AUGUSTA —

Gov. Paul LePage threatened Tuesday to veto two gambling bills if they wind up on his desk, saying that voters, not lawmakers, should have the final say.

Both citizen-initiated bills have won initial approval. A bill to allow racinos in Biddeford and Washington County won a 94-49 vote of support in the House on Monday.

The other bill, to allow a casino with slots in Lewiston, won a 78-61 endorsement in the House. Both measures await further votes in the House and Senate.

Their defeat would send the bills to voters in November. Passage would let the gambling enterprises go forward without statewide votes.

LePage said in an interview Tuesday that supporters of the bills need to do what past gambling promoters have done: Get voters’ approval first.

“If you want a casino in Maine, you’ve got to do what Oxford did, you’ve got to do what the racino did. You go to the people and get permission,” LePage said, referring to Black Bear Entertainment’s successful initiative to build a casino in Oxford and the voter-approved racino proposal that brought Hollywood Slots to Bangor.

Other gambling proposals, including one in 2003 in Sanford and another in 2008 in Calais, were rejected by voters.

“Maine people voted for one casino and one racino, and that’s what they’re getting,” LePage said. “I think the Legislature, quite frankly, has got a lot more important things to do.”