The reality of legal and regulated sports betting in the State of Maine just got one step closer, as a bill passed through the Senate to the House. This, despite the fact that its sponsor, Senator Louis Luchini came out against his own bill.
Most recently, a tethering clause was added to the bill, requiring mobile sports betting operators to team up with local casinos in order to obtain a license from gambling authorities.
While Luchini seemed at one point to accept this clause in order to see LD 1352 move forward, on Thursday he did an about-turn and decried its effectiveness. Specifically, Luchini believes that tethering is “anti-competitive”
“It makes the casinos the gatekeepers of who will be able to operate in Maine,” he said.
There is strong interest to see the introduction of sports betting in Maine as soon as possible, considering the revenue potential that there is to be had.
However, legislation is currently messy, with some 20 different sports betting bills in the pipeline. To advance the idea any further, one solid, all-incorporating sports betting bill will need to be presented.
In the meantime, sportsbook operators such as DraftKings are waiting eagerly in the wings for the state to introduce the right legislation.
There is currently a disagreement over who will run the casinos. Some want to create equal opportunity to anyone who fits the criteria to receive a license, while the casinos want to be the sole operators.
