NEW YORK — MGM Resorts International has lost another round in a court fight aimed at giving it leverage against Native American tribes in Connecticut as they compete over casino customers.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan agreed Wednesday that a Connecticut judge was right to dismiss MGM’s lawsuit against the state.
MGM claimed it was placed at a competitive disadvantage. It said Connecticut created a special registration pathway for the state’s two federally recognized tribes to build casinos on non-tribal land.
The appeals court called MGM’s fears speculative. It noted that the developer of casinos and other commercial gaming enterprises has no specific plans to develop a casino in Connecticut.
An MGM Resorts International casino is slated to open late next year in nearby Springfield, Massachusetts.