{"id":59276,"date":"2017-09-23T16:30:37","date_gmt":"2017-09-23T23:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=59276"},"modified":"2017-09-24T09:40:42","modified_gmt":"2017-09-24T16:40:42","slug":"mgm-resorts-ups-connecticut-ante-with-pr-blitz-for-bridgeport-casino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-resorts-ups-connecticut-ante-with-pr-blitz-for-bridgeport-casino\/","title":{"rendered":"MGM Resorts Ups Connecticut Ante with PR Blitz for Bridgeport Casino"},"content":{"rendered":"

The MGM Bridgeport, a proposed casino in southwestern Connecticut<\/a>, is beginning to look less like \u201ca stunt\u201d and more like casino hardball, as MGM Resorts has unleashed a marketing blitz to win local hearts and minds for their unlikely casino project.<\/p>\n

\"\"
MGM has a serious marketing campaign to rally Bridgeport residents behind the economic promises of its proposed casino, and hopefully convince the state to change laws as necessary to make it happen. (Image: Connecticut Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to the Connecticut Post<\/em>, the casino giant instigated a PR bombardment that involves mail, phone calls, and ads on social media, with a message that \u201cHartford needs to hear from you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

This appeal to residents comes just days after a surprise announcement at a press conference on Monday that the company had designs on building a $675 million casino in Bridgeport, an effort the city\u2019s mayor supports.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy called the proposal \u201cimpossible\u201d<\/a> without consent from the state\u2019s tribal operators, the Mashantucket Pequots and the Mohegans, who are engaged in a bitter feud with MGM, over what the tribes see as efforts to steal their casino customers.<\/p>\n

Under current law, there\u2019s no authorization for gaming in Bridgeport.<\/p>\n

‘BS on glossy paper’<\/h2>\n

The tribes have dismissed the proposal as a \u201cstunt\u201d designed to sow confusion and sabotage their efforts to build a casino in East Windsor, close to the border with Massachusetts, where the $950 million MGM Springfield is under construction and set to open in September 2018.<\/p>\n

Officials with the casino tribes say if the project were somehow to go forward, it would violate their compact with the state, resulting in hundreds of millions in lost revenue share payments. The Mashantucket and Mohegans currently send 25 percent of all slot revenues to Hartford coffers, an amount totalling nearly $250 million a year.<\/p>\n

The Post<\/em> asked tribal spokesman Andrew Doba if they planned a marketing counterattack, and they declined to allow the Las Vegas-based casino giant to frame the issue that way. \u201cIf you’re asking me if we plan to put a bunch of BS on glossy paper and send them to residents like MGM did in East Windsor,\u201d Doba said, \u201cthe answer is no.\u201d<\/p>\n

Millions Promised<\/h2>\n

But MGM\u2019s proposal is beginning to look less like a stunt, and more like an aggressive effort to appeal to the people of Bridgeport to let them plant their flag in the state. MGM knows there can be no casino expansion without legislation and public referenda.<\/p>\n

\u201cHartford needs to hear from you,\u201d urges one video, disseminated via social media. Mailers showed slick renderings of a seaside resort and community space, while championing creation of 7,000 jobs.<\/p>\n

At the press conference, MGM officials said the project would generate $50 million annually in fees for the state, including $8 million for Bridgeport, and $4.5 million to surrounding communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project can help to turn the economic tide of this state,” Murren said.\u00a0“We just need the political commitment to make it happen.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim is on board, standing by Murren\u2019s side at the presentation announcing MGM\u2019s investment proposal.<\/p>\n

“Right now for Connecticut, it\u2019s about jobs, and it\u2019s money to balance the state budget,\u201d he said. \u201cLet\u2019s look at it as an opportunity, let\u2019s make it happen.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The MGM Bridgeport, a proposed casino in southwestern Connecticut, is beginning to look less like \u201ca stunt\u201d and more like casino hardball, as MGM Resorts has unleashed a marketing blitz to win local hearts and minds for their unlikely casino project. According to the Connecticut Post, the casino giant instigated a PR bombardment that involves […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":59277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,18,61],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMGM Resorts Ups Connecticut Ante with PR Blitz for Bridgeport Casino<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"MGM Resorts isn\u2019t ready to surrender in Connecticut, launching a PR blitz to win over Bridgeport locals for support allowing them to build there.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MGM Resorts Ups Connecticut Ante with PR Blitz for Bridgeport Casino\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"MGM Resorts isn\u2019t ready to surrender in Connecticut, launching a PR blitz to win over Bridgeport locals for support allowing them to build there.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-resorts-ups-connecticut-ante-with-pr-blitz-for-bridgeport-casino\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Casino.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Casino.OrgNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-09-23T23:30:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-09-24T16:40:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/flyers.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"652\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Casino.org Staff Writer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Casino.org Staff Writer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-resorts-ups-connecticut-ante-with-pr-blitz-for-bridgeport-casino\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-resorts-ups-connecticut-ante-with-pr-blitz-for-bridgeport-casino\/\",\"name\":\"MGM Resorts Ups Connecticut Ante with PR Blitz for Bridgeport Casino\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-resorts-ups-connecticut-ante-with-pr-blitz-for-bridgeport-casino\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-resorts-ups-connecticut-ante-with-pr-blitz-for-bridgeport-casino\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/flyers.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-09-23T23:30:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-09-24T16:40:42+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8c48bf89dc86da77b4d856c7b3b78d77\"},\"description\":\"MGM Resorts isn\u2019t ready to surrender in Connecticut, launching a PR blitz to win over Bridgeport locals for support allowing them to build there.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-resorts-ups-connecticut-ante-with-pr-blitz-for-bridgeport-casino\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-resorts-ups-connecticut-ante-with-pr-blitz-for-bridgeport-casino\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/mgm-resorts-ups-connecticut-ante-with-pr-blitz-for-bridgeport-casino\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/flyers.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/flyers.jpg\",\"width\":920,\"height\":652,\"caption\":\"MGM has a serious marketing campaign to rally Bridgeport residents behind the economic promises of its proposed casino, and hopefully convince the state to change laws as necessary to make it happen. 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