Connecticut Senate approves casino amendment

The state Senate has given the okay to the amended agreements that would authorise the first tribal Connecticut casino in non-tribal land.

US.- After the Governor of Connecticut, Dannel Malloy signed a bill that finally allows the tribal gaming company MMCT to build the state’s third casino in East Windsor, and the House approved the amended compacts and the memorandum of understading between the state and the tribes, the Senate decided to follow the same path and accepted the changes on Monday.

The 27-8 vote happened exactly one week after the House supported the amendment in favor of the MMCT venture, conformed by the Mashantucket Pequot and the Mohegan tribes. The next step for a third casino in the state that would compete with the upcoming MGM Springfield is now up to the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, which would also approve the measure smoothly.

The US$300 million casino project the MMCT plans to develop in East Windsor surged as a response to the MGM Springfield, that will open in 2018, just across the Massachussetts border. MGM tried to get a casino for themselves within Connecticut in order to shut down any potential tribal competition, but their campaign ultimately failed. Last month, Gov. Malloy also authorised the operation of an entertainment and casino gaming facility in East Windsor through the signing of Public Act 17-89. This foresees an initial US$1 million payment from the MMCT to the state, as well as 25 percent of GGR from the casino’s video facsimile games and another 25 percent of GGR from all other authorised games.

Nevertheless, MGM pledged to keep challenging the state’s process in court, as fox61.com reported.