Connecticut | Legislation | Openings & Closings

Connecticut tribes hope to debut casino ahead of nearby rival

Friday, July 17, 2015

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

The leaders of Connecticut's two federally-recognized tribes believe they can open a new casino ahead of a non-Indian rival in neighboring Massachusetts.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe are looking to establish a facility near the state border. After soliciting proposals this year, they think they can be ready with a concrete plan by next February.

“We could be up and running six to nine months after approval," Mashantucket Chairman Rodney Butler told The New London Day.

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

If the tribes are successful, they could open the casino by the end of 2016 or sometime in 2017. That means they would beat MGM Resorts International to the market.

“I don’t see that the flags that have been raised will prevent this from happening,” Mohegan Chairman Kevin Brown told the Day.

MGM is building an $800 million casino in downtown Springfield, just a few miles from the Massachusetts-Connecticut border. The company's top executive has vowed to do whatever it takes to stop the tribes from opening the competing venue.

“We’re not going to go peacefully,” MGM President William Hornbuckle said in an interview with Bloomberg News this week.

MGM broke ground on the Springfield casino in March but recently asked for permission to delay the opening to September 2018.

Get the Story:
Tribal chairmen bullish on third state casino (The New London Day 7/17)
Connecticut Tribes Fire Back At MGM In Casino Battle (The Hartford Courant 7/17)