A Maine Superior Court justice last week ordered anti-casino group Casinos No! to pay nearly $7,000 of its opponents’ legal fees. The judge decided the group went too far when it sought an injunction to block a statewide referendum on legalized casino gambling.

“The award … sends a loud message that what Casinos No! did was unlawful and that such action will not be tolerated in our democracy,” Erin Lehane, spokeswoman for the pro-casino group Think About It, said Monday of Justice G. Arthur Brennan’s March 5 order. She said the award should make municipalities think twice about committing more public funds to the anti-casino movement.

Casinos No! spokesman Dennis Bailey said the ruling would not hinder the group’s efforts to prevent the Penobscot Nation and Passamaquoddy Tribe from building a $650 million casino in southern Maine.

“These towns are committed to stopping [a casino] from coming,” said Bailey, countering that the judge’s ruling would not hinder future anti-casino efforts. “Instead of $1 million, we’ll have to raise $1,007,000.”

Last month, Casinos No! filed a lawsuit challenging the wording of the proposed casino referendum question, which was approved by the secretary of state for voter consideration in November.