Rumford-area resort seeks to break gaming stereotypes

I commend the Sun Journal for pointing out in a recent editorial that there are two worthy sides of the debate regarding Evergreen Mountain Enterprise’s proposed destination resort casino in Oxford County. The editorial made the good point that the proposed project pits staying status quo vs. driving toward innovation.

We would be remiss in stating any economic development is perfect; I challenge anyone to offer an idea that comes close to the positive impact of an Oxford County resort casino. We feel this project would bring an enormous amount of positive benefits to the state.

Like many parts of the state, we in Western Maine cannot afford to hope things magically improve. Look where this apathetic attitude has gotten us – we suffer from arguably the worst economy in the U.S. Maine residents pay high taxes, yet we cannot secure work – Maine residents are victims of the low rates of job creation.

And Oxford County’s per-capita annual income was $25,089 in 2005, lowest in the state.

The population of my hometown, Rumford, and the employee population of its paper mill have decreased by nearly half in the last two decades. Clearly, something must be done.

Casinos carry many stereotypes. Most have been disproved by Hollywoods Slots in Bangor, but one still seems to persist: Opponents argue that people who walk into a casino are throwing their money away. This is a myth.

The argument relies on the fear of the unknown. Many of those making such arguments have never been to a casino, or have ulterior motives to disparage certain forms of gaming while promoting others.

It is possible to find fault about anything if you look hard enough. We feel confident, however, when people give our project a chance, concentrate on facts, and listen with an open mind, they will see the benefits this project will bring to Oxford County.

Another misstatement by our opponents has to do with the slot machines in casinos, the most profitable game for a gaming facility. In Maine, the house can only hold an 11 percent advantage on the slots, because state law requires that the slots machines have a minimum 89 percent payback rate.

Our opponents fail to note the meager 67.5 percent payback rate of state-sponsored scratch tickets – available at most, if not every, convenience store in the state. The odds are even more advantageous to the patron with other casino games. The house only has between a 1 percent and 3 percent advantage on most table games, such as blackjack, poker and craps; games that rely on player skill.

It is counterintuitive and disingenuous to argue against our project because the “odds are stacked” against patrons. We never hear that argument when someone goes to the movies, a concert, the ballet, or a Boston Red Sox game.

Evergreen Mountain Resort will focus on attracting people from all over the country. Oxford County borders New Hampshire; our target customer will be the skiers and tourists who seek to stay in a four-season green-design resort that showcases the best the Maine outdoors has to offer. The resort would be in proximity to world-class downhill and cross-country skiing, hiking, bicycling, snowmobiling and numerous guided tours.

We would also feature the largest Museum of Maine History in the state, and offer exciting performances in a new theater. Along with attracting thousands of tourists, the resort would also keep a large percentage of the 271,000 Mainers (and their $32 million) who went to Connecticut casinos last year.

Our view of the casino is that it will be an economic tool – the engine driving the resort – that will generate the revenue to fund these projects. The resort would have something for everyone. Our goal from day one has been to replace the stereotype of a casino. Evergreen Mountain would be a destination resort, where visitors will want to stay for weeks at a time because of the myriad attractions and activities in the beautiful mountains.

We have a bill in Augusta to put this issue to statewide ballot. Either legislatively or by referendum, the voters will decide. And these voters making such important choices must do so on the facts.

Seth Carey of Rumford is president of Evergreen Mountain Enterprises. E-mail him at [email protected].