Maine casino chooses Silverton as partner

OXFORD, Maine -- A Las Vegas hotel-casino operator has been chosen to operate a casino under construction in western Maine.

Black Bear Development announced Tuesday it has reached an agreement with the Silverton to operate Black Bear's casino in Oxford. The Oxford Casino is scheduled to open in the spring.

The Silverton will determine things such as the mix of slot machines and table games, the surveillance system and even the restaurant menu, Black Bear spokesman Scott Smith said. Silverton also will hire executives and managers to fill key positions at the property, he said.

Black Bear chose Silverton not only for its know-how but also for the way it markets its Las Vegas property, which has a stone facade and is adjacent to a Bass Pro Shops flagship store, as a lodge, Smith said.

"They bring a consistent look, feel and brand that lines up with Black Bear's goal and vision of a Maine lodge," Smith said.

Maine voters narrowly approved the Oxford casino in a statewide referendum last November. It is the first casino in Maine approved for table games such as black jack and craps in addition to slot machines.

The Silverton is several miles from the Strip off Interstate 15 and has 90,000 square feet of gambling space with 2,000 slot machines and 30 table games. The property is owned by Edward Roski, a California real estate developer and co-owner of the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Lakers and the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings. Forbes magazine lists Roski as the 170th richest American, worth an estimated $2.1 billion.

Dennis Bailey, head of the CasinosNo! anti-casino group, said he'd like to know the financial terms of the deal and whether any profits will go to Silverton.

"No casino from Las Vegas is going to come in without taking a substantial bite of the apple," Bailey said. "That means most of the money spent there by Maine people will be heading out of state and won't be benefiting the local economy."

Smith said Silverton has no ownership stake in the casino.

"They are consultants, and the Maine owners are fully involved in the project," he said.