AUGUSTA (AP) – A legislative committee Thursday endorsed a proposal for the state to join the multistate Powerball lottery and to allow nonprofit groups to offer video gambling.

The Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee voted unanimously to recommend that Maine join more than 20 states that already participate in the Powerball lottery. Four of the six New England states – New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island – are in the Powerball game. Massachusetts participates in a separate multistate game.

The appeal is the lure of more money for state government, although the director of the state Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations said there is no official estimate of how much money the state would take in.

Assistant Senate Majority Leader Kenneth Gagnon, D-Waterville, estimates that the state would pull in about $7 million a year. Gagnon said Maine is losing lottery revenues to New Hampshire, which sells Powerball tickets.

The committee voted 9-2, with two members absent, in favor of allowing veterans’ organizations and fraternal groups to offer video gambling that includes cash prizes.

That bill would allow eligible organizations to each have up to five video-gambling machines. Video gambling is legal in Maine now, but only if the “prize” is another shot at the game, said Lt. John Dyer of the Maine State Police.

The bill would require that video-gaming machines pay out at least 80 percent of their revenue in prizes. The rest of the money would be split among the state, to cover administrative costs; municipal revenue sharing for cities and towns; programs to fight gambling addiction; and the clubs themselves. The clubs would have to use their share for charitable purposes.

Supporters say video gambling is widespread, so the state might as well legalize and regulate it. “It’s already going on in a lot of places in our districts and we all know that,” said Rep. Roger Landry, D-Sanford.

But Rep. Kevin Glynn, R-South Portland, who voted against the bill, countered that legalizing video gambling in clubs would create “little mini casinos in all of these communities.”

The Powerball and video-gaming proposals will go to the full Legislature in January, virtually assuring that the already prolonged debate over gambling in Maine will remain at the forefront.

The debate will pit supporters of the two plans against dissenting lawmakers and Gov. John Baldacci, who does not like either one of them.

Baldacci spokesman Lee Umphrey said the governor would probably veto the video-gambling bill if the Legislature passes it. But Umphrey stopped short of saying Baldacci would veto the Powerball bill, even though he doesn’t favor it.

AP-ES-11-21-03 0216EST