It was announced that the final decision concerning the location of the third Connecticut casino has been postponed. Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, the tribes that are currently running the existing casino venues on the territory of the Constitution State, have settled around the idea of pushing back the deadline for selecting a location for their third casino. The main purpose of the third casino would be fighting the competition coming from the Massachusetts-based MGM Springfield. The tribe representatives remained tight-lipped as to whether a new deadline for picking a site is to be set anytime soon.
According to the released information, there are several sites likely to host the third Connecticut casino. The tribes have eyed Hartford, East Hartford, Windsor Locks and East Windsor. However, they need the permission of the town officials and the developer to commence construction.
For the time being, the East Hartford site is the only one that have received both approvals. The tribes outlined their plan for building a casino at the site where Showcase movie theater used to be located.
As for Hartford, a proposal was submitted, but the location had not been specified. Meanwhile, Hard Rock representatives expressed their interest in building a new hotel featuring plenty of sports and entertainment facilities and a Hard Rock Cafe in the area.
The developers interested in establishing a casino venue in East Windsor are the same who announced details about the Hard Rock project. According to preliminary information, a town referendum is to be held in East Windsor.
It seems like the current situation is most beneficial to Windsor Locks as a public hearing concerning their casino proposals is to take place tonight. The closed terminal of Bradley International Airport is one of the proposed sites. The second proposal was made by the group that is currently in charge of the Off Track Betting facility. In case a proposal is approved during the public hearing, residents will have the final say on the matter as a referendum will be held.
Connecticut lawmakers are yet to create a law making the establishment of a third Connecticut casino legal. However, the new law is not expected to pass before February 2015.
MGM officials claim that a third Connecticut casino run solely by the tribes is illegal and the lawsuit they filed makes the Hard Rock move to Hartford quite an interesting one. People with knowledge on the matter say that Hard Rock is likely to adopt one of the following strategies. They will either join forces with MGM during the court proceedings or they will wait to see the outcome of the legal battle before taking actions towards establishing their property in Hartford.
MGM Springfield is expected to open doors in the fall of 2018, but the tribes have announced that if they get the green light to materialize their project, it will be completed before the grand opening of MGM.
