During the last day of the legislative session, the bill that would allow the Penobscots to add 400 slot machines to their high stakes bingo parlor was listed. This means that the Penobscot Indian Nation will have to wait until January to see if the bill is passed or not.

Nation Representative Donna Loring explained that she decided not to move forward with the bill after consulting with Chief Kirk Francis. “After several discussions with the governor's staff it was clear that the governor would veto the bill no matter how it was amended,'' Loring said.

In order to ward off Governor John Baldacci’s veto, the bill has to be approved by two thirds of the members of the House and Senate. Although it has already received a veto-poof endorsement from the House, votes were not enough in the Senate.

The Penabscots want the slots bill to pass because its high stakes bingo profits have fallen since the Hollywood Slots opened in Bangor. The parlor is owned by a non-Native company and in 2006 had gross revenues of $564 million. The gambling venue was approved at a referendum and houses 475 of the 1,500 slot machines they have permission to operate.