CALAIS – Supporters of a proposed racino in Washington County issued last-minute appeals to Gov. John Baldacci on Monday, asking him not to veto the bill the Legislature recently approved allowing horse racing and slot machines at a facility to be run by the Passamaquoddy Tribe. Read More
AUGUSTA – An affirmative final vote Friday in the Maine Senate on a proposed Washington County tribal casino and racetrack, called a racino, fell far short of the two-thirds support needed to overturn a promised veto from the governor. While prospects for a supermajority vote… Read More
AUGUSTA – In a historic development Thursday, a bill that would pave the way for a tribal racetrack and casino in Washington County received final and all-but-final approval respectively in the House and Senate. The measure could reach Gov. John E. Baldacci’s desk today where… Read More
A tribal racetrack casino in Washington County won initial approval in the Maine House on Tuesday, although it fell just short of the two-thirds support needed to override a possible veto from Gov. John Baldacci. The 94-53 vote came after an hour-long debate in Augusta,… Read More
If a bill authorizing a tribal racetrack casino in Washington County reaches the desk of Gov. John Baldacci, he is “unlikely to sign” it, his spokesman said Friday. “He’s sending the message to those who want the expansion of casino gambling that he doesn’t support… Read More
AUGUSTA – Another piece of the Bangor racino puzzle fell into place Friday for Penn National Gaming Inc. After a nearly three-hour hearing at the Augusta Civic Center, members of the Maine Harness Racing Commission voted 5-0 to grant the Pennsylvania-based gaming and racing company… Read More
PLEASANT POINT – Will natural gas kill gambling? Advocates of a tribal racetrack casino in Washington County hope not. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length;… Read More
A plan for a tribal racetrack casino Down East faced fresh opposition this week with the defection of a state lawmaker from Bangor, where officials have been wary of the plan’s propensity to galvanize efforts to outlaw slots in Maine and derail plans for a multimillion dollar “racino”… Read More
BANGOR ? Penn National Gaming Inc., the Pennsylvania-based company gearing up to transform Miller’s Restaurant into the state’s first slots facility, has named a general manager for its operations in Maine. Jon Johnson, 52, said he is looking forward to his next professional challenge and… Read More
BANGOR ? A struggling campaign to outlaw slot machines in the state could gain a deep-pocketed ally in the wake of legislative support for a plan to open a tribally owned racetrack casino in Washington County. Casinos No!, the Portland-based group that raised $3 million… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gambling opponents were dealt two losing hands Wednesday with a Legislative panel backing a tribal racetrack casino while summarily rejecting attempts to limit operations at a slots facility planned for Bangor. The Legislature’s Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee voted 10-1 in favor of… Read More
AUGUSTA – A bill that would have required Penn National Gaming Inc. to do hourly parking lot checks for unattended children outside its proposed gaming facility in Bangor got an “ought not to pass” designation Wednesday from a legislative committee. The Legislature’s Legal and Veterans… Read More
AUGUSTA – If all goes as planned, bettors could be playing the slots in Bangor by the end of this year. Penn National Gaming Inc. representatives on Thursday announced plans to open a temporary gaming facility with 475 slot machines at Miller’s Restaurant, a local… Read More
BANGOR – After 55 years of operation, the owners of Miller’s Restaurant will pack up the salad bar and turn off the off-track betting monitors – for good. The local landmark is closing. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
AUGUSTA – A bill that is key to Penn National Gaming Inc.’s plan to build a $75 million racetrack casino near Bangor Raceway began making its way through the Legislature on Tuesday. The bill, LD 90, would give state gambling control officials the ability to… Read More
BANGOR – The state’s Gambling Control Board took the show on the road last week when it came to Bangor to provide a status report on the Penn National Gaming Inc. racetrack casino headed for Bangor Raceway. The idea was to bring area officials and… Read More
BANGOR – The Maine Gambling Control Board will conduct a meeting next week in Bangor, which is poised to become the site of Maine’s first racetrack casino. Municipal officials from Greater Bangor, area legislators and county officials have been invited to attend the meeting, which… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Gambling Control Board voted Thursday to toughen its rules on ATMs at the racetrack casino proposed for Bangor. As it stands, the rules adopted so far stipulate that the cash machines be at least 25 feet from the nearest slot machine. During… Read More
WASHINGTON – Penn National Gaming Inc. said Wednesday that it has identified four potential material weaknesses in its accounting controls. The Wyomissing, Pa., owner and operator of casinos and horse racetracks said in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it is… Read More
AUGUSTA – After receiving an extreme makeover, a confidentiality bill sought by slots operators was endorsed Monday by legislators, moving the startup of Bangor’s racino a step closer. The bill, which would limit public access to some information the state gathers about applicants for slots… Read More
PORTLAND – Gambling foes on Tuesday criticized the Pennsylvania-based company that wants to operate a racetrack casino in Bangor for funding efforts to create a second racino at a harness-racing track in southern Maine. CasinosNo! spokesman Dennis Bailey released a shareholder document that shows Penn… Read More
Offering harsh criticism of the state’s gambling regulators, officials with the anti-slots group CasinosNo! today will announce its intention to become a “continuing presence” in the debate over a racetrack casino bound for Bangor. “Someone has to look out for the public interest, and it’s… Read More
AUGUSTA – State Sen. Ethan Strimling thinks slot machines are the “crack cocaine” of the casino world, preying on a small minority of patrons who are incapable of exercising fiscal restraint. As Bangor prepares to become the first city in Maine to permit slot machine… Read More
AUGUSTA – A legislative committee on Wednesday unanimously lent its support to a bill that would restrict public access to some information the state gathers about those applying to operate slot machines in the state. The Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee, after removing a controversial… Read More
AUGUSTA – A bill that would restrict public access to some information the state gathers as part of the racino licensing process was tabled Wednesday, pending a review by the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee. During a work session at the State House, members of the Legislature’s… Read More
BANGOR – Though Bass Park figures heavily into Penn National Gaming Inc.’s plan to build a $75 million gaming complex in Bangor, the company hasn’t ruled out putting it elsewhere in the vicinity. The state’s slots law, as amended by the Legislature, allows the racino… Read More
BANGOR – A bill that would restrict public access to some information the state gathers as part of the racino licensing process debuted Wednesday to mixed reviews. The bill, submitted at the Maine Gambling Control Board’s request, would allow Penn National Gaming Inc. and other… Read More
AUGUSTA – The public would lose some of the access it is now guaranteed to information collected by the government if a bill backed by racino applicant Penn National Gaming Inc. and the Baldacci administration becomes law, opponents say. Media and anti-gambling groups are challenging… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci is leaning toward proposing a trade of future lottery proceeds for upfront money as a big step toward financing a new two-year state budget. Maintaining a no-new-tax stance, the governor also is expected to propose stretching out a state timetable… Read More
HAMPDEN – A New Hampshire man will have a much merrier Christmas this year after winning $100,000 from a Powerball ticket he bought at Dysart’s Convenience Store. Clerks at the Coldbrook Road store don’t know the man’s name, but they know one of their lottery… Read More
AUGUSTA – Bangor Raceway regulars are going to have to make different plans on Wednesdays during the 2005 harness racing season, with the historic track forgoing its traditional midweek races to accommodate construction of a $75 million gambling complex. The Maine Harness Racing Commission on… Read More
BANGOR – Signaling that little would stand in the way of the state’s first racetrack casino, the City Council on Monday rejected a planning board recommendation against a new zoning district to allow slot machines in the city. The council’s 7-1 vote put plans to… Read More
BANGOR – A year to the day after Maine voters authorized slot machines for the state’s commercial harness racing tracks, the Maine Gambling Control Board on Thursday unanimously agreed to grant a conditional gaming license to Penn National Gaming Inc., the designated developer of the state’s first racetrack… Read More
AUGUSTA – Members of the Maine Gambling Control Board began their review Thursday of an application for the state’s first gaming license, an application that came with a $200,000 nonrefundable application fee. They also completed plans to bring their new executive director on board and… Read More
AUGUSTA – Members of the state’s harness racing community this week submitted an application for a citizen initiative aimed at thwarting the efforts of an anti-gambling group based in Westbrook. At issue is whether slot machines should be legal in Maine. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
AUGUSTA – Despite a confidentiality problem that kept some key documents out of its hands, the Maine Harness Racing Commission agreed Thursday to grant a permanent racing license to Bangor Historic Track’s parent company. The harness racing license is one of two licenses Penn National… Read More
AUGUSTA – A retired deputy police chief from Bangor has been nominated to administer the day-to-day activities of the new Maine Gambling Control Board. Robert P. Welch, 48, a lifelong resident of Bangor, was the unanimous choice of the five-member board, which made the nomination… Read More
BANGOR – Details continued to come together this week for Maine’s first racetrack casino. Bangor Raceway, owned by the city of Bangor, is the only site in Maine that won the necessary local and state approval to offer slot machines. The city has a development… Read More
AUGUSTA – Deliberations on Penn National Gaming’s application for a harness racing license will resume next month. Talks ended abruptly Tuesday, and the Pennsylvania-based company and the Attorney General’s Office agreed to wait until mid-October before moving forward with the licensing process. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
BANGOR – The gaming company poised to open Maine’s first racino unveiled detailed plans for the multimillion dollar facility at Bass Park during a meeting Monday night with city officials. A gaming facility with 1,500 slot machines and an attached parking garage for at least… Read More
AUGUSTA – While the five nominees to the newly formed Gambling Control Board sailed through their committee confirmation hearings Tuesday, rough waters await them in a debate over how best to regulate the state’s new slots industry. “We have to decide what kind of security… Read More
VERNON, N.Y. – An investor who used to control Vernon Downs has filed a defamation lawsuit against the chairman of the track’s parent company. Shawn Scott alleges that Mid-State Raceway Chairman Paul Noyes ruined Scott’s reputation by comments Noyes made at a news conference last… Read More
AUGUSTA – In a little less than 34 hours, Mainers gobbled up $536,191 worth of Powerball tickets to propel the state into the top three markets in the country for the game’s Saturday night drawing. Pam Coutts, executive director of the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages… Read More
BANGOR – Everyone knows the race is about to begin when the 1976 Cadillac pulls onto the dirt track. Horsemen in colorful racing garb and their steeds quickly line up behind the starter vehicle before they begin their dash around Bangor Raceway. The Cadillac passes… Read More
It started in Bangor at exactly 12:00:00 p.m. By 4:56 p.m., Mainers had purchased $175,472 worth of Powerball tickets as the megamillion-dollar lottery game made its Friday debut in the state. At the state Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery operations in Augusta, officials were… Read More
AUGUSTA – Frustrations erupted at a Governor’s Gambling Control Advisory Council meeting Thursday when a lawmaker vented his disappointment over the near certainty there will be no slot machines operating in Bangor this year. Council members themselves insisted they were doing all that was possible… Read More
AUGUSTA – State lottery officials and representatives of the Multi-State Lottery Association were resolving a few last-minute security issues Friday in preparation for the state’s entry next week into the Powerball game. Tickets for the multimillion-dollar jackpot will go on sale at noon Friday, July… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gamblers running low on cash at Bangor’s racetrack casino will have to walk at least 25 feet to withdraw money from an automated teller machine as the result of recommendations adopted Thursday by a special gambling advisory council. The issue arose during a… Read More
BANGOR – Maine voters would shun an effort to outlaw slot machines in this city, according to a new statewide poll released Wednesday. The poll, conducted by Portland-based Strategic Marketing Services, found that 58 percent of likely Maine voters – in a hypothetical referendum -would… Read More
BANGOR – Members of the Governor’s Gambling Control Advisory Council have set an ambitious schedule for issuing a gambling license, a key element of the effort to develop Maine’s first racetrack casino. The tone at Thursday’s meeting, the third so far, was much more optimistic… Read More
A drive to outlaw slot machines in Maine will continue, its backers vowed Thursday, despite the secretary of state’s recent rejection of a referendum question aimed at repealing the new law. “We’ve been getting good support from people we’ve approached, so I’m encouraged,” George Rodrigues,… Read More
In accordance with the direction set in the recently enacted slots bill, LD 1820, the Gambling Control Advisory Council has adopted the following milestones in order to implement the legislation and establish racino gambling at Bangor: May-June googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed new agreements with five Indian tribes Monday that will allow a major expansion of tribal gambling in exchange for billions of dollars in payments to the state over the next quarter-century. The deal allows an unlimited increase in… Read More
WEST WARWICK, R.I. – Two nights a week after work waiting tables, Debbie Kiselica joins other volunteers at the Main Street headquarters of Harrah’s Entertainment and the Narragansett Indian Tribe. Using cue cards with project highlights, they call residents around the state to conduct informal… Read More
BANGOR – Given the mountain of research and regulatory work that lies ahead, the prospects for seeing slot machines at Bangor Raceway this year are a long shot, state officials concluded Thursday during a meeting of the Governor’s Gambling Control Advisory Council. “We’re writing the… Read More
BANGOR – Just weeks after the governor signed a law paving the way for slot machines to come to this city, a group from southern Maine announced its intention to have the state’s newest form of gambling outlawed. “Before we go down the path of… Read More
BANGOR – One doesn’t need to look hard to find signs that the 2004 harness racing season is here. Pickup trucks towing horse trailers can be seen in the vicinity of Bass Park, home of Bangor Raceway. Horses pulling trainers on sulkies have been running… Read More
BANGOR – Midmorning at Bangor Raceway was deceptively quiet Thursday, with the only sound coming from a tractor slowly grading the dirt oval or the occasional plane passing overhead. Under the grandstands, crews busily readied for the racing season – just two weeks away. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
BANGOR – Gov. John Baldacci will sign an executive order this morning aimed at speeding the arrival of slot machines to the city by creating an interim panel to start crafting needed rules for the new gambling industry. The governor’s edict could move up the… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci on Tuesday said he will sign a bill this week that paves the way for up to 1,500 slot machines at Bangor Raceway. “I’ll be signing it affirmatively and I’m looking forward to signing it,” Baldacci said just minutes after… Read More
AUGUSTA – Maine horsemen gathered at the State House Thursday, pushing lawmakers to reject a proposed multimillion-dollar state tax on slot machines that some fear will derail efforts to open a racetrack casino in Bangor. “There’s frustration and a lot of consternation, but we think… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Maine Senate put the brakes on the public debate over slot machines at the Bangor Raceway on Tuesday, with the bill’s major players going behind closed doors in hopes of hammering out a deal before a vote. Even before the Senate tabled… Read More
AUGUSTA – A plan to introduce slot machines to Bangor Raceway won initial approval in the House on Monday, surviving a flurry of floor amendments on its way to the Senate. Lawmakers, most of whom hailed from southern Maine, had lined up to offer changes… Read More
VERNON, N.Y. – Shawn Scott, a key figure in the controversy over racinos in Maine, will no longer be involved at the financially troubled Vernon Downs harness racing track. Raceway Ventures LLC – a newly formed company based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – said Monday… Read More
Penn National Gaming will offer $3 million in fees to state regulators if the state drops its bid to impose additional taxes on slot machines the company plans for Bangor Raceway. The plan, introduced Thursday as an amendment to the governor’s gambling regulatory bill, would… Read More
The Pennsylvania company poised to operate slot machines at the Bangor Raceway contends a last-minute change to the bill could “spell disaster” for the project by giving the state millions more in slots revenue. “This absolutely does not work for us,” said Eric Schippers, a… Read More
A plan by the Passamaquoddy Tribe to build a high-stakes bingo hall in Washington County found itself in limbo this week, facing resistance from the tribe’s former gaming partner, the Penobscot Nation. The legislation, LD 642, would allow the Passamaquoddy to build a bingo hall… Read More
BANGOR – A Penobscot County Superior Court justice heard arguments Wednesday regarding the Maine Harness Racing Commission’s handling of a racing license for the developer of a racetrack casino at Bangor Raceway. While making no promises, Justice Andrew Mead said his goal was to issue… Read More
BANGOR – Despite widespread perceptions of foot dragging on the part of the Baldacci administration, state officials have made significant strides in their effort to develop the necessary regulatory framework for a racetrack-casino headed for Bangor Raceway. That was among the messages delivered to local… Read More
BANGOR – The chief executive officer of Foxwoods Resort Casino has written a letter to Bangor city councilors indicating the casino’s ongoing interest in developing the state’s first racino as part of its partnership with Maine’s Penobscot Nation and Passamaquoddy Tribe. The project would involve… Read More
BANGOR – City councilors and staff last week visited a West Virginia racetrack casino. The purpose of the trip, however, was not recreation. Their aim was to learn more about Penn National Gaming, the company with which the city will be doing business as Maine’s… Read More
BANGOR – The Maine Harness Racing Commission on Wednesday signed off on a written order restating the decisions the panel made during its last meeting. After reviewing and adopting the order, which outlines several decisions made Feb. 17, the commission members met in executive session… Read More
BANGOR – A Penobscot County Superior Court justice has granted legal standing to all of the parties that requested it with regard to the Maine Harness Racing Commission’s 4-0 decision last month to issue a conditional racing license to Penn National Gaming Inc. Justice Andrew… Read More
Penn National Gaming Inc. warned Friday that a proposal forwarded to the Maine Legislature that would slash the racetrack casino operator’s slot revenues could imperil plans for a $30 million project at the Bangor Raceway. The proposal approved by the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee… Read More
BANGOR – Three more groups are asking Penobscot County Superior Court for legal standing in the ongoing squabble over state harness racing licensing. Since last November, when voters authorized slots at the state’s commercial harness racing tracks in Bangor and Scarborough, racing licenses have become… Read More
BANGOR – A Maine Superior Court justice is scheduled to hear arguments today on the motion filed Wednesday by CasinosNo! to halt the Maine Harness Racing Commission’s decision to issue a conditional license to Bangor Historic Track. Unless the stay is granted, the license would… Read More
AUGUSTA – Bangor could stand to lose more than a half- million dollars a year in slot machine revenues based on a bill advanced by a legislative committee Wednesday. The Legislature’s Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee voted 8-3 to draft a bill that would increase… Read More
BANGOR – CasinosNo! has joined two Maine Indian tribes in asking a judge to review the Maine State Harness Racing Commission’s decision Tuesday to issue a conditional license to the owner of Bangor Historic Track Inc. CasinosNo!, which engineered the defeat of November’s referendum to… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Maine Harness Racing Commission unanimously agreed Tuesday to grant the owner of Bangor Historic Track Inc. a conditional license for the 2004 season, which is slated to open May 21. Obtaining a racing license is a critical step in Penn National Gaming’s… Read More
Supporters of slot machines in the state might not be so lucky if Maine voters were deciding the issue today, according to a new poll. The poll, released Tuesday by the South Portland-based firm Market Decisions, suggested a new vote could reverse the outcome of… Read More
BANGOR – The Penobscot Nation and Passamaquoddy Tribe qualify for intervenor status in the continuing battle over the racing license needed to operate a racetrack casino at Bangor Raceway, according to a memorandum issued Monday by staff from the state Attorney General’s Office. Far less… Read More
BANGOR – An amendment to the governor’s emergency racino bill crafted by – and apparently supported by – the various factions of Maine’s harness racing industry would reduce the earning potential for the operator of a proposed Bangor racetrack casino. At the same time, the… Read More
BANGOR – Though the two Maine Indian tribes seeking a chance to operate what might be Maine’s only racino have approached the city with a strong hand, it remains to be seen whether they’ll be allowed to get into the game. Last week, representatives of… Read More
BANGOR – For the Maine Harness Racing Commission, this week brought a number of new issues to the forefront, chief among them a request for legal standing from a statewide anti-gambling group. This and other issues related to a proposed racino in Bangor have added… Read More
BANGOR – A week after a legislative committee rebuffed their bid to reopen the process for awarding state gaming licenses, representatives of two Maine Indian tribes adopted a new approach to grabbing the slot machine rights at Bangor Raceway. Portland attorney Richard Spencer, a member… Read More
AUGUSTA – George McHale, a nine-year veteran of the state Harness Racing Commission under previous governors, won endorsement Wednesday for another stint on the panel as it faces the thorny issue of slot machines at race tracks. “I think it’s resolvable,” McHale said after the… Read More
AUGUSTA – Lawmakers charged with overseeing the introduction of slot machines to the state voted Tuesday not to delay the start date for the new law approved by voters in November. The unanimous vote by the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee came despite advice from… Read More
BANGOR – With several key dates converging this month, the status of a Bangor racetrack casino project remains in flux. Numerous issues, including timing, deadlines and legal authority, remain to be sorted out before a slots parlor could open at Bangor Raceway. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
CHICAGO – Illinois would become the first state to own a casino under a $506 million bid submitted by a gambling hall operator. Penn National Gaming, a publicly held company, is bidding for Illinois’ last remaining casino license. It is proposing to build a $255… Read More
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico Racing Commission apparently will look into whether Nevada businessman Shawn Scott provided false information in his application for a license to build a new racetrack and casino in Hobbs. The commission late last year awarded the Hobbs license to… Read More
AUGUSTA – Maine’s two largest Indian tribes aren’t likely to operate slot machines in the state, based on a Wednesday vote by the legislative committee charged with crafting rules for the fledgling gambling industry. The Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee voted not to consider a… Read More
BANGOR – Representatives of the gambling corporations attempting to bring slot machines to Bangor Raceway sharply criticized a competing proposal from two Maine Indian tribes. The plan unveiled Wednesday by the Penobscot Nation and Passamaquoddy Tribe came too late, spokesmen from Capital Seven LLC and… Read More
AUGUSTA – As Penn National Gaming took steps Wednesday to complete its acquisition of Bangor Historic Track, a new potential player in Maine’s fledgling racino industry emerged. Representatives of the Penobscot Nation and Passamaquoddy Tribe announced Wednesday that they are asking state lawmakers to amend the… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Baldacci administration’s bill to rein in slot machine operations at the state’s harness racing tracks found itself on the slow road Wednesday, with lawmakers raising concerns about some of its attempts to regulate the fledgling industry. “There has been so much rush,… Read More
BANGOR – City officials are considering adding outside legal counsel to their small stable of racino experts. Earlier this week, city councilors agreed to hire Maine Tomorrow, a Hallowell firm specializing in government relations and lobbying, among other things, at a rate of $150 an… Read More
BANGOR – City officials asked pointed questions and learned a few things about the company expected to assume ownership today of Bangor Historic Track Inc., which operates Bangor Raceway. A workshop Monday night presented city councilors their first chance to meet with representatives from Penn… Read More
BANGOR – City officials met over the weekend to initiate steps to protect the city’s interests in regard to a proposed racetrack casino expected to be the first of its kind in Maine. Topics of discussion included the ramifications of the imminent change of ownership… Read More
AUGUSTA – Though it took some last-minute legal wrangling, representatives of Bangor racino developer Shawn Scott, his apparent successor, Penn National Gaming, and state racing officials struck a deal Friday that will allow a proposed Bangor racetrack casino – and this season’s harness racing meet – to move… Read More
Facing a certain veto from the governor’s office, the sponsor of a measure to allow slot machines at the state’s five off-track betting parlors withdrew the bill Thursday. “Having a veto fight over this isn’t productive,” said sponsor Sen. Ken Gagnon, D-Waterville, who instead hoped… Read More
BANGOR – Representatives of Penn National Gaming Inc. confirmed Thursday that they have reached a purchase agreement with the owner of Bangor Historic Track Inc., operator of Bangor Raceway. The Pennsylvania-based gaming company hopes to develop a racetrack casino at the city-owned harness racing track,… Read More