Malloy: State and Casino Futures 'Intertwined'

It wasn’t quite as historic as the visits of Pope John Paul II to Cuba or the UK, but Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s stop at the Mashantucket Tribal Nation today marked the first time a sitting Connecticut governor has made an official visit to Mashantucket in recent memory, possibly since the reservation was established in 1667.

Accompanied by Economic & Community Development Deputy Commissioner Christopher “Kip” Bergstrom, Malloy continued his “Tourism and Jobs” tour Thursday with a visit to Mohegan Sun in the morning, followed by a visit to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, and later Foxwoods Resort Casino. 

Malloy met and visited with tribal elders at the Pequot Museum as they toured the expansive facility's many exhibits. And then, to Foxwoods, where he discussed with executives and staff the role of casino destinations in the tourism industry and the state’s economic development strategy. He noted that tourism is one of the top five producers of jobs in Connecticut.

After meeting and shaking hands with the entire staff in the high rollers area, Malloy said it was an honor to visit Mashantucket, and apologized for past governors who failed to make the trip.

“Clearly my administration wants a good, strong working relationship with the two casinos in our state. Our futures are intertwined,” he said.

Malloy said the state is committed to promoting beyond its borders what Connecticut has to offer. He said the state is planning to work with the tourism industry on an advertising campaign, committing up to $15 million in state money toward the effort.

“We want to drive more traffic to the state on multiple levels, and we look forward to working with all of you here,” he said. “We want people to visit here, live here, work here and have their meetings here.”

Tribal Chairman Rodney A. Butler said the governor’s visit shows how the relationship between tribe and state has progressed.

“It shows our willingness to work together, and the mutual respect between the two parties,” Butler said. “It’s amazingly significant when you think about it from that perspective.”

Butler noted that the tribe and state have long been partners through the gaming compact that brought legalized gambling to the Connecticut in exchange for 25 percent of Foxwoods’ slot machine earnings.

“We’ve always been partners, for almost the past 20 years now, through the gaming compact, but we’ve never truly embraced that. And Gov. Malloy is showing that he’s embracing that and willing to try to expand on that,” Butler said.

The two casinos are the largest in North America and have world-class resorts. The Mohegan Tribe, owner of the Mohegan Sun casino, employs more than 9,000 people, and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and Foxwoods employs around 10,000 people.