The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribes will be accepting additional proposals for a third casino in the state through mid-October after reopening the Request for Proposals process.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, which operates Foxwoods casino, and Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, which operates Mohegan Sun, are the only two federally recognized tribes in the state and they have created the joint venture MMCT Venture with the goal of opening a third casino in the state.
The Town of Windsor Locks and Bradley Airport have each demonstrated an interest in being a site for the state's third casino. MGM Entertainment, meanwhile contends it has been left out of the bidding process and filed suit in federal court. The case was thrown out, but MGM plans to appeal this fall.
“This isn’t a process – it’s a sham. It is being run by MMCT, not the state, and MMCT is running it for its own purposes. Deadlines are set, then they’re missed. Towns are added, then subtracted,” Alan M. Feldman, executive vice president of MGM Resorts International, said in a statement. “Unrealistic job numbers are created out of thin air, then thrown around with impunity. We’re told this is a ‘satellite casino,’ then when information is pried loose we see renderings of a casino larger than anything in Las Vegas. A ‘process’ like this is exactly how you end up with a baseball stadium that is unfinished, empty, and tens of millions of dollars over budget.”
Feldman added that the process needs to be scrapped.
Mohegan Tribal Council Chairman Kevin Brown said in a statement that the tribes are anxious for this bidding process to move forward, but they want to be sure they are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the right site.
“This facility needs to be successful if we’re going to save the thousands of jobs that are at stake, and we’re grateful that we have so many partners who see the tremendous potential for this project,” he said.
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Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council Chairman Rodney Butler said in a statement that they want to build the casino in a place that values the large investment.
“We believe it’s important for each and every community to know exactly what’s happening and where they stand, and so in the interest of fairness to those that applied, we’ve decided to continue the process so we can consider these latest proposals and any new submissions,” Butler said.
The new deadline for submission is Oct. 15.
Municipalities and other interested parties with questions can submit them to Pearce Real Estate at MMCT@hpearce.com.
Responses to those questions will be posted on the frequently asked questions page on the Pearce website. Completed applications should also be send toMMCT@hpearce.com.
