Connecticut lawmakers approved most of a legislative package early Wednesday that could lead to a new tribal casino being built in East Windsor, a move that came hours after a multifaceted deal was reached that includes more off-track betting parlors in the state.
The House of Representatives voted 103-46 in favor of the bill that allows the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes to build a casino in East Windsor to compete with a new MGM Resorts casino in Springfield, Massachusetts. The bill previously passed the Senate and now heads to Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy.
While Malloy has not advocated for a third casino in Connecticut, he has said he preferred the tribal proposal over another bill that would have opened up the process to other casino developers.
The vote came less than 23 hours before the General Assembly was scheduled to adjourn its regular legislative session. The House then approved a companion bill expanding the number of off-track betting locations across the state, by a vote of 77-72. It had been crafted at the eleventh-hour to help gain support for the tribal casino bill. The bill still needs to be approved by the Senate before the session adjourns at midnight Wednesday.
