Bridgeport, Connecticut. Image courtesy of Google Maps.

Lawmakers led by the Bridgeport delegation introduced a bill Thursday to form a Connecticut Gaming Commission and create competitive bidding for a resort-casino license, formally launching this year’s fight in one of the state’s most divisive issues.

Though Bridgeport is not explicitly mentioned in the bill, it will be the battleground as MGM Resorts International, a backer of the bill, has fought for years for the right to build a $675 million casino on the harbor in the state’s largest city.

The stated purpose of the bill is “to create a competitive bidding process for a resort-casino that would allow the state to choose a development with the most economic impact to the state.”

The Bridgeport delegation supported similar legislation last year that would have allowed an open bidding process. The bill narrowly passed in the House at the end of the session but did not get a vote in the Senate.

“Obviously last year it was a big priority for the Bridgeport delegation and it remains so this year,” said state Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, who led the House debate. “We’re hopeful this year to get it across the finish line.”

The bill is co-sponsored by of the city’s legislators except Sen. Marilyn Moore, who has been an opponent of expanded commercial gambling. Moore is challenging Mayor Joe Ganim in a likely Democratic Party primary.

The debate over a Bridgeport casino is part of a larger, complex battle about how and whether Connecticut should expand legalized gambling. Two years ago the General Assembly approved what would be the state’s first commercial casino East Windsor — a $300 million project jointly developed by the tribes that own the Foxwoods Resort and Mohegan Sun casinos.