Maine casino inspectors sign letter of no confidence in gambling control unit director

Commissioner Michael Sauschuck of the Maine Department of Public Safety recommended that Champion be placed on a 40-hour suspension without pay, as well as participate in the state’s workplace harassment and social media training. Milton Champion, the executive director of the Gambling Control Unit within the Maine Department of Public Safety, tweeted in early May about a recent comment made to him about how referring to a group of women as “ladies” was not appropriate. (Maine).- Milton Champion, Head of the Maine Gambling Control Unit (MGCU), has unfortunately managed to register himself in the bad books of Maine casino inspectors. Over two years after it was signed into law, there is still no in-person sports betting at Oxford or Hollywood Casino, which Baldacci said is unacceptable. “As a group, we feel a need to express our unwavering support and appreciation for our executive director.

• Initially, Gov. Mike DeWine’s office announced that McDonald was retiring due to medical concerns.
• Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve.
• This development came after a growing trend of sports betting legalization across the United States, and it is expected to generate significant tax revenue for the state.
• Champion and Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck spoke at a Gambling Control Board meeting last week to explain the new schedules came with a monitoring system switch.
• Wolpin is a fan of the NFL and NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half.
• Bets placed on mobile apps accounted for 87 percent of all sports bets placed nationwide in 2021, according to the American Gaming Association.

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Department spokesperson Shannon Moss said Wednesday that the union had not yet issued the letter to Champion or the department. While he mostly uses it to comment on gambling, he has sometimes weighed in on political subjects. On May 14, he replied to a liberal commentator’s tweet on a far-right group marching near the U.S.

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The head of Maine’s gambling control unit will return to work on Monday, after being suspended over his Twitter activity. A different group of employees in the Gambling Control Unit wrote in a letter that was sent to members of the media Friday that they support Champion and felt the need to speak up publicly. The supervisor of casino inspectors was also placed on leave in August for undisclosed reasons. That has added to the friction between Champion and members of the Maine Gambling Control Unit Board, something that is rare across the state workforce. Baldacci said he is pushing for legislation that would restore the oversight of gambling to the gambling control board and he wants Gov. Mills to consider removing Champion from his position. Baldacci said he has asked Champion about multiple gambling issues, like in-person sports betting regulations, to no reply.

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He said he has heard complaints about a hostile work environment and “employment issues,” but that personnel decisions rest with the Department of Public Safety and not the board. And he said he wasn’t sure what, if any, action the board might take in response to the letter. Champion did not respond to an email or a phone message left at the Gambling Control Unit Wednesday. The unit is a bureau of the Maine Department of Public Safety, and Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the department, said Wednesday afternoon that the department had not received the letter.

• When the business takes off in Maine, sports bettors won’t have many options.
• – At recent G2E event in Las Vegas, Carlos Carrion, Vice President of International Sales and Business Development at SlotCycle, shared his perspectives on the future of the company.
• The head of Maine’s gambling control unit will return to work on Monday, after being suspended over his Twitter activity.
• AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s top gambling regulator was punished with a weeklong suspension without pay for tweets posted from his personal account about women and a white nationalist group, officials said Friday.
• The unit is a bureau of the Maine Department of Public Safety, and Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for the department, said Wednesday afternoon that the department had not received the letter.

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“As a group, we feel a need to express our unwavering support and appreciation for our executive director,” the letter reads. “His open-door policy and approachable demeanor have made us feel both welcomed and valued. Under his guidance, we have been encouraged to take on new challenges, develop our skills and grow professionally.” The chief sports betting regulator for the State of Maine has been sidelined due to problematic social media posts, which could delay the state’s implementation of new regulations.

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Earlier this year, he faced backlash for sexist tweets and comments that were perceived as endorsements of white supremacists. Despite these controversies, his leadership has been credited with maintaining financial oversight in the gambling sector, even though his blunt demeanor has created tension. His direct approach hasn’t led to conflicts with the gambling industry itself, but his relationship with regulators has grown increasingly strained. “Maine official in charge of sports betting placed on leave after offensive tweets” , Drew Bonifant, pressherald.com, May 22, 2023.

• “Removing us two days a week is really impacting the casinos, and as far as I’m concerned the public would be interested because when people voted to bring casinos into Maine they voted for strict oversight and he’s removing it,” Craig said.
• “This inaction has eroded trust between employees and the department and has emboldened Milton Champion to continue the toxic work environment he has created,” the letter said.
• However, the director relaxed some of the advertising rules that once required him to approve all television advertisements.
• A group of employees in Maine’s gambling control unit spoke out Friday in support of their executive director following a vote of no confidence by casino inspectors earlier this week.
• An early 2024 launch had been mentioned, which means the launch on Friday is ahead of schedule.

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“At least they are not burning down cities and looting stores,” Champion posted. Champion sent another controversial tweet on May 14, replying to a post from journalist Brian Krassenstein that showed a white nationalist group marching in Washington, D.C. The first of Champion’s controversial tweets used a derogatory term to refer to women.

• Caesars has partnered with three of the four tribes including the Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, and Penobscot tribes.
• In a letter, all nine Pine Tree State casino inspectors signed off on a vote of no confidence against Champion as they cited a toxic workplace and concerns about the unit’s capacity to oversee casinos.
• Despite substantial criticism, Champion declared he would not change the regulations and would instead proceed cautiously.
• The inspectors claim that Champion has been making decisions independently without considering regulatory and public input, causing friction within the department.
• BANGOR (WVII) — Some Maine gambling inspectors claim their boss has created a hostile work environment and changed their work schedule out of retaliation.
• Milton Champion, executive director of Maine’s Gambling Control Unit, announced the first proposal of betting rules in January, and the time period for public comment on the proposal ended last week.
• The state is home to a pair of sports betting apps, with Caesars Sportsbook and DraftKings both operating in Maine.

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Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck defended Champion’s actions to the board on Tuesday. She claims Maine Gambling Control Unit Director Milton Champion has created a hostile work environment and retaliated against them for airing concerns. Last year Champion was placed on a temporary leave for a separate issue involving inappropriate social media posts. State Senator Joe Baldacci, who serves on the Maine Legislature’s State and Local Government Committee and whose legislative district includes Hollywood Casino Bangor, said he agrees with the no-confidence letter signed by the casino workers.

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The regulations are patterned after an amalgam of blueprints from other states. Sports betting is coming to Maine this Friday after 18 months since the legislation was signed to allow mobile and retail wagering in the state. However, BetMGM has partnered with a number of outlets in the region for live sports betting. Casinos in the state are also run by Churchill Downs Inc. and Penn Entertainment, so it’s probable that TwinSpires and Barstool will have physical locations.

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“Director Champion was just made aware of this letter of confidence this morning and while he appreciates the support we have no further comment,” Moss added. “So, you’re taking us out on two busy days of the week when a lot can happen on the floor,” Craig said. Champion has led the MGCU as executive director since 2016, following a career in Florida state government. Specifically, the inspectors argued Champion has not respected their contractual rights and retaliated both against individual inspectors, as well as them as a group. Champion returned to the job last year after he was suspended without pay for one week for tweeting a sexist slur.

But he has not yet received the letter from the union, Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss said. Inspector Gayle Craig, who works at Hollywood Casino in Bangor, said shortly after she and others filed a grievance over incorrect holiday pay, Champion cut back their hours on weekends and holidays. Silver said he has concerns about the decision-making that went into the schedule change, but he didn’t know if the change was made unilaterally by Champion or if it was something that would require union negotiations.

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Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who’s been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin is a fan of the NFL and NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. His passion in life is sports and being able to share that through his writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became a Sports Editor, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. Hired in 2016, Champion’s profile has grown after state lawmakers approved sports betting last year.

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AUGUSTA, Maine — The launch of sports betting in Maine is likely to be delayed until late 2023 or early next year. In a statement released by the department on Friday, Champion says his tweets were meant to be humorous. He called them “a mistake and an error in judgement” and apologized for his actions. The inspectors also belong to the Maine Service Employees Association union, and further accused Champion of not properly paying them, retaliating for complaining and violating the local union’s collective bargaining agreement with the state. The board, the inspectors said, has voted against Champion’s initiatives in the past, and in response the director has made “unilateral” decisions on his own instead. The inspectors cover Maine’s two casinos, Oxford Casino and Hollywood Casino Bangor.

Difficulties with Champion’s social media

Maine’s sports betting law gives exclusive mobile gaming rights to Maine’s indigenous tribes. Champion said he’s spoken with the tribes and said they can work with mobile gaming to negotiate partnerships but cannot sign a contract until the rules are finalized. Milton Champion, executive director of Maine’s Gambling Control Unit, announced the first proposal of betting rules in January, and the time period for public comment on the proposal ended last week. AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s top gambling regulator was punished with a weeklong suspension without pay for tweets posted from his personal account about women and a white nationalist group, officials said Friday. Signed by nine MGCU employees, including deputy director Matthew Motti, the letter expressed support for the embattled executive director.

A press release from Local 1989 notes that recent changes to work schedules are preventing inspectors from monitoring Maine’s two casinos, Oxford Casino and Hollywood Casino Bangor, on Sundays and Mondays. The Gambling Control Unit, which is overseen by the Department of Public Safety, regulates sports betting milton champion maine in Maine. Champion played an important role in the state’s drafting of regulations and awarding of licenses. Maine has yet to launch legalized sports wagering, but a launch is expected in either late 2023 or early 2024. It’s unclear how Champion’s absence could impact the state’s regulatory process.

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Milton Champion, the head of the Maine Gambling Control Board (MGCB), is facing criticism from inspectors under his authority and Local 1989, a trade union, for allegedly bypassing essential checks and balances that his role requires. The inspectors claim that Champion has been making decisions independently without considering regulatory and public input, causing friction within the department. After several years of attempts to legalize sports betting, including one that Governor Janet Mills vetoed, the legislation was finally passed in the spring of 2022.