The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation got its start in the gaming industry at home in Connecticut and is now looking to expand in Massachusetts and New York.
The tribe is part of a partnership that is bidding on a commercial casino in eastern Massachusetts. Executives presented the $1 billion plan to the town of MIlford on Monday night. The 660,000 square-foot facility would have room for 4,250 slot machines, a 350-room hotel and 25,000 square feet of retail space, The Boston Herald reported. Phase two could include a larger facility with more slot machines and more hotel rooms, the paper said. The plan depends on approval by voters in the town, some of whom have voiced strong opposition. The tribe is also competing with other developers for the eastern Massachusetts license. In addition to Massachusetts, the tribe wants to open a commercial casino in the Catskills region of New York. Executives will meet with state officials on Wednesday to discuss the project, The Albany Times-Union reported. The plan in New York depends on voter authorization of more non-Indian gaming in the state. The issue could be placed on the November ballot. The tribe previously tried to open a commercial slot machine facility in Pennsylvania but withdrew from the effort. Get the Story: