HARRISBURG, Pa. – A casino gambled and lost – big time. Now it’s asking thousands of customers to give it a break. Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course set out to do something nice for its best customers, rewarding 1,000 of them with free… Read More
SCARBOROUGH – Rejection of slot machines at Scarborough Downs was upheld Tuesday by an inspection of ballots by the clerk’s office. The proposal to allow the slot machines was defeated 5,804 to 5,565 on Nov. 4, and officials found no flaws that required a change… Read More
BANGOR – After reorganizing as many staff members as possible, Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway was forced to lay off about 3 percent of its work force, or 12 employees, it announced this week. Amy Kenney, director of marketing and public affairs for Maine’s only… Read More
Last November, Washington County residents were stinging over voters’ rejection of a Passamaquoddy petition to bring gambling – and therefore jobs and tourists – to their economically depressed corner of Maine. On Tuesday, Washington County fired back. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
A $184 million casino and resort proposed for western Maine was defeated Tuesday despite a high-profile push by backers in recent weeks. With 79 percent of precincts reporting, opposition to the controversial Oxford casino was holding steady at roughly 54 percent. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
PORTLAND – Maine’s Indian tribes have tried three times to have laws passed so they could build a casino in the state. Three times they’ve failed. There’s a lingering bitterness among many tribal members as Mainers prepare to vote Tuesday on whether to allow a… Read More
PORTLAND – The Las Vegas company that wants to develop a $184 million casino and resort in western Maine is pledging that no one under 21 would be allowed to gamble or work in the casino if voters approve the proposal on Election Day. Dean… Read More
AUGUSTA – The economy is affecting gambling revenues for the state with members of Maine’s Revenue Forecasting Committee this week tentatively projecting lower revenues from both Hollywood Slots and the Maine State Lottery. “It’s pretty clear that the economy is having an effect on racino… Read More
PORTLAND – A new poll commissioned by the company that wants to build a $184 million resort casino in Oxford indicates that likely voters are narrowly divided on the project in what amounts to a statistical dead heat. The survey by the market research firm… Read More
Question 2: Oxford County Casino Though they have been silent so far and probably will remain so, at least two groups and one business are likely to keep a close eye on the outcome of referendum Question 2 next month. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Maine Gambling Control Board gave its initial approval Thursday to a request by Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway in Bangor to offer Sunday morning gaming. The five-member board will now hold a public hearing and gather comments before making a final decision,… Read More
CALAIS – A Las Vegas developer’s desire to build a casino in Oxford County has some people here betting it will pass while others are hoping the gambling company from “away” will roll snake eyes. Some of the hard feelings here are due to the… Read More
Like a bad penny, Maine casino proposals keep bouncing back. The latest plan, promising a huge gambling palace in Oxford Hills, will face voter approval or rejection on Nov. 4. If Maine voters authorize big-time gambling, the losses won’t be just from slot machines or… Read More
PORTLAND – A political action committee backing a proposed resort casino in Oxford has outspent an anti-casino PAC by nearly 18-to-1, with all of its money coming from the Las Vegas company that wants to build the gambling facility, according to campaign finance reports. The… Read More
OXFORD – Supporters of a proposal to bring a casino to western Maine say the casino and resort would be located in Oxford if voters allow it to move forward on Election Day. Olympia Gaming of Las Vegas said Thursday it is looking at several… Read More
OXFORD – The town of Oxford, home to Maine’s best-known stock car racetrack, is putting out the welcome mat for a proposed $150 million resort and casino that a Las Vegas developer is promoting in a Nov. 4 statewide referendum. After a presentation Thursday from… Read More
BANGOR – The prosecutor called it elder abuse. The defense attorney said it was the result of an illness. Members of Gamblers Anonymous warned the judge to expect more cases just like it. Lucia Faria, 41, of Bangor was sentenced Wednesday in Penobscot County Superior… Read More
PORTLAND – Hoping to reinvigorate a stalled campaign, a Las Vegas developer announced Tuesday it will lead the referendum drive for a casino in Oxford County and spend $100 million to make it a reality if state voters give their approval in November. The Olympia… Read More
AUGUSTA – Maine’s Gambling Control Board will meet Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Maine Department of Public Safety offices at 45 Commerce Drive. The monthly meeting takes place in the Gambling Control Board hearing room beginning at 12:30 p.m. Executive Director Robert Welch will brief… Read More
AUGUSTA – Noting that everyone was ignoring it anyway, the Maine Gambling Control Board has opted not to extend its request for an intermission before any more casino-style gambling venues are authorized. Adopted in August 2006, the board’s request was issued in the form of… Read More
SCARBOROUGH – Owners of Scarborough Downs harness-racing track and the developer responsible for bringing Cabela’s to town are holding out a carrot to local residents as they seek again to get approval to install slot machines. The track’s owner and a developer want to create… Read More
MONCTON, New Brunswick – The province’s first casino will have 600 slot machines and borrow its style from the grand old hotels in Banff, Alberta, and St. Andrews, New Brunswick, the private consortium behind the Moncton-area project announced Tuesday. Plans for the $90 million facility,… Read More
AUGUSTA – The roughly 9,000 people who visited Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway’s July 1 grand opening in Bangor racked up a total wager of $5.6 million, according to a report presented Thursday by Scott Woods, auditor for the Maine Gambling Control Board, at the board’s first meeting… Read More
BANGOR – Though the number crunching was still under way on Thursday, a state gambling control official said Hollywood Slots set a revenue record after its first full day in its new $132 million gaming and entertainment complex. The company on Tuesday opened Hollywood Slots… Read More
BANGOR – The long-awaited opening of Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway Tuesday got off to a brisk start with patrons beginning to arrive about 7:30 a.m., hours before the facility’s 10 a.m. official opening. By the time the doors opened, the waiting crowd had swelled… Read More
BANGOR – With less than five hours to go before a charity event set Monday night, the early afternoon hours found dozens of employees at Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway vacuuming carpets, wiping smudges off glass and metal, touching up paint and setting up serving stations for hors… Read More
BANGOR – Just in time for Tuesday’s much-anticipated grand opening of the new Hollywood Slots facility, officials on Sunday afternoon unveiled a large-scale work of Maine-themed art that now fills the facility’s prominent Main Street window. “Just Add Water” is the name of the colorful… Read More
Nov. 18, 2002: Representatives of Capital Seven LLC, a Nevada-based company owned by entrepreneur Shawn Scott, present proposal for $30 million racino project for Bass Park during Bangor City Council committee meeting. March 23, 2003: City schedules local June referendum seeking permission to have slots… Read More
BANGOR – Members and staff of the state’s Gambling Control Board got a chance Wednesday to check out the nearly completed Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway. And with just more than a month to go before the complex’s July 1 grand opening, they saw that… Read More
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – Nova Scotia Finance Minister Michael Baker is betting that Halifax’s casino can handle a new competitor three hours down the road in New Brunswick, where a $90 million destination casino and hotel is expected to open in Moncton in 2010. Baker… Read More
CHICAGO – The Illinois Gaming Board has fined an Aurora casino $800,000 for sending promotional materials to problem gamblers in violation of an agency program. The penalty was assessed at a Monday board hearing against Hollywood Casino and three of its managers, who were suspended. Read More
MONCTON, New Brunswick – New Brunswick’s first casino will be built near the Magnetic Hill tourist site in Moncton, the provincial government said. Sonco Gaming New Brunswick Ltd. will build the gaming facility, a 128-room hotel and an entertainment venue that will seat 1,500. A… Read More
There is an old-fashioned look to Old Town. Main Street is flanked by a canoe factory, an Indian crafts store, and a small shop which sells mostly maps and compasses. Men wear red mackinaw jackets, and women drive to Hannaford’s in pickups. To many, the town seems like… Read More
AUGUSTA – Members of the Maine Gambling Control Board were briefed Thursday on the near completion of the Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway in Bangor and plans for a July 1 grand opening of the $131 million gaming and entertainment complex. The new facility at… Read More
The governor’s veto of the bill to allow the Penobscot Nation to operate slot machines at its Indian Island high-stakes beano facility and the Legislature’s failure to overturn that decision was “the last nail in the coffin” for tribal officials. Penobscot Chief Kirk Francis said Wednesday that he’s… Read More
AUGUSTA – After being vetoed Tuesday afternoon by Gov. John Baldacci, a bill to allow the Penobscot Nation to operate slot machines at its Indian Island high-stakes beano facility was effectively killed when lawmakers upheld the governor’s decision. The House vote was 94-49, which was… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Senate on Wednesday voted to engross LD 701, the bill that would allow the Penobscot Indian Nation to operate slot machines at its Indian Island high-stakes beano facility. The action means the bill will be printed with all approved amendments and sent… Read More
AUGUSTA – State lottery director Dan Gwadosky says the lottery is seeking to increase revenue and change its mix of games and is using studies and focus groups to figure out what games Mainers would play and why. “Scratch tickets are very popular,” he said. Read More
FREDERICTON, New Brunswick – The New Brunswick government has received proposals from four players willing to build and operate the province’s first casino, but none will get to show his cards publicly until a winner is declared around the end of May. Finance Minister Victor… Read More
DES MOINES, Iowa – Day and night, gamblers crowd into the casino east of here and sit at thousands of slot machines and gaming tables – but the stands are largely empty at the complex’s horse racing track. The scene at the Prairie Meadows Racetrack… Read More
AUGUSTA – A proposal to amend the state’s formula for taxing slot machines drew a crowd of mostly supporters Wednesday to a nearly 31/2-hour public hearing before the Legislature’s Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee. The proposal, which has been incorporated into LD 1924, seeks to… Read More
BANGOR – With less than five months to go before its planned grand opening, construction at Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway remains on schedule and within budget. “It’s coming together – it’s starting to take shape,” Hollywood Slots spokeswoman Amy Kenney said Tuesday while leading… Read More
INDIAN ISLAND – Gov. John Baldacci is going against his word by saying he will veto the Penobscot Nation’s proposal to operate slot machines on Indian Island and not agreeing to move an amended bill to referendum without a citizen-initiated petition, according to Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis. Read More
BANGOR – A special panel created by Gov. John Baldacci has issued its recommendations to amend the state’s formula for taxing slot machines in Maine. But unlike the last time state lawmakers tried to tinker with the formula, the owners of Hollywood Slots at Bangor… Read More
AUGUSTA – A bipartisan majority of the Legislature’s Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee is supporting legislation authorizing the Penobscot Nation to operate slot machines in Old Town. But Gov. John Baldacci says any expansion of slot machine gambling needs voter approval. “I’d like to talk… Read More
BANGOR – With its three key structures standing and buttoned up against the wintry weather, the construction focus has shifted to the inside at Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway. Over the next several months, workers will be busy installing wallboard and plumbing, running wires and… Read More
Playing cribbage is a lot of harmless fun all over Maine, especially in American Legion posts, as the state police and Legislature now know if they didn’t before. The current trouble began just before Veterans Day, when a Maine State Police inspector shut down the… Read More
Though supporters of the Nov. 6 statewide referendum on development of a racetrack casino in Washington County promoted the issue as one of economic development, that argument didn’t quite catch on in the state’s business community. In fact, some businesses and business leaders contributed to… Read More
FREDERICTON, New Brunswick – The provincial government has issued a request for proposals for a casino to be in operation somewhere in the province by 2010. In doing so, Maine’s Canadian neighbor is wagering that a casino will revive its faltering tourism industry, which has… Read More
PLEASANT POINT – Several members of the Passamaquoddy tribe said Wednesday they believe racism played a role in voters’ rejection of their efforts to build a racino in Washington County. It was a day of bitter disappointment for many tribal members just hours after the… Read More
A day after Maine voters denied the Passamaquoddy Tribe its wish to build a racetrack casino in Washington County, anti-gambling groups said they have not given up on their efforts to rid the state of all gambling facilities, including Hollywood Slots at Bangor, whose $131 million construction project… Read More
Penobscot Indian Nation Chief Kirk Francis said the tribe will use the defeat of the Passamaquoddy tribe’s racino initiative as a learning tool. The Penobscots have their own bill currently in the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee that would allow them to operate 400 slot… Read More
Voters narrowly defeated a Passamaquoddy Tribe proposal to build a harness racetrack and slots facility in Washington County on Tuesday, according to unofficial vote tallies. With 86 percent of precincts reporting, 51.7 percent of voters had rejected a Passamaquoddy bid to locate 1,500 slot machines… Read More
FREDERICTON, New Brunswick – The New Brunswick government is eliminating about 25 percent of the video lottery terminals operating in the province. Finance Minister Victor Boudreau said Tuesday the decision is a first step in a comprehensive new gaming policy that will be released Thursday. Read More
BANGOR – Hollywood Slots at Bangor will mark its second anniversary on Sunday with several traditional birthday cakes. It can afford them, having recently surpassed $1 billion in total wagers and more than $74 million in net revenue, according to state figures. Though the slots… Read More
CALAIS – Marden’s may have to salvage its Washington County customer base after it was learned Friday that the company had contributed $10,000 to CasinosNO!, a political action committee that opposes a proposal by Passamaquoddy Indians to build a racino here. Voters will decide by… Read More
SAINT JOHN, New Brunswick – Plans for a new gaming and entertainment center in this seaside community were unveiled Friday, even though the New Brunswick government has yet to present its policy on racetrack casinos, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported on its Web site. “The… Read More
BANGOR – Representatives on both sides of the fence regarding referendum Question 1 – the Passamaquoddy Tribe’s proposed racino in Washington County – threw verbal punches at one another during forums Thursday in Bangor and Machias. The issue will be decided during the Nov. 6 statewide election. Read More
CALAIS – A week before voters decide if Washington County can become home to a proposed racino and high-stakes bingo facility run by the Passamaquoddy Tribe, questions remain about the finances associated with the plan. . As of Friday, the tribe has no developer for… Read More
CALAIS – Slot machine net revenue from the proposed Washington County racino would be divided several ways based on the legislation approved by the 123rd Maine Legislature. Net revenue reflects the amount that would remain after the state takes 1 percent of the facility’s gross… Read More
AUGUSTA – Associated Constructors of Maine’s board has voted to support Question 1 on the Nov. 6 ballot, which would allow the Passamaquoddy Indian Tribe to run a harness racing track and slot machine facility, and high-stakes bingo, in Washington County. The constructors group said… Read More
AUGUSTA – Members of an advisory committee heatedly debated among themselves on Tuesday how the millions of dollars slot machine gambling generates now are allocated, an indication of how complicated the current tax and distribution system is. They eventually turned to the reason Gov. John… Read More
BANGOR – While a group opposed to casinos in Maine is insinuating that Hollywood Slots may have been responsible last year for a 22 percent increase in Bangor’s crime rate, police officials are saying otherwise. “The Bangor Police Department has no evidence that the increase… Read More
A study released Tuesday by a University of Maine economist estimates that the Calais racino proposed by the Passamaquoddy Tribe could generate between $11.9 million and $13 million in slot machine revenue annually. “The projected impact in slot machine revenue is actually larger than the… Read More
Mainers are split over whether to allow the Passamaquoddy Tribe to build a gambling facility in Washington County, according to results of a poll released Thursday. This November, voters will be asked to approve or reject a plan by the tribe for a harness racing… Read More
BOSTON – Gov. Deval Patrick on Monday proposed licensing three resort casinos in Massachusetts in a move he said would generate $400 million to $450 million in annual tax revenue that would be spent on transportation upgrades and property tax relief. Under the plan, the… Read More
If they look way up, people passing by the Hollywood Slots at Bangor work site on Main Street can see an American flag and an evergreen tree perched atop the highest beam. The tree and flag were put there as part of a long-held tradition… Read More
BANGOR – Though construction of its $131 million permanent gaming and hotel complex on Main Street is in full swing, Hollywood Slots at Bangor will temporarily suspend delivery of some key construction components to accommodate the American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront, set for Aug. 24-26. Read More
BANGOR – The steel beams beginning to create a new skyline on lower Main Street are those of the future permanent home of Hollywood Slots, and it’s just the beginning, according to the facility’s spokeswoman. All the steelwork currently being put up is for the… Read More
ORONO – Patrons of Hollywood Slots at Bangor contributed more than $20 million to area restaurants, hotels and motels over a 15-month period after the facility opened, according to a recent study by a University of Maine economics professor. In a report that compares the… Read More
MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. – Middleborough officials, under fire from some residents who say a tentative deal that would bring millions of dollars to the town if the Mashpee Wampanoags build a casino is not enough, are now planning on demanding much more from the tribe. The… Read More
Evil could lurk in unlikely places a century ago. Your moral well-being might be at risk in a restaurant, a fruit stand or even a pawnshop. One of the more nefarious manifestations of bad habits was the slot machine, which popped up like dandelions in Bangor whenever virtue… Read More
Racetrack and casino operator Penn National Gaming Inc., which owns Hollywood Slots at Bangor, said Friday it agreed to be acquired by funds managed by two investment companies for about $6.1 billion in cash. Penn National, with net revenue of $2.2 billion in 2006, operates… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Maine House and Senate voted Friday to allow the Penobscot Indian Nation to operate 400 slot machines at its high-stakes bingo facility on Indian Island, but the bill faces an uncertain fate with a gubernatorial veto threatened. The 101-38 House vote meets… Read More
BANGOR – A month after a financial impasse triggered a weeklong work stoppage at the site of a $131 million gaming and hotel complex, state and corporate stakeholders have their eyes on the finish line, at least when it comes to revenue sharing. Penn National,… Read More
WASHINGTON – Indian gambling pulled in $25 billion in 2006, 11 percent more than the year before as the industry’s explosive growth outpaced Las Vegas. Federal figures announced Monday, compiled from 387 tribal facilities in 28 states, show Indian gambling revenue has nearly doubled in… Read More
NEWPORT, R.I. – A hotel developer buying the Newport Grand slot parlor is pushing to change the state’s 10-year master contract with the gambling facility, according to a report published Sunday. The Cranston-based Procaccianti Group is promoting legislation that would extend the contract for five… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci is creating a committee to review the tax structure for slot machine revenues. The executive order to form the panel was signed by Baldacci Friday following negotiations between the governor’s office, the Legislature and Penn National Gaming Inc., which operates… Read More
AUGUSTA – Leaders of the Penobscot Indian Nation pressed their case Wednesday for legislation to permit them to operate 400 slot machines during high-stakes bingo games on their reservation on Indian Island, saying it’s “a necessity for us.” A bill that has received an 11-1… Read More
BANGOR – Penn National Gaming Inc. gave the green light Monday to resume construction on its $131 million gaming and hotel complex on Main Street in Bangor, company spokesman Eric Schippers confirmed. News that workers will be back at the job site today came shortly… Read More
BANGOR – Penn National Gaming Inc. and state officials may be close to a deal for getting construction crews back to the site of a $131 million gambling and hotel complex across Main Street from Bass Park. City officials meeting Saturday were told that Gov. Read More
A legislative proposal to increase the state’s share of revenues from Hollywood Slots at Bangor is raising eyebrows in the local and national business communities, where experts say the move could seriously damage Maine’s reputation as a place to do business. “This has a dramatic,… Read More
BANGOR – A Penn National Gaming Inc. official said Thursday that the company has yet to determine what it would take to get work crews back to the site of the $131 million gaming and hotel complex across Main Street from Bass Park. The parent… Read More
AUGUSTA – A convoy of construction vehicles and pick-up trucks hauling horse trailers gathered Wednesday at the Augusta Civic Center before proceeding to the State House where more than 200 people rallied against a proposal that would increase the state’s share of slots revenue. The… Read More
BANGOR – Gov. John Baldacci sidestepped questions Wednesday about the potential fallout from Penn National Gaming Inc.’s decision this week to halt work at the site of the $131 million gaming and racing complex it planned to build across Main Street from Bass Park. Penn… Read More
AUGUSTA – Members of the budget-writing Appropriations Committee were expecting ideas Tuesday from both Hollywood Slots at Bangor and the harness racing industry in response to proposals before the panel to take more of the revenue from slot machines to help balance the state budget. No one showed… Read More
BANGOR – In response to a legislative push to balance the state budget by increasing Maine’s share of revenues from slot machines, Penn National Gaming Inc. pulled the plug Tuesday on further work on the $131 million gaming and hotel complex it has been building across Main Street… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Legislature’s Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee voted Monday to recommend allowing the Penobscot Nation to operate 400 slot machines in conjunction with its high-stakes bingo games on Indian Island. But the proposal faces strong opposition, including a likely veto by Gov. John Baldacci. Read More
BANGOR – A legislative push to increase the state’s share of revenues from Hollywood Slots at Bangor could scuttle the company’s $131 million project in the city. Representatives of Penn National Gaming Inc., the Bangor facility’s parent company, confirmed Monday that the possibility of losing… Read More
AUGUSTA – Hollywood Slots at Bangor would be “killed” if a proposal to increase the state’s share of slot machine revenue were included in the state budget and Maine’s harness racing industry would be “seriously hurt” by another series of proposals, lawmakers were told Thursday. Read More
PLEASANT POINT – The Passamaquoddy Tribe wants the same gambling rights as Bangor, and that’s why it is continuing its battle to build a racetrack-casino operation – known as a racino – Down East. And a battle it will be, all summer long, now that… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci, acting immediately after its enactment by the Senate, vetoed a measure Thursday that would allow the Passamaquoddy Tribe to develop a racetrack casino in eastern Maine. Concluding an expected chain of events, the House of Representatives upheld the veto right… Read More
A member of the Maine Gambling Control Board has resigned and is speaking out against proposals to expand the number of slot machines in Maine. In his resignation letter to Gov. John Baldacci, Mike Peters of Dixfield said the state must do all it can… Read More
BANGOR – Construction will begin this week on Penn National Gaming Inc.’s $131 million gaming and hotel complex. Excavation and earthwork at the Hollywood Slots at Bangor project site, across Main Street from Bass Park, are complete, spokeswoman Amy Kenney said Saturday. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
AUGUSTA – The state Senate on Wednesday followed the lead of the House and voted to give the Passamaquoddy Indian Tribe the green light for their proposed racino in eastern Maine, but the matter still appeared destined for the referendum ballot next fall. Senators voted… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Maine House of Representatives voted 82-60 Tuesday in favor of a bill to allow the Passamaquoddy Indian Tribe to install slot machines at their proposed harness racing track in eastern Maine. The bill now goes to the Senate and faces at least… Read More
AUGUSTA – Leaders of the Penobscot Indian Nation told lawmakers Monday that since the Hollywood Slots gambling facility opened in Bangor in late 2005, they have had a significant reduction in revenues from their high-stakes bingo games on Indian Island. They asked that 400 of the 1,500 slot… Read More
The Maine Legislature is now considering a citizen-initiated bill for a major expansion of gambling in Maine. LD 805 will double the number of slot machines in the state, allow the Passamaquoddy Tribe for the first time to conduct high-stakes beano off their reservation, and expand off-track betting. Read More
AUGUSTA – A measure that would authorize a casino in Oxford County is part of a growing list of bills that would expand gambling in Maine, and it’s a trend Gov. John Baldacci vows to stop. “I will prevent, as much as I can, this… Read More
AUGUSTA – Supporters of a proposed Indian-owned racino in Washington County said Wednesday they plan to earmark a share of its revenues for college scholarships and hope to win legislative backing for the citizen-initiated bill by a “veto-proof” two-thirds majority. The Passamaquoddy Tribe said it… Read More