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February 21, 2021 / 2021 Power 50

2021 Power 50: 26. Rodney Butler & Chuck Bunnell

HBJ Photo | Joe Cooper Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which oversees Foxwoods Resort Casino.

The future of gambling in Connecticut has been a hot-button issue for years, but it could come to a head in 2021 with increasing bipartisan support for the legalization of sports and/or online betting.

Two men who will play key roles in how the issue plays out are Connecticut casino leaders Rodney Butler and Chuck Bunnell. They are lead negotiators on gambling legislation for the parent companies of Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun, respectively.

In his recent two-year budget proposal, Gov. Ned Lamont included $50 million in revenue from new online gambling platforms, including sports betting, signaling strong support for expanded gaming.

Rodney Butler is the jack-of-all-trades executive for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, parent to Foxwoods. In 2018, Butler, a former UConn football player turned casino executive, stepped in as Foxwoods’ interim CEO after the sudden death of Felix Rappaport. He is currently chairman of the Mashantucket Pequots.

Bunnell is the chief of staff of the Mohegan Tribal Nation, owner of Mohegan Sun. He was a long-time aid to U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd and currently sits on the UConn Board of Trustees. 

Chuck Bunnell

The tribes, which have faced increasing financial pressures with the proliferation of Northeast casinos and the pandemic, have argued in recent years they should be the sole operators of sports betting in the state as a result of a pact they signed with former Gov. Lowell P. Weicker, which gave them exclusive rights to casino games in return for 25% of their slot revenues.

Lamont has faced pressure from other interest groups that want in on the emerging industry, should it become legalized here.

During a January information session on the topic, Butler and Bunnell said they were more confident than ever that a deal could get hashed out this year.

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