Hollywood Casino Hotel and Raceway, commonly called the Hollywood Casino Bangor, became the US state of Maine’s first legal slots venue in 2005. The Raceway dates back to 1893, and still hosts the harness racing for which Bangor has been known ever since. The casino and Raceway are now housed in separate facilities on either side of the road, at 500 Main Street.
Situated on the Penobscot River 48km from the Atlantic coast, the city of Bangor was founded in the middle of the 19th Century and prospered as a hub of the lumber and shipbuilding industries. Harness racing was always popular among the local gaming fraternity, and changes in Maine’s gambling laws in 2005 saw the Bangor harness racing track converted into a racino, combining horse-racing and online slots with real money in Canada.
By 2007, a new slots casino across the road from the Raceway had been constructed. Further relaxation in Maine’s gambling laws in 2012 saw another renovation and the addition of table games, and with a license from the Maine Gambling Control Board, Hollywood Casino Bangor became a fully-fledged casino. To date, it is one of only two in the state.
One of Many Penn Casinos
Hollywood Casino Bangor is owned by Penn National Gaming Inc., a casino and race-track operator with 26 sites spread across 18 US states, plus one casino in Canada. Penn first acquired Hollywood casinos in Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi in 2003, when it bought the Hollywood Casino Corporation.
By 2005, another acquisition of the Argosy Gaming Company had made Penn the third-largest publicly held gaming corporation in the USA. Hollywood Casino Bangor was created under the Hollywood brand in 2005, when Penn won the bid to introduce slots to Maine. Penn’s latest acquisition was the Tropicana Las Vegas in April, 2015.
Wide Selection of Games for All Pockets
Slots are still the main focus at Hollywood Casino Bangor, with more than 900 titles on offer. These include video and reel slots, video poker and video roulette, and bets range from 1c to $10 per spin. For high rollers, the casino has a High Limit area, where bigger stakes are rewarded with bigger jackpots.
Table games include Craps, Roulette, Blackjack and several other card games, like Lucky Ladies and Three-Card Poker. Omaha, 7-Card Stud and Texas Hold’em, in Limit and No-Limit versions, are popular classic Poker options, and some tables offer progressive jackpots for top card combinations.
Live Poker is also offered in the Poker Room, along with regular updates on promotions and bonus tournaments. The Bad Beat progressive jackpot is another popular special offered by this casino; in certain Poker games, players who have a strong hand beaten by a better one will win an impressive bonus, determined according to a pay table and the exact nature of the hands.
Marquee Rewards Offer Loyalty Bonuses
Regular players can register for Hollywood Casino Bangor’s Marquee Rewards programme, and earn points during play to advance them through the programme’s five levels. Players earn comps to spend on shopping, dining and hotel stays, and also become eligible for a range of special events, promotional games and bonus tournaments.