In an important win for Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino, the Interior Department said that its position regarding the tribes’ compact with the State of Connecticut remains unchanged. 
To wit: A third, offsite casino won’t breach the tribes’ obligation to pay 25% of slot revenues — which have been a mixed bag — to the state. Had the Interior Department reversed itself, Nutmeg State residents would have been faced with the prospect of trading off a satellite casino for a big hole in the state budget.
“This is not news — it’s a hoax. It’s just another attempt by the tribes to pull the wool over people’s eyes, which means the red flags raised by Attorney General George Jepsen remain as red as ever,” sputtered MGM Resorts International counsel Uri Clinton, fairly jumping out of his skin. Indeed, a Trump administration reversal of opinion had been one of Jepsen’s fears, now allayed. Not even attempted intervention by Sen. John McCain (R) was enough to bring Interior around to seeing things MGM’s way and although the issue promises to be contentious in the Legislature, the fear of losing revenue to MGM Springfield appears to have the upper hand for the present.
* Gamblit Gaming is definitely making some believers with its skill-based slots. The company just scored $25 million in backing from unidentified sources. I can’t say I like the odds of playing an SBS game: 75% minimum payout in Nevada and 83% in slightly more “george” Atlantic City. The company continues its march down the Las Vegas Strip, adding Paris-Las Vegas, Linq and MGM Grand to its conquests. As far as the casino companies are concerned, they’re taking a wait-and-see attitude on SBS before making a wider commitment.
