Butler says Foxwoods not pushing for lower gambling age

Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council, said Thursday his tribe has no plans to pursue a lowering of the state's legal gambling age or extended alcohol sales - moves that would be expected to boost the tribe's Foxwoods Resort Casino revenues - but cited such topics as among those the tribe and the state should discuss.

"We're looking creatively at ways to enhance the very productive relationship that exists between the gaming entities and the state, because when we do, we both win," Butler said. "Let's have an open dialogue. … Let's not rule anything out."

A day earlier, Butler told The Hartford Courant the state should consider lowering its legal gambling age from 21 to perhaps 18 and allowing alcohol sales until 4 a.m. On Thursday, he said his comments were his own "observations."

"The (tribal) council hasn't talked about it, and I'm not suggesting we do it," he said of lobbying for such changes. "It's not some plan we want to bring forward. It's not something we're pursuing. It was my personal observation."

Butler said his comments were made in the context of the challenges facing Foxwoods, whose slot-machine revenues have been declining for several years. The tribe is seeking to restructure more than $2 billion in debt and faces additional competitive pressures from all directions.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives has approved a bill that would allow two resort casinos as well as a total of 3,000 slot machines at four racetracks in that state, and Rhode Island lawmakers are debating whether to put a gambling-expansion bill before voters in a November referendum. In New York, state officials this week announced they're seeking another round of bids on adding slots to the Aqueduct racetrack in the New York City borough of Queens.

Butler acknowledged there was little chance the state would lower the gambling age to accommodate Connecticut's tribally owned casinos — Foxwoods, including MGM Grand at Foxwoods, and Mohegan Sun.

"We go by state liquor laws, so it would be nearly impossible to lower the gambling age below the drinking age," he said. "… It's a longshot."

As for extended hours of alcohol sales, Butler said he'd like to see the General Assembly revisit the issue. The casinos maintain that they lose business to competitors in neighboring states, such as New York, where alcohol is sold until 4 a.m., and New Jersey, where Atlantic City casinos sell it around the clock.

In 2009, Connecticut legislators abandoned discussion of 24-hour sales at the casinos after a fatal accident on Interstate 395 was caused by a driver who'd been drinking at a Mohegan Sun nightclub.

State Sens. Andrea Stillman and Andrew Maynard said Thursday they would be opposed to any attempt to lower the state's legal gambling age or to extend the hours alcohol can be sold. Stillman, a Waterford Democrat who co-chairs the legislature's Public Safety and Security Committee, said lowering the legal gambling age to 18 would be "a huge mistake for the state of Connecticut."

"I'm not sure an 18-year-old is mature enough to understand the implications of gambling activity and all the social outcomes," she said.

State Sen. Eileen Daily, a Westbrook Democrat who co-chairs the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, took a similarly dim view of lowering the gambling age. She said that although she would have no problem with the casinos serving alcohol around the clock to casino patrons staying at casino hotels, she would otherwise oppose pushing back alcohol sales statewide.

Stillman said the reasons for opposing the extension of liquor sales beyond the current 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights and beyond 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights are "obvious."

"We're all aware of the tragedies that have occurred because of drunken driving," she said. "I wouldn't want any entity in the state serving beyond the hours that are already permitted."

Given the prevailing economic circumstances, Maynard, a Stonington Democrat, said it would be worthwhile for the state to consider the revenue implications of other steps that might benefit the casinos, such as the promotion of them. "I don't think you have to push gambling," he said. "There's a lot of other things to do there."

Butler also said the state and the casinos need to do a better job marketing themselves. "There's no reason why the state's website has no link to us - and vice versa - similar to the way we promote Mystic," he said. "And there's probably lots of other things we could do (together)."

b.hallenbeck@theday.com