satellite casino bill<\/a> earmarked the gambling facility for the state’s two Native American groups, the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes, which will jointly build and operate the new project.<\/span><\/p>\nOfficials with MGM maintain that Connecticut failed to engage in a competitive bidding process, and is effectively expanding gambling without the consent of voters. Politicians, including Governor Dannel Malloy (D), say that’s not true, and that the satellite is simply to protect jobs and keep gaming dollars in the state.<\/span><\/p>\nThe tribes will pay the Connecticut $1 million up front for the 200,000-square-foot satellite casino, and plan to jointly invest $300 million on its construction. The Class III property will share 25 percent of its gross revenues with the state, which is a similar agreement to ones with Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun.<\/span><\/p>\nThe casino will house 2,000 slot machines and up to 150 tables. <\/span><\/p>\nOne Final Hurdle <\/b><\/span><\/h2>\nWith MGM’s case tossed out, the only obstacle remaining is gaining the approval of the US Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The federal agency had opined last summer that it saw no reason the East Windsor site shouldn’t be approved for a tribal casino. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
The federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) allows tribes to request that the US Department of the Interior (DOI) take recently acquired lands into trust. But in order to achieve such a classification, tribes must demonstrate that the property “consolidates or enhances tribal lands,” and must prove they have an historical link to the region. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nBoth Native American groups have long ties to various parts of New England, and that extends across to Connecticut as well. With the historical component seemingly solved, the tribes will simply have to make their case that an East Windsor casino will enhance the tribes’ prosperity. <\/span><\/p>\nOnce the BIA issues approval, as it’s expected to do, construction will begin shortly thereafter on the casino. Both MGM and the tribes are racing to open their doors, hoping to establish customer loyalty first.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Legal efforts by MGM Resorts to block construction of a third casino in Connecticut have suffered a defeat, after the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan rejected the gaming operator’s rehearing request. MGM argues that Connecticut violated its own state constitution when it signed off on plans in late June to authorize a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":58356,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,18],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
MGM Lawsuit to Block Connecticut Casino Dismissed by Appeals Court<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n