East Windsor Chosen to Host Casino; Town to Receive Millions in Payments

EAST WINDSOR, CT — The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribes on Monday released more details about how they chose East Windsor as the site for a proposed "entertainment and gaming facility" in the Hartford region ... and it means millions in payments each year to the town.

The casino site is the old Showcase Cinema complex near Interstate-91.

“From the beginning, we’ve said that we want to site our new facility in a town that’s eager to have us. With the unanimous vote by the Board of Selectmen, East Windsor fits that bill, and we’re thrilled to enter into a partnership with them,” said Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.

“Today’s announcement is a critical step towards our goal of saving Connecticut jobs and revenue,” said Kevin Brown, chairman of the Mohegan Tribe. “We’re honored to have the community of East Windsor by our side as we move forward with bringing our facility to life.”

A development agreement was voted on and passed unanimously by the East Windsor Board of Selectmen on Saturday. The agreement states that the venture's holding company, MMCT, will pay the Town $3 million no later than 15 months before the gaming facility opens. MMCT will also pay the Town $3 million annually on top of regular tax payments, which are expected to total approximately $5.5 million per year.

MMCT officials said they have committed to use of union labor for construction of the facility.

"And the permanent jobs at the casino will be good paying jobs with good benefits," the developer said in a statement released Monday.

The agreement stipulates that no less than 4 percent of the casino work force will be made up of East Windsor residents, and no less than 15 percent of the employees will live within a 25-mile radius of the facility.

The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribes will be hosting two job fairs in East Windsor.

About 75 percent of the positions at the new casino will be full-time, officials said.

The tribes and the town will conduct a signing ceremony on the agreement in the near future, officials said.

Photo Credit: MMCT