Connecticut

Tribes in Connecticut report increases in slot machine revenues

Monday, October 12, 2015

The Foxwoods Resort Casino, seen here in 2009, is owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut. Photo by Eigenes Werk / Wikipedia

Connecticut's two federally recognized tribes reported increases in their slot machine revenues for the month of September 2015.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation saw a 3.2 percent increase from the year prior. The Mohegan Tribe saw a 2.7 percent increase.

Both tribes benefited because Labor Day fell in September, The New London Day reported. In contrast, both saw declines in August because the holiday fell mostly in August last year.

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

The tribes are hoping to open a jointly-operated casino somewhere near the Massachusetts border in order to address growing competition for gaming dollars in the Northeast. Hartford, the state capital, has been mentioned as a potential contender.

The tribes, through a new entity known as MMCT Venture, issued a request for proposals for communities that are interested in hosting the new development. Bids are due November 6 and the tribes hope to settle on their choice by December 15.

The tribes will then ask the Connecticut Legislature early next year to approve the casino. They have said they could open the facility by the end of 2016 or in early 2017, well ahead of the rival $800 million casino in downtown Springfield, just a few miles from the state line.

Get the Story:
Casinos report 3 percent increase in September slots revenue (The New London Day 10/10)
A Casino In Hartford? City Looking At Possible Bid As Tribes Seek Site (The Hartford Courant 10/10)
MGM says Mashantucket-Mohegan partnership should be invalidated (The New London Day 10/8)