Connecticut Governor Supports Tribes’ Bid For A Third Casino

• Jack Gold
• May 24, 2017

Connecticut Governor has publicly come out in support of the tribes’ quest to be allowed to operate a third gaming facility.

For the first time, Dannel Malloy has said that he is contemplating on how he will personally help the two tribes run a third casino.

Malloy’s support, however, does not come for free. In fact, the governor said that he is willing to support the two tribes’ bid for another casino if the project does not interfere with the current revenue-sharing agreement that exists between the tribes’ revenue compact with the state about the other casinos.

The Governor warns that if the new project comes with a complication that is likely to trigger or even avert the revenue0-sharing deal that has been there for a long time between the two tribes and the state, he will not support it.

Malloy further said that even the attempt of a new regulation that will negatively impact the current revenue-sharing deal would make the project stall.

During an interview with Connecticut Mirror, a local journal, Malloy said that there is no better approach to casino expansion than resorting to the tribal way.

However, the Governor warned that the only reason he will be compelled to sign any legislation that would go before him is when the legislation does not in any way interfere with the current revenue sharing deal that has existed between the state and the two tribes.

“If what is brought before me to sign talks about how to end unemployment and to usher in more revenue for the state, I do not have any problem. I will do fast to assent to it knowing that first, it helps in the employment of thousands of our youths and second, it will increase our source of revenue for several of our development projects, not otherwise,” Malloy told the reporter.

Remember that the Governor has in the recent denied the idea, which if left to pass, would allow for the opening of bids leading to the commercializing the East Windsor casino project. That would mean MGM Resorts get the best chance of rushing for the attempt to acquire a license, using whatever resources at their disposal to help the gaming giant safeguard the interests of MGM Springfield, which is nearing its end.

A third casino by the two tribes in East Windsor has come as a potent threat to MGM Resorts’ Springfield project that has been estimated to take $950 million.

Although not yet completed, MGM Springfield, which is only 13 miles away from East Windsor, is worried about where it will get its revenue from because when putting up the gaming facility, the operator looked up for clients from Connecticut’s tribes as potential visitors who will help run the business.

However, now, with the two American Native tribes scratching their heads hard on how to get a license to operate a third casino in the area, MGM Springfield is worried.