Last week the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes through their joint MMCT Venture submitted initial drawings for their East Windsor satellite casino to the city.
The $300 million casino would have 2,000 slots, as many as 150 gaming tables, and a five-story, 1,800 space parking structure. The casino would be built on what is currently a vacant cinema on 26 acres near Interstate 91. Perfectly situated the waylay motorist on their way to visit the MGM Springfield when it opens in September about 14 miles away in Massachusetts.
First Selectman Robert Maynard told the Hartford Courant, “These plans don’t have a lot of details. But they are definitely moving forward.”
Some East Windsor residents were not impressed. One remarked, “Five-story garage? That’s the highlight?” Others wondered why motorist would slow down for this when they could drive another 15 minutes to the MGM Springfield.
The $960 million MGM Springfield will have a 125,000 square foot gaming floor with 3,000 slots and 100 gaming tables. The resort will include retail shopping, dining and residential.
MGM has fought the tribal satellite casino in court and in the halls of the legislature, and its efforts have probably had the effect of slowing the casino down so much that it won’t open until the Springfield facility has been operating for several months.
One of its arguments is that by allowing the two tribes to open a commercial casino, the state is unfairly preventing other commercial gaming companies from competing in the state.
Nevada-based MGM, through that state’s congressional delegation, was apparently able to influence the Department of the Interior’s Secretary Ryan Zinke to delay approving the amended tribal state gaming compact—something required by the law that authorized the tribes to open such a casino.
Mohegan Chairman Kevin Brown and Pequot Chairman Rodney Butler recently said they believe their customer base won’t abandon them to go north to cross the state line.
Meanwhile the tribes, and the state of Connecticut have sued Interior in federal court to force it to abide by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which requires it to rule on new gaming compacts within 45 days.
Connecticut U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy also petitioned the department’s Inspector General to investigate why it didn’t follow the law. U.S. Representatives John Larson and Joe Courtney also signed that letter. They cite an article in Politico that, by checking appointment records, was able to show that the Nevada lawmakers spent many hours lobbying Zinke.
They wrote, “Specifically, the Politico article raised issues of potential conflicts of interest and impartial decision making, noting that the secretary refused to even talk with members of the Connecticut delegation about these Connecticut-specific amendments while ‘MGM and its allies had direct access to Interior.”
Last September, when the tribes first submitted their compact amendments, Michael S. Black, acting assistant secretary for Indian affairs, replied that he needed more information before the department could render a decision.
He wrote, “We find there is insufficient information upon which to make a decision as to whether a new casino operated by the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot Tribes would or would not violate the exclusivity clauses of the gaming procedures.”
Two months later the tribes and the state attorney general sued the department in federal court.
