A bill that could have derailed plans for a new tribal casino was defeated by a legislative committee in Connecticut on Thursday.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal
Nation and the Mohegan
Tribe opposed the measure, which would have required additional study of a casino. They say the state already knows that it needs to address competition from neighboring Massachusetts.
"The issue at hand is simple. If we do nothing to compete against MGM Springfield, Connecticut will lose more than 9,000 jobs and over $100 million in state tax revenue," a spokesperson for MMCT, the tribe's joint venture, said in a statement, The New London Day reported.
MGM Resorts International is building a $950 million
facility in Springfield, Massachusetts, just a few miles from the Connecticut border. The company is also financing two lawsuits that question whether the tribes can move forward with the casino plan.
The tribes have yet to select a site for their proposed facility but they believe they can open within 12 to 18 months. The MGM casino, on the other hand, is not due to open until September 2018 at the earliest.
The tribal casino is not a done deal, though. The tribes still need approval from the Connecticut Legislature to build it.
Get the Story:
Casino Study Bill Rejected In Legislative Committee
(The Harford Courant 3/18)
State legislative committee rejects casino-study bill
(The New London Day 3/18)
Casino study bill defeated in committee
(Hartford Business Journal 3/18)
Connecticut tribes closer in goal to build third casino, compete with MGM Springfield
(WWLP 3/17)
Related Stories:
Tribes in Connecticut report increases in slot machine
revenues (3/15)
Colin
McEnroe: Schaghticoke Tribal Nation loses in big casino fight (3/14)
Connecticut
tribes oppose further study of proposed third casino (3/10)
Connecticut
tribes continue looking at sites for potential casino (02/24)
Connecticut
tribes might face roadblock in plan for new casino (2/19)
Mashantucket
Pequot Tribal Nation sees gaming revenue gains (2/12)
Tribes in
Connecticut still working on process for potential casino (2/9)
Don Vaccaro:
Connecticut tribes need another casino to compete (2/1)
Airport touts
hotel as spot for new tribal casino in Connecticut (1/28)
Opinion:
Connecticut puts too much focus on a new tribal casino (1/21)
Connecticut
tribes see mixed results in slot machine revenues (1/15)
Site
identified as potential location for tribal casino in Connecticut (1/6)
Tribes
in Connecticut delay decision on host for potential casino (1/5)