APPROVED CHAPTER
JULY 6, 2021 406
BY GOVERNOR PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE
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H.P. 1200 - L.D. 1611
An Act To Amend Maine's Harness Racing Laws Regarding Race Dates and
Pari-mutuel Pools
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 8 MRSA §275-A, sub-§1, ¶A, as amended by PL 2019, c. 626, §9, is
repealed and the following enacted in its place:
A. If the population of the region is 300,000 or more, based on the 1990 U.S. Census,
conducted racing on more than 69 days in each calendar year after the track was
initially licensed as a commercial track, unless a lesser number of days of racing was
conducted in a year due to:
(1) Conditions beyond the control of the racetrack owner or operator as approved
by the commission; or
(2) A determination by the commission under section 271, subsection 2, and with
the express written approval of the track and of a statewide association of horsemen
as defined in section 272-B, that a lesser number of race days is in the best interest
of the State's harness horse racing industry; or
Sec. 2. 8 MRSA §275-A, sub-§1, ¶B, as amended by PL 2019, c. 626, §9, is
repealed and the following enacted in its place:
B. If the population of the region is less than 300,000, based on the 1990 U.S. Census,
conducted racing on more than 34 days in each calendar year after the track was
initially licensed as a commercial track, unless a lesser number of days of racing was
conducted in a year due to:
(1) Conditions beyond the control of the racetrack owner or operator as approved
by the commission; or
(2) A determination by the commission under section 271, subsection 2, and with
the express written approval of the track and of a statewide association of horsemen
as defined in section 272-B, that a lesser number of race days is in the best interest
of the State's harness horse racing industry.
Sec. 3. 8 MRSA §275-B, sub-§3 is enacted to read:
Page 1 - 130LR0853(07)
 3. Facilities approved by commission. Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter
to the contrary, a person licensed pursuant to section 271 to conduct harness horse racing
with pari-mutuel betting may sell pari-mutuel pools and common pari-mutuel pools for
simulcast races at a facility if approved by the commission under this subsection. The
commission may approve a facility under this subsection only if it is located within the
same county as the commercial track where the race or races are conducted, it is not located
within the same municipality as an off-track betting facility licensed under section 275-D
and the municipal officers of the municipality in which the facility is located approve of
the sale of pari-mutuel pools or common pari-mutuel pools at the facility. A person
authorized to operate a facility that receives approval under this subsection shall provide
the municipality in which the facility is located 5% of the track share of the commission
allocated by section 286, subsection 5.
A person authorized to sell pari-mutuel pools and common pari-mutuel pools for simulcast
races at a facility under this subsection may conduct at the facility any other activities
incidental to and permitted by that license under section 271.
This subsection is repealed January 1, 2024.
Sec. 4. 8 MRSA §275-C, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2011, c. 142, §2, is further
amended to read:
1. Authority. A person authorized to sell pari-mutuel pools on horse racing may sell
common pari-mutuel pools for simulcast races. The sale must be conducted within the
enclosure of the licensee's racetrack, at the licensee's slot machine facilities licensed
pursuant to section 1011 or, at the licensee's off-track betting facility or at a facility
approved by the commission in accordance with section 275-B, subsection 3.
Page 2 - 130LR0853(07)


Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 1611, HP 1200: 8.275
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 406: 8.275