Voters reject casino gambling

Tuesday, May 21, 2002 | 11:13 a.m.

YORK, Maine -- Residents of York soundly rejected the idea of legalized casino gambling in a nonbinding referendum held during the weekend.

Saturday's vote to gauge local sentiment on the issue was 3,057 against casinos and 767 to allow them.

The question posed to York voters, which was among 107 items on the local ballot, said, "Do you favor legalized casino gambling in southern Maine?"

York, which has a population of about 13,000, was the second town to poll its citizens on the casino issue.

Voters in Berwick opposed casino gambling by a 302-172 tally, and other towns, including Eliot, North Berwick, Wells and Kittery, are scheduled to poll their residents on the issue.

The casino issue follows a proposal by two Maine Indian tribes to build a Foxwoods-style resort and casino in southern Maine.

Casino opponent Mary Black Andrews had predicted an overwhelming vote against casinos. Andrews said that depending on the outcome, she would ask the town to pass a zoning change barring casinos, as the Kittery Town Council did last month.