Tribe Celebrates Beginning of Casino Gambling Empire

The Mashantucket Pequots observed a special anniversary Saturday to mark the beginning of the tribe's first foray into legalized casino gambling.

Foxwoods Resort Casino, one of the world's largest casinos, began 20 years ago this month as a high-stakes bingo hall. A Cadillac was a grand prize in the first session. For the anniversary celebration, the tribe set aside a $1 million top prize.

"It was the first stepping stone to the tribe getting independence, not only financially, but as a tribe pulling everybody together," Kelly Reising, a tribal member who worked in the bingo hall and is now deputy executive vice president of marketing at Foxwoods, said.

The original bingo hall, which seated 1,600 patrons, has been replaced by a 3,500-seat room that Foxwoods says is the biggest bingo arena in the United States.

Six years after the bingo hall opened for business, the tribe opened the Foxwoods High Stakes Bingo & Casino, a $58 million project that held 170 table games, an expanded bingo hall, a retail shop and three restaurants.

Eleven months later, the tribe and the state of Connecticut reached an agreement allowing the tribe to operate slot machines in exchange for 25 percent of the casino's slots win going to the state.

Several expansions later, Foxwoods Resort Casino has nearly 5 million square feet of gaming, dining, retail and entertainment space. Since January 2003, Foxwoods has given the state nearly $2.3 billion under the revenue-sharing agreement.

The Mashantucket's first bingo hall started with about 22 floor employees. About 10,000 people now work at the casino, which has an annual payroll of more than $300 million.

Foxwoods continues to grow. The resort's latest expansion is a $700 million project that will add a new 825-room hotel tower and spa, meeting and convention space, more restaurants and shops and a new 4,000-seat performing arts theater.

July 2, 2006
Posted By Larry Rutherford
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com    Previous Page | Internet Gambling | Top Online Casinos | Submit News!