Casino recounts ends

Casino recount ends

OXFORD -- On Monday, casino opponents informed Maine's Deputy Secretary of State Julie Flynn that they have abandoned a recount of the statewide vote allowing Maine's first casino with both table games and slot machines in Oxford County.

The recount was requested after voters on Nov. 2 approved the statewide referendum by 4,601 votes -- less than 1 percent of more than 564,000 votes cast statewide.

Dennis Bailey from Casinos NO! says casino opponents ended the recount after there was no appreciable change with more than 20 percent of the vote tallied.

They indicated that their next effort will focus on a possible legal challenge to Oxford casino legislation. "Several lawyers have identified provisions in the Oxford casino bill that are clearly unconstitutional," said Bailey, "because it grants valuable, exclusive rights to a single entity. It's like passing a law to give the right to operate gas stations to just one person. To allow this law, with all its faults, to take effect would set a very bad precedent for Maine. If the state doesn't challenge the validity of the law, we will seriously consider a court challenge."

Black Bear Entertainment, LLC is the private ownership group planning to build a $165 million four season resort and casino on Route 26 in Oxford.

Mark Robinson, a spokesman for Black Bear Entertainment, LLC, said, "Right now, there are between 60 and 80 people working on the project. It's in the pre-construction phase, getting ready for the permitting and regulatory processes. So already the project is having a positive economic impact in Oxford County, and that will increase in the next few months."

Peter Martin from Black Bear Entertainment says the company is moving forward and will submit environmental applications to the state next week.