Connecticut tribes delay selecting casino site

The state’s two federally recognized tribes said the location may not be chosen until late 2016 as MGM continues to expand its political presence in Connecticut.

MMCT, the joint venture between the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes, originally planned to announce the site at the end of last year and submit a proposal to the General Assembly by February. However, MMCT confirmed it is waiting for local approval at proposed locations in Windsor Locks, East Windsor, East Hartford and Hartford.

“We are still conducting our due diligence and will make the necessary decisions once that process is complete. There are many factors to consider as we move through this process, not the least is making sure that we secure the hundreds of millions of dollars the state gets every year from casino slots revenue,” said Andrew Doba, a MMCT spokesman.

A new casino would directly compete with nearly $1bn integrated resort being developed over the Massachusetts border in Springfield by MGM, which is aggressively pursuing a campaign to crush the tribal casino. The Las Vegas-based casino giant has challenged the constitutionality of allowing a casino to be built in the state outside reservation land.

The site of MGM’s planned casino is less than 6 miles from Connecticut and its business plan is premised on about one-third of its customers coming across the border from the Hartford region. Lawsuits are creating new problems for the site selection and the delay will hinder any chance of a tribal casino being able to have a significant first-mover advantage.

A revenue-sharing agreement is in place between MMCT and Connecticut granting exclusive gambling rights in the state. Despite a year-long delay for the site selection, which needs to consider public reaction, the tribes still intend to open a facility before MGM Springfield, which has also been pushed back by a year and is set to open in the last quarter of 2018.