A 100,000-square-foot satellite casino proposed for a former cinema property in East Windsor is intended to protect Foxwoods’ and Mohegan Sun’s market share and their revenue-sharing payments to the state of Connecticut. Courtesy image

An East Windsor casino proposed by the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes may now have the go-ahead from the federal government, but it still faces a lawsuit from an abutter before the proposal advances any further.

According to The Day, a family company that owns a retail property across the street, alleges the East Windsor Planning and Zoning Commission did not properly notify abutters of a public hearing on the special permits the Tribal Winds casino needs to be built. The suit also claims the town’s agreement with the joint venture building the casino is illegal.

State lawmakers are debating whether to junk the federal approval for the new casino and instead create a competitive bidding process for a casino in Bridgeport. The latter could risk the state’s 25 percent share of slot machine revenues from the two casinos, which nets the state $270 million each year and is generated by the state’s deal with the two tribes giving them exclusive rights to certain types of gaming.