Connecticut could soon get another casino through the combined efforts of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribal nations ”” which already own and run their own in-state casinos ”” this one designed specifically to combat planned casinos in New York and Massachusetts that would likely siphon Connecticut gamblers.
A recent study estimated new casinos in New York and Massachusetts will have a severe impact on the industry in Connecticut, with 9,300 people at risk of losing their jobs if no action is taken, the tribes said.
The new casino is planned for a still-undisclosed spot north of Hartford.
The tribes said the agreement a “historic milestone” that will “save jobs in the state.”
The state Legislature passed legislation earlier this year creating a process for building a new gaming facility north of Hartford. The first step was the creation of a new partnership, which recently brought on a firm to manage the request-for-proposal process.
The new entity, MM4CT Venture, will manage the process for selecting the site for the new casino in the short term and serve as the beginning of a corporate structure for the facility over the long term,” tribe officials said.
“This agreement marks a new chapter in the history between our sovereign nations,” Chairman Rodney Butler of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council said. “While our past may have been marked by conflict and competition, our present and future will be defined by cooperation. With a united front, we can and will defend the thousands of jobs that are under attack.”
His counterpart agreed.
“With our partnership solidified, we can begin the hard work of protecting both Connecticut jobs and the critically important revenue our organizations provide to the state,” Chairman Kevin Brown of the Mohegan Tribal Council said. “Outside interests have made it perfectly clear that their business model depends on taking money and jobs from our state. We”™re not going to let that happen without a fight.”
