The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes announced the name and released the logo for their proposed joint casino in East Windsor on Monday.
The joint entity created by the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes, also known as MMCT Venture, said the new gaming and entertainment facility in East Windsor would be known as the Tribal Winds Casino.
“Tribal Winds Casino will be a great addition to the entertainment landscape of Connecticut’s Capitol Region,” said Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council Chairman, Rodney Butler.
“Building on the iconic brands of our two flagship properties, Tribal Winds will be a world class gaming and entertainment facility that combines our shared past with the proud local character of East Windsor. This shovel ready facility will create jobs and bring in new revenue for the state the minute we break ground,” Butler continued.
The tribes also announced their hiring goals for the construction and operation of the new casino.
According to officials, Tribal Winds Casino would be expected to support 5,000 jobs from the start of construction through the grand opening. At least 2,000 of the jobs will be for the building trades during construction and 2,000 will be permanent at the facility once it's operational.
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The casino also anticipates supporting 1,000 indirect jobs at small business vendors, casino officials said.
At least 650 jobs would be specifically for Hartford-area residents, according to casino officials, including 325 in Hartford, 150 in East Hartford and 175 in East Windsor, Windsor Locks and other surrounding communities.
“We are ready to roll, to start construction and begin creating jobs and revenue. It’s taken a lot of time, effort and resources to get to this point. We’re excited to work with our partners in state government on the next phase of this exciting development," added Mohegan Tribal Council Chairman, Kevin Brown.
Supporters of the Tribal Winds casino have been frustrated by inaction in Washington. The casino can't go forward until the entire project is given the green light.
It took former Gov. Dannel Malloy a few years to back the project, but he eventually sided with the two tribes. However, Gov. Ned Lamont said during the campaign he was open to a new casino in Bridgeport and did not comment on Monday's announcement.
Some are not certain the future of gambling in Connecticut should be in East Windsor. New State Sen. Dennis Bradley (D-Bridgeport) says looking at all options is the way forward, rather than committing firmly to Tribal Winds.
"“We have an RFP, we’re not making any commitments. We’re saying, ‘what’s out there?’ Is there a place where we can generate revenues? Is there a place where we can honor agreements with other organizations? If there’s something out there that does that, then let’s look at it and take it serious and maybe move down that road," he said.
More information about proposed Tribal Winds Casino can be found here.
