Lamont to lawmakers: Don’t act on casino deal
“This 11th hour proposal has not been fully vetted or reviewed, and with only one day until the end of session, it’s not in the public’s best interest to take up this matter.” Maribel La Luz, communications director for Gov. Ned Lamont
HARTFORD — The legislature should not pass a last-ditch measure for a Bridgeport casino operated by the tribes, Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration said Wednesday after being largely excluded from recent negotiations.
“This 11th hour proposal has not been fully vetted or reviewed, and with only one day until the end of session, it’s not in the public’s best interest to take up this matter,” said Maribel La Luz, communications director for Lamont. “Instead of resolving outstanding litigation, it puts the state at increased and immediate litigation risk from multiple parties.”
Several legislative leaders also rejected the city and the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes’ proposal — circulated late Tuesday night — to build a small casino in Bridgeport and win exclusive rights to sports betting and online gambling.
“It looks like the state would be handing over the keys to the candy store, relative to giving the tribes exclusivity not only with the casino, but with i-gaming and sports betting,” said Rep. Joe Verrengia, D-West Hartford, chair of the Public Safety and Security Committee, which oversees gambling.
The General Assembly adjourns Wednesday at midnight, but a casino deal could be revived in a special legislative session this summer. La Luz left open the possibility that the governor would support a future, different casino deal.
The city and tribes’ proposal describes a $100 million tribal investment in a casino, $100 million from the state and possibly the city for nearby infrastructure and $150 million for a resort hotel financed by a private company, that has not been selected.
The total project would bring $350 million in economic development to Bridgeport — about half the investment MGM Resorts International offered in its own casino plan.
“The idea is that the casino is the anchor,” said Andrew Doba, spokesman for the tribes’ joint casino venture, MMCT. “The goal is for an initial investment by the tribes to spur additional private development.”
But public money would be required too. A new Municipal Redevelopment Authority, a quasi-public group created in the state budget passed Tuesday, could help bond for part of the project.
Under the proposal, the tribes, who under a decades-old compact have exclusive right to run “casino games” in Connecticut, would gain the right to operate sports betting online and in person. They would also get exclusive rights to run internet casino games — although the Connecticut Lottery Corporation could expand Keno games to online.
The tribes would also be granted permission to open three “entertainment zone facilities” in other towns, where sports wagering, e-sports and other events would be held. Their casino bars could stay open later, possibly 24 hours a day.
The Bridgeport casino would be the tribes’ fourth in Connecticut — they would keep their authorization for a joint casino in East Windsor.
Tuesday night, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim and tribal leaders, including Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequots, met with legislative leaders at the state Capitol, secretively distributing a oneand-a-quarter page summary outlining this proposal.
Legislators, who participated in the late night meetings, pointed to problems with the bold request.
Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, who was the impetus for the recent negotiations, said Wednesday it was promising that the tribes and Bridgeport were now on the same page. But he saw issues in the proposition that could make it unlikely to pass his chamber.
“As it’s written, I think it would be difficult to cobble the votes together, but is it an excellent starting point for negotiations and maybe some clarifications in some of the areas? Yeah,” said Aresimowicz. “I know my caucus in the past has been very leery of doing internet gambling, when its not sport gambling, just overall internet gambling. That’s been an issue. The 24-hour, seven days a week serving of alcohol that’s been an issue.”
Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, dismissed Bridgeport and the tribes’ proposal as a “wish list.”
Verrengia would not support a plan that did not offer sports betting to offtrack betting operators, like New Haven-based Sportech, and the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, he said.
He doubted the level of investment proposed would create a thriving development.
“What can you build for $100 million?” Verrengia asked. “From a national perspective, this is exactly how not to expand gaming because the attraction for the casinos now is the entertainment value, not just the slots and gambling. How you would attract a private developer around that to me is questionable.”
The New Haven delegation, who would have won a job training center under the MGM casino proposal, is upset they have been cut out of the casino talks and, under the new proposal, would get nothing.
The proposed Bridgeport casino is smaller than the $675 million waterfront resort and gambling facility that MGM wanted to bring to the city. But Bridgeport leaders have abandoned a call for an open bidding process that would allow MGM to compete for a casino license — a move that could threaten the compact, which delivers hundreds of millions in revenue to the state each year.
Still, the new deal could invite a lawsuit from MGM and Sportech, who appear to be shut out.
“Litigation is part of the cost of doing business whether you are building a mall, a church or a casino,” said Doba, spokesman for the tribes.
The Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes now operate Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos respectively. They have not yet started construction of their East Windsor casino, Tribal Winds, because it appears they do not yet have the financing.
In months of negotiations this winter and spring, Lamont’s administration wanted the tribes to abandon the East Windsor casino and open shop in Bridgeport instead. The tribes refused.