Governor LePage against a third casino in Maine

The politician believes that the state doesn’t have the critical mass to support a third gaming facility.

US.- Paul LePage, Governor of Maine, criticised a proposal that is seeking to build a third casino in the state. LePage said that he doesn’t think that Maine has the critical mass to pass the bill that qualified back in November.

According to WVOM-FM, the Governor commented that a new casino would hurt the state’s economy, but the backers of the proposal are confident that they have enough signatures to get on the ballot. A statement from Horseracing Jobs Fairness confirms that the proposal will provide hundreds of jobs. Lisa Scott, an official from the organisation, has been contributing more than US$4.2 million to the campaign since 2015. Portland Press Herald said that the referendum details that the state accepts applications from entities that owned in 2003 at least 51 percent of an entity licensed to operate a commercial track in Penobscot County that conducted harness racing with pari-mutuel wagering on more than 25 days during calendar year 2002.

The proposed casino would need to give 24 percent of net slot machine income to public entities, and 15 percent to promote horse racing and breeding. The governor believes that this proposal is a slow deterioration of the government process, and asked the Legislature to intervene. “They’re not interested in good public policy, it’s just greed,” he concluded.