"After more than a decade of referendums on gambling, some of them successful, most of them not, it is time for a better approach that ensures future gaming facilities — which are inevitable —- are located and managed in ways that benefit the entire state.
The current system of putting gambling questions out to referendum votes, where deep pockets and turnout determine outcomes more than the merits of a project, doesn’t achieve this. The question of gambling is not settled — although voter approval of a casino in Oxford County last year moved in the direction of a more solid “yes” — but our system of deciding is inefficient. What is needed instead is a consistent, state-wide policy, where we consider gambling not in the context of singular campaigns but comprehensively in terms of where — and how many — gambling facilities will best benefit all of Maine. Then, the market can determine the best locations for any future projects. Although imperfect, lawmakers can move in this direction by passing LD 1203, which would allow racinos in Biddeford and Calais. A public hearing on the bill is scheduled for 9:30 Monday before the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee. The committee will also consider legislation, LD 985, to allow a slot machine facility in Lewiston." Get the Story: