{"id":30320,"date":"2015-08-06T11:38:06","date_gmt":"2015-08-06T18:38:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=30320"},"modified":"2015-08-06T16:14:07","modified_gmt":"2015-08-06T23:14:07","slug":"mgm-sues-connecticut-over-alleged-unfair-casino-expansion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-sues-connecticut-over-alleged-unfair-casino-expansion\/","title":{"rendered":"MGM Sues Connecticut Over Alleged Unfair Casino Expansion"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>MGM Resorts International isn&#8217;t happy about what it sees as a missed opportunity to build a Connecticut property, even though the gaming operator is also midway towards erecting one in neighboring Massachusetts.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_30328\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30328\" data-style=\"width: 471px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30328\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Connecticut-Governor-Danell-P.-Malloy-MGM-lawsuit.jpg\" alt=\"Connecticut Governor Danell P. Malloy, who is named in the MGM lawsuit claiming that Connecticut\u2019s new hastily passed casino bill is unconstitutional. (Image: thehealystrategy.com)\" width=\"471\" height=\"314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Connecticut-Governor-Danell-P.-Malloy-MGM-lawsuit.jpg 635w, https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Connecticut-Governor-Danell-P.-Malloy-MGM-lawsuit-142x95.jpg 142w, https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Connecticut-Governor-Danell-P.-Malloy-MGM-lawsuit-166x110.jpg 166w, https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Connecticut-Governor-Danell-P.-Malloy-MGM-lawsuit-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Connecticut-Governor-Danell-P.-Malloy-MGM-lawsuit-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 471px) 100vw, 471px\" \/><figcaption  id=\"caption-attachment-30328\"class=\"text-description\">Connecticut Governor Danell Malloy is named in the MGM lawsuit claiming that Connecticut\u2019s new hastily passed casino bill is unconstitutional and precluded MGM unfairly from competing for its own spot in the state. (Image: thehealystrategy.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Now, the company\u00a0has fired the first retaliatory shots back across the Massachusetts-Connecticut border in the form of a lawsuit that seeks to put the kibosh on Connecticut\u2019s speedy casino expansion, saying it was unfairly excluded from bidding to build one of its own.<\/p>\n<p>The suit claims that the Constitution State\u2019s new casino bill, which was recently signed into law by Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, is, ironically, unconstitutional, and should be scrapped. The casino giant is asking a federal court to declare the bill \u201cinvalid, null, and void in its entirety.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the latest salvo in an escalating casino war between the two states. Massachusetts\u2019 recent resolution to legalize casino gaming, and the granting of the south Massachusetts license to MGM, means that Connecticut will soon be facing off with an $800 million MGM casino resort just a few miles across its northern border, in Springfield.<\/p>\n<p>The increased competition could be catastrophic for Connecticut\u2019s already struggling casino industry, which comprises Foxwoods and the Mohegan Sun resorts. MGM has made no secret of its desire to attract customers from Connecticut, and estimates that some 40 percent of footfall will come from its neighbor state. But that doesn&#8217;t mean the company doesn&#8217;t want presence in Connecticut as well.<\/p>\n<h2>Satellite Casino<\/h2>\n<p>MGM\u2019s Springfield resort is expected to open in 2018. Meanwhile, Connecticut decided to get out there first, by passing a law allowing it to open a \u201csatellite casino\u201d along the Interstate 91, which can be built in a shorter time frame. All it needed to do was make the necessary adjustments to the state\u2019s constitution to allow it to host casino gambling outside of tribal lands.<\/p>\n<p>The satellite casino, which has been derided by MGM President Jim Murren as a \u201cbox of slots,\u201d would be operated jointly by the state&#8217;s two tribal gaming purveyors: the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes.<\/p>\n<p>Connecticut has sanctioned two casinos in its southeast since the early nineties on tribal lands, in return for a portion of the profits, but only Mohegans and the Mashantucket Pequots have been permitted to operate casinos in the state.<\/p>\n<p>This is the basis, apparently, of MGM\u2019s legal challenge, which accuses Connecticut of illegally stifling commercial competition and affording the tribes preferential treatment.<\/p>\n<h2>One Foot Already In<\/h2>\n<p>MGM actually was almost into the Connecticut gaming market as far back as 2006. After giving the colossal Foxwoods rights to use its company name for its hotel adjunct in a licensing deal, MGM later ended the agreement when, in 2013, it decided to put up its own MGM Springfield across the way in Massachusetts.<\/p>\n<p>But with a feasibility study already wrapped up regarding entry into the Connecticut casino market, MGM still maintained an interest in setting up shop in the state at some point down the road. As an operator with 13 Las Vegas Strip properties, the company clearly has no problem being represented by more than one casino in any given market. So it certainly wouldn&#8217;t have a problem doing so in a neighboring state, but feels it has been prevented from fairly competing for such an opportunity by Connecticut&#8217;s hasty move to open up shop on its own.<\/p>\n<p>In its filing on this issue, the company made its position clear.&#8221;MGM is &#8230; not as a practical or economic matter precluded from developing a casino in Connecticut simply because MGM Springfield is located near Connecticut.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>\u201cSmacks of Desperation\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;MGM is ready, willing, and able to compete for the opportunity to develop a commercial casino gaming facility in Connecticut, but is excluded by the act from competing for this opportunity,&#8221; the complaint continued.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"main-blockquote\"><p>Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) said this week, however, that MGM\u2019s lawsuit \u201csmacks of desperation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We shouldn&#8217;t be intimidated by MGM, and I&#8217;m certainly not going to let the thousands of employees who have good wages, good health benefits, retirement plans, get caught up in some sort of bullying tactic by a private company,&#8221; he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>A spokesman from Connecticut\u2019s Attorney General\u2019s said they were examining the complaint and &#8220;will respond at the appropriate time in court.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MGM Resorts International isn&#8217;t happy about what it sees as a missed opportunity to build a Connecticut property, even though the gaming operator is also midway towards erecting one in neighboring Massachusetts. Now, the company\u00a0has fired the first retaliatory shots back across the Massachusetts-Connecticut border in the form of a lawsuit that seeks to put [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":30328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,18],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>MGM Sues Connecticut Over Alleged Unfair Casino Expansion<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"MGM sues over casino border war, as Connecticut and Massachusetts casino squabble gets litigious.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MGM Sues Connecticut Over Alleged Unfair Casino Expansion\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"MGM sues over casino border war, as Connecticut and Massachusetts casino squabble gets litigious.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-sues-connecticut-over-alleged-unfair-casino-expansion\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Casino.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Casino.OrgNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-08-06T18:38:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-08-06T23:14:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Connecticut-Governor-Danell-P.-Malloy-MGM-lawsuit.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"635\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"423\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Casino.org Staff Writer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Casino.org Staff Writer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-sues-connecticut-over-alleged-unfair-casino-expansion\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-sues-connecticut-over-alleged-unfair-casino-expansion\/\",\"name\":\"MGM Sues Connecticut Over Alleged Unfair Casino Expansion\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-sues-connecticut-over-alleged-unfair-casino-expansion\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-sues-connecticut-over-alleged-unfair-casino-expansion\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Connecticut-Governor-Danell-P.-Malloy-MGM-lawsuit.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-08-06T18:38:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-08-06T23:14:07+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8c48bf89dc86da77b4d856c7b3b78d77\"},\"description\":\"MGM sues over casino border war, as Connecticut and Massachusetts casino squabble gets litigious.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-sues-connecticut-over-alleged-unfair-casino-expansion\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-sues-connecticut-over-alleged-unfair-casino-expansion\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-sues-connecticut-over-alleged-unfair-casino-expansion\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Connecticut-Governor-Danell-P.-Malloy-MGM-lawsuit.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Connecticut-Governor-Danell-P.-Malloy-MGM-lawsuit.jpg\",\"width\":635,\"height\":423,\"caption\":\"Connecticut Governor Danell P. Malloy, who is named in the MGM lawsuit claiming that Connecticut\u2019s new hastily passed casino bill is unconstitutional. 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Malloy, who is named in the MGM lawsuit claiming that Connecticut\u2019s new hastily passed casino bill is unconstitutional. 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