Lawmakers OK casino distance bill
The Maine Senate and House have both passed a bill that defines the required distance between casinos to be measured in miles of road, not as the crow flies.
Lawmakers have been debating how to interpret the state's gambling law, which states that a casino or slot machine license cannot be awarded if another facility is located within 100 miles, according to the Sun Journal. The House yesterday unanimously voted to support the bill, following the Senate's unanimous support earlier this week. The bill by Sen. Debra Plowman, R-Hampden, defines the measurement by road travel, not straight lines -- an important distinction for the developers behind the Oxford County casino, which is 94 miles from Hollywood Slots in Bangor as the crow flies but 125 driving miles. Black Bear Entertainment has said that defining the radius in a straight line could subject it to legal action by casino opponents or threaten its ability to get a state gambling license. Maine voters approved the casino last fall.
The House will read the bill a second time Monday before it returns to the Senate again, according to the paper.
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