It has been reported that on Wednesday, March 19 the Maine Senate rejected bill LD 1111, which would allow slot-machine gaming to be introduced at Scarborough Downs if the results a local referendum supported it.
A report on the situation by The Forecaster explains that the Senate voted 20-14 against the bill.
The article goes on to say that the piece of legislation will now head back to the House where it has the possibility of being amended, tabled or sent back to the Senate. The report also states that a date has not yet been set for the House to take up the bill again.
Via statement, the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association said, "[We] know this vote was extremely disappointing, but we knew the vote in the Senate would be difficult. There seems to be a strong move to work on a comprehensive approach."
The lawyer for Scarborough Downs owner Sharon Terry had made comments before the vote which indicated that, regardless of the vote, the raceway was in for a change one way or the other.
“(Terry) needs to get this bill passed for harness racing and the ‘Downs’ to survive,” Terry’s lawyer, Ed MacColl, said. “Scarborough Downs is the last small harness race track in the U.S. that competes with casinos that don’t have gaming, but it won’t be for long.”
(With files from The Forecaster)