Besides the Passamaquoddy, participating tribes could include the Penobscot Nation, the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.<\/p>\n
Another\u00a0bill would let the Passamaquoddy operate 50 slot machines at a Washington County gambling hall where beano — the forerunner to bingo — is played. Some 25 percent of net slot machine income would go into the state\u2019s General Fund.<\/p>\n
When testifying on Monday against the two bills, Jack Sours, vice president and general manager of the Oxford, noted how that casino ultimately led to a new hotel, restaurants, and opportunities for other businesses.<\/p>\n
Casino expansion will put an end to this success,\u201d <\/span><\/strong>Sours said<\/span>. \u201cExpanding gaming in Maine, like has occurred in other jurisdictions to the point of saturation, will hurt the existing facilities, cost jobs, and stagnate their development. If you choose to expand gaming at this time, you will kill this successful economic engine for Oxford County.”<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nHe explained that another Maine casino also will \u201cmove dollars from one … to another with little or no benefit to the state \u2026 After years of growth, the Maine gaming market has simply stopped growing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sours also cited a study by Clyde Barrow, a professor at the University of Texas, who several years ago predicted a casino in southern Maine would reduce the gross gaming revenue of the Oxford Casino by over 50 percent and reduce the revenue of Hollywood Casino by close to 30 percent.<\/p>\n
It was also estimated that 95.5 percent of any new casino\u2019s gross gaming revenue would be from displacement and cannibalization of existing Maine casino revenues. With the Encore Boston Harbor set to open in June and current gaming market conditions, that number could be closer to 100 percent, Sours predicted.<\/p>\n
Competitive Challenges<\/h2>\n
Miles Theeman, a member of the Bangor Initiative Economic Development Collaboration, called upon Maine to undertake an economic study on increased casino gambling’s impact on Oxford and Bangor, and the potential for disruption from the Encore casino.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen, and only then, should a referendum vote be offered to the people of Maine,\u201d Theeman testified.<\/p>\n