MAINE
Oxford Casino
OXFORD — Executives with the Oxford Casino say they havetaken in more than $30 million in net revenues in the six months since thefacility opened, but expansion plans remain in limbo. General Manager and Vice President Jack Sourssaid there are no immediate plans to expand, but the casino would eventuallylike to build a hotel to attract overnight visitors and not just day-trippers. Sours tells the Sun Journal that the casinoalso has to take into account planned expanded gambling opportunities in NewHampshire and Massachusetts. The casinohas resulted in nearly $13 million in tax revenue to the state.
An expansion that opened in September bumped the numberof slot machines from 529 to 819. The number of table games increased from 12to 22.
Hollywood Casino
BANGOR, Maine — In spite of its new competition to thesouth and a drop in the take from slot machines, Bangor’s Hollywood Casino ispoised to surpass its revenue totals from last year, a feat managementattributes to new offerings at the facility and marketing aimed at neighbors tothe north.
The casino’s 923 slot machines are bringing in less thanthey did in previous years, with slot revenue dipping below $4 million for thefirst time since 2008. In November, the slots netted less than $3.8 million. But Hollywood Casino has a new set ofattractions that are closing the gap, according to General Manager JohnOsborne.
“Table-game revenue has really had some traction …,”Osborne said in a phone interview. “In most months, it replaced the loss ofslot revenue.” The table games,including blackjack, roulette, Lucky Ladies, and several poker variants, havebrought in $5.9 million since they opened in March. The addition led thefacility to change its name from Hollywood Slots to Hollywood Casino, as wellas cut about 80 slot machines from the facility to make room for 16 tablegames.
“We see table games getting stronger yet in 2013,”Osborne said, explaining that the casino is adding a craps table this month.
With its new competition from Oxford Casino just a120-mile drive down I-95, Hollywood Casino has been trying to keep up its patronageby looking to the north. General ManagerJohn Osborne said the number of visitors coming from southern parts of thestate has “slowed down a bit” in recent years, but that more people from Canadaand northern Maine are making the trip to Bangor. In years past, Canadian visitors accountedfor 3 percent or 4 percent of casino revenue, according to Osborne; this year,however, they are contributing more than 10 percent.
Hollywood Casino is owned by Penn National Gaming, whichoperates 29 gaming and hotel facilities across the country.
That's all for now. Short and royally sweet.
Binbin
