Massachusetts lawmakers approved casino gambling in the Bay State late Tuesday, paving the way for Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun to expand its New England presence, assuming Gov. Deval Patrick signs the legislation into law, The Associated Press reports.
The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, whose Mohegan Sun resort casino in Montville has the highest gaming revenues in New England, has proposed building another resort casino in Palmer, Mass. The MTGA must beat out other proposals for the Western Massachusetts casino license, a process that could take years.
Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, is not pursuing a Massachusetts license at this time.
If the bill becomes law, it could still take several years before any casino opens its doors in the state. A slots parlor could open sooner.
Bids for the casino licenses would start at $85 million. Bids for the slots parlor license would start at $25 million.
