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12/23/09
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poll Casino backers try again
Oxford area petition gets 90,000 signatures
AUGUSTA, Maine — Backers of a proposal to build a resort casino in western Maine delivered more than 90,000 petition signatures to state officials on Tuesday in hopes of triggering the sixth statewide referendum on gambling since 2000.
A representative of the organization hoping to build the four-season resort and casino in the Oxford area said the latest proposal is dramatically different from an Oxford County casino ballot measure that failed at the polls in November 2008. He also forecast that passage of the ballot initiative would likely help, not hurt, Bangor’s Hollywood Slots, which is the only sanctioned gaming facility in the state.
Peter Martin, spokesman for Black Bear Entertainment LLC, said petition organizers removed most of the “flaws” that he believes helped doom the last proposal. Those flaws included lowering Maine’s gambling age to 19, creating a 10-year moratorium on other gaming facilities in the state and giving the casino president a seat on influential state boards. Martin described the latest proposal as a privately funded stimulus package for Maine schools, with 70 percent, or about $32 million, of the annual tax revenues from the casino going to education statewide. The proposed four-season resort would create 800 to 1,000 jobs.
“It’s something that will affect every municipality in the state,” Martin said Tuesday moments after dropping off boxes of petition signatures at the Secretary of State’s Office.
Black Bear Entertainment, which was formed by a group of Maine business owners, needs 55,087 certified signatures from registered voters in Maine to place the issue on the November 2010 ballot.
The state’s voters already have rejected four gambling initiatives, including two proposed by Maine’s Indian tribes. Roughly 54 percent of voters rejected the last Oxford County resort casino proposal in November 2008. Dennis Bailey, spokesman for the anti-gambling group CasinosNO!, dismissed Martin’s suggestions that the latest Oxford County plan is an improvement over the 2008 proposal or that it will fare better at the polls this time around.
“These things are a scam and the voters know they are a scam,” Bailey said. “I see nothing here to convince people to change their minds and vote differently than they did in the past.”
In addition to opposition from CasinosNO!, Black Bear Entertainment will likely have to confront concerns among some Bangor-area voters that an Oxford County casino would draw business away from Hollywood Slots. Martin said the company anticipates most gamers at the Oxford casino would be from areas south of Augusta, with 50 percent likely from Massachusetts or New Hampshire.
Hollywood Slots officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Sen. Joe Perry, D-Bangor, said he does not believe a resort casino in Oxford would compete with Hollywood Slots.
“But I think it raises the issue that if we are going to have a full casino in the state, can we limit Hollywood Slots to just slots? Or should we consider opening up Hollywood Slots to table games?” Perry said. Hollywood Slots officials have made clear their interest in offering blackjack and other table games as a way to draw additional business to the facility, which is restricted to 1,500 slot machines.
But before they could offer table games, Hollywood Slots would need legislative approval. And Gov. John Baldacci, a Democrat in his final year in office, has been adamant that he would veto any legislation expanding gambling in Maine.
Bailey also pointed out that under the current language proposed by Black Bear Entertainment, Hollywood Slots would still be prohibited from offering table games even if voters approve the Oxford casino.
Martin agreed, explaining that Black Bear’s proposal would not change the existing law governing Hollywood Slots that was approved by voters in 2003. “The reality is if this casino passes, the Legislature will award Hollywood Slots table games,” Martin said. “There is no reason they shouldn’t, and we wouldn’t oppose it.”
Perry said he would probably support expanding to table games at Hollywood Slots. But the Bangor-area senator said it is still unclear to him whether Mainers will support a resort casino ballot question authored by groups looking to build the gaming facility.
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Recent comments
chief justice
if you've been watching from the closet, you'd know that focaloca is a troll herself.
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I attended this event. I missed the Democrats, which didn't break my heart. I agree that Chris could've elaborated …
whereswaldo - Take it somewhere else. You're very tiresome. You don't like the BDN. Don't read it and burden us with …
I read this proposal and it is a poorly written and unprofessional proposal that uses "facts" that have been proven …
whereswaldo - Take it somewhere else. You're very tiresome. You don't like the BDN. Don't read it and burden us with …
I voted against the 2008 ballot question due mainly to the flaws that have been removed. I will want to know more about the initiative, but on what this article states, I support it. If the Governor cannot fund education, hopefully gambling can! If Hollywoods Slots really wants gaming tables they will follow the lead and assist in funding education. The governors latest moves shifts the tax burden to property owners, this would amount to tax relief for all property owners, state wide!
Who exactly are the Maine business owners involved in this? I am interested in knowing that information.
Don't these people know, that gambling is very bad in this state except in Bangor?!!! Don't they know it will 'bring in a lot of crime'---except in Bangor. Dont, they know 'gambling enterprise is not the way to economic development'---except in Bangor. The nerve of them!
If a Casino is allowed in Bangor, Than I believe they should be allowed in other areas of Maine. Especially in areas that really need a boost in jobs & revenue.
If it is a viable, unobtrusive, beneficial enterprise that doesn't cost the taxpayers, then for God's sake DO IT! I couldn't care less about gambling, but dad plays blackjack and manages to do just fine. Too bad he has to go all the way to Atlantic City or Vegas to do it. I've been in the Bangor facility once, and that was for a birthday party. I could see slots, but really, really don't give a crap about gambling. Never even bought a lottery ticket, but that's as much a statement as a preference. Baldacci can have the biggest racket going, with the worst possible odds, and that's O.K. Maine is Vacationland. Look around. It may be all there is to work with.
Ride Free and Let Live
You know My Vote
I've got an idea for a business; get a bunch of people together and have them come, with their money, to my business. I will shuffle the money among those who come, and after a while, I will allow one person to keep a little bit of money above what that person brought, I will take money from most who come such that they leave with less money than they brought, and I will keep a little bit of everybody's money. My product is my customer's money! Yeah, more gambling is what we need right now. Let's ignore the fact that Massachusetts is considering the creation of a number of gambling joints, so don't count on those folks coming to Maine to gamble. It's going to be Maine people placing the bets at any new joints, just like it is at Hollywood Slots. Is this really the best we can do?
Steamship: I'm afraid someone has previously come up with your "idea for a business". It's called the Maine State Lottery. And, guess what, they don't come here from out of state to play it. And, it makes MILLIONS!
"with 70 percent, or about $32 million, of the annual tax revenues from the casino going to education statewide. The proposed four-season resort would create 800 to 1,000 jobs." Step right up folks and sniff the carrot, hmmn? Smells like the same old BS to me.
We're not talking casino, we're still talking electronic slots - easily rigged, no skill at all. Move along, nothing to see here.
Merry Christmas from WC.
Baldacci's last year, God it's been a long time coming . I sure hope we can weather the turds last year in office.
Another regressive tax on the poor just like the lottery. If the law passes the state should issue two or three licenses in the state, in zones. The license should be sold to the high bidder, assuming they have the financial capabilty.
Rather than have a slot machine set up, lets have the license fee set at say $ 50 million
B---Godot 9:07 am What about all the rigged games at the Fairs ?? Those are a rip offs but they still play them so whats the diffrence ??
Here are the principles of the business entity 'Black Bear Entertainment LLC':
http://www.blackbearentertainment.com/#
It's interesting that Steve Barber (Barber Foods, President) pulled his head in and ducked for cover recently. Something like a turtle does.
Peter Martin has run motels and bars for years. I believe he and Steve were Fraternity bros. at Husson College.
You can't prevent gambling, if this ballot question gets rejected it will just continue to make other states and the gas companies richer. Tell someone they can't gamble in Maine and watch them get in the car and drive to Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, Seabrook, etc. Haven't we prevented/lost enough jobs already.
Gambling does not produce anything. The odds are always in favor of the house, not the gamer. People get drunk on cheap drinks at the casino then drive home. Casinos are not a substitute for real enterprises like factories and farms. Casino jobs are low-paying dead-end jobs.
They are not terrific paying jobs with great advancement. But the high-tech, long term jobs ain't exactly rollin' in, ya know? And the mills aren't coming back, either...ev-ver.
Raise your hand if you think any extra revenue the state would receive from another casino (whether it be $100 or $100,000,000/year) would go to something worthwhile (i.e. forever shoring up education budgets in the state).
Keep your hand down if you believe that it would simply generate income for "new" programs politicians would create in order to spend the "new" money.
http://fwix.com/portlandme/share/4c53122d53/casino_freudian_slips_fuzzy_math_or_just_honesty more info.
And if we really want to bail the state out fiscally, why not add back the penny we took of the Sales Tax? Now I'll duck and run for cover ;-)
I won $450 at Foxwoods last night- $20 I put in A 25cent Red White and Blue slot machine. You know what I win a t Hollywood Slots?..SQUAT, JACK, CRAP!
Keep pumping money into those slot machines, and it doesn't matter where you're playing - you're going to lose. You may have 'won' $450, but you spent money on travel, a room, food and tolls (not to mention all of the money that you lost, before you 'won' the $450). Plus, now that you've had a taste, you're sure to be back. There's only 1 winner in the slots industry, and it ain't the player. Most people have a better chance of winning money if they take the $10 they were going to spend at the slots parlor and throw it into the Penobscot.