East Windsor casino gains momentum

The MMCT project for a casino in East Windsor to compete with the MGM Springfield venue has cleared a legislative committee in Connecticut.

US.- The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes, partnered under the MMCT, have gained an edge over MGM Resorts about their casino projects in Connecticut. Their East Windsor proposal has cleared a key legislative committee on Monday, despite some criticism, and moved towards being authorised before MGM’s idea for a venue in Bridgeport.

Some criticism arose and several lawmakers unsuccesfully attempted to amend the bill. The changes would have included conducting referendum in East Windsor, US$500,000 in annual payments for neighbor communities and a five percent share of proceeds to help pari-mutuel gambling venues. The bill will now move to the Senate after the favourable vote by the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee that ended up approving the MMCT project with 33 votes in favour and 13 against.

The tribal partnership hopes to open the third casino in the state in East Windsor to compete with the soon to be open MGM Springfield in Massachusetts. They say that it will help protect jobs at the existing southeastern Connecticut casinos and will keep gambling money within the state. However, the Las Vegas based company also has a project for a casino in the state, at Bridgeport, its largest city.

Despite MGM’s attempt, MMCT’s project seems to be winning the battle after a major step forward in Connecticut’s Legislature.