Connecticut tribes finally settle on location for 3rd potential casino

Monday, February 27, 2017

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe are seeking to convert a vacant movie theater in East Windsor, Connecticut, into a gaming facility. Image: Google Maps

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Connecticut's two federally recognized tribes are moving forward with plans for a jointly-operated casino.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe already secured local approval to build a $300 million development in East Windsor. Now they will ask state lawmakers to approve the project, which they say is needed to address growing competition on the region.

“From the beginning, we’ve said that we want to site our new facility in a town that’s eager to have us. With the unanimous vote by the Board of Selectman, East Windsor fits that bill, and we’re thrilled to enter into a partnership with them,” Mashantucket Chairman Rodney Butler said in a press release.

“Today’s announcement is a critical step towards our goal of saving Connecticut jobs and revenue,” added Mohegan Chairman Kevin Brown. “We’re honored to have the community of East Windsor by our side as we move forward with bringing our facility to life.”

The New England Casino Race: Tribal and commercial gaming facilities in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island

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The site in East Windsor, which formerly housed a movie theater, is only about 13 miles from downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, where a $950 million commercial casino is due to open in September 2018. The tribes believe they can complete their facility before MGM Resorts International, a non-Indian company, opens the new development.

The two tribes operate casinos on their respective reservations in the southeastern part of Connecticut. The Foxwoods Resort Casino and the Mohegan Sun are about 60 miles from East Windsor.

The tribes retain exclusive rights to offer Class III games in exchange for sharing 25 percent of slot machine proceeds with the state. They believe the new facility, which won't be considered an Indian casino, will not infringe on those rights.

Tribes elsewhere have opened casinos outside of the framework of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, a federal law. But the Mashantucket-Mohegan venture, if it's approved, would appear to be the first tribally-owned and jointly-operated venture of its kind.

Read More on the Story:
Tribes Pick East Windsor For Third Casino Location (CT News Junkie 2/27)
East Windsor Chosen To Host Third Casino (WNPR 2/27)
EW gets casino nod (The Journal Inquirer 2/27)
Tribes Pick East Windsor For Possible Third State Casino (The Hartford Courant 2/27)
Tribes pick East Windsor as third-casino site (The New London Day 2/27)