The economic recession is having a big effect in Connecticut, where a drop in gaming revenues is rippling throughout the state. The Mohegan Tribe and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation have seen double-digit drops in slot machine revenues. The Mohegans halted a major casino expansion and cut employee salaries while the Pequots have laid off employees. But it's not just gaming employees who are affected. The state's share of slot revenues have dropped for the first time since the casinos opened in the mid-1990s and the regional economy is suffering as business has dropped at area restaurants, construction companies, gas stations and grocery stores. "I'm surprised at the depth of the problem," Gov. Jodi Rell (R) told The Boston Globe. "People aren't buying anything. They don't have the disposable income right now." Get the Story:
Slots slip, chips are down, and casino workers suffer (The Boston Globe 2/11)