Openings & Closings | Regulation

Casino company in battle with tribes gears up two major projects

Monday, March 28, 2016

MGM Resorts International is building a $950 million casino in Springfield, Massachusetts. As part of the work, the historic First Spiritualist Church in the bottom left corner is being relocated. Photo from MGM Springfield / Facebook

A non-Indian company that wants to prevent two tribes in Connecticut from opening a new casino is ramping up work on one project in Massachusetts and preparing for a major opening just outside the nation's capital.

MGM Resorts International broke ground on a $950 million facility in Springfield, Massachusetts, a year ago this month. But the project has been dealing with delays so this spring marks the first full season of construction, the Associated Press reported.

"It was less active than we planned," MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis told the AP. "But it's such a sprawling site that we were able to do some work all along the way."

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

The facility, which is due to open in September 2018, is located just a few miles from the Connecticut border. Recognizing the threat, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe teamed up to propose a new casino somewhere in the same region.

The tribes have yet to select a site and they will need approval from the Connecticut Legislature before moving forward. But MGM has thrown a wrench into the process by filing a lawsuit that challenges the constitutionality of Special Act 15-7, the law that authorized the tribes to seek bids for the project.

MGM is also financing another lawsuit filed by the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation against the law. The tribe hopes to open a casino of its own.

"I have no issues with MGM trying to stop the expansion of Connecticut gaming," Springfield City Council President Michael Fenton told the AP. "But if they're teaming up with another tribe to compete with the Springfield casino, I have a real big problem with that."

MGM Resorts International will open a $1.3 billion casino resort at the National Harbor in Maryland by the end of 2016. Photo from MGM National Harbor / Facebook

Separately, the firm is getting ready to open the MGM National Harbor by the end of this year. The $1.3 billion project -- which features a casino with 3,600 slot machines and a 300-room hotel -- is located at the National Harbor, a retail, entertainment, dining and multi-purpose waterfront development less than 10 miles from the U.S. Capitol.

MGM at one point opposed federal recognition for the Pamunkey Tribe in neighboring Virginia. The effort did not succeed and tribal leaders have not said they want to pursue a casino. The Pamunkey Reservation is more than 100 miles south of National Harbor.

Get the Story:
Work on Massachusetts MGM casino kicking into full gear (AP 3/28)
Brockton casino meeting (The Brockton Enterprise 3/26)
The MGM National Harbor building is up, and set for an end-of-year opening (The Washington Post 3/10)

Federal Register Notices:
Proclaiming Certain Lands as Reservation for the Mashpee Wampanoag (January 8, 2016)
Land Acquisitions; Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (September 25, 2015)
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Fee-to-Trust Transfer of Property and Subsequent Development of a Resort/Hotel and Ancillary Facilities in the City of Taunton, MA and Tribal Government Facilities in the Town of Mashpee, MA by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (September 5, 2014)
Indian Gaming (February 4, 2014)

Relevant Documents:
Chairman Cedric Cromwell Announcement | Mashpee Wampanoag Trbe Press Release | Bureau of Indian Affairs Press Release | Assistant Secretary Kevin Washburn Letter to Chairman Cedric Cromwell | Record of Decision

DOI Solicitor Opinion:
M-37029: The Meaning of "Under Federal Jurisdiction" for Purposes of the Indian Reorganization Act (March 12, 2014)