Maine Main Man in Charge of Gambling Unit Wants to Deregulate Casinos?

Inspectors said Milton Champion, head of Maine's gambling unit, has tried to deregulate casinos and created a toxic work environment.

All eleven inspectors signed a letter this week expressing "no confidence" in Champion.  It is not clear what the next steps will be.

Champion oversees all gambling in Maine, including sports betting, but the inspectors said he is not fulfilling the duties of his role. 

In the no confidence letter, Maine's casino inspectors said Champion has retaliated against some inspectors, violated their contractual rights, and refused to pay them correctly for services rendered.

"They've completely stopped contacting us, communicating with us, and the next step in line is the vote of no confidence," Casino Inspector Gayle Craig said.  She has worked at Hollywood Casino in Bangor for 17 years.

"It's kind of degrading at this point, because we mean nothing," Craig said.

Champion has previously referred to women as "bitches".

Gov. Janet Mills signed LD 585 into law, permitting state tribes to provide statewide mobile sports betting and establish retail sportsbooks at gaming facilities. This bill became effective on July 31, 2022.

The state has been slow to license websites however.   Only DraftKings and Caesars are regulated at this time.