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Milton Champion, executive director of the Maine Gambling Control Unit (MGCU), has managed to upset Maine casino inspectors.
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.
Key takeaways
- All nine casino inspectors in Maine have expressed no confidence in Champion.
- The letter cites a toxic workplace, a lack of guidance for casino partners, and concerns over his ability to oversee casinos.
- Champion’s actions have raised concerns about his respect for authority and his willingness to deregulate casinos without public input.
Maine gambling regulators warn of unchecked casino growth
The inspectors said Champion provided little to no guidance for casino partners on compliance with complex gambling laws and regulations. The MGCU’s letter read:
“Despite the significant expansion of gambling within our great state, our current Executive Director Milton Champion has actively demonstrated an eagerness to deregulate casinos in Maine without input from the voting public and with little-to-no guidance to our casino partners on how to conduct business while remaining compliant with gambling rules and statutes.”
Earlier in May 2023, Champion was also issued an unpaid suspension due to a Twitter post he made that was seen as misogynistic and violent. The MGCU Director apologized, and after further investigation into the issue, he returned to work after one week.
Champion’s actions undermine Maine gambling control board
In the letter, the inspectors allege other problems leading to the vote of no confidence. Those include:
- Ignoring inspectors’ contractual rights
- Engaging in retaliatory behavior against inspectors
- Creating a hostile work environment
- Payment disputes
- Committing multiple contractual violations
- Introducing scheduling changes that compromised casino oversight
The inspectors further claimed that Champion has shown a lack of respect for their authority. Since assuming his position in 2016, the board has denied his proposals because of various concerns.
Since he started as executive director in 2016, the board has denied many of his proposals for a variety of reasons according to a Portland Press-Herald interview of Frankie St. Armand. St. Armand is a representative for a labor union that counts Maine state employees among its members.
So far, Champion has remained silent, failing to respond to an email left at the Gambling Control Unit on Wednesday.
For the rest of the year, gaming discussions will center around brick-and-mortar casinos, as efforts to legalize Maine online casinos stalled earlier this year.
However, with 2025 on the horizon, lawmakers might revisit online casino legislation.
