Connecticut tribal casino gets federal approval
The federal government has approved a Connecticut tribal casino, which joint venture MMCT will now begin to develop in East Windsor.
US.- After years of fighting the government, the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes have finally won their battle. Construction work will begin at their Connecticut tribal casino in East Windsor after they received federal government’s approval.
“I’m very happy that finally we’ve got a decision,” state Senator Cathy Osten, who represents the casino’s district, said. “I can’t wait to get out there to cut the ribbon as people pour into Tribal Winds.”
Osten had co-sponsored a bill to let tribal joint venture MMCT open the venue without federal approval. However, she believes it will likely not go up for a vote after recent news.
The venue will be developed outside tribal land as it was proposed to counter the MGM Springfield over the Massachusetts state border.
The struggle
The development faced several hurdles. One of the bills under consideration to let the MMCT introduce a casino in East Windsor required both tribes to have a federal compact in place. However, the DoI approved a compact for the Mohegan tribe, but not for the Pequot tribe.
The main issue, however, lied with an investigation launched by the DoI’s Office of the Inspector General, in which former Secretary Zinke may have lied. That’s why prosecutors have begun presenting evidence in Washington to assess whether he should be charged with any crimes related to a potential false testimony.
