Schaghticoke Tribal Nation hoping to keep gaming lawsuit going

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

The Schaghticoke Tribal Burial Ground in Kent, Connecticut. Photo by Nettie Hill

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The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation and the state of Connecticut continue to spar over a potential new casino.

The tribe sued the state after being denied a chance to pursue the casino under Special Act 15-7. That particular law restricts the bidding process to the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe, officials said.

But nothing else is keeping the Schaghticokes -- or anyone else for that matter -- from pursuing gaming, the state said in response to the tribe's lawsuit. A motion to dismiss was filed on Monday.

"Put simply, SA 15-7 has no impact on STN's ability to take whatever steps it chooses to take and is capable of taking toward developing a casino in Connecticut," the state wrote in support of the motion.

The state also notes that the law does not guarantee that the Mashantucket and Mohegan tribes will win approval for a new casino. They still need to pick a site and convince the Connecticut Legislature to authorize it.

MGM Resorts International is helping finance the Schaghticoke lawsuit and has filed its own lawsuit against the law. The company is building a $950 million casino in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, just a few miles from the Connecticut border.

Get the Story:
State seeks dismissal of Schaghticoke suit over third casino law (The New London Day 5/3)
State wants challenge tossed (The Waterbury Republican-American 5/3)