MGM Resorts filed a lawsuit against the state of Connecticut in 2015 alleging that the state had not followed fair policy by giving casino establishments an equal right to bid for a third casino in Connecticut. Connecticut has responded by filing a petition to dismiss MGMs lawsuit on the basis that it is frivolous and has no base to it. The judge who presides over the case will have to examine a lot of background information before making any ruling on this case.

It is a fact that MGM Resorts had big plans for its MGM Springfield casino in Massachusetts and committed to investing $950 million as MGM was confident it would fill its new casino with customers who come from Massachusetts and also from the neighbouring state of Connecticut, which isn’t very far from the MGM Springfield facility. Competition generated from the MGM Springfield casino was also expected to cost Connecticut 9,800 employment opportunities.

The state of Connecticut decided to open a new casino and awarded a casino license to the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes in an attempt to keep Connecticut gamblers from going over to the MGM Springfield facility. The move caught MGM Resorts by surprise and gaming analysts predict that MGM Springfield’s expected customer traffic will now decline.

MGM’s contention is that state of Connecticut should have asked gambling companies who were interested in building a third casino in Connecticut to submit a proposal. By awarding the casino license directly to the tribal casinos, it ensured an unfair playing field and put companies like MGM Resorts at a disadvantage.

The state of Connecticut disagrees with MGM’s allegations and believes this lawsuit is yet another attempt by MGM Resorts to stop the new casino from opening and at best delay its opening for as long as possible. Lawyers hired by the state of Connecticut will attempt to expose this strategy and look to have the case dismissed at the earliest.

Connecticut ‘s filing read “The gaming act could not be clearer; it does not authorize anyone to operate a commercial casino in Connecticut. Nor does it remotely guarantee that anyone will ever be able to operate a commercial casino in Connecticut. That should be fatal to MGM’s attempt to establish standing. Ultimately, Connecticut law did not, and does not, prevent MGM from taking steps toward developing a Connecticut commercial casino”