The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Lamont backs tribal casino
Gov. leaning toward tribe-run resort in Bridgeport
HARTFORD — As gambling negotiations with the Connecticut tribes enter their fifth month, Gov. Ned Lamont is privately inclined to back efforts to bring a tribal casino to Bridgeport, instead of a deal for an MGM resort in the city, multiple sources said.
Lamont does not want to risk losing state revenue by jeopardizing a longstanding gambling compact with the tribes. But he wants to bring jobs and economic development to Bridgeport.
The governor spoke of his support for the tribes in unequivocal terms at the Connecticut Conference on Tourism on Wednesday, which was sponsored by both Foxwoods Resort and Mohegan Sun, owned by the tribes.
“Together we’ve had a very strong bond and contract going back well over a generation,” Lamont said. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that contract stays intact. We are working together going forward.”
Lamont also said, “I want to do something in Bridgeport, that’s for sure.”
He publicly added he’d love to make a deal that involves both tribes as well as MGM, that honors the compact and includes internet and sports betting. He doesn’t think that kind of deal will be done before the legislature adjourns in June, however.
Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequots, joined Lamont to speak to reporters at the conference. He said his tribe is open to establishing a facility in Bridgeport, which they have previously stated, even as they move
ahead on construction of an East Windsor casino with the Mohegans.
“We looked at Bridgeport 20 years ago back in 1996, we actually won that bid,” Butler said. “So if it makes financial sense for us in the state, we’d certainly consider that as an option.”
MGM Resorts International has drawn plans for a $675 million resort casino on Bridgeport Harbor and the creation of 2,000 local jobs.
It’s unclear if the tribes could afford a similar facility or where they would locate one. Foxwoods has had months of declining revenue, hurt by a new MGM Springfield casino.
Butler said in an interview the tribes are not actively looking at sites in Bridgeport, but are analyzing what size casino development the market could support.
“We’re at a 40,000-foot level,” he said.
Staff-level negotiations between the governor’s office and tribes have been occurring weekly and will continue, Butler said.
MGM has also had meetings with the governor, though.
“While we appreciate Governor Lamont’s diligent efforts to work with all parties and put Connecticut’s interests first, our view remains, and the residents of Connecticut overwhelmingly agree, that an open, competitive, transparent process is the best way for Connecticut to maximize economic benefits,” the company said in a statement. “In our view, that is as true for a commercial casino license as it is for sports wagering.”
Casino policy is tied up with the legalization of sports betting in Connecticut, both of which need to be negotiated in relation to the 1993 compact, which gives the tribes gambling exclusivity. In exchange, the tribes pay the state 25 percent of gross slots revenue, handing over about $8 billion total.
Although a tribal casino would still bring development to Bridgeport, it flies in the face of legislation that Bridgeport and New Haven lawmakers have supported for years: a plan to issue a request for proposals to construct a commercial casino in Connecticut.
“Together we’ve had a very strong bond and contract going back well over a generation. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that contract stays intact. We are working together going forward.”
Gov. Ned Lamont
That plan would allow MGM, which has a land contract with the property owners of Steel Point waterfront peninsula, to bid to build a Bridgeport casino, but potentially other companies could bid, too.
“A job is a job for the people of the city of Bridgeport, no matter where it is coming from,” said Rep. Chris Rosario, D-Bridgeport. “But with that said, we’ve been steadfast. MGM has a commitment to Steel Point. They’ve been committed to the city of Bridgeport, and although the tribes have been committed to the state of Connecticut and the city of Bridgeport through the Pequot fund, they haven’t really had a presence in the city up until recently with their agreement with the [Webster Bank] arena, and even that has kind of underwhelmed.”
The Bridgeport and New Haven delegations met Wednesday afternoon to discuss gambling. They emerged from the meeting continuing to back the proposals to get commercial casino bids, Rosario said.
Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim did not indicate a preference for a commercial versus tribal casino in his city on Wednesday.
“There has been no shift in our focus or goals to have Bridgeport be the host destination of a premium casino-resort,” Ganim said. “This remains a top priority for me, and I am committed to working with the Bridgeport delegation and the Governor’s office to move forward any investment in our city that will increase jobs opportunities, and complement the city’s growing entertainment district.”