Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun say they won’t build a casino in East Windsor -- for now. The controversial project that united the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes could be the casualty of a bigger plan that involves exclusive rights to operate sports betting in Connecticut.

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• Connecticut is nearing approval of a third casino to be operated by the state’s partnership of Native American tribes, the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribal partnership (known as MMCT). The new casino would be located East Windsor, and would be the state’s first casino to be located outside of Native American reservations.
• East Windsor Town Hall 11 Rye Street, Broad Brook, CT 06016 (860) 623-8122 Town Hall Hours of Operation: Mon-Wed: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Thurs: 8:30 am – 7:00 pm Fri: 8:30 am – 1:00 pm.
• MMCT announced on Friday that it had eliminated three potential locations for the project, East Hartford, Hartford and South Windsor, and MGM’s Feldman wants to know why. Publish Analysis, says.

In a written statement, a spokesman for the joint Mashantucket Mohegan Connecticut venture said the best thing the tribes could do at a time when they’re dealing with the fallout from COVID-19 is to focus on the success of their two existing casinos.

MGM Resorts International has made good on its threat to pursue litigation to prevent the opening of an East Windsor casino operated by the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes.

While the tribes aren’t saying the project is dead, the timing is interesting -- particularly as Gov. Ned Lamont continues to dangle a possible sports betting deal to the Mohegans and Mashantucket Pequots as a way to neutralize litigation from MGM Resorts International.

The Las Vegas gaming giant has already sued over the East Windsor project in federal court. Lamont has previously touted the scrapping of plans for the third casino as a step toward his goal of getting a “global resolution” on sports betting.

On Wednesday, answering questions at a news conference, he wasn’t quite as direct.

“No, it wasn’t a condition,” the governor said, “but I think you know it was a source of aggravation to some of the outside casino places that had objections there. We’re trying to reach an accommodation where we can get sports betting and even iGaming going in the state [and] do it in a way that doesn’t prompt a litigation war of sorts.”

MGM has contended all along that it should have gotten a fair shake in securing a license for what’s essentially a commercial casino -- one built off tribal land and in direct competition with MGM’s Springfield, Massachusetts, property.

MGM wasn’t immediately available to comment for this story.

East Windsor First Selectman Jason Bowsza also hasn’t responded to Connecticut Public, but he did say in the statement provided by the tribes that the town respects the “long view approach” they’re taking before investing in a brick-and-mortar casino during a pandemic.

30-second summary

• MMCT Venture, a Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribal partnership, have been approved for casino
• US Department of the Interior gives the go-ahead for the proposed Tribal Winds Casino
• The decision comes after the threat of litigation was resumed and while a federal jury reviews the case

For several years, the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes have worked to create a casino in East Windsor, Connecticut. Working together as MMCT Venture, the tribes have fought on a federal level to bring the Tribal Winds Casino to life. Now federal approval has been given and the casino plans can move forward.

Tough Battle

In 2017, the tribes thought they were close to receiving the permission needed to build the casino. The Department of the Interior had to give the go-ahead before the construction process could begin. However, the Secretary of the Interior at the time, Ryan Zinke, turned down the request from MMCT Venture.

The tribes then decided to sue Zinke as well as President Donald Trump. MMCT Venture claimed that Republican campaign donors representing MGM Resorts and Nevada pressured Trump and Zinke to rule against the East Windsor casino plans.

The casino would compete with the MGM Springfield, which opened last year near East Windsor in neighboring Massachusetts. In February, the lawsuit filed by the tribes was revived by a federal appeals court.

At the same time that the lawsuit was revived, it was reported that a Washington grand jury was looking into whether Zinke lied to investigators about the casino project. In December, Zinke had resigned as the Secretary of the Interior after he became the subject of an ethics investigation.

Ready to begin

MMCT Venture is ready to begin the East Windsor casino project. It will create about 2,000 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs when it opens.

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Another 1,000 jobs will be created indirectly via small business vendors the tribes work with. The finished project should cost around $300m to $400m (£227m to £303m) and will contain 100,000 square feet of space.

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In a prepared statement, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Chairman Rodney Butler said: “Today is a great day for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the State of Connecticut, especially given our 400-year history together. I applaud the actions of the Department of Interior and extend my sincerest gratitude to assistant secretary Tara Sweeney and the Office of the Solicitor at the Interior Department for their assistance in resolving this matter.”