The following is a copy of the oral testimony given by Mitchell Etess, chief executive

officer of Mohegan Sun, during the Joint Committee on Economic Development and
Emerging Technologies hearing on Expanded Gaming in the Commonwealth on May
4, 2011.

Good morning.

My name is Mitchell Etess and I am the Chief Executive Officer of the Mohegan Tribal
Gaming Authority, the owner and operator of Mohegan Sun in Connecticut and Mohegan
Sun at Pocono Downs in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, and the developer - we hope - of
Mohegan Sun Palmer, a proposed destination casino resort for Western Massachusetts.

On behalf of our board, I thank Chairwoman SPILL-KA, Chairman Wagner, and all the
members of the Committee for the opportunity to testify today.

Mohegan Sun has had the honor of appearing before you several times over the past five
years for these important hearings on expanded gaming in the Commonwealth. We are
pleased that throughout the discussion of expanded gaming during this time, both House
and Senate leaders have prioritized long term economic development, job creation
throughout the state, and the retention of gaming dollars in Massachusetts.

In addition to my testimony this morning, we are submitting written testimony specific to

the legislation under consideration, the substance of which - in the interest of time - I will
not repeat this morning.

Briefly, I want to leave the committee with the clear message that Mohegan Sun is
committed to bringing a first class destination casino resort, job creation and a track
record of community partnership to Western Massachusetts. Mohegan Sun began
advocating for a Western Massachusetts destination casino resort over four years ago
when, after much research and analysis, we found the perfect site and a welcoming
community in Palmer. We currently hold a long term lease on 152 acres in Palmer, just
off Exit 8 of the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Mohegan Sun also opened a storefront office on Main Street in Palmer more than two
years ago and since that time we’ve had the pleasure of visiting with thousands of
Western Massachusetts residents interested in learning more about expanded gaming and
our vision for Palmer. We continue to host an informational Community Conversation
series throughout the region to answer questions, explain our industry and provide first-
hand insight into the real economic benefits of a destination resort casino. The Mohegan
Tribe believes strongly in the values of transparency, visibility and accessibility, and
these qualities are a vital part of the process to expand gaming in the Commonwealth. As
is often said, the Mohegan Tribe has been a community partner in Connecticut for more
than 400 years. We already bring those same values to Western Massachusetts.

For the Commonwealth to achieve its goals of creating long-term economic development
and job creation, and to keep valuable gaming dollars in the state, Western Massachusetts
must be part of the solution.

A destination casino resort in the Four Western Counties will be unique in its ability to
maximize overall gaming revenues to the Commonwealth and capture significant out-of-
state business and dollars from New York State, Vermont and New Hampshire.

In Palmer, a resort casino will create high quality jobs and tap the motivated, quality
workforce in Palmer, and across Western and Central Massachusetts. In these difficult
economic times the Pioneer Valley is experiencing unemployment in excess of 10
percent. Nearly 50,000 residents of Western Massachusetts are unemployed. We will
put thousands of these area citizens back to work. We are proud to have developed a
positive relationship with the Pioneer Valley AFL-CIO and Building Trades, who support
the Palmer project. Mohegan Sun has publicly communicated our intention to enter into
a Project Labor Agreement.

We intend to hire our employees locally, use vendors locally and play a critical part in the
economic growth of Western Massachusetts. This “ Buy Local “practice is already at
work in Connecticut and Pennsylvania where Mohegan Sun spends nearly $500 million
dollars annually in goods and services, with much of that spending occurring in the
immediate area around our casinos. Already, Mohegan Sun Connecticut procures many
of its good and services from Massachusetts companies. Our commitment to the local
community has proven to be a boost to many local businesses that provide professional
services, talent and high quality products to Mohegan Sun.

A destination casino resort in Western Massachusetts is also an opportunity to promote

significant collaboration with regional tourist attractions. We are honored to have the
support of the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau and we are committed
to expanding partnerships with the tourism and cultural assets in Western and Central
Massachusetts such as the Big E, Old Sturbridge Village and the Hanover Theatre in
Worcester.

For fifteen years, Mohegan Sun has been a leading New England gaming operator. We
have always operated as a commercial gaming company, practicing transparent financial
reporting. Our values include a commitment to responsible gaming and we are proud to
be founding partners of the Massachusetts Partnership for Responsible Gambling and
long time supporters of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling.

We know that this Committee’s work is complex and demanding. We appreciate the
multitude of regulatory and financial matters that you will consider in crafting an
expanded gaming package.
We understand the regional market and how to make gaming succeed in New England.
Just as important – we live here. We are your neighbors and are personally accountable
to you.

We look forward to continuing an open dialog with this Committee, the Full Legislature
and the people of Western Massachusetts.

Thank you for your time and I welcome your questions.