A customer purchases a Mega Millions lottery ticket at a store in Damariscotta on July 8, 2016. AUGUSTA — A watchdog agency concluded a months-long probe Friday with the finding that the Maine Lottery Commission does not target vulnerable socio-economic populations within Maine for its more than $250 million a year in sales. The Office […]
gambling
Posted inMaine
Casino campaign reveals offshore financing in documents
AUGUSTA — In an apparent violation of Maine law, a web of domestic and offshore companies linked to a controversial developer has funded a $4.2 million bid fronted by his sister since 2015 to get Maine voters to approve a York County casino. That revelation was buried in several documents filed with the Maine Ethics […]
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Posted inBusiness, Maine
Oxford Casino grows bottom line, could see big year in 2016
Players bet, on average, more than $831,000 per slot machine at Oxford Casino in 2015, according to a new state report — up $50,000 from the year before. That casino continued to grow, while Hollywood Casino in Bangor continued its slow slide. Rodney Smith, Oxford’s interim town manager, said that growth is being felt all […]
Posted inLetters
People misled by lottery story
This is in response to an article in the Sun Journal Dec. 16 about how people on welfare were purchasing lottery tickets and the money amounts some were winning. From comments online, I am concerned that people reading that article are being misled. They think welfare recipients are spending millions of public assistance money on […]
Posted inBusiness, National Sports, sj-web
New York judge blocks FanDuel, DraftKings from taking bets
NEW YORK — Daily fantasy sports giants DraftKings and FanDuel can’t do business in New York for now, a judge said Friday, cutting off one of their biggest customer bases at least temporarily as the state attorney general and the sites face off over whether their business amounts to illegal gambling. FanDuel, which already had […]
Posted inMaine
It’s going to get harder to get rich playing Powerball
The odds of winning Wednesday’s $40 million Powerball jackpot are 1 in 175 million. Those odds are going to get worse — 1 in 292 million — in October. It’s part of a Powerball strategy to make it harder to win huge jackpots but easier to win smaller prizes, according to USAToday. Powerball players now pay […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Maine House OKs tribal casino in Maine
AUGUSTA — The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives has given initial approval to a bill that would allow Maine’s American Indian tribes to bring a casino to northern Maine. The House endorsed the bill by a vote of 114-26 on Thursday with no debate. It faces further votes. The bill, which was crafted by the Legislature’s […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Lepage opposes southern Maine casino
AUGUSTA — Republican Gov. Paul LePage says that a large resort casino in southern Maine would negatively impact the state. In a letter to members of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, Hank Fenton, deputy counsel for LePage, said the governor opposes several bills that would open the door to more gambling. Fenton says LePage […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Oxford Casino manager testifies against more casinos in Maine
AUGUSTA — A study commissioned by the Legislature and released last year has prompted lawmakers to propose several bills that would allow more casinos to join those in Bangor and Oxford, despite opposition from officials representing the two existing facilities. LD 1346, An Act to Establish a Comprehensive Gaming Policy, proposed by Rep. Diane Russell, […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Maine House OKs keno-blocking bill
AUGUSTA — The Maine House is supporting a bill that would prevent Gov. Paul LePage’s administration from introducing keno without legislative approval. The Democratic-led House gave the bill initial approval Wednesday with a 141-8 vote. It heads to the Senate. It was introduced in response to the administration’s plan to begin offering keno at retailers […]