Title 8, Title 8

For the purpose of enabling the commission to exercise and maintain a proper control over racing conducted under this chapter, the commission may adopt rules for the licensing, with or without fee in the discretion of the commission, of owners, trainers, drivers, grooms and all o…

To enforce the provisions of this chapter and the rules referred to in section 279‑A, the commission is authorized to establish a schedule for fines for each violation of this chapter or the rules. The commission is authorized to levy a fine, after notice and hearing, for each vi…

At all harness race meetings licensed by the commission in accordance with this chapter, qualified judges and starters, approved and licensed by the commission and employed by the licensee under section 271, shall enforce the rules and regulations of the commission as provided by…

Beginning January 1, 2004, applicants for an owner's license must provide proof of liability insurance on horses owned by the applicant in an amount not less than $300,000. Copies of that liability insurance coverage must accompany the application for an owner's license.

Upon request of the commission, a person who signs an application for and receives a trainer's license in accordance with this chapter and rules adopted under section 279‑A shall submit a horse trained by that licensee, qualified to race and identified by the commission for the p…

1. Violation; interference with horse. A person may not intentionally or knowingly: A. Interfere with, tamper, injure, destroy, stimulate or depress by the use of narcotics, drugs, stimulants or appliances of any kind any horse used for the purpose of racing, whether that horse i…

The department shall encourage and promote the breeding of a strain of Maine Standardbreds and make provision to encourage donations of the same by licensees or others to persons or institutions within the State for breeding purposes. [PL 1997, c. 528, §42 (AMD).] The commission,…

Notwithstanding section 281, a foal resulting from insemination may be registered as a Maine Standardbred if it is the offspring of a stallion registered with the department to stand at stud in the State for the breeding season during which the insemination took place and all oth…

It is the duty of the Attorney General with the aid of the district attorneys of the several counties to enforce this chapter upon notification from the department of any violations of this chapter.

The department shall obtain current listings from other jurisdictions of persons in harness racing occupations regulated by the commission who have been refused a license or who have had their license revoked or suspended. The commission shall refuse to license or shall suspend t…

1. Live racing. The distribution of the commission on live racing is calculated as percentages of the handle and distributed as follows. A. On exotic wagers: (1) The state share is 2.248%; (2) The Sire Stakes Fund share is 1.551%; (3) The Stipend Fund share is 1.169%; (4) The pur…

1. Payment. Amounts calculated as state share under section 286 must be paid to the Treasurer of State for deposit in the operating account established under section 267‑A. If the total of regular and exotic wagers placed at facilities licensed under this chapter exceeds $35,000,…

Amounts calculated as Sire Stakes Fund share under section 286 must be paid to the Treasurer of State for deposit in the Sire Stakes Fund for use as provided in section 281.

1. Initial distribution to Stipend Fund. The Treasurer of State shall credit .189% of the commission on regular wagers made to interstate commingled pools, .402% of the commission on exotic wagers made to interstate commingled pools, 0.72% of the regular wagers made to all other …

1. Payment. Amounts received pursuant to section 1218, subsection 1, paragraph C and amounts calculated as purse supplement share under section 286 must be paid to the commission for distribution as provided in subsection 2. 2. Distribution. On May 30th, September 30th and Januar…

Amounts calculated as Harness Racing Promotional Fund share under section 286 must be paid to the Treasurer of State for deposit in the Harness Racing Promotional Fund for use as provided in section 299‑A.

Amounts calculated as horse owners', trainers' and drivers' purse share under section 286 must be retained by the licensee to supplement purse money at the track where the wager was placed, except that, for wagers placed at a racetrack in the State on a simulcast race conducted a…

Amounts calculated as track share under section 286 must be retained by the track where the wager was placed.

1. Payment. Amounts calculated as off-track betting facility share under section 286 must be retained by the off-track betting facility where the wager was placed. 2. No restrictions. This chapter does not prohibit an off-track betting facility from entering into a contract or ot…

1. Payment. Amounts calculated as off-track betting facility simulcast fund share under section 286 must be paid to the commission for distribution as provided in subsection 2. 2. Distribution. On May 30th, September 30th and within 30 days after the close of all off-track bettin…

1. Fund created. A fund is established to supplement harness racing purses to which the commission shall credit all payments received pursuant to section 1036, subsection 2, paragraph B for distribution in accordance with this section. The fund is a dedicated, nonlapsing fund, an…

1. Fund created. The Fund to Encourage Racing at Maine's Commercial Tracks is established to provide revenues to Maine's commercial tracks. The fund is a dedicated, nonlapsing fund. All revenues deposited in the fund remain in the fund and must be disbursed in accordance with thi…

1. Fund created. The Harness Racing Promotional Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established to be used solely for the marketing and promotion of harness racing in the State. The fund consists of any money received through the commission on wagers pursuant to s…

1. Fund created. The Fund to Stabilize Off-track Betting Facilities is established to provide revenues to those off-track betting facilities licensed and in operation in the State. The fund is a dedicated, nonlapsing fund. All revenues deposited in the fund remain in the fund and…

1. Illegal wagering on horse races. A person is liable for the damages specified in this section if that person accepts a wager from a person located within this State and: A. A license is required under this chapter to accept the wager; and [PL 2005, c. 683, Pt. C, §3 (NEW).] B.…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Child support debt" means child support debt that has been liquidated by judicial or administrative action. [PL 2013, c. 255, §1 (NEW).] B. "Depar…

A person may not hold, conduct or operate greyhound racing for public exhibition. A person may not transmit or receive interstate simulcasting of greyhound racing for commercial purposes.

A person who violates this chapter is subject to a civil penalty of not less than $7,500 payable to the State.

As used in this chapter, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1987, c. 505, §2 (NEW).] 1. Bureau. "Bureau" means the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations within the Department of Administrative and Financial …

The executive head of the bureau shall be the director. [PL 1987, c. 505, §2 (NEW).] 1. Appointment; qualifications. 2. Powers and duties. The director shall have the following powers and duties: A. Supervise the operation of lotteries in accordance with this chapter and chapter …

The commission shall meet with the director, not less than once each month, to adopt and amend rules, subject to the approval of the commissioner, relating to the lotteries; to make recommendations and set policy for state lotteries and to transact other business that may be prop…

1. Factors. A license to sell lottery tickets or shares may be issued by the director or the director's designee to any qualified person. Before issuing the license, the director or the director's designee shall consider at least the following factors: A. The financial responsibi…

1. Reasons for suspension or revocation. The director or the director's designee may suspend or revoke, after notice and hearing in a manner consistent with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act, any license issued pursuant to this chapter. The license may be temporarily suspend…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any person licensed as provided in this chapter may act as a lottery sales agent.

No right of any person to a prize drawn may be assignable, except that payment of any prize drawn may be paid to the estate of a deceased prize winner, and except that any person pursuant to an appropriate judicial order or an administrative order relating to child support may be…

If the bureau is required under state law or court order to set off a person's lottery winnings against a claim of an amount due and more than one claim is made against the lottery winnings, the bureau shall set off against the winnings as many claims as possible in the following…

The identity of a person awarded a prize of $100,000 or more and the identity of a person who is a participant in the Address Confidentiality Program under Title 5, section 90‑B awarded a prize of any amount are confidential unless the person awarded such a prize provides written…

No person may sell a ticket or share at a price greater than that fixed by rule of the commission. No person other than a licensed lottery sales agent may sell lottery tickets or shares, except that nothing in this section prevents any person from giving lottery tickets or shares…

1. Sale to person under 18 years of age. A ticket or a share may not be sold to a person under 18 years of age. This does not prohibit a person 18 years of age or older from purchasing a ticket or a share for the purpose of making a gift to a person less than 18 years of age. A l…

A ticket or share may not be purchased by and a prize may not be paid to any of the following persons: [PL 1995, c. 158, §1 (RPR).] 1. Commission officers. An officer of the commission; 2. Senior supervisory personnel. Senior supervisory employees of the commission, as determined…

Unclaimed prize money for the prize on a winning ticket or share must be retained by the director for the person entitled to it for one year after the drawing in which the prize was won. If no claim is made for the money within that year, the prize money must be transferred to th…

The director may require any lottery sales agents to deposit to the credit of the State Lottery Fund in banks designated by the Treasurer of State all money received by the agents from the sale of lottery tickets or shares, less the amount, if any, retained as compensation for th…

No other law providing any penalty or disability for the sale of lottery tickets or any acts done in connection with a lottery applies to the sale of tickets or shares performed pursuant to this chapter.

If the person entitled to a prize on any winning ticket is under 18 years of age, the director or the director's designee may make payment in the amount of the prize to the minor by a check made payable to an adult member of the minor's family or a guardian as custodian of the mi…

There is created and established a separate fund to be known as the "State Lottery Fund," to be deposited in such depositories as the Treasurer of State may select. These funds shall consist of all revenue received from the sale of lottery tickets or shares, agents' license fees …

1. Appropriation. The money in the State Lottery Fund may be appropriated only: A. For the payment of prizes to the holders of winning lottery tickets or shares; [PL 1987, c. 505, §2 (NEW).] B. For the expense of the division in its operation of the lottery; [PL 1995, c. 494, §5 …