The Maine State Senate voted to overturn Governor Janet Mills’ rejection of a measure making sports wagering legal, which is now set to advance and become law.
The Senate approved the legislation by a vote of twenty to ten, with senators voting in favor when asked if the bill should become law “despite the Governor’s dissent.” The bill will now go to the Maine House of Representatives for a vote, where it is anticipated to be approved.
Mills rejected Legislative Document 553 last month, arguing that the citizens of Maine were not prepared for sports wagering. While she commended the bill’s intention to bring sports betting out of the illicit market, she believed that the bill was not presently in the best interests of her state’s residents.
Mills added in her remarks last month that she would prefer to see Maine examine the successes and failures of legalized sports betting in other parts of the United States before passing a bill in Maine.
Mills also expressed worry that the bill did not do enough to prevent young people from being exposed to gambling through advertising.
She acknowledged that mobile sports betting companies can employ advanced methods to pinpoint individuals with gambling issues and those who are underage.
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