Olympia Gaming’s emergence behind an Oxford County casino addresses one question plaguing this campaign: “Who else beside Seth Carey is Evergreen Mountain Enterprises?”

The answer is nobody.

Carey’s troubles have forced his departure – again – but this time by Olympia, which has bought his company and retained, as their spokesperson, someone whose contempt for Carey is all-too apparent: Pat LaMarche.

If anyone else was involved with Evergreen Mountain, Tuesday’s press conference at DiMillo’s in Portland was the time to meet them. Instead, the solitary nature of Carey’s effort became clear.

Olympia Gaming purchased Carey’s business, but whether it has bought into his casino idealism is unknown. In its record of gaming developments, Olympia’s casino philosophy has been much different than Carey’s.

The company has a more blue-collar approach than Carey espoused. Its casino in Carson City, Nev., – Casino Fandango – advertises buffet specials, free gasoline promotions, slot machines, table games, a nightclub and a movie theater under the slogan, “Do the Fandango.”

Its other project, a $1 billion casino development in Las Vegas called Southern Highlands, was described in 2005 as “approachable” by Olympia’s marketing manager, D. C. Graham, according to the Las Vegas Sun. “It needs to be very comfortable and a place that locals want to come to … with blue jeans and a baseball cap.”

These opinions are divergent from Carey’s, which saw the casino tapping into affluent out-of-state tourists, drawn by the resort’s eco-friendliness, four-season outdoor amenities and, yes, gaming opportunities.

If Olympia discards Carey’s casino vision, it will break two years of promises. All claims made so far – including those in the law printed on the November ballot – must be considered discarded, too.

Which cleans the slate for the entire campaign, because until Tuesday, it was nothing but promises, anyway.

The ballot question, which was written by Carey for Carey, references a Maine-based company, a 10-year monopoly on gaming, changing the legal gambling age, and a laundry list of beneficiaries of gambling revenue.

Oh, and a board seat for the company on all organizations that would receive funding.

With its author banished, Olympia has no ownership of the law that would bind its business. It’s considered likely – if approved – it would seek significant alterations to Carey’s law through the Maine Legislature, a move veteran lawmakers are expecting to happen.

So let’s review: Olympia Gaming bought out Carey, hired his former employee, who reviles him, has a track record of building regular casinos, and will probably seek to change the law governing its business, if it is passed by voters.

This is more than a development in the campaign.

With fewer than seven weeks to Election Day, this campaign is brand-new.