LEWISTON — To Jimmy Simones, the Maine Senate’s casino vote Tuesday was a slap in the face to his city.

Why, he wanted to know, did the Senate authorize a gambling project in Biddeford but reject Lewiston’s and send it to referendum? What does Biddeford have that Lewiston doesn’t? What were lawmakers thinking? 

“What gives?” he asked.

It was a common question at Simones’ Hot Dog Stand in Lewiston on Wednesday.

A day after the Senate voted 13-20 not to directly authorize Lewiston’s proposed casino, sending it to statewide referendum even as the Senate approved a Biddeford racino and its partner facility in Washington County, some Lewiston residents reacted with frustration, disappointment and more than a little bitterness. They saw it not only as a rejection of a proposed casino, but a rejection of their city.

“Lewiston has always been the ugly stepchild of Maine,” said Jason Levesque, a casino proponent who lives in Auburn and owns Argo Marketing Group in Lewiston. 

The Lewiston casino will go to voters, but the fate of the Biddeford project is still up in the air. The Senate voted 18-17 last week to authorize the Biddeford project, but three of those votes came from the Androscoggin County delegation. At least one senator has said she would withdraw her support for Biddeford if the Senate didn’t support Lewiston. The Biddeford bill currently sits in the Appropriations Committee. Once it clears that panel, it will face another vote in the Senate before going to Gov. Paul LePage for his consideration. The Senate vote is expected Thursday.

LePage has said he would veto any bill that directly authorizes a gambling project. However, the Biddeford project has been intensely lobbied this session and has the backing of Senate President Kevin Raye, R-Perry.

Adrienne Bennett, LePage’s spokeswoman, acknowledged Tuesday that LePage had been in meetings with proponents of the Biddeford project, including the developer, Ocean Properties, a company that has historically wielded significant influence in the State House.

But whether Biddeford’s proposed racino is allowed to open, many members of Simones’ lunch crowd were not happy with the Senate’s handling of the situation.

“Customers are feeling like, ‘Lewiston, again.’ It’s like going back to the Post Office,” said Linda Simones, Jimmy Simones’ wife, referring to the controversial $65 million U.S. Postal Service processing and distribution plant that Lewiston lost to Scarborough just over a decade ago.

Jeff Thompson of Auburn said he believes a downtown Lewiston casino would bring jobs and money to the area. He didn’t think the split votes — yes for Biddeford, no for Lewiston — were right.

“I think they should look at the big picture,” he said. “I don’t think it’s fair at all.”

Elaine Therriault of Greene and April Drexel of Livermore Falls said they think a casino is a bad idea for Lewiston, bringing jobs but taking money from poor people looking to win big. They’re opposed to casinos, but they say the Senate should have let voters decide in both cases.

“I think it’s definitely the people’s decision,” Drexel said. 

While many thought the Senate’s split decision was wrong, others didn’t have a problem with it. Pat Roberts and her fiance, Arthur Dussault, both of Lewiston, said they were OK with the vote for one reason: The casino may have to go through referendum, but it isn’t dead yet.

“Lewiston will get it eventually,” Roberts said.

[email protected]