Tribal council chairmen for two Connecticut casinos signed an agreement that would protect jobs in the state by the addition of a third casino.

Prompted by the looming 2018 opening of the $800 million MGM Springfield Casino, and in an attempt to protect their businesses, owners of the largest casinos in North America, the Mohegan and the Mashantucket Pequot tribes of Connecticut, share a common bond and are uniting over the very real possibility of gamblers from their casino businesses heading towards western New England. The Connecticut tribes believe a third casino in the state would prevent that from happening. Mohegan Tribal Council Chairman Kevin Brown said, “We arrive here after centuries of tribal conflict, decades of gaming competition, and we’re here to cooperate in the spirit of all things Connecticut.”

Pearce Real Estate has been commissioned by the tribes for site selection which includes the Enfield Square Mall where Macy’s is currently located, and two Showcase Cinema properties’ in Hartford owned by National Amusements Inc., that closed in 2006 and 2008. A voting process for community members has already been established in East Windsor where one of the defunct Showcase Cinema properties is located.

In the event of layoffs at the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos, a third casino would help buffer the affects by providing some job security for dealers at ample card game tables, according to Denise Gladue who in employed as a dealer at Foxwoods along with her daughter.

If the state legislature approves the tribes request for a third casino in Connecticut, if faces possible repercussions including a lawsuit brought by MGM claiming the decision discriminates against the MGM Springfield by favoring the tribes who already have casinos operating in the state, thereby unconstitutional.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in yearly revenue from slot machines at the Foxwoods Resort Casino and the Mohegan Sun are relied upon by the state government.