3. Appeal to board. Any applicant aggrieved by the decision of the municipal officers or county commissioners under this section may appeal to the board within 15 days of the receipt of the written decision of the municipal officers or county commissioners. The board shall hold a public hearing in the city, town or unincorporated place where the premises of the commercial track or tribal commercial track with slot machines are situated. In acting on such an appeal, the board may consider all licensure requirements and findings referred to in subsection 2. If the decision appealed is an application denial, the board may issue the license only if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that the decision was without justifiable cause.

Sec. 17. 8 MRSA §1016, sub-§1, ¶B, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:

B. The person has sufficient financial assets and responsibility to meet any financial obligations imposed by this chapter and, if applying for a slot machine operator license or slot machine operator license renewal, has sufficient financial assets and responsibility to continue operation of a commercial track or tribal commercial track;

Sec. 18. 8 MRSA §1020, sub-§3, ¶¶A and B, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, are amended to read:

A. The total number of slot machines registered in the State may not exceed 1,500 3,000; and

B. A slot machine operator may not operate more than 1,500 slot machines at any one commercial track or tribal commercial track.

Sec. 19. 8 MRSA §1035, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, is amended to read:

§1035. Location of slot machines

Slot machines may be located only on the premises of a commercial track or tribal commercial track.

Sec. 20. 8 MRSA §1036, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 687, Pt. A, §5 and affected by Pt. B, §11, are amended to read: