Past attempts by Connecticut’s gaming tribes to open a casino in Bridgeport have crashed on the shoals of their insistence on sports betting exclusivity. But Senator Cathy Osten thinks she can navigate those tricky waters.
Her bill, called “An Act Concerning Jobs In and Revenue From the Gaming Industry,” would authorize negotiations with the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes to empower retail and internet sports betting, a new casino in Bridgeport and entertainment zone facilities in Hartford, New Haven, to start. All the new facilities would be owned by the tribes.
Osten says the tribes need money to modernize the Foxwoods Resort and Casino and Mohegan Sun. “They are two of our top employers and top revenue generators in the state,” she said. Osten has long been a passionate supporter of the tribes, who she says “are absolute partners in the region. Helping out nonprofits, helping out municipalities, doing a variety of things.”
So far, her bill is getting bipartisan support, which pleases Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Chairman Rodney Butler. He said, “We’re grateful to all the delegations from both sides of the aisle that have thrown their support behind the Connecticut Jobs and Revenue Act, recognizing the value of our continued partnership.”
He added, “The Tribal Council also has a great friend in Senator Osten and we are hopeful that the Connecticut General Assembly sees that through the Connecticut Jobs and Revenue Act, everyone wins.”
Osten says the bill will help keep the state competitive with the casinos that are springing up in neighboring states, including New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The most recent, Encore Boston Harbor, has had a noticeable effect on the two tribal casinos, according to Jeff Hamilton, president and general manager of Mohegan Sun.
