Leaders of the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes, who operates Connecticut’s two Indian casinos, last week met with lawmakers to discuss the possibility of allowing more casinos to blunt the competition of casinos in neighboring states.
The lawmakers were Rep. Steve Dargan and Senator Joan Hartley, who chair their chambers’ respective committees that oversee gaming.
Dargan, quoted by the Hartford Courant, said, “There’s no plan or concrete bill as of yet, with the understanding that Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s administration would probably have to be on board, too, if there was going to be any expansion of gaming,”
There is some support in the legislature for a casino near the Bradley International Airport or along the Interstate highway between Hartford and Springfield.
Some suggest simply allowing existing off-track betting venues to add slot machines, while others would like to allow poker or other table games.
The state’s lawmakers have been motivated by the recent vote where Massachusetts retained its casino expansion law. They want to try to keep some of the state’s gaming revenue from leaving.
Dargan commented, “Unless there’s really a concrete proposal that a number of people are interested in to move forward, it might be a waste of time. But, like I said, we hear a lot of different things. So, we’ll have to see where it brings us.”
