The Connecticut Airport Authority is not obliged by the state’s Freedom of Information laws to make public its negotiations with the tribal MMCT over a potential Indian casino in the Authority’s property in Windsor Locks, such as Bradley International Airport, the commission in charge of FOI ruled last week.
That means that the Authority acted within the law when it discussed its proposal to the MMCT for an airport casino during a closed session. That deals another blow to MGM Resorts International’s efforts to undermine a third Indian casino that the Mohegan and Pequot tribes through their joint authority hope to build near Hartford to create a buffer against the $950 million casino that MGM is building in Springfield, Massachusetts, about 20 miles away.
The commission’s ruling followed the direction of its hearing officer, Lisa Fein Seigel, who made a preliminary ruling in July. She wrote: “that having such information in the public domain during the competitive process would reveal the authority’s negotiating strategy and would harm the authority’s ability to maintain optimal rental terms and conditions.”
MGM made a forceful case against what it called “secret meetings” and its attorney James K. Robertson, told the commissioners: “Commonsense says more than the terms of the lease were discussed in the executive session.” He accused the commission of trying to “squeeze too much public information into one narrow exemption,” and called that “a terrible, terrible precedent.”
Robertson said after the meeting that he would advise his client to appeal to a state Superior Court.
MGM won one round in the meeting when the commission ruled that the Authority is required to disclose records about the Bradley casino proposal that was submitted to the tribal MMCT.
Although the Authority withdrew its original proposal for a casino at Bradley’s terminal it is exploring other proposals for land that it owns near the airport.
In a related development, the gaming tribes are joining with the state’s tourism bureaus to promote regional tourism, not just of casinos, but to attract convention business.
This last fiscal year $61.6 million was spent by convention, meeting and sporting event attendees, with two of the largest convention destinations being Foxwoods and the Mohegan Sun.
Although so far that represents just 20 percent of the Sun’s business, it aims to attract more, according to Gary Baker, director of convention sales and service.
Bobby Soper, president and chief executive officer of the Sun told the Hartford Business Journal, “Convention attendees help generate gaming revenue, eat in our restaurants, shop in our stores and take in our shows.”
The Sun is opening its new 400-room, $130 million Earth Tower sometime this fall and will begin renovating its existing Sky Tower—at a cost of $50 million. It is also adding several new restaurants.
H. Scott Phelps, president of the Connecticut Convention and Sports Bureau, told the Journal, “Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun have been wise to broaden their casinos beyond gaming to include new entertainment selections, first-class golf courses and varied retail shops.” Most of that business comes from New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Foxwoods President and CEO Felix Rappaport told the Journal that convention business is looking up. “After the Great Recession, lots of companies cut back on travel and conventions, but that part of our business is healthy again, because there’s nothing like face-to-face business.”
Conventions account for about 10 percent of his casino’s business, he says. However, convention guests are the gift that keeps on giving because they typically stay for three days, double the average for weekend guests.
Rappaport also relies on casino guests to generate convention business when they get a look at the resort’s facilities—and vice versa: “I hope that people who visit here on business, choose to bring their family back for a personal visit,” he said.
