BANGOR – With local approval for slot machines out of the way, proponents of a proposed slots parlor at Bass Park have set their sights on winning the statewide referendum on Nov. 4.

In a citywide referendum Tuesday, residents voted 2,917 to 2,199 – 57 percent to 43 percent – in favor of allowing slot machines to be installed at Bass Park. But a statewide referendum must pass for the proposed project to become reality.

Winning city approval for slot machines at city-owned Bangor Raceway was only one step toward what Nevada developer Shawn Scott and his company, Capital Seven LLC, hope will be a $30 million gaming and entertainment complex at Bass Park. Now, their work gets tougher and more costly.

“Statewide campaigns are expensive,” said Daryn Demeritt, communications director for Pierce Atwood Consulting, a division of the Portland law firm representing Scott in Maine.

“We don’t know how much we’ll spend,” he said, adding that, as is the case with other political contests, resources aren’t unlimited.

“It’ll be whatever it takes us to inform Maine voters of what [the proposed racetrack casino] can do for Bangor and the state,” he said.

Demeritt said that Tuesday’s affirmative vote in Bangor would provide a “tremendous boost to the statewide effort.”

Plans for Scott’s Bangor racino, or racetrack casino, include improved harness racing facilities in the initial phase of development and, if slots ultimately are approved, a casino featuring slot machines, conference center, luxury hotel, suite hotel and conference center, related parking and collapsible open-air stage, among other things.

If Scott and his associates succeed, the project could create hundreds of jobs and generate as much as $75.3 million in annual revenue, one-fourth of which would go to the state for agricultural, social service and education programs, according to a recent economic impact study. The same study, commissioned by Capital Seven, suggests the racetrack casino also could result in $95.6 million in local sales revenues.

Other tasks facing Scott include negotiating a development deal with the city of Bangor, which owns Bass Park. Scott also needs a state pari-mutuel racing license. He now holds a conditional license for 2003, pending the results of a state-mandated background check.

Tuesday’s vote also has mobilized city officials.

“Now that we have local referendum [approval], we’re going to work on an agreement that puts the best interest of the city of Bangor first,” City Manager Edward Barrett said Wednesday.

To that end, the city has retained Christiansen Capital Advisors, a New Gloucester-based gaming industry analyst, to review Capital Seven’s revenue estimates and provide an independent assessment of its proposal.

Negotiations with the city began after the City Council granted Capital Seven tentative developer status, a designation that allows the city to negotiate a development agreement with a specified party for a specified period.

Representatives for the city and Capital Seven both said Wednesday that a draft agreement is still several weeks away.

Though the deadline for coming up with a mutually acceptable development was May 1, discussions have continued beyond that because of the complexity of the deal and the level of investment required.

While Scott’s racino proposal has its fans and foes, many of those following the issue say that the November vote will be a tougher battle, especially in southern Maine where opposition to a tribal casino has been mobilizing.

Despite the outcome of the Bangor vote, Gov. John Baldacci has not changed his position. Spokesman Doug Dunbar said Wednesday the governor remained opposed to both projects.

As Jonathan Daniels, the city’s business and economic development director, sees it, Bangor’s 30.1 percent voter turnout Tuesday is one indication of the growing public interest in the racino project.

“It certainly showed the level of passion for the issue,” he said. “Now it’s up to Capital Seven to take their vision and mission statewide.”

The six-day pre-election financial report filed by Capital Seven with the city last week reflected campaign expenditures of $34,420, which when added to the $36,000 campaign staff estimate of more recent spending, brings the total to about $70,000. Capital Seven will have to file another spending report in the near future.

“We look forward to moving forward with the city of Bangor as a partner,” Demeritt said. “[Gaining approval] in Maine’s third-largest city was obviously a critical step. It means a lot to us.”