MGM Resorts to Sue Connecticut Officials Over Plans for Third Casino

MGM Resorts is suing top Connecticut officials, including Gov. Dannel Malloy, claiming the law he signed that could lead to a third tribal casino in the state is unconstitutional because it gives Connecticut's tribes preferential treatment.

The casino company, which plans to open a facility in nearby Springfield, Massachusetts, filed the complaint on Tuesday.

"While we will be reviewing the lawsuit, we believe in protecting Connecticut jobs," the governor's office said in a statement Tuesday.

Besides Malloy, the complaint names Secretary of the State Denise Merrill and Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan Harris as defendants.

Both the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes, who own and operate casinos in eastern Connecticut, want to open a jointly run facility near the Massachusetts border to compete with MGM's planned casino.

In its complaint, MGM said it is "ready, willing and able" to compete with the tribes to develop a new casino in Connecticut.

Copyright The Associated Press
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