Yesterday, the office of Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut issued a statement, showing support for a stand-alone sports betting bill. This bill allows several entities to get a piece of the lucrative sportsbook pie, including the Connecticut Lottery, the betting vendor, Sportech and more notably, the Mashantucket Pequot and the Mohegan tribes.
The governor’s director of communications, Max Reiss said that the governor supported the bill, rather than a larger, more expansive gambling bill, because “it is simpler, focuses exclusively on sports betting, and is therefore more achievable in this short legislative session.”
However, the tribes are not happy with the compromise. Their stance is that the existing gaming compacts in place between them and the state, give them exclusive rights to operate sports betting.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation said that Governor Lamont’s bill “goes in the face” of these tribal compact, arguing that for the past 3 decades, tribal casinos have contributed significantly to Connecticut’s coffers.
The tribes have already threatened to stop giving the state 25% of gross slot machine revenue if their exclusivity is not recognized – which could amount to the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars.
The tribes are backing a bill that makes them the sole operators of sports betting in Connecticut. A proposal by Senator Cathy Osten calls for the construction of a casino in Bridgeport as a joint tribal venture.
