{"id":6443,"date":"2018-05-15T21:40:24","date_gmt":"2018-05-15T21:40:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=6443"},"modified":"2018-05-16T17:11:59","modified_gmt":"2018-05-16T17:11:59","slug":"special-session-could-save-connecticuts-gambling-expansion-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/special-session-could-save-connecticuts-gambling-expansion-efforts\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Session Could Save Connecticut\u2019s Gambling Expansion Efforts"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Online gaming and sports betting<\/a> legislation have made headlines in several states this year. Now that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act <\/strong>(PASPA) unconstitutional, expect more headlines as the race to pass regulatory legislation at the state level heats up.<\/p>\n

Connecticut<\/strong><\/a> was one of those states making headlines\u00a0before the sports betting decision was handed down. Positive signs were indicating that enacting legislation in the Constitution State<\/strong> was a possibility \u2013 until it wasn\u2019t<\/strong>. Though, with the new ruling on sports betting, the desire to push a sports betting bill through is still burning.<\/p>\n

The tribal casinos supported online gaming<\/span><\/h2>\n

The first hopeful sign for the legislation came when the two Connecticut tribal casinos, Mashantucket Pequot<\/strong> and Mohegan<\/strong> came out in support of the online gaming legislation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am here to express the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation\u2019s support for legal sports gambling \u2013 both on-reservation and online \u2013 and more broadly, for regulated online gambling,\u201d said Seth Young<\/strong>, Foxwoods\u2019<\/strong> executive director of online gaming in a written statement<\/a> earlier in the year.<\/p>\n

Avi Alroy<\/strong>, the vice president of interactive gaming for Mohegan Sun<\/strong> echoed Young\u2019s sentiment in a statement of his own.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo clarify, I believe that the state of Connecticut will benefit from both online casino gaming and sport wagering as it will reduce unregulated bets that are done locally and off-shore, and increase state revenues.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The support of both of Connecticut\u2019s tribal casinos was a solid foundation<\/strong> for the progression of legislation.<\/p>\n

The complicated relationship between online gaming and tribal casinos<\/span><\/h2>\n

Connecticut is currently home to two Indian casinos, Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard<\/strong> and Mohegan Sun in Uncasville<\/strong>. A third casino, co-owned by both tribes is under construction in East Windsor<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In their compact with the states, the tribes pay 25 percent<\/strong> of their slot machine revenue. In return, the tribes receive the exclusive right<\/strong> to operate slot machines in the state.<\/p>\n

Nationally, online gaming<\/a> legislation has more challenges<\/strong> in states where tribal casinos operate. Many tribal casinos have some sort of exclusivity agreement with the state in their compact, much like Connecticut\u2019s tribes do.<\/p>\n

New online gaming or sports betting legislation may require renegotiating<\/strong> those compacts. That doesn\u2019t seem to sit well with the tribal casinos, and it isn\u2019t as easy as it sounds.<\/p>\n

Hopes dashed around online gaming and sports betting<\/span><\/h2>\n

The tribes felt an expansion into online gaming was the better opportunity<\/strong>. The state disagreed by focusing on sports betting. It introduced an amendment to exclude<\/strong> sports betting from the state\u2019s gambling provisions.<\/p>\n

That is when the tribe\u2019s support wavered. According to reporting at LegalSportsReport<\/strong><\/a>, the tribes \u201cthreatened to stop slot revenue payments to the state if sports betting is legalized in Connecticut without their blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connecticut Attorney General, George Jepsen<\/strong> was clear that tribes would not have exclusive sports betting rights<\/strong> in the state:<\/p>\n

\u201cAmendments to the Compacts would be necessary to authorize the Tribe\u2019s sports betting \u2026 Thus, our opinion is that the Compacts do not presently authorize the Tribes to conduct sports betting on their reservations. Nor are we aware of any other federal or state law that would be a basis for the Tribes to assert an exclusive right over sports betting.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Connecticut 2018 legislative session ended without<\/strong> passing an online gaming or sports betting bill into law. It also left many open-action items<\/strong> that will require discussion to further the legislation in the next session.<\/p>\n

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