Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed legislation yesterday afternoon that will authorize the operation of an entertainment and casino gaming facility in East Windsor.
The legislation, Public Act 17-89 – An Act Concerning the Regulation of Gaming and the Authorization of a Casino Gaming Facility in the State, was adopted by both chambers of the state legislature with broad, bipartisan support. It specifies that the casino will be owned and operated by MMCT Venture LLC, a joint venture of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes.
As required under the legislation, a $1 million initial payment will be made by MMCT to the state of Connecticut. Under the regular operations of the casino, the state will receive 25 percent of gross gaming revenue (GGR) from the operation of video facsimile games, and 25 percent of GGR from all other authorized games, with 10 percent of that amount going to the state’s tourism efforts and the remaining 15 percent toward the state’s general fund. Additionally, MMCT will give $300,000 annually to address the issue of problem gambling. The costs of regulatory oversight conducted by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) will also be borne by MMCT. Furthermore, the towns of Ellington, Enfield, South Windsor, Windsor Locks, East Hartford and Hartford will receive annual grants from the state of $750,000.
“Over the years, our state has maintained a longstanding partnership and compact with the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribal nations, who employ thousands of Connecticut residents at their casinos,” Malloy said in a statement. “Make no mistake about it – the legislation I signed today is about jobs for the residents of Connecticut, and securing those jobs in our state.”
“With a stroke of the pen, we are that much closer to turning our proposal for an entertainment and gaming facility in East Windsor into reality,” Mohegan Tribal Council Chairman Kevin Brown said in a statement. “We’re excited about the future, and tremendously thankful for the leadership of the governor and the many legislators from both parties who rallied to protect jobs in our state that would otherwise have been lost.”
The legislation gives DCP oversight, licensing, and regulation over the East Windsor casino, and any other casino that may be authorized by the legislature in the future.
