"In an astounding move that could only occur in a state with the two largest casino resorts in the world, the Mashantucket Pequots are adding an MGM Mirage casino in a deal announced earlier this week.

So let's see if I can get this straight. The Schaghticokes - with more native American blood than the Mashantuckets - are shut down in their bid for federal recognition and the right to run a casino, thanks in large part to opposition organized by the governor, attorney general and our congressional delegation.

Now the Mashantuckets, who kept stony-silent during the Schaghticokes' long fight for recognition, bring in MGM Mirage. There are plans for more development by the two gambling behemoths - here, in Las Vegas and in Atlantic City.

Is this what the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act is about - the world's wealthiest Indian tribe opening the backdoor for the nation's second largest casino operator?

Casino gambling has been good for many tribes, offering for the first time real economic development that has meant schools, roads, housing and political clout.

But now the act has also become corporate welfare for MGM Mirage."

Get the Story:
Rick Green: The Dollar Almighty At New Resort (The Harford Courant 4/28)
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