Maine lawmakers advance tribal-rights compromise over opposition of Hollywood Casino Bangor

Maine lawmakers advance tribal-rights compromise over opposition of Hollywood Casino Bangor

Article brief provided by Bangor Daily News
  • Michael Shepherd and Caitlin Andrews, Bangor Daily News
March 16, 2022 11:03 PM
  • Michael Shepherd and Caitlin Andrews, Bangor Daily News

Maine lawmakers on Wednesday advanced a tribal-rights compromise bill that would deal casinos into a new sports betting market but was still opposed by the Bangor casino, which argued it would be boxed out of a large share of revenue.

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The Democratic governor took office in 2019 with a promise to improve state-tribal relations, but she has opposed most of a sweeping overhaul of a 1980 land-claims settlement that would give tribes control over natural resources, taxation and other policy areas on their lands.

On Tuesday, a legislative panel advanced a version of that more sweeping change. But a narrower package brokered by Mills and the tribes is more likely to pass this year, though differences in where the casinos would be able to take bets was a sticking point on Wednesday.