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Non-Indian gaming company lashes out at Connecticut tribes

Thursday, July 16, 2015


MGM Resorts International broke ground on an $800 million casino in Springfield, Massachusetts, in March but an opening is two or even three years down the line. Photo from MGM
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A non-Indian company vowed to do whatever it takes to prevent two Connecticut tribes from opening a new gaming facility near the Massachusetts border.

MGM Resorts International is building an $800 million casino in downtown Springfield, just a few miles from the state line. The facility isn't due to open for two or even three more years but the company is gearing up for a big fight.

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

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Hornbuckle did not explain how his company will try and stop the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe from pursuing another casino. The tribes are following a two-step process set up by Senate Bill 1090 to solicit bids for the new site and then secure approval for the facility.

Without a new casino, the tribes say Connecticut will lose thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in revenues.

Get the Story:
MGM Resorts to Take Steps to Stop Tribal Casino in Connecticut (Bloomberg News 7/15)
Threat By MGM Boss Launches Casino Border War (The Hartford Courant 7/16) Related Stories:
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