PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘An Act To Increase Gaming Opportunities for Veterans' Organizations’
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 1 and 2 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §20006-B, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. AA, §24, is further amended to read:
 
1. Fund established.   The Gambling Addiction Prevention and Treatment Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established for the purpose of supporting gambling addiction analysis, prevention and treatment to be administered by the department. The fund is a dedicated, nonlapsing fund into which payments are received in accordance with Title 8, section 1036, subsectionsubsections 2 and 2-D.
Sec. 2.  8 MRSA §1001, sub-§13-B  is enacted to read:
 
13-B.  Eligible organization.     "Eligible organization" means a charitable nonprofit organization that:
 
A.  Is a veterans' organization exempt from taxation under the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, Section 501(c)(19);
 
B.  As of October 1, 2013 has been conducting gaming under Title 17, chapter 13-A or 62 for at least 2 consecutive years; and
 
C. Has owned or leased for a minimum of 2 consecutive years the premises that serve as the primary location of the organization's administrative operations, which are located in a municipality in which the voters have approved in a referendum election the operation of slot machines by a charitable nonprofit organization.’
Amend the bill in section 3 in subsection 2-C in the 2nd line (page 1, line 20 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "2014" and inserting the following: '2015'
Amend the bill in section 3 in subsection 2-C in paragraph A in the 2nd line (page 1, line 23 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "nonprofit" the following: 'veterans' '
Amend the bill in section 3 in subsection 2-C in paragraph A in the 3rd line (page 1, line 24 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "$5,000" and inserting the following: '$2,500'
Amend the bill in section 3 in subsection 2-C in paragraph A in subparagraph (2) in the last line (page 1, line 33 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "nonprofit" the following: 'veterans' '
Amend the bill in section 3 in subsection 2-C in paragraph A in subparagraph (3) in the first line (page 1, line 34 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "$2,000" and inserting the following: '$1,000'
Amend the bill in section 3 in subsection 2-C in paragraph D in the first line (page 2, line 15 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "2014" and inserting the following: '2015'
Amend the bill in section 3 in subsection 2-C in paragraph D in the 3rd line (page 2, line 17 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "$250" and inserting the following: '$125'
Amend the bill in section 3 in subsection 2-C in paragraph D in the last line (page 2, line 28 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "2014" and inserting the following: '2015'
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 5 and 6 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 5. 8 MRSA §1016, sub-§1, ¶D, as amended by PL 2013, c. 212, §15, is further amended to read:
 
D. In the case of a person who is not an eligible organization applying to be a slot machine operator or casino operator, the person has sufficient knowledge and experience in the business of operating slot machines or casinos to effectively operate the slot machine facilities or casino to which the license application relates in accordance with this chapter and the rules and standards adopted under this chapter; and
Sec. 6. 8 MRSA §1016, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2013, c. 212, §21, is further amended to read:
 
3. Applicant other than individual.   If the person, other than an eligible organization, required to meet the qualifications and suitability requirements specified in subsections 1, 1-A and 2 is a business organization, the key executives, directors, officers, partners, shareholders, creditors, owners and associates of the person must meet the suitability requirements specified in subsection 2. For an eligible organization required to meet the qualifications and suitability requirements specified in subsections 1, 1-A and 2, at least 2 officers of the governing board of the eligible organization, of whom one is the treasurer, must meet the suitability requirements specified in subsection 2.’
Amend the bill in section 8 in subsection 1 in paragraph C-2 in the last line (page 4, line 21 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "$1,000. The annual renewal fee is $350" and inserting the following: '$500. The annual renewal fee is $175'
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 12 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 12. 8 MRSA §1020, sub-§2, ¶G, as amended by PL 2013, c. 212, §24, is further amended to read:
 
G. Must have a minimum average daily aggregate payback percentage of 89% computed for all slot machines operated at each slot machine facility or casino on a quarterly basis. A slot machine operated by an eligible organization must have a minimum average daily aggregate payback percentage of 80% computed for all slot machines operated on the premises of each eligible organization on a quarterly basis; and’
Amend the bill in section 13 in subsection 3 in paragraph A in the last line (page 6, line 3 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "3,250" and inserting the following: '3,150'
Amend the bill in section 13 in subsection 3 in paragraph C in the last line (page 6, line 8 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "5" and inserting the following: '3'
Amend the bill in section 13 in subsection 3 by striking out all of paragraph D (page 6, lines 9 to 12 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
 
‘D. Until January 1, 2016, the total number of slot machines operated by all eligible organizations licensed in accordance with this chapter may not exceed 80. Beginning January 1, 2016, the total number of slot machines operated by all eligible organizations licensed in accordance with this chapter may not exceed 150.’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
 
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the majority report of the committee, amends the bill to provide that charitable fraternal organizations are not included in the definition of "eligible organization." The amendment provides that an eligible organization, which under the amendment is a veterans' organization, may apply to the Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Board to operate up to 3 slot machines at the organization's premises, instead of 5 as proposed in the bill. The total number of slot machines available to be operated by all licensed eligible organizations is reduced from 250 to 150 under this amendment. The amendment also reduces the initial license fee from $1,000 to $500 and the annual renewal fee from $350 to $175. The amendment also reduces the administrative deposit required with the application from $5,000 to $2,500 and the amount required to be held in segregated accounts per machine from $2,000 to $1,000. It also provides that the Gambling Control Board may start accepting applications on January 1, 2015, rather than January 1, 2014 as provided in the bill. The amendment also includes technical changes to the bill to reflect changes made by Public Law 2013, chapter 212.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)