Lawmakers urge DoI to approve East Windsor casino

A Connecticut Senator exhorted the incoming DoI Secretary to approve the state’s gaming compact to approve the East Windsor casino.

US.- The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribes have been pushing to open a new casino in East Windsor, outside tribal land, through their joint venture, the MMCT, but have hit several hurdles. That’s why Senator Richard Blumenthal has urged the successor to Department of Interior (DoI) Secretary Ryan Zinke to approve changes to Connecticut’s revenue-sharing compact in order to get the venue up and running as soon as possible.

“The decision about the compact was legally completely misguided and wrongheaded,” Blumenthal said. “It ought to be a new day for the new casino and this tribal initiative.”

The lawmaker pushed an investigation into Secretary Zinke but the government official resigned last weekend, which brought hope to potential approval for the compact changes and the casino development’s progress.

State Senator Cathy Osten has taken the bull by the horns and is pushing a bill to remove the requirement for the tribes to receive federal approval for casinos.

“I did say, and continue to say, the Interior Secretary was the main divider on this issue after he called MGM and the legislators from Nevada,” Osten said. However, she explained that lawmakers would need to approve her bill and then remove Interior’s approval from the casino expansion legislation in order to move on with East Windsor’s venue.