Like the long line of cars making their way through Iowa cornfields in the movie “Field of Dreams,” Mainers from across the state made their way to Bangor last weekend for the opening of Hollywood Slots.

If you build it, they will come. But unlike the movie, the crowds at the racino weren’t drawn by the mystical baseball field that would transport them back to their youths for a old-fashioned ballgame. They were drawn by the glitz and bells and whistles of slot machines, promising to pay off for lucky winners.

As you would expect, the mood among the people who began queuing for the slot palace several hours before it opened was one of excitement and anticipation. “It’s about time,” one woman told The Associate Press.

Contained within what was once Miller’s Restaurant, 475 slot machines – with wagers ranging from 2 cents to $5 – beckoned the hopeful to test their luck, to take a chance. There’s food and drink and novelties, brass bands and plenty of neon.

But the horses were missing. In all the excitement of the management, employees and visitors, there was little – if any – attention paid to harness racing. It was the suffering harness racing industry that pushed to legalize racinos in Maine. The addition of slot machines to racetracks was billed as a silver bullet that could revive interest in the sport, draw new fans and increase the purses necessary to keep racing alive.

While some of the proceeds from the slot machines will be directed toward the harness racing industry and will increase the value of prizes for drivers and owners, it seems unlikely that new fans will be born.

Hollywood Slots is currently located down the street from Bass Park, where actual races are held. A permanent facility is planned at the current site of the Holiday Inn and Main Street Inn on down the street. Eventually, the facility could house 1,500 slots, the legal maximum, and could gross as much as $250 million a year.

Maybe the directed revenue will help harness racing continue in Maine. But the early indications make it clear that the racino was never about horse racing. It’s always been about money.