Tribes in Connecticut await federal approval of revised gaming agreements

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Chairman Kevin Brown of the Mohegan Tribe, leff, with Chairman Rodney Butler of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Photo by Indianz.Com (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Lawmakers in Connecticut gave final approval to a bill that updates gaming agreements with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe.

The tribes updated their agreements to address their new commercial casino. They want to make sure the development doesn't impact their existing gaming rights.

“Once again, state legislators have stood up to defend Connecticut jobs and revenue,” Mashantucket Chairman Rodney Butler said in a statement, The New London Day reported. “We want to thank the House and Senate and the governor for approving these changes and doing the right thing for the state.”

The revised agreements can now be sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for review. The Trump administration, in an advisory letter, has already indicated that it will approve them.

“We’re confident that the BIA will follow in the steps of the General Assembly, and that work will get underway very soon,” Mohegan Chairman Kevin Brown said in the statement quoted by The Day.

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

The tribes joined forces and secured approval, under state law, to open a new casino in East Windsor. The project is meant to counteract competition from Massachusetts, where a $950 million commercial facility is going up right across the border.

The tribes anticipate opening their casino in the fall of 2018, around the same time as the facility in Massachusetts.

The bill that ratifies the tribal agreements is H.J. No. 301.

Read More on the Story:
Senate approves amended gaming agreements between state, tribes (The New London Day 7/31)
Connecticut Senate OKs changes needed for new tribal casino (AP 7/31)