New report details economic impact of new casino in Maine New report details economic impact of new casino in Maine –> << Back economics [Enlarge Image] By Gene Koprowski A consulting firm called the Olympia Group this week released a study outlining the projected economic impact of the proposed Oxford Highlands Resort-Spa-Casino in Oxford County, Maine.
 
Dr. Clyde W. Barrow, director of the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and principal investigator for the New England Gaming Research Project, produced an independent economic and fiscal impact analysis of a resort casino planned for Oxford County, Maine.
 
According to the study, the facility will create 1,277 recently made known jobs during the construction phase of the project.
 
The resort casino will generate 907 full-time and part-time jobs upon final build-out. The casino will have a $32.5 million payroll, and earn $164.1 million in total annual revenues. $69 million additional revenue will be paid to the state government every year.
 
“The operation of a resort casino in Oxford County will not only improve employment levels in Oxford County, it will improve overall job quality,” said Barrow. “The resort casino will pay average annual wages that are sixty-eight percent higher than in Maine’s hotel and accommodations sector.”
 
The Olympia Group debate preliminary plans for the Oxford Highlands Resort-Spa-Casino. The project will feature a 300 room hotel, a large conference center, a casino featuring up to 1,500 slot machines, a wide variety of table games, fine and casual dining options, a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, parking for guests and accommodations for snowmobiles, cross country skiing and numerous other year round amenities.

Other projections from the study:

* A total of 1,277 construction jobs resulting from building the new casino , construction-related and consumer expenditures by construction workers will support an additional 458 jobs off-site with an additional $12.8 million in payroll during the construction process.
 
* There will be 907 permanent jobs at the resort casino, as well as local purchases by the resort for operations and consumer expenditures by the resort casino’s employees will support an additional 592 permanent jobs off-site with an additional $16.6 million in payroll during the construction phase.