The company backing a referendum question that would legalize a casino in Oxford County released a study today touting the economic benefits of the proposed business.

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, conducted the economic and fiscal impact analysis, according to The Olympia Group.

According to the report, in addition to creating 1,277 new jobs during the construction phase, the resort casino would generate 907 full-time and part-time jobs upon final build-out. It would support a $32.5 million payroll, with an average annual wage of $35,876 and would earn $164.1 million in total annual revenues, with $69 million in additional revenues paid to the state of Maine each 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 in an Olympia Group release. "The resort casino will pay average annual wages that are 68 percent higher than in Maine's hotel and accommodations sector."

In an e-mail release last week, Casinos No! Executive Director Dennis Bailey said "Barrow is well known in casino circles for his pro-casino findings. His 'research' is controversial, to say the least."

Meanwhile, three of the state's biggest ski resorts are joining the effort to defeat the casino, saying a casino would detract from the state's image as a family-friendly place to enjoy the outdoors.

Sunday River, Sugarloaf USA and Saddleback all announced their opposition to the casino today. Sunday River is the only one in Oxford County.

Dana Bullen, general manager of Sunday River, told workers in a memo that the casino would be incompatible with Maine's "brand."

"Maine is known for its rugged outdoor image, uncompromised natural beauty, family-friendly environment and Yankee originality," he wrote. "There is a stark contrast between these attributes, for which Maine is known, and those associated with casino gambling."

Warren Cook from Saddleback expressed a similar sentiment. "A gambling casino doesn't play to our strengths, it preys on our weaknesses," he said.

Both Sunday River and Sugarloaf USA are owned by Michigan-based Boyne Resorts, and Sunday River plans to contribute to the effort to defeat the casino. While Saddleback opposes the casino, it has no plan to put money into the effort, Cook said.

Supporters plan to announce the location of the proposed casino later this week.