Coalition against MGM Bridgeport casino
A state Senator said that the bill that Governor Malloy signed into law and allowed MGM to build a new casino was a bad move.
US.- Connecticut Senator Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, has claimed that he’s against MGM’s new casino in Bridgeport as he believes that the bill that Governor Mallow signed into law is a bad move. After his revelations the same day of the announcement, he said that a coalition of groups joined him in his fight against the casino.
“When Gov. Malloy signed the casino expansion bill into law, I noted that a casino somewhere in Fairfield County could one day be our reality. I said that Gov. Malloy placed his bet. He signed a bad bill. When he signed it, Gov. Malloy should have said, ‘See you in court,’ because that’s where this issue will be for years and years,” said Hwang.
Moreover, he explained that whilst economically it makes sense to expand casino gambling when the Northeast faces a growing casino glut, the state cannot base a successful and sustainable economy on gambling.
“And what about the human costs? Casinos spread gambling addiction, debt, bankruptcies and crime. We cannot ignore the societal costs that gambling has brought to Connecticut: The families that have been torn apart, the lost hopes and the suicides. I will continue to raise awareness about the costs of expanded gambling and speak out for the victims,” he added.
A coalition of religious and grassroots groups joined him in his fight over the new casino. “The Coalition Against Casino Expansion in Connecticut is comprised of Catholics, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Muslim, Methodists and Baptists. We have undertaken what many call a ‘David vs. Goliath’ fight, but this is a fight worth having, and we will not give up,” he added, as local media reported.
MGM Resorts International is set to collaborate with RCI Group in order to bring the project to life, which would require the approval of the state legislature before it can proceed. The proposal is likely to reignite the discussion of wether the gaming industry in Connecticut can be shared and how much pressure it would present to the two tribal casinos in the state, Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods
The deal establishes that a US$600 million casino will be built in Bridgeport, the largest city in the state and it will feature 2000 slot machines, 160 table games, a 300 room hotel and a 700 theater as well as restaurants. Moreover, the project is set to create 7k additional jobs in the city.
