PORTLAND (WGME) – Maine’s first in-person sports betting bar may soon be opening in Portland.
The owners cleared the first hurdle at Monday night’s City Council meeting.
Several City Council members said they are concerned about the impact of in-person sports betting in Portland and how it would affect both people and the economy.
Still, on Monday night, the City Council granted First Tracks Investments a liquor license to open a sports bar on Market Street.
The city cannot prevent bars from offering sports betting.
It is the responsibility of state gaming control units to approve licenses for in-person sports betting.
Portland City Councilwoman Kate Sykes voted against the bar’s liquor license on Monday, wanting to delay the opening so the city can enact regulations about where and how such establishments can operate.
“If you look at casinos, you can certainly see that they have a negative impact on a city’s economy,” Sykes said. “Obviously, a sports betting bar is not as big as a casino, but what we have to consider is, ‘How does that impact local businesses?’ ‘How does that impact the economic well-being of the people in the city?'”
The bar has not yet received a gaming license from the state, and it is unclear when it will open.
In the meantime, Sykes says he will work on developing zoning and regulatory rules.