‘An Act Relating to the Establishment of Casinos’
| IB0005 LD 1808 |
Second Regular Session - 124th Maine Legislature H "A" to C "A", Filing Number H-817, Sponsored by VALENTINO
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LR 2625 Item 5 |
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| Bill Tracking | Chamber Status | ||
Amend the amendment by striking out the substitute title and replacing it with the following:
‘An Act Relating to the Establishment of Casinos’
Amend the amendment by striking out everything after the substitute title and before the summary and inserting the following:
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 8 MRSA §1001, sub-§5-A is enacted to read:
Sec. 2. 8 MRSA §1001, sub-§5-B is enacted to read:
Sec. 3. 8 MRSA §1002, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
(1) Gambling industry; and
(2) Harness racing industry.
(1) Substance abuse and gambling addiction services;
(2) Computer science or electronic monitoring and oversight of gambling;
(3) Corporate finance or accounting;
(4) Nonprofit gaming by veterans service organizations; and
(5) Law enforcement.
A member may not simultaneously serve on the Gambling Control Board and any other board or commission established by the State.
Sec. 4. 8 MRSA §1003, sub-§1, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
Sec. 5. 8 MRSA §1003, sub-§2, ¶H, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
Sec. 6. 8 MRSA §1003, sub-§2, ¶I, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
(1) The practice of any fraud or deception upon a casino patron, a player of a slot machine or a licensee;
(2) The presence or location of a slot machine or gambling activity in or at premises that may be unsafe due to fire hazard or other public safety conditions;
(3) The infiltration of organized crime into the ownership, distribution or operation of slot machines and slot machine facilities; and
(4) The presence of disorderly persons in a location where at casinos and slot machines are in use machine facilities;
Sec. 7. 8 MRSA §1003, sub-§2, ¶J, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
Sec. 8. 8 MRSA §1003, sub-§2, ¶L, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
Sec. 9. 8 MRSA §1003, sub-§2, ¶O, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
Sec. 10. 8 MRSA §1003, sub-§2, ¶Q, as amended by PL 2005, c. 663, §4, is further amended to read:
Sec. 11. 8 MRSA §1003, sub-§2, ¶R, as amended by PL 2005, c. 663, §5, is further amended to read:
Sec. 12. 8 MRSA §1003, sub-§3, ¶G, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
Sec. 13. 8 MRSA §1003, sub-§3, ¶H, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
Sec. 14. 8 MRSA §1003, sub-§3, ¶I, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
Sec. 15. 8 MRSA §1004, sub-§1, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:
Sec. 16. 8 MRSA §1011, as amended by PL 2005, c. 663, §6, is further amended to read:
§ 1011. License to operate
The board shall exercise authority over the operation of casinos as governed by subchapter 7 and the licensing of all persons participating in the operation, distribution and maintenance of slot machines and slot machine facilities and over the registration of slot machines.
Sec. 17. 8 MRSA §1020, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2005, c. 663, §9, is further amended to read:
Sec. 18. 8 MRSA c. 31, sub-c. 7 is enacted to read:
SUBCHAPTER 7
CASINOS
§ 1071. Casinos to be managed by the board
Notwithstanding Title 17-A, chapter 39, the board shall be responsible for the management and operation of up to 3 casinos in the State through state-contracted casino operators in accordance with this section.
§ 1072. Casino operator to have interest in only one casino
A casino operator may not have an interest in more than one casino in the State. This provision does not preclude the slot machine operator of a slot machine facility licensed as of January 1, 2010 from being licensed as a casino operator.
§ 1073. Location of casinos
The board shall establish 4 regions for the location of casinos. Each region must have a population center that can economically sustain a casino. A casino must be located at least 75 miles from another casino or slot machine facility. If a slot machine facility licensed as of January 1, 2010 opts to enter into a contract with the board to operate a casino, the location of that slot machine facility must be considered one of the 4 regions.
§ 1074. State share of gaming revenue
A casino operated in the State shall distribute to the board the state share of net slot machine and net table game revenue pursuant to contract under section 1071, subsection 3 to be deposited in equal proportions to the funds created by sections 1075, 1076 and 1077.
§ 1075. General purpose aid to education fund
A fund is established within the Department of Education to supplement the state share of essential programs and services as required by Title 20-A, section 15671 to which the board will credit a portion of the state share of net slot machine and net table game revenue in accordance with section 1074.
§ 1076. Veterans tax exemption reimbursement fund
A fund is established within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Revenue Services to reimburse municipalities for property tax exemptions granted to veterans in accordance with Title 36, chapter 105, subchapter 4 to which the board will credit a portion of the state share of net slot machine and net table game revenue in accordance with section 1074.
§ 1077. Homestead exemption reimbursement fund
A fund is established within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Revenue Services to reimburse municipalities for resident homestead property tax exemptions in accordance with Title 36, chapter 105, subchapter 4-B to which the board will credit a portion of the state share of net slot machine and net table game revenue in accordance with section 1074.
Sec. 19. Report; legislation. By March 1, 2011 the Gambling Control Board shall submit a report to the joint standing committee having jurisdiction over gambling matters describing the potential location for casinos and the contents of the request for proposals to be submitted to potential casino operators. The board shall include with the report proposed legislation for the administration of oversight of casinos in the State.
SUMMARY
This amendment is proposed as a competing measure to the initiated bill to allow a casino in Oxford County. This amendment would authorize the establishment of 3 casinos in the State subject to a competitive bidding process. Successful bidders would win the right to enter into a contract with the State to operate a casino for 20 years. A successful bidder is subject to a privilege fee of $5,000,000 to operate a casino. An existing slot machine facility would also be authorized to enter into a contract with the State to operate a casino at the existing slot machine facility without being subject to the competitive bidding process. A privilege fee for a casino that was an existing slot machine facility is $3,000,000 under this amendment. As determined by a contract with the State, the state share of net gaming revenue from the casinos would be divided equally among 3 funds that reimburse municipalities for education, veterans property tax exemptions and homestead property tax exemptions.