Connecticut looks like it is all set to get its third land-based casino after the state’s House of Representatives approved the bill. The vote on the bill took place in the early hours of the morning, on Wednesday the 07 June 2017. This bill will allow for the construction of a third casino in the state of Connecticut, and the first casino to be built outside of Native American tribal lands.
Connecticut Bill a Big Win for Gamblers
We’ve spoken about the proposal for the third casino before, but the good news is that it now officially has the green light. The casino will be built in East Windsor, placing it close to the state’s border with Massachusetts.
The bill is definitely one of the more controversial bills to be passed in recent memory. The house took a considerable amount of time to discuss the bill before voting, but once voting was finished, the bill passed with 103-46 votes.
The bill isn’t just limited to the new casino but will also authorize an expansion plan for more off-track betting in the state. On top of this, the bill also allows the state to start laying the legal groundwork for legal sports betting. However, this is all dependant on the results of the case that New Jersey is taking to the Supreme Court.
MMC Faces on more Challenge in Connecticut
The third casino will be jointly run by the state’s two existing Native American tribes. A joint enterprise called MMC between the Mohegans and the Mashantucket Pequots. The two tribes already run one casino each and will both run the new location.
While the two tribes are no doubt celebrating this victory, there looks to be one last hurdle to overcome. The casino operator MGM believes that this new bill is a constitutional violation, due to the lack of competition on non-tribal land. MGM has stated that it will challenge the East Windsor casino in the federal court for violating the Equal Protection and Commerce clauses of the Constitution. Time will tell how this develops.
