State House Authorizes East Windsor Casino Plan

HARTFORD, CT — The Connecticut House of Representatives, by a vote of 103 to 46, gave final legislative passage to a bill concerning the expansion of casinos in the state in a vote Tuesday.

The legislation is Senate Bill 957, An Act Concerning the Regulation of Gaming and the Authorization of a Casino Gaming Facility in the State. The bill was adopted by the state Senate in a largely bipartisan vote of 24 to 12 last month, and will be transmitted to the desk of Gov. Dannel Malloy for his signature.

The bill authorizes MMCT, a joint venture between the Mohegan and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribes, to operate a third satellite casino in East Windsor.

In addition to the retention of 9,300 existing jobs, the East Windsor casino is expected to create 1,700 construction jobs, and 1,700 casino facility operation jobs – 1,275 of which will be permanent, full time positions – and generate tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue to the state of Connecticut.

In a written statement, Malloy said, “I commend and thank both chambers of the General Assembly for keeping Connecticut jobs and workers at the center of this debate. Our state has a longstanding partnership and compact with the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribal nations who employ thousands of Connecticut residents in their casinos. I have been very clear that I will not sign a bill that puts these jobs at risk, and I look forward to reviewing this proposal.”

Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman said, “Connecticut has strong partnerships with both the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribal nations. These partnerships have helped grow our economy and bolster tourism and commerce – they’ve also cemented a deep mutual respect. We hope this will continue long into the future. I thank the Senate and House for sending this bill to the governor’s desk.”

“I’m pleased that my colleagues in the House of Representatives were able to see this legislation for what it is – a bill to protect jobs, revenue and the largest driver of our state’s tourism economy,” State Sen. Tim Larson. “I have said time and again, because it’s true, that Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino are world class businesses, and it is imperative that we do not turn our backs on two of our best industry partners in the state or the people they employ. This is a big win for Connecticut’s economy and the thousands of employees who work in tourism, the service industry and gaming in our state. I’m proud that the legislature has shown strong support for workers in our state in these final hours of our legislative session.”

Photo courtesy of MMCT Venture