Casino Stalker | Connecticut | Legislation

Tribes in Connecticut see victory with defeat of casino study bill

Friday, March 18, 2016

Mohegan Tribe Chairman Kevin Brown, left, and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Chairman Rodney Butler. Photo from CT Jobs Matter

A bill that could have derailed plans for a new tribal casino was defeated by a legislative committee in Connecticut on Thursday.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe opposed the measure, which would have required additional study of a casino. They say the state already knows that it needs to address competition from neighboring Massachusetts.

"The issue at hand is simple. If we do nothing to compete against MGM Springfield, Connecticut will lose more than 9,000 jobs and over $100 million in state tax revenue," a spokesperson for MMCT, the tribe's joint venture, said in a statement, The New London Day reported.

The New England Casino Race: Tribal and commercial gaming facilities in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island

MGM Resorts International is building a $950 million facility in Springfield, Massachusetts, just a few miles from the Connecticut border. The company is also financing two lawsuits that question whether the tribes can move forward with the casino plan.

The tribes have yet to select a site for their proposed facility but they believe they can open within 12 to 18 months. The MGM casino, on the other hand, is not due to open until September 2018 at the earliest.

The tribal casino is not a done deal, though. The tribes still need approval from the Connecticut Legislature to build it.

Get the Story:
Casino Study Bill Rejected In Legislative Committee (The Harford Courant 3/18)
State legislative committee rejects casino-study bill (The New London Day 3/18)
Casino study bill defeated in committee (Hartford Business Journal 3/18)
Connecticut tribes closer in goal to build third casino, compete with MGM Springfield (WWLP 3/17)