New rules on racino records OK'd

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

By MARK PETERS, Portland Press Herald Writer

AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate and House of Representatives gave initial approval Tuesday to a privacy bill that is crucial to the start of slot machine gambling in the state. The bill, which faces final votes, would prevent the public from having access to certain information that companies and their employees must file to receive a state gambling license.

The privacy provision has become a key issue for Penn National Gaming, which plans to put 1,500 slot machines at Bangor Raceway. The gambling company will not finish the licensing process until lawmakers adopt the new rules.

Sen. Joseph Perry, D-Bangor, viewed the Senate's vote as a key step to getting slots up and running in his home district. "Having it done takes all the uncertainty out of the process," Perry said.

Bangor officials and members of the harness-racing community have watched the bill closely as both the city and the racing industry expect to benefit from slots.

When first proposed, the privacy bill faced opposition from anti-gambling groups, the Maine Press Association and the Maine Attorney General's Office. Lawmakers responded with changes that included the removal of language that would have kept the public from seeing certain documents that are already public.

The final version focuses on keeping private such items as trade secrets, personal information like Social Security numbers and records obtained from other states. The Maine Gambling Control Board also can protect any information it deems an "unwarranted invasion of personal privacy," but can release a summary to the public.

Dennis Bailey of Casinos No! said the anti-gambling group still disagrees with the idea of giving gambling companies an exemption from the state's freedom of access law, but did not work to stop the bill Tuesday.

"It is certainly in much better shape then it was originally," Bailey said.

The last test for the bill will come later this week when the House and Senate take final votes. Backers of the legislation want the bill to take effect immediately, which requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers and Gov. John Baldacci's approval.

Perry, the Bangor senator, said if that happened, Penn National may have time to open a temporary facility while it builds a new building to house the racino. Construction of a permanent building is slated to be completed in 2006.

A spokesman for Baldacci said the governor plans to sign the legislation once it's enacted by the House and Senate.

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