery" and "Bigamy."

The first boost to gambling in Maine is LD 1731, a bill introduced by Representative Mitchell of the Penobscot Nation.  The bill legalizes so-called "Lucky Seven Dispensers" by any licensed tribe in Maine, and will expand gambling far beyond the tribe's High Stakes Bingo facility in Old Town. The "Lucky Seven Dispensers"  will in all likelihood take the form of an electronic video terminal resembling a slot machine, since the bill is designed to allow the High Stakes Bingo operation to compete with Hollywood Slots in nearby Bangor.

A bill to allow 100 slot machines at the facility on Indian Island was vetoed by Governor Baldacci in 2008. The bill also repeals the provision that allows the tribes to operate high-stakes games on only 27 weekends per year. Significantly, the bill is not restricted to location, and allows the tribes to operate the Lucky Seven Dispensers anywhere in the state.

A second bill which is pending in the Legislature is LD 1437, under which the state would license up to five video gambling terminals on the premises of non-profit organizations. Under the bill, introduced by Democrat Senator Margaret Craven of Lewiston, 8% of the revenue from the video gambling terminals would be paid to the state, and the state would monitor the machines through a centralized computer system run by the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations.

The most troubling piece of legislation is LD 533, introduced by Democrat Thom Watson, Chairman of the Taxation Committee, and signed into law by Governor Baldacci in June of last year. The bill was entitled "A Bill to Enact a State-Controlled Casino." The law would give the state total control over "all aspects of the casino" including its location and design, and would sell the license to operate the casino to the highest bidder. The law is waiting in the wings, and will go into effect if voters ever approve another casino besides Hollywood Slots in Bangor.

A public hearing on the bill to expand gambling for the tribes, and the bill to allow state-controlled video terminals in non-profit organizations will be held on Wednesday, February 3rd, in Room 437 of the State House in Augusta at 1:00 pm.

Just as an individual who commits a dishonest act is regarded as untrustworthy, citizens will view as fundamentally dishonest any government which, as a matter of expediency, resorts to activities once regarded as criminal. And just as all other actions of that dishonest individual will be regarded in a different light, the public must now bring all other actions of the legislators in Augusta under the closest possible scrutiny.

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