Portland city councilors worried about possible impacts of sports betting bar

PORTLAND (WGME) — Maine’s first in-person sports betting bar may soon be coming to Portland.

The owners cleared a first hurdle during a city council meeting Monday night.

Several city councilors say they are worried about the impacts of having in-person sports betting in Portland and how it could affect both people and the economy.

Still, Monday night, the council granted a liquor license to First Tracks Investments, LLC. to open a sports bar on Market Street.

The city can’t stop the bar from conducting sports betting.

It’s up to the state’s Gambling Control Unit to approve a license for the in-person sports wagering.

Portland City Councilor Kate Sykes voted against the bar’s liquor license on Monday, hoping to slow down the opening so the city could come up with regulations on where and how these businesses operate.

“You look at casinos, and they do have a detrimental effect on the economy of cities,” Sykes said. “And obviously, a sports betting bar is not as large as a casino, but it’s a thing we do have to consider, ‘How would that impact local business?’ ‘How will that impact the financial wellbeing of people in the city?’”

The bar has yet to get its wagering licenses from the state, and it’s unclear when the bar might open.

In the meantime, Sykes says she’s planning to get to work on zoning and regulation rules.