An Act To Amend the Advance Deposit Wagering Laws

Sec. 1. 8 MRSA §1001, sub-§1-A,  as enacted by PL 2015, c. 499, §1, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

Sec. 2. 8 MRSA §1001, sub-§1-B,  as enacted by PL 2015, c. 499, §1, is amended to read:

Sec. 3. 8 MRSA §1001, sub-§29-C,  as enacted by PL 2015, c. 499, §2, is repealed.

Sec. 4. 8 MRSA §1001, sub-§29-D  is enacted to read:

Sec. 5. 8 MRSA §1071,  as enacted by PL 2015, c. 499, §8, is repealed.

Sec. 6. 8 MRSA §1072, first ¶,  as enacted by PL 2015, c. 499, §8, is amended to read:

The net commission established in the contract executed pursuant to section 1071, subsection 3 by the board by rule must be distributed according to this section , except that an entity that operates advance deposit wagering may not receive a distribution of the net commission.

Sec. 7. 8 MRSA §1073  is enacted to read:

§ 1073.  Advance deposit wagering

A commercial track licensed by the State Harness Racing Commission; an off-track betting facility, as defined in section 275-A, subsection 8, licensed by the State Harness Racing Commission and in operation as of January 1, 2014; and a multijurisdictional account wagering provider may receive a license from the board to conduct advance deposit wagering in this State, including accepting deposits and wagers from account holders. The board shall require a nonrefundable application fee of $1,000 and an applicant must pay the costs of the board for processing an application and performing background investigations. A license issued pursuant to this section authorizes the licensee to conduct advance deposit wagering for a period of 5 years. The fee for a license to conduct advance deposit wagering is $500. The renewal fee for a license to conduct advance deposit wagering is $250. A licensee shall purchase a bond to secure the accounts of advance deposit wagering bettors. A licensee shall use a system to conduct advance deposit wagering to ensure that bettors who establish accounts to place bets on horse racing via advance deposit wagering are 18 years of age or older and residents of the State. Advance deposit wagering may be conducted directly by an advance deposit wagering licensee or through such a licensee entering into a contract with a provider of advance deposit wagering services located within the United States.

An advance deposit wagering licensee may accept a wager from an advance deposit wagering account holder in person or by telephone, Internet, mobile device, electronic communication or, if approved by the board, other electronic media. If permitted by an off-track betting facility or a commercial track, an advance deposit wagering account holder may access the account holder's account at such locations so that a wager using an advance deposit wagering account is treated as if the wager had been made at the commercial track or off-track betting facility.

summary

This bill allows commercial tracks, off-track betting facilities and multijurisdictional account wagering providers to be licensed to participate in advance deposit wagering. It repeals the provision that directs the Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Board, through a competitive bidding process, to award one bidder the privilege to be licensed to conduct advance deposit wagering. It requires the board to establish by rule the net commission that must be collected by a licensee for distribution by the board.