In the US state of Maine, there is a compelling slots story that we have been following for our online slots players.

Today, those against gambling have ditched their current plans to outlaw slot machines after coming to the obvious conclusion that they could not obtain enough signatures by today's deadline to force a 2006 referendum on the issue.

Even so, the failure to get the signatures may have only postponed a statewide vote on the slot issue in Maine. A reorganized version of the group No Slots for ME! also launched a second repeal today.

As it stands, Bangor, Maine, which has the needed state and local approvals in hand, is the only city eligible to host slot machines under the existing state laws.

Penn National Gaming is planning to open Hollywood Slots in Bangor sometime in November after completing $17 million in renovations to the former Miller's Restaurant that was located there. The new Main Street slot casino will have more than 200 new machines. The actual machines are already on site, too. In total, the casino will house 475 gaming machines.

Today's decision by gambling opponents to discard the current petition drive invalidates the signatures already collected and requires the group to start from scratch.