Milt Champion, the controversial executive director of Maine's Gambling Control Unit, has had half the office he oversees rise up to voice their discontent with how he manages casino oversight. (Image: Robert Bukaty / AP)

Maine’s nine casino inspectors have unanimously signed a letter expressing no confidence in Maine Gambling Control Unit Executive Director Milton Champion, saying that he has created a toxic work environment and harmed their ability to regulate casinos.

The nine inspectors work at the Oxford Casino in Oxford and the Hollywood Casino in Bangor, the only two casinos in the state.

Letter Alleges Retaliation, Circumvention of Gambling Control Board

In the letter, the inspectors say that Champion is violating their legal rights and attempting to work around other regulators by making decisions on his own, within input from casinos or other state employees.

“Milton Champion has made it clear through his actions that he does not respect the oversight role of the Maine Gambling Control Board,” the letter reads. “Since he started as Executive Director in 2016, the Board has denied many of his proposals for a variety of reasons. Now, rather than subject himself to the checks and balances of the Board’s oversight function, Milton Champion is circumventing the Board altogether by making unilateral decisions that completely undermine the Board’s ability to oversee gambling matters in Maine.”

The letter also accuses Champion of violating the union contract of the inspectors, who are members of the MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 union. The casino inspectors say that Champion “has retaliated against us individually and as a group, and has create a deeply dysfunctional and toxic workplace environment.”

“We Public Safety Inspectors have pending grievances within the Gambling Control Unit regarding Champion’s refusal to correctly pay us for services rendered, retaliation, and numerous violations of our collective bargaining with the State of Maine,” the letter reads.

Scheduling Change Left Casinos Without Inspectors

This is not the first time tensions have flared between Champion and the casino inspectors that he oversees. In June, the workers noted that a change in their scheduling from five eight-hour shifts a week to four 10-hour shifts meant that rather than having an inspector on site at all times, there were no longer inspectors at the casinos on Sundays, Mondays, or at some overnight hours. 

“It just takes away our ability for oversight,” inspector Gayle Craig, who works at Hollywood Casino, said via Maine Public Radio. “That alone – the schedule change was a form of retaliation.”

Maine Gambling Control Board chair Steven Silver said in an interview that he was aware of the letter, and was concerned about the schedule change, as board rules require inspectors to be on site for large jackpots and the installation of new machines. However, he also said he wasn’t sure what he could do to respond to the concerns.

“I don’t know what our options are,” Sliver said, according to the Portland Press Herald. “I think we will consult with our counsel and see what, if anything, we can do, but I’m not sure what other than passing some sort of resolution, we could do. In terms of real action, I don’t know what our options are yet.”

Contentious Divide in Champion's Office

Champion has been the director of the Gambling Control Unit in Maine since 2016. He may headlines in May 2023 when he received a one-week suspension after posting two controversial tweets: one using a sexist slur, and another that appeared to defend a march by a white nationalist organization.

The office he leads consists of 19 employees, including the nine inspectors, and is a bureau of the Department of Public Safety.

While it is not clear what authority the letter of no-confidence carries, supporters of Champion have rallied in his defense. 

On Friday, a group of nine employees at the Gambling Control Unit – including a deputy director, three safety inspectors and two auditors – sent the media a letter voicing their complete confidence in Champion. 

“As a group, we feel a need to express our unwavering support and appreciation for our executive director,” the letter said, according to the Press Herald. “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.”