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Indian Tribes Dig In to Gain Their Share of Sports Betting

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Rodney Butler, left, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council, and Kevin Brown “Red Eagle,” right, chairman of the Mohegan Tribe, are angling to play a major role in sports betting in Connecticut.

State officials from California to Connecticut spent last week maneuvering for control of the tens of billions of dollars in projected revenue from sports betting, and joining them was another group of powerful, and familiar, gambling operators aiming to claim their piece of the action: American Indian tribes.

For three decades, federal legislation has allowed the tribes to operate casinos dominated by slot machines and blackjack tables.