After surviving the usual delays and opposition, Penn National Gaming is hosting a 10-day Opening Premier from 4th to 13th November at its new facility in Bangor, Maine. Located at the former Miller’s Restaurant, the 475 slot machines operation is the only one in Maine and, by law, has to be within 2,000 feet of the Bangor Raceway horse track. The company intends a future move to a permanent facility with 1,500 slot machines. The cashless slot machines are equipped exclusively with JCM’s UBA (Universal Bill Acceptor), the next generation bill validator that can accept multiple currencies simultaneously in one version of software, and TITO (Ticket In Ticket Out) technology.

Maintaining the Hollywood theme of a couple of its other venues, Penn National will have movie star look-alikes on hand at the launch. There will, however, be no such thing as a free drink. In accordance with state law, complimentary drinks will not be offered and anyone wishing to smoke will have to retire to an anteroom off the entrance lobby.

The $17 million transformation of the former restaurant site has had its opponents and difficulties. The group No Slots for ME! has yet to admit defeat over the issuing of a slots licence, even though they failed to get the requisite 51,000 petition signatories by the 4th October deadline to force a 2006 referendum. This may have only postponed a statewide vote, as the group intends to start another try to repeal the law by submitting a new application to the Secretary of State’s Office.

In late September the Maine Gambling Control Board refused to issue one of Penn National’s slot machine distributors a permanent licence, causing a possible delay to the Bangor operation. This was due to an incomplete financial suitability report because Bally Gaming and Systems had not filed end of year earnings with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission. On 11th October Bally announced that the Maine Gambling Control Board had unanimously approved the issue of a permanent licence for it to distribute gaming devices and associated equipment in Maine.

Hollywood Slots is staffed by over 120 full-time employees, many of them having been hired at a job fair at the Bangor Career Center in September. The opening festivities include a slots promotion offering a chance to win $100 ten times each day over the 10-day Opening Premiere. The winners, by signing up for the Hollywood Slots Players’ Club, will be eligible for the $10,000 Grand Prize draw on 13th November. (E-11.03.05)

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