Mohegan Tribe Chairman Kevin Brown, left, and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Chairman Rodney Butler. Photo from CT Jobs Matter
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe vowed to move quickly with plans for a new casino in Connecticut but the process appears to be falling further and further behind. The tribes put out a request for bids last October, and received five proposals a month later. They hoped to select a site by December 15, 2015, but that deadline has come and gone amid talks with the potential host communities. But even if the tribes were to pick a location soon, they have to ask the Connecticut Legislature to approve the casino. Key lawmakers are telling The Connecticut Post that's not likely to happen before the end of their current session on May 4.
The New England Casino Race: Tribal and commercial gaming facilities in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island
“Until they pick that location there’s not much we can do legislatively to move that ball forward,” Speaker of the House Brendan Sharkey told the Post. “As every day goes by it’s less likely for us to act.” The tribes are looking at sites in an area near the Massachusetts border. They hope to counteract competition from the $950 million casino that's going up in Springfield, about 10 miles across the state line. Get the Story:
Casino legislation unlikely this year (The Connecticut Post 4/21)
Senate approves bill seeking study of eastern Connecticut employment transition (The New London Day 4/22)
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