Connecticut’s tribal leaders support expanded gambling, including possibly adding a new casino near the I-91 corridor between Hartford and the Massachusetts line.
Tribal Leaders— Rodney A. Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequots (Foxwoods Resort Casino) and Kevin P. Brown, chairman of the Mohegan Tribe (Mohegan Sun) travelled in tandem, along with their lobbyists, to gauge support at the General Assembly for expansion gambling on Wednesday.
The Northeastern Casino Gaming Research Project’s update on the regional gambling industry was released on the same day. The update said the two casinos have seen employment and revenue shrink by more than 35% over the past eight years as slots parlors opened at Yonkers Raceway and Aqueduct in New York and Twin River Casino expanded in Rhode Island.
The study also predicted that the loss of jobs and revenue will worsen once the MGM Springfield casino opens in Massachusetts in 2017.
Rep. Steve Dargan, co-chairman of the Public Safety and Security Committee, said the committee would consider the expanded gambling bill, which will be submitted before March 19.
“It’s pretty simple: Do we want to expand gaming in the state of Connecticut, one, and do we want to protect jobs in the state of Connecticut, number two, and do we want to look at that end of the state … the Hartford-Enfield area?” said Dargan.
Gov. Dan Malloy said also that legislators will take a first-look at any possible gaming expansion legislation.
“I acknowledge they are under a lot of pressure. Gaming is not only present in many of the states in New England and New York where their base is otherwise impacted,” Malloy said.
Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority CEO Mitchell Grossinger Etess said that the plan is to create a small casino somewhere between Hartford and Springfield that would be a convenience destination to divert Connecticut residents from taking their tax dollars to Massachusetts.
“The casino would have to be a joint venture between the two tribes, and it would have to be a commercial venture—not a tribal venture—because neither tribe has land between Hartford and Springfield,” Etess added.
