Bridgeport lawmakers ready to double down on casino efforts

Bridgeport lawmakers say they're ready to double down on their efforts to bring a casino to the city's waterfront.

News 12 Staff

Jan 29, 2019, 8:02 PM

Updated 2,077 days ago

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Bridgeport lawmakers say they're ready to double down on their efforts to bring a casino to the city's waterfront.
For now, the state is only backing one project -- a casino in East Windsor called "Tribal Winds." It's being jointly developed by Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun.
The project is currently stalled and is awaiting approval from the feds.
The status of that project could open the door for state lawmakers to abandon the project and let MGM pursue a casino in Bridgeport.
"Obviously we want to see, we want to gather the information," says Sen. Bradley. "So I'm not a guy who plays with statistics and sees what percentage wise what's going to happen here. I'll leave that to the gamblers."
Tribal leaders at the meeting desperately tried to convince lawmakers to stick with the East Windsor project. They say it's 'shovel ready.'
Even if East Windsor happens, it might not be so bad for Bridgeport. The tribes say they're interested in making their own bid to build a casino in Bridgeport.
"We have always said that we would be interested in developing in Bridgeport. Don't forget that this whole path began with us proposing three casinos throughout the state of Connecticut," says Kevin Brown, the Mohegan Tribe chairman.
Some lawmakers want to at least talk to other players, like MGM. If Connecticut lets MGM bid on a new casino, the state could face a lawsuit from the tribes. They have exclusive rights to gambling in Connecticut.