Can stations in Maine advertise casino gambling, for example Atlantic City casinos?
Yes. As long as the activity is legal where it is conducted, and as long as the actual gambling activity does not occur in violation of Maine statute, stations may advertise casino gambling. The US Supreme Court, in the Greater New Orleans Broadcasters Association case (1999), struck down the federal ban on casino advertising, as long as no state laws would be violated as a result. In a private letter ruling issued to MAB in March 2001, the Maine Attorney General’s Office indicated that the Maine criminal prohibition against “advancing gambling activity” would not be enforced against Maine radio and television stations advertising lawful casino gambling activities. (Indian casinos, such as Foxwoods, are governed by the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, and it has always been legal to advertise them.) Can I put my advertisers’ names in a hat and conduct a drawing for a prize, such as a trip? Probably not. If buying an advertising package is the “cost” of entering the contest, this w
