Table Games

BANGOR - A new era in gambling arrived in Maine on Friday with the spinning of a roulette wheel, the shuffling of cards, and shouts of "blackjack. " About 60 people were waiting outside Hollywood Casino in Bangor when it opened its doors at 8 a.m., and the poker and blackjack tables were filled by midmorning at the casino. It had been limited to slot machines since its opening in 2005 until Penobscot County voters in November approved the addition of table games. "It's about time," said Dennis Stevens, 64, of Sabattus, as he watched the betting at a blackjack table.

The Rhode Island Senate is set to vote on whether to ask state residents to approve casino games at the Newport Grand slot parlor. The Senate is scheduled to vote on the proposed ballot question Wednesday. Newport Grand wants to offer table games such as poker and blackjack to compete with casinos now authorized in Massachusetts. Senate passage is expected. The House has already endorsed the referendum, but would need to sign off on small changes to the legislation made by the Senate.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — As new casinos pop up, even with overall gambling revenue stagnating, casino companies are fighting harder for smaller shares of the market. Executives at the East Coast Gaming Congress, a national casino conference, said yesterday that with many states now adding table games to the mix, it is going to be even tougher to succeed in the cutthroat East Coast market. “We have to fight this explosion of gambling all around us,’’ said Don Marrandino, Eastern regional president of Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., which has four casinos in Atlantic City.

Four gambling casinos licensed to install up to 14,000 video slot machines and 420 table games would be legalized under a bill being voted on this week by the New Hampshire House. The House — which has traditionally rejected expanded gambling legislation — will vote on the bill Wednesday or Thursday. It faces long odds since Gov. John Lynch has pledged to veto it if it reaches his desk. If the House passes the bill, it would go to the Senate. The bill directs that some of the profits be used to reduce business taxes, which has made it more attractive to some in the House.

The legalization of casino gambling in Massachusetts has Rhode Island political leaders scrambling to protect a critical source of state income: its local slot parlors. Revenue from gambling is the state's third-largest source of income, generating more than $300 million a year. To hang onto its share of the market, Rhode Island will ask voters in November to approve adding Las Vegas-style table games at Twin River, which would bring the Lincoln, R.I., slot venue a step closer to a resort casino.

The gambling law authorizes one casino in each of three regions, with a single slots parlor that can be in any region. Below, read the details of some of the proposed developments, or view the interactive map with the proposals. Milford Developer/Investor: Crossroads Massachusetts LLC/ Investors Ajax Gaming Ventures; Warner Gaming LLC Location: Intersection 495 and Route 16 Zone: Region A, East Proposed development type: Resort Casino Cost: $750 million Current use: Commercial quarry about 129 acres of vacant land Proposed...

Rhode Island's Twin River slot parlor has told a federal judge it will be financially viable even if Massachusetts approves casino gambling and Rhode Island does not approve table games. The Providence Journal ( http://bit.ly/rslL1K) reports that Twin River casino gave U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur Votolato a status update on Sunday. Votolato had asked the Lincoln slot parlor executives to explain statements they had made to the General Assembly when pushing for legislation that would permit table games.

A casino slated to open later this year in western Maine now has a name and a logo. The developers of the casino under construction in Oxford have named the facility the Oxford Casino. The casino logo features the name of the facility with a mountain peak symbol above the words to convey the image of a Maine lodge and outdoors recreational opportunities. The Oxford Casino will be the second casino in Maine when it opens in late spring or early summer. It will have slot machines as well as poker, black jack and other table games.

The head of Maine's Gambling Control Board is looking for more staffing now that gaming is expanding in the state. A new casino under construction in western Maine is scheduled to open in June, and voters have approved the addition of table games at Hollywood Slots in Bangor. Both will be on the agenda when the board meets Tuesday. Executive Director Patrick Fleming will discuss suggestions for increased staffing for the gambling oversight agency because of the planned opening of the Oxford casino table games at Hollywood Slots, which were authorized by voters in November.

The Rhode Island Senate is set to vote on whether to ask state residents to approve casino games at the Newport Grand slot parlor. The Senate is scheduled to vote on the proposed ballot question Wednesday. Newport Grand wants to offer table games such as poker and blackjack to compete with casinos now authorized in Massachusetts. Senate passage is expected. The House has already endorsed the referendum, but would need to sign off on small changes to the legislation made by the Senate.

BANGOR - A new era in gambling arrived in Maine on Friday with the spinning of a roulette wheel, the shuffling of cards, and shouts of "blackjack. " About 60 people were waiting outside Hollywood Casino in Bangor when it opened its doors at 8 a.m., and the poker and blackjack tables were filled by midmorning at the casino. It had been limited to slot machines since its opening in 2005 until Penobscot County voters in November approved the addition of table games. "It's about time," said Dennis Stevens, 64, of Sabattus, as he watched the betting at a blackjack table.

With casino gambling expanding in Maine, a new group's being formed to promote responsible gambling and generate awareness about the dangers of problem gambling. A combination of private, state and non-profit groups, led by Maine's Office of Substance Abuse and the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations, is involved in the effort. Besides promoting responsible gaming, the group is encouraging people who may have a gambling addiction to seek treatment. Hollywood Casino in Bangor, which has just expanded operations to include table games, is...

A new casino in Maine is looking for a few good blackjack dealers. The Oxford Casino is holding a job fair Saturday seeking applicants to fill more than 50 open positions as dealers for table games such as blackjack and poker. The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1591 Main St. in Oxford. The casino is currently under construction and is slated to open in late spring or early summer. Casino officials say table game dealers are being hired early so they can begin training ahead of the casino's opening.

Maine officials have issued the state's first casino license. The Gambling Control Board on Tuesday approved a gaming license for Hollywood Slots in Bangor. Hollywood Slots is now licensed as a slots operator, but it requires a casino license now that it plans to add poker, blackjack and other table games in mid-March. The Bangor Daily News (http://bit.ly/yhlGWB) reports that the board also approved a name change to Hollywood Casino Bangor. John Osborne, vice president and general manager of Hollywood Casino Bangor, says the casino will open on March 16 and has hired about 60 of the 89...

A new gaming bill to legalize video lottery and table games and provide two $50 million licenses will try its luck in the New Hampshire House. Proponents tout the bill as a bipartisan, pro-business job creator that could prevent a drain of liquor, lottery and tourism revenue to Massachusetts, which passed gambling legislation last year. Opposition to the bill is centered more on concerns the state would be cheaply licensing a gambling monopoly than on the social implications that held up legislation in the past.

A casino slated to open later this year in western Maine now has a name and a logo. The developers of the casino under construction in Oxford have named the facility the Oxford Casino. The casino logo features the name of the facility with a mountain peak symbol above the words to convey the image of a Maine lodge and outdoors recreational opportunities. The Oxford Casino will be the second casino in Maine when it opens in late spring or early summer. It will have slot machines as well as poker, black jack and other table games.

Four gambling casinos licensed to install up to 14,000 video slot machines and 420 table games would be legalized under a bill being voted on this week by the New Hampshire House. The House — which has traditionally rejected expanded gambling legislation — will vote on the bill Wednesday or Thursday. It faces long odds since Gov. John Lynch has pledged to veto it if it reaches his desk. If the House passes the bill, it would go to the Senate. The bill directs that some of the profits be used to reduce business taxes, which has made it more attractive to some in the House.

PROVIDENCE -- A study commissioned by Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee says casino gambling in Massachusetts could siphon more than $100 million a year from the Rhode Island treasury. The Providence Journal reports that the study says Rhode Island's share of video-slot play at Twin River and Newport Grand could fall from $301 million last year to $210 million in 2017. At best, the state's cut drops to $257 million in 2017. Christiansen Capital Advisors, the consultant hired by Chafee, says the extent of the loss depends on the location of the three Massachusetts casinos...