Those who want to operate slot machines at the state’s harness racing tracks would have to pony up millions of dollars more each year and share more of that money with others in the struggling industry, based on a Baldacci administration bill designed to crack down on the… Read More
BANGOR – After Tuesday’s lopsided defeats of a racetrack casino in southern Maine, Bangor Raceway appears to hold all the cards when it comes to operating slot machines in the state. At least for now. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
A spokeswoman for Las Vegas developer Shawn Scott denied Tuesday a published report that he has sold the company trying to install slot machines at Bangor Raceway. The sale – lacking only a signed agreement – signals that Scott “has vacated his attempt to develop… Read More
Westbrook and Saco residents soundly rejected referendums Tuesday that would have allowed Scarborough Downs to build a harness racing track with slot machines in their cities. In Westbrook, residents voted down a proposal to allow a “racino” in the city by a vote of 3,168… Read More
BANGOR – As voters in two communities went to the polls to vote on a racino in southern Maine, the operator of the Bangor Raceway was sued over a decision to allow a Las Vegas developer to create a racino in Bangor. The lawsuit by… Read More
PORTLAND – An aggressive campaign to put slot machines at a southern Maine racetrack will be decided Tuesday when Saco and Westbrook voters head to the polls. Campaign leaders and election officials were predicting a heavy turnout in both cities. In Saco, residents Monday formed… Read More
Maine’s simmering racino controversy has drawn the attention of gambling industry analysts and out-of-state gambling companies. Analysts said the racino issue in Maine has drawn the attention because it is the only place nationwide where horse tracks with slot machines have found a foothold this… Read More
Campaign spending on a proposal to put a racetrack with slot machines in Westbrook or Saco exceeds $600,000, a figure that should continue to rise until voters go to the polls next week. More than $500,000 of the expenditures listed in finance reports filed Wednesday… Read More
WESTBROOK – With a referendum less than a week away, Scarborough Downs racetrack is continuing its search for land where it could locate a horse track with slot machines if voters give the OK. The track has contacted at least four Westbrook property owners to… Read More
BANGOR – A city councilor who has been a vocal critic of Bangor Raceway racino developer Capital Seven LLC and its owner, Shawn Scott, called Monday night for the resignation of a council colleague recently named the company’s executive vice president. Councilor Anne Allen asked… Read More
PORTLAND – The Pennsylvania company that has a development deal with the owners of Scarborough Downs for a racino in southern Maine has sued the developer of a Bangor racino in federal court accusing him of libel. Penn National Gaming Inc. filed a lawsuit Friday… Read More
AUGUSTA – The expert the state engaged as part of its harness racing license suitability probe acknowledged Wednesday that Bangor racino developer Shawn Scott has the financial ability to operate Bangor Raceway. During the second day of testimony in the Maine Harness Racing Commission’s licensing… Read More
Paper chase slows Scott hearing Harness racing panel begins review of bid for Bangor Raceway license
AUGUSTA – For developer Shawn Scott, nearly two years of effort to bring a racino to Bangor boils down to convincing the Maine Harness Racing Commission that he is worthy of being licensed to run a track. On Tuesday, the commission began its hearings on… Read More
AUGUSTA – It’s official: According to reports filed Tuesday with the state, forces both for and against a proposed tribal casino shattered all existing Maine campaign fund-raising records. Groups spent more than $10 million to try to influence voters. It’s unlikely Mainers will ever see… Read More
VERNON DOWNS, N.Y. – The president of Vernon Downs has turned over the reins of the upstate New York harness track to a junior executive while he appeals the state’s decision last week to deny him a racing license. David Wilson, the track’s racing director,… Read More
In the wake of complaints about her questionable ties to a company trying to put slot machines at the Bangor Raceway, a lottery official resigned Tuesday citing “cheap political tricks” on the part of an anti-gambling Baldacci administration. Kathleen Newman, a member of the Maine… Read More
AUGUSTA – The “Lone Ranger” approach by House Republican leaders in revising a racino bill approved in a statewide referendum could potentially divide the GOP caucus, expand gambling beyond the intent of Maine voters, and defer action on other pressing legislative issues. Those were some… Read More
PLEASANT POINT – Passamaquoddy leaders gambled last month that Maine voters would back a tribally owned casino that would provide jobs. They lost that bet, yet watched the state’s voters approve slot machines for Bangor’s harness racing park. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Maine Harness Racing Commission hearings scheduled to start Monday were postponed for a day because of the winter storm that began late Sunday and raged through much of Monday. The hearings will resume at 9 a.m. today at the Augusta Civic Center… Read More
CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. – Jane Tabb voted twice against allowing slots at Charles Town Races, a horse racing track in West Virginia. But the president of the county commission has since changed her mind. Since the controversial slots were installed in 1997, millions have visited… Read More
AUGUSTA – With a backdrop of unresolved “ifs” and a disputed “when,” Maine’s Harness Racing Commission this week takes up the case of Las Vegas businessman Shawn Scott, who wants to operate slot machines in Bangor. The hearing, which was scheduled to run Monday through… Read More
In a move that could complicate a Las Vegas developer’s try to bring slot machines to Bangor Raceway, officials in New York on Friday refused to issue a racing license to Shawn Scott saying his participation in the industry would be “inconsistent with the public interest.”… Read More
SCARBOROUGH – Scarborough Downs and its partner are making plans to ask the Legislature not only to provide more time to find a host community willing to accept slot machines but also to expand the region where a racino could be located in southern Maine. Read More
BANGOR – Representatives of the developer of a racino at Bangor Raceway admitted Thursday to being behind a civil lawsuit that aims to derail a southern Maine track’s efforts to build a similar combination racetrack and casino in Westbrook. Stephen Langsdorf, an attorney for Capital… Read More
AUGUSTA – A draft version of a gambling-control initiative being circulated by the Baldacci administration goes substantially beyond one provision of the minimum qualifications for a license requiring that an applicant “must be of good moral character.” Additionally, an applicant could not have had “a… Read More
AUGUSTA – Flanked by legislative leaders, Gov. John E. Baldacci promised Wednesday to deliver a new racino bill to lawmakers next month in an effort to craft some of the toughest gambling regulations in the country. The Bangor Democrat’s remarks followed last month’s voter approval… Read More
Gov. John Baldacci’s long-awaited bill tightening the rules around slot machines in Maine would create a five-member gambling control board and likely include a way of limiting the number of slots allowed in the state, according to those familiar with the legislation. An outline of… Read More
BANGOR – Gov. John Baldacci is no stranger to the golden shovel. The Bangor Democrat has used the ceremonial tool at numerous groundbreakings during his political career, commencing major construction projects all over the state. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
PORTLAND – The lines are being drawn for what will be a short and lively campaign with plenty of advertising and rhetoric over the Dec. 30 racino referendums in Saco and Westbrook. On Monday, the anticasino group Casinos No! announced it would help two groups… Read More
BANGOR – The political fallout over a potentially damaging report about a developer hoping to open a racetrack casino here continued Friday as state officials made hundreds more documents available. The new documents – roughly 1,500 pages of financial statements, hearing transcripts and court documents… Read More
BANGOR – While his City Council colleagues have yet to find fault with Councilor David Nealley’s conduct during meetings, some suggest that perceived conflicts of interest stemming from Nealley’s job with Capital Seven LLC should be explored by the city’s ethics committee. “The problem is… Read More
AUGUSTA – The Las Vegas developer poised to open Maine’s first racetrack casino at Bangor Raceway has had a history of legal and financial difficulties in the past decade, according to a long anticipated report released Thursday evening. The 32-page draft report, made public by… Read More
BANGOR – Capital Seven’s staffing choices are raising concerns among city and state government officials about potential and perceived conflicts of interest. During the short period Hawaiian businessman Shawn Scott, who owns Capital Seven, has been doing business in Maine, his firm has: googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
BANGOR – As construction crews today begin transforming Bass Park into Maine’s first “racino,” state officials are telling the project’s developer to hold his horses. In a Wednesday letter, a Maine Harness Racing Commission official said the work Capital Seven LLC is doing in anticipation… Read More
BANGOR – Some of the racino-related events in recent weeks apparently have irked the company poised to develop the state’s first racetrack casino, which in turn has created friction within Bangor’s City Council. City Councilor David Nealley, recently named executive vice president of Capital Seven… Read More
Maine’s highest court on Tuesday did not rule, as many had expected, on whether to release the results of a background investigation into a developer hoping to put slot machines at Bangor Raceway. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is expected to soon render its decision… Read More
BANGOR – The developer of a Bangor racetrack casino denied on Tuesday any ties to a political action committee seeking to derail a similar project at Scarborough Downs in southern Maine. Reached briefly on his cellular phone, Shawn Scott, president of Capital Seven LLC, the… Read More
BANGOR – A Kennebec County Superior Court justice is expected to issue a ruling today on a motion aimed at postponing the release of some of the thousands of documents the state has gathered as part of its background investigation into the developer of a proposed racetrack casino… Read More
A recent alliterative observation about racino was memorable but probably off by one level of government. Of the November vote on the slot machines, Stan Bergstein, vice president of the Harness Tracks of America, identified developer Shawn Scott as “the man who sold the racino version of the… Read More
AUGUSTA – With lawmakers here still scratching their heads over the mixed message sent by voters on state-sanctioned gambling, a legislative committee Thursday passed two bills that would significantly expand the state lottery and allow video slot machines at many fraternal organizations. “As far as… Read More
BANGOR – The developer of a proposed racetrack casino at Bangor Raceway and several of his affiliates are being sued in federal court by some shareholders in a New York racetrack. The shareholders are accusing developer Shawn Scott, among others, of gross mismanagement that is… Read More
BANGOR – The Maine Attorney General’s Office announced Thursday it will release some of the documents it has amassed as part of its background check of Bangor racino developer Shawn Scott, some of his associates and nearly 40 of his limited liability corporations. The requests… Read More
BANGOR – A key representative of the Hawaiian entrepreneur poised to develop a racetrack casino at city-owned Bass Park is a convicted felon, according to court documents from Hawaii. Hoolae Paoa, who has represented developer Shawn Scott at key public meetings in Bangor and Brewer… Read More
SCARBOROUGH – Scarborough Downs, which is considering leaving its home of 53 years, wants residents of neighboring Saco to vote on allowing slot machines at the commercial harness racing track. The Saco City Council may convene a special meeting on whether to hold a referendum… Read More
CHESTER, W.Va. – As more states consider allowing slot machines at racetracks and other venues, the operators of established “racinos” will have to be more inventive, customer-oriented and determined to keep their clients, industry executives said Tuesday. “The day you get the legislation through is… Read More
BANGOR – After several months of sometimes turbulent negotiations, the city sealed a $30 million development deal with Capital Seven LLC on Thursday. The Nevada-based company is gearing up to build the state’s first racetrack casino at Bangor Raceway in Bass Park. Capital Seven representatives… Read More
Recent news has been abundant with stories about Native American tribes in Maine. Invariably, regardless of the issue, the media tell us that the state opposes almost anything that tribes want. No matter what they want, the state is usually against it. While this is… Read More
On Nov. 4 the citizens of Maine will have the opportunity to vote on Question 2, which states, “Do you want to allow slot machines at certain commercial harness racing tracks?” I would like to give you several reasons that a yes vote would be favorable. Read More
FARMINGTON – The debate over a proposed Indian casino landed in this small college town with a sense of urgency Tuesday, with both sides aiming to sway the few remaining undecided voters and perhaps pick up the even rarer convert during the final week of the campaign. Read More
SANFORD – A proposed $650 million casino would bring more than 2,000 new students to schools in Sanford and surrounding communities, according to the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission. The commission met with regional school officials Monday. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
PORTLAND – Casino supporters are quick to say a proposed casino in Maine won’t be like those in Las Vegas. They’re right, at least in regard to its size. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
We, of the Dawnland Metis of Maine, want to express our support for the establishment of a resort casino in Sanford. Our membership is made up of mixed-heritage people of European and American Indian ancestry and is comprised of Mainers from all walks of life. We are dedicated… Read More
Listening to the news the other night, it struck me what a bad deal this casino bill is, at least for the state. The newscaster said the state’s projected share of the slots was $100 million each year. On the face of it, it sounds… Read More
I am a member of the Mohawk Nation in northern New York state but I reside with my wife, an Oneida, on the Oneida Iroquois Territory east of Syracuse. Both places have had commercial casinos in operation for the past few years that have given our people an… Read More
I have visited every casino on the East Coast, as well as Montreal and Las Vegas. I have been to Foxwoods many times in the past seven years and it is clear to see that new businesses are popping up near the casino all the time. Never have… Read More
I have found recent pictures displays and comments made by Casinos No! very disturbing. They have taken pictures of hard-working non-Caucasian individuals and have exploited these individuals in the worst way. Some Mainers are scared of this new wave of welfare seeking, non-English speaking, crime- producing, immigrants that… Read More
The Bangor Daily News will accept commentary relating to Nov. 4 election issues until noon Wednesday, Oct. 29. No election material will be published after Saturday, Nov. 1. Unfortunately, not all submissions can be published because of space constraints. Read More
PORTLAND – It’s the $100 million question. What will the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Indian tribes do with tens of millions of dollars they expect to get each year if a $650 million casino and resort is built in southern Maine? googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
SANFORD – No matter where you were in this town Saturday, whether inside a vacant textile mill or on a busy downtown street corner, the talk was all about jobs – 4,740 of them to be exact. It is the prospect of those jobs, promised… Read More
HOULTON – Critics of casino gambling in Maine took their message to the pulpit Monday, the first day of a monthlong tour of churches and a moral crusade against two November referendums they say are “steeped in deceit.” “Everybody in Maine has that Sunday school… Read More
With just a month to go before voters decide the fate of what would be the state’s first Indian casino, Mainers are more evenly divided on the issue than ever, according to a poll to be released today. The poll, conducted by Portland-based Critical Insights,… Read More
TOBIQUE RESERVE, New Brunswick – Many northern Maine residents who will be voting on a casino gambling referendum in six weeks frequent gambling facilities on the Tobique First Nation Reserve located a few miles from the Maine border near Fort Fairfield. Lucky 7 Entertainment, operated… Read More
HOULTON – Maine’s two smallest American Indian tribes say they have not taken an official position on whether a $650 million casino should be built in southern Maine. Tribal officials with the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the Aroostook Band of Micmacs say they… Read More
PORTLAND – Credit card giant MBNA has joined several of the state’s other large employers in a campaign against a Maine casino. The Delaware-based company announced Friday it is joining the effort by Casinos No to defeat a November referendum question that could allow the… Read More
AUGUSTA – A harness racing industry bill that would place slot machines in the state’s five off-track betting facilities was approved Wednesday evening by the Maine Legislature in back-to-back landslide votes. The House voted 112-29 in favor of LD 1361 and the Senate reciprocated with… Read More
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… Read More
BANGOR – On Tuesday, voters here will consider a proposal to install slot machines at the Bangor Raceway. The referendum is one of several steps in Nevada businessman Shawn Scott’s effort to transform the city’s struggling racetrack into a $30 million entertainment complex, an endeavor… Read More
SPECIAL REPORT PART SIX It’s a mild April evening at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona, Iowa, and the racing season is just getting under way. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
BANGOR – The state Attorney General’s Office on Thursday withdrew its petition to deny a Nevada developer’s application for a racing license to operate the harness racing track at Bass Park. As a result, a hearing scheduled today before the Maine Harness Racing Commission to… Read More
Special Report Part Five In a newspaper box near the steps of Sanford’s Town Hall, the front page of the local weekly screams, “Selectmen disagree on casino.” googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
Special Report Part Four Although it was the target of some rather uninspired graffiti artists the night before, one still could make out the name “Marnell Corrao Associates” on a temporary sign in front of a massive construction site on Las Vegas’ famous strip. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
BANGOR – A tentative compromise has been struck regarding a dispute over release forms the state Attorney General’s Office requested as part of its probe into the Nevada developer who wants to build a $30 million racetrack-casino at Bass Park. At issue was whether Shawn… Read More
SPECIAL REPORT PART THREE A four-hour bus ride behind them, longtime friends Mary Joyce and Virginia Jennings gingerly stepped into the vast parking lot of the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Conn., ready for action. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
Special Report Part Two Flipping through a well-worn copy of an anthropological study of his native tribe published in 1940, Penobscot Nation Chief Barry Dana finally found what he was looking for. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
Special Report Part One For the better part of its 201-year history, the small dairy farming community of Verona, N.Y., was little more than a blip on the road between Utica and Syracuse. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
Special Report Part One HOGANSBURG, N.Y. – This is no Las Vegas strip. 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; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) {… Read More