13 months ago
PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER) -- Dean Harrold, the head of Olympia Gaming, made some promises to Mainers five days before the election.
He's the Las Vegas developer who wants to build a casino in the town of Oxford. Harrold says that contrary to recent ads by the opposition, anyone working or gambling in the casino must be 21 years old or older.
"I will pledge to you and to the people of Maine and to this great state that no person under twenty-one years of age will be allowed to work or gamble in our casino. Period. End of story," says Harrold.
He also says that Olympia Gaming will not back a moratorium on other casinos being built nor will he sit on any boards or committees that will benefit from gambling revenue.
Casino supporter Pat LaMarche says that while controversial clauses that support those measures are written into Referendum Question Two, they can and will be changed by the legislature to reflect current Maine gaming law.
"I have full faith in the ability of the Maine Legislature to do what's necessary," says LaMarche.
But Dennis Bailey of Casinos No says voters shouldn't be swayed by those promises.
"If you want to trust a Las Vegas executive," says Bailey, "then fine. But I chose to have in front of me when I vote exactly what I'm voting on. To vote on this and worry about it later...they're saying its a mess vote on yes is not really a slogan that works for them."
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