Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantuckets, and Kevin Brown, the Mohegan chairman, announced at a signing ceremony at the Capitol the selection of a Connecticut real estate firm to administer the tribes’ request for proposals for a jointly operated casino. It would be established along the Interstate 91 corridor in north-central Connecticut.
The tribes, backed by the legislature and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, hope to compete with the planned MGM Resorts casino in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Butler said the tribes have had “a complicated history stretching over 400 years,” but that they are joining to fight the threat posed by MGM Springfield.
“It’s not just about the fate of our casinos — it’s about the state of Connecticut,” Brown said.
A report released earlier this year estimated that casino projects in Massachusetts and New York could jeopardize more than 9,000 jobs in Connecticut. About $600 million to $700 million a year in revenue could be at stake.
Legislation approved this year establishes a twostep procedure for the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes to possibly open a satellite tribal casino. The tribes would issue a request for proposals from municipalities interested in hosting one satellite casino.
MGM has challenged the law, claiming in a federal lawsuit that it’s unconstitutional because it allows only the tribes to pursue a commercial, off-reservation casino in the state.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less