Racetrack pitches Biddeford racino
Several failed attempts to open a racino in Scarborough have led Scarborough Downs to eye a move to Biddeford.
The Biddeford City Council on Tuesday agreed to ask voters in a November referendum if they support opening a racino in the city that would offer harness racing and slot machines, according to The Forecaster. Edward MacColl, a spokesman for Scarborough Downs, told the paper the harness racing facility is looking at several sites in Biddeford and would likely sell its 500 acres in Scarborough should voters approve the operation. The facility also would consider changing its name to reflect its new location. MacColl told the Portland Press Herald the Biddeford facility would generate about 900 jobs.
Scarborough Downs owner Sharon Terry told Mainebiz last year the facility needs other gambling revenue to improve its bottom line. Scarborough voters in 2008 narrowly defeated a referendum to allow the racetrack to operate slot machines. If Biddeford voters approve the racino, the proposal would need a change in state law in order to move forward, since currently Scarborough Downs is only authorized to operate slot machines within a five-mile radius of its current location, according to the Press Herald.
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