Lawmaker from Houlton Band introduces bill to authorize casino

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

The Oxford Casino, a non-Indian gaming facility in Maine. Photo from Oxford Casino

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Maine Rep. Henry John Bear introduced legislation to authorize a casino for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.

Bear represents the tribe as a non-voting member in the Legislature. He believes a modest casino with 350 slot machines in the northern part of the state could bring in $200 million a year.

“A recent gaming expansion study has confirmed that there is an opportunity to increase the gaming industry here in northern Maine,” Bear said in a statement, The Bangor Daily News reported.

If lawmakers approve LD 1066, voters in Aroostook County would get their say on the project. The bill has dozens of co-sponsors but the paper noted that gaming bills have not gotten very far in recent years.

Maine is home to two non-Indian casinos in the central and southern parts of the state. A report commissioned by the Legislature last year suggested a northern casino could successfully enter the market.

The report also suggested a tribal preference for a northern casino due to the unique legal situation in the state. The Houlton Band and other tribes cannot follow the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act because they fall under land claim settlements that place certain reservations under state law.

Get the Story:
Tribal lawmaker proposes new casino in northern Maine (The Bangor Daily News 4/8)
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Maine tribes seek inclusion in bill to study expansion of gaming (04/11)