LEWISTON — Backers of a downtown casino at Bates Mill No. 5  said they were not ready to concede after the state Senate voted down an early approval of their plan.

“We’ll go back and hopefully, we can get them to reconsider their vote,” said Stavros Mendros, manager of the Great Falls Recreation and Redevelopment LLC. 

The group hopes to turn the massive, saw-toothed mill building along Main Street into a casino. 

The Maine Senate voted 17-16 to send the Lewiston project to statewide referendum in November. The vote came right after the Senate voted 17-16 to authorize a plan for a Biddeford racino and a partner facility in Washington County.

Both measures were approved by the state House of Representative on Monday. If approved and signed by Gov. Paul LePage, casino backers could forgo a statewide referendum in November and begin developing their casinos earlier.

“I’ve had representatives coming up to me all day, telling me this was unfair,” Mendros said. “I even had representatives who voted against it saying it should have been supported, just to be fair.”

Voters in Lewiston approved an option agreement a year ago, giving the casino group the option to purchase the Bates Mill building.

The group has estimated it would return between $21 million and $30 million to state, regional and local governments and other entities each year.

That money would go to a wide array of groups, including local towns and would-be competitors. As much as $4.5 million could go to local governments, including Lewiston, Auburn, Androscoggin County and surrounding towns.

Mendros said his plan would do more for communities than other proposed casinos. Biddeford’s plan received much more discussion at the state level than the Lewiston plan, however.

“Much was made of the fact that voters supported the Biddeford plan, and a majority of councilors there did, too,” Mendros said. “But Lewiston voted 2-1 in favor of the casino and the councilors were unanimous. So, I really don’t know what happened.”

Mayor Larry Gilbert said he was disappointed by the vote.

“The other day, as I was going to Augusta, I saw this big bus full of Lewiston residents,” Gilbert said. “And where were they going? Hollywood Slots. People who gamble are going to gamble, whether it’s at Hollywood Slots or down in Foxwoods. Why can’t we take care of Maine, and particularly Lewiston, and keep some of that money here?”

Even if both houses support both casino plans, they would likely face a veto from LePage.

Mendros said that would be just as disappointing as Thursday’s Senate vote.

“Every time I turn on the TV, I see an ad for lottery tickets, and every corner news stand sells those scratch tickets,” Mendros said. “We spend millions on gambling now and it all goes to the state. But when it comes to us doing something for our own community and the state is not fully in charge, they don’t like that. I think the state ends up talking out of both sides of its mouth.”

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