By Renee Cordes

James Bond in Bangor? Hollywood Casino is offering the game featured in several Bond films at new baccarat tables. They are staffed by existing dealers trained on the rules, to be joined by additional hires later as the game gains traction.

"We are thrilled to introduce baccarat tables to our gaming floor," said Austin Muchemore, general manager at Hollywood Casino Bangor. "This addition reflects our commitment to providing our guests with a diverse gaming experience. We're bringing a touch of international casino flair to Maine, and we can't wait for our guests to experience the thrill of the game."

In the game of chance, players bet on each other’s hands or a banker’s hand.

Hollywood Casino, staffed by around 240 employees, already offers a range of table games and slot machines for visitors, including Blackjack, Roulette, High Card Flush, Three Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em and World Poker Tour Heads-Up Hold 'Em. 

“We trained all our existing dealers on baccarat, in-house,” Kim Jenkins, the casino’s director of human resources, told Mainebiz. “Our team members were excited to learn a new game.”

Asked about hiring plans related to baccarat, she said, “We anticipate needing additional dealers as this game gains momentum with our patrons, so we are currently hosting a free table game dealer school, where we currently have eight students participating.”

Trainees attend dealer school for about two to three weeks prior to being invited to audition in order to move onto the next step, which is a conditional offer of employment, she explained. 

“If the student passes the audition, they are extended a conditional offer and they continue to learn new games in dealer school while we are waiting for them to clear the pre-employment background and substance screening,” she said.

Besides offering competitive and affordable benefits, she said the company recently adjusted all of its pay rates in January to pay above minimum wage for all positions. 

“We have also had great success with recent recruitment events we have hosted on property, so we are going into the start of tourist season in a really great place,” she said. "I expect that we will host a couple more recruitment events in the coming months, as we usually see some turnover when students graduate in May, coupled with the coastal market starting to come alive. 

“We currently have 235 team members and expect to have around 250 or so as we look forward to re-introducing Poker and our Take 2 Snack Bar soon,” she added.

The Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway is owned by Penn Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: PENN), formerly known as Penn National Gaming. The Pennsylvania-based entertainment company owns 43 casinos and racetracks, more than 50,000 gaming machines and 7,800-plus hotel rooms across North America.

In Bangor, Hollywood Casino's gaming floor includes nearly 800 slot machines and 15 table games; 152 hotel rooms and suites; and dining at Hops House 99 and the Take 2 Snack Bar. Live harness racing is held at the track from May to November.