Casino operator MGM Resorts International may have to wait a little longer to determine whether it will be allowed to operate a casino in Connecticut.
The Connecticut Post reported that there’s a 50% chance that Connecticut lawmakers will pass a bill seeking to expand casinos in the Nutmeg State, especially with only a few weeks before the Congress adjourns the General Assembly. According to House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, the chances for any casino-related bills to sail through the Congress are slim.
“There’s dueling reports that keep coming out in talking about the fiscal viability of a casino in Bridgeport and what it would do to the state’s finances,” Aresimowicz said, according to the news outlet. “I think we have to have a comprehensive view of gambling here in the state of Connecticut and what that looks like.”
MGM has lobbied hard to construct a new casino on Bridgeport’s waterfront to counter the proposed casino of Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes in East Windsor, which received a green light from lawmakers in 2017. MGM supported the moves in Congress to repeal Public Act 17-89 (PA 17-89), which authorized the East Windsor gaming facility.