Connecticut’s two gaming tribes this week pushed their plans for a third satellite Indian casino near the state’s border with Massachusetts at a public meeting in Windsor Locks, one of two communities left in consideration as a host city. About 300 attended the meeting. The casino under consideration would cost about 0 million.
The other town under consideration is East Windsor, where a public meeting is also planned soon. The tribes are considering the 27-acre Showcase Cinemas property adjacent to I-91. East Hartford, Hartford and South Windsor have been eliminated from the running.
The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes, erstwhile rivals which have formed a joint venture called MMCT Ventures are hoping that the legislature will give the stamp of approval to the site so that they can blunt somewhat the effect of the $950 million MGM Springfield casino that is scheduled to open 14 miles from Hartford in late 2018. They hope to save millions of dollars and thousands of jobs by limiting the hemorrhaging of Connecticut money into the Bay State from the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos.
MMCT formed in 2015 and fell behind in schedule in identifying a host city, finally extending the deadline for submissions to last September.
Mohegan Chairman Kevin Brown said the purpose of the meeting was to hear and answer residents’ concerns.
“As we evaluate this opportunity, it is important that the citizens of Windsor Locks have access to detailed and accurate information,” commented Windsor Locks First Selectman Chris Kervick before the meeting. “This meeting will provide all of us with an opportunity to become better informed and I appreciate willingness of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribes to share their vision with the people of Windsor Locks.”
Two locations in Windsor Locks are under consideration: Bradley International Airport and 70acres of the now unused Thrall Tobacco Farm near Interstate-91. A specific part of the airport has not been chosen, although the new transportation center and the site of a now demolished Terminal B, have been removed from consideration. The Connecticut Airport Authority owns 300 acres that could accommodate the casino, according to Kevin Dillon, executive director of the Authority.
Windsor Locks has promised to hold a referendum on the proposal. East Windsor says the cinema site does not require a referendum. However, there is a proposal by a state legislator to require a town vote for any host city.
The tribes originally hoped to open the satellite casino before the MGM Springfield, but the self-imposed delays make that seem increasingly unlikely.
The first hour of the meeting was devoted to the tribal representatives laying out the justification for a third casino. They called the MGM Springfield a threat to the Connecticut economy. They warned that the state might lose 9,400 jobs and $702 million in revenue to the state. On the other hand, they said, a local casino could add jobs and $6 million annually to the Windsor Locks economy.
The microphone was then opened to residents who commented and asked questions. It was apparent that many had already made up their minds.
NBC Connecticut quoted a man who declared, “There’s a lot of people that need jobs. It would help East Windsor a lot,” while a woman from the neighboring community of Windsor demurred: “Casinos have an element that, like it or not, isn’t advantageous.” Another Windsor resident said, I feel the traffic will be so bad I won’t want to come here anymore.”
An East Windsor resident said he was concerned about crime, while others worried about the strain only local services, such as sewer and water.
Tribal officials wouldn’t say how much they would compensate the town for such services, but Chairman Brown said, “We stay very cognoscente of the demands that we place on the public services of the community and we come to arrangements that are mutually beneficial.”
An opposition group, the Coalition Against Casino Expansion, has already formed. It brings its fire to bear on the social impacts of gaming addiction. It introduced a woman who declared, “I took it from playing bingo all the way to sleeping in a prison.”
The group is a coalition of churches and other anti-gambling organizations, including the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, Farmington Valley American Muslim Center and Family Institute of Connecticut. It plans an education campaign for the public and lawmakers.
