PORTLAND, Maine - A new report funded by the American Gaming Association says Maine's two casinos have created nearly 1,500 jobs.
The report conducted by Oxford Economics suggests Maine's unemployment rate would rise from 5.8 percent to 6.4 percent without the casinos in Oxford and Bangor.
The figure of 1,500 jobs includes about 800 direct jobs, about 300 indirect jobs created by vendors and suppliers, and another 300 jobs created by the spending of casino employees. The study found that casinos paid nearly $83 million in state and federal taxes and fees.
Maine's Passamaquoddy tribe says it intends to press for a third casino in Washington County, where its tribal reservations are located. The existing casinos are Hollywood Casino in Bangor and the Oxford Casino.
