| Connecticut At least $4,169,658-- Includes 1994 campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures from 1993 and 1995 June 9, 1997 Connecticut has gone for gambling in a big way. Since launching a lottery in 1972 the Constitution State has legalized dog racing, jai alai, off-track betting, and a half-dozen forms of charitable gaming. But the real story here is the Foxwoods Resort Casino. Owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Indian tribe, Foxwoods is the largest casino in the world -- bigger than anything in Las Vegas itself -- raking in an estimated $1 billion in annual revenues. The Mohegan tribe's nearby Sun Casino has so far offered only scant competition to the Mashantuckets. The Mashantuckets have been very generous with their newfound wealth: In 1995 they spent a record-breaking $2.1 million, primarily on lobbying state lawmakers to let them open another casino, this one in Bridgeport. They failed, like the previous record holder Steve Wynn of Mirage Resorts, who spent $1.95 million in 1993, also lobbying for a casino off Indian land. Thirteen major gambling interests gave nearly $120,000 in campaign contributions to candidates in the 1994 gubernatorial race alone, according to a report by Common Cause of Connecticut. Figures for the 1992 and 1996 elections were not available; the state requires reporting by recipients of contributions over $30, but only keeps hard copies of those reports. |  Web Exclusives: Heavy Betting Across State Lines Ea$y Money: The Documentary Fun Facts From the Magazine: Ea$y Money All Bets Are Off World Wide Wagering Hot!Media | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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