After a lengthy hearing and arguments from both sides, the committee passed the bill, which will go to the full General Assembly for a vote this legislative session.
On March 15, the General Assembly’s Public Safety and Security Committee held a public hearing regarding a bill that would issue a request for proposal for a Bridgeport casino - a process that allows different companies, including MGM Resorts International, to bid for casino construction rights. However, the project must be approved by the General Assembly and has faced opposition from the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes because of an approximately 25-year long deal that grants the tribes exclusive casino development rights in Connecticut. 18, MGM Resorts International announced its plan to build a new casino resort in Bridgeport, and a job training center in New Haven. Connecticut’s Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes have raised concerns that a proposed Bridgeport-New Haven resort would violate an exclusive casino rights agreement the tribes have with the state.