Opinion: Connecticut tribes face challenges to gaming empire

Who shall reign supreme in the Northeast Gaming world? It all started with Foxwoods in Connecticut and then followed by Mohegan Sun. Both were splendid statements of tribal gaming expertise and profitability. Then, some others entered the picture, however, in a smaller fashion, such as Twin River Casino in Rhode Island and several in Maine. The field has opened further now with Massachusetts, where residents used to play particularly with the Connecticut Casinos, soon to open several of their own, plus a shots parlor. Two major enterprises are planned, one for Springfield and another for the Boston market. These will no doubt further drain the revenue flowing South. Plus, there is on the state books another opportunity for Southeast Massachusetts. Throw into the mix that New York has expanded their casino count, as well. To date, the only non-participating states in the Northeast are New Hampshire and Vermont. Who shall hold or exceed the market share for Gaming, will there be something for everyone or have we reached the point of dilution?

Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are not standing pat; they have joined forces to propose several casinos, placed strategically around Connecticut to thwart the results of Gaming encroachment. They, jointly, would run the enterprises, aimed at the market represented by New York state, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Historically, this is reminiscent of the Iroquois Confederacy(also called Iroquois League, Five nations or Six Nations) during the 17th and 18th centuries, where the Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga and Seneca (and later the Tuscarora) which stood together to avoid the invasions by the French and English. This was an extremely effective confederacy, an inter-tribal council, united in their common causes. We probably shall see more of these tribal business partnerships, as more casinos come on line or markets are threatened.