First selectmen in East Windsor and Windsor Locks indicated Monday that their towns are likely to embark on paths that could lead to referendums on their respective bids to host the casino the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes hope to develop in north-central Connecticut.

The towns, along with East Hartford and Hartford, submitted responses last month to the tribes’ request for casino proposals.

The Mashantuckets and the Mohegans, owners of Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun, respectively, jointly are pursuing a third casino as a hedge against the anticipated impact of MGM Springfield, the $950 million resort casino being built in Massachusetts a few miles from Connecticut’s northern border.

Last week, the tribes urged elected officials in the four municipalities that submitted proposals to take steps to secure townwide approvals.

East Windsor First Selectman Robert Maynard said his town is looking into holding a referendum as part of a process that would begin with a town meeting. If the town decides to proceed to a referendum, it likely would accept the tribes’ offer to fund the referendum. He said a referendum would cost about $5,000.

Maynard said he would support the referendum’s passage.

“It would be an economic engine for East Windsor,” he said, referring to a casino. “We’ve got a good site — right off the highway (Interstate 91), between Hartford and Springfield. It’s a good fit for us and for the tribes.”

In its response to the tribes’ request for proposals, East Windsor identified a site that incorporates a former Showcase Cinemas building and a former Walmart store. Maynard declined to identify a developer involved in the proposal.

Windsor Locks First Selectman Chris Kervick said the Board of Selectmen in his town passed a resolution last week to enter into negotiations with the tribes. He said the town would not enter into a development agreement unless residents approved. He said a public hearing has been tentatively scheduled for Dec. 15 and that a town meeting and a referendum would likely follow.

The Connecticut Airport Authority, which operates Bradley International Airport, and Sportech Ventures, which operates the Bradley Teletheater, an off-track-betting facility near the airport, have proposed Windsor Locks casino sites.

East Hartford’s charter does not allow for a referendum on a particular type of development, according to the chairman of the town council.

In an email exchange, Richard Kehoe said that if the town was chosen to host the casino, “We would have a series of presentations and hearings for public input before any decision is made.”

Kehoe said a casino development would likely require approvals by land-use boards, the town council and the mayor. The council voted earlier to direct Mayor Marcia Leclerc to submit a proposal calling for developers to convert a former Showcase Cinemas building on Interstate 84 to a casino. Leclerc was unavailable Monday.

Hartford's outgoing mayor responded to the tribe's request for proposals without identifying a specific site. It is unclear how his successor will proceed.

b.hallenbeck@theday.com

Twitter: @bjhallenbeck