The Mohegan Tribe owns and operates the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. Photo from Facebook
A new tribal casino won't be coming to Connecticut any time soon. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe announced on Tuesday that they will wait until 2017 to seek legislative approval for a jointly operated casino. They have yet to select a site for the facility even after previously insisting they could move quickly in order to counteract competition from neighboring Massachusetts. At the same time, the tribes released a letter from the Bureau of Indian Affairs that indicates the new casino won't affect their existing Class III gaming rights. “Securing this confirmation is seen as a vital component of the effort to build a third casino that will protect Connecticut jobs and revenue,” the tribes said in a statement, The New London Day reported. “The tribes will use this language as the basis for a more complete package they will send to the General Assembly next year.” The tribes are looking at sites in an area near the Massachusetts border. A $950 million casino is going up in Springfield, about 10 miles across the state line. That facility isn't due to open until September 2018 at the earliest so it's conceivable that the tribes could still beat MGM Resorts International to the market. They have previously said they could open a new casino within a year of approval. In related news, the Mohegan Tribe is on track to complete a $130 million expansion at the Mohegan Sun this fall. The project will bring another 400 hotel rooms to the facility, The Day reported. Get the Story:
Tribes Get Nod From Feds, But Will Have To Wait Another Year for Casino Approval (CT News Junkie 4/26)
Tribes Will Wait On 'Satellite' Casino Proposal (The Hartford Courant 4/27)
BIA says proposed changes in tribes' agreements with state won't jeopardize payments (The New London Day 4/27)
Federal bureau tells tribes 3rd-casino plan doesn’t violate gambling compact (The Manchester Journal Inquirer 4/27)
Mohegans to mark milestone in Earth Hotel construction (The New London Day 4/27)
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