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Monday, November 3, 2008

SPENDING BY CASINO PROPONENTS NEARS $2 MILLION, OUTSPENDING OPPONENTS 4-1

NOV. 3, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PORTLAND – Olympia Gaming of Las Vegas has spent close to $2 million in just over six weeks – or more than $40,000 a day – since taking over the campaign for Question 2, the Oxford casino.

The latest campaign finance reports at the state Ethics Commission show that Olympia Gaming, the owner of the proposed Oxford casino, is the sole contributor to the casino campaign, spending $1.94 million in less than two months.
In contrast, the major opposition group CasinosNO! has spent just under $550,000 on campaigns to defeat the Oxford casino and a proposal for slot machines at Scarborough Downs. Its contributions come from a variety of Maine businesses and individuals.

“Spending $2 million in less than two months should give voters an idea of the kind of return this Las Vegas company expects to make if it is successful in bringing big-time gambling to Maine,” said Dennis Bailey, executive director of CasinosNO! “And its profits will come almost entirely from hard-pressed Maine people, not high-rollers from out of state. Olympia Gaming is not here to help Maine people, they are here to help themselves to our wallets.”

CONTACT: Dennis Bailey, 207-749-4963