OXFORD - A Las-Vegas based group announced Thursday that it plans to build a resort casino in Oxford if the project is approved by Maine voters in November.

Dean Harrold, vice chairman of Olympia Gaming, said the town of Oxford has a ready work force and represents "the corridor to Western Maine." Placing the casino there would open up other economic opportunities in the area, he said.

He did not identify the specific site where the casino would be located.

"We have very stringent criteria when we look at our sites," Harrold said. "We have several options out there right now. We want to do our due diligence and pick the best site for Oxford and the best site for us."

Pat LaMarche, spokeswoman for the Yes on 2 campaign in support of the casino, said the specifics of the site would be released before the election on Nov. 4.

Harrold said the group needs to discuss available sites with town officials before a decision is made.

"I don't understand why we have to rush, whether it's tomorrow or next week and say, 'Well, it's XY,'" he said. "We have made the decision that Oxford is our host community, and that's good enough. We will come out, and we will make a decision. And I'm not going to tell you exactly when, because this is a major, major business decision for all of us."

On Oct. 2, the Oxford Board of Selectmen and the town's Economic Development Advisory Committee voted to support a casino in town if the referendum passes.

Town Manager Michael Chammings and Board of Selectmen Chairman Floyd Thayer spoke in favor of the decision at Thursday's press conference at the Oxford Public Safety Building.

Chammings said Oxford has lost about 300 jobs in recent years. If the casino vote passes, the town's tax rate would decrease by more than 34 percent. Also, Oxford would pay more toward the SAD 17 school district and to the county, reducing taxes in surrounding communities, he said.

The proposed $184 million resort casino would be constructed in two phases over five years and would include a hotel, casino, spa and restaurants. LaMarche said the casino would be built on a 40-acre lot, an expansion from the 25 acres originally proposed.

Clyde Barrow, director of the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth, said construction of the resort would create 1,277 jobs with an average annual wage of $30,975. The resort itself would include 907 jobs with an average annual wage of $35,876.

Barrow, who was hired by the Olympia Group for $10,000 to conduct the economic study, said the host community would receive 2 percent of the casino's revenues, an estimated $1.7 million in its first year and $2.8 million after the fifth year. Oxford County would receive 1 percent of revenues: an estimated $870,000 in the first year and $1.4 million after the fifth.

Casinos No!, a group opposed to the project, argues that a casino would take profits out of state and increase social problems. The group also argues that passage of the referendum would lower Maine's gambling age from 21 to 19 and would extend credit to gamblers.

LaMarche said the bill was "inherited by Olympia" when the group purchased Evergreen Mountain Enterprises, which initially led the drive for a casino in Oxford County.

LaMarche said the Legislature's Legal and Veterans' Affairs Committee would make the necessary changes to the proposal, such as moving the gambling age back to 21.

"We won't extend credit," LaMarche said. "That will not happen in this casino."

The group was initially looking at Oxford, Rumford and a third unidentified town as potential host communities for the casino. LaMarche said the group's decision took into account the proximity to population centers and the unanimous support of the Oxford Board of Selectman. Rumford selectmen voted 3-2 vote in August to support the project.