Foxwoods Resort Casino

Foxwoods Resort Casino is a large entertainment place owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. It is located in Ledyard, Connecticut, and covers a huge area of 9,000,000 square feet. The resort has six casinos with over 250 tables for games like blackjack, craps, roulette, and poker, plus more than 5,500 slot machines.

Besides games, Foxwoods has many restaurants, including a Hard Rock Cafe. There are also two hotel towers with 2,228 rooms in total, and a special arcade area for children and teens to enjoy. The first hotel tower, called Great Cedar, opened in 1992, followed by the Grand Pequot Tower in 1997, and a third tower in 2008 that was later named Fox Tower in 2013.

In 2015, a shopping area called Tanger Outlet Mall opened between the hotels. It has 85 stores where visitors can find luxury goods and other items to explore.

History

Main article: Connecticut Indian Land Claims Settlement

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe gained control of their land in 1983 and started building Foxwoods in 1986 as a bingo hall. They worked with a partner from Malaysia to grow it into a big casino.

Over the years, Foxwoods added more games and grew very large. It once was one of the biggest casinos in the world. However, after borrowing a lot of money for expansion, Foxwoods faced money problems and had to make changes to stay open.

Design

Over the years, the casino managers worked with many design and building teams to finish the whole resort. From 1992 to 2001, most of the work was done by CR Klewin and designed by JCJ Architecture from Hartford, Connecticut. Other companies helped with planning and design too. Later, more phases were completed with help from other builders and designers, including Steelman Partners.

People often say the resort looks like the "Emerald City" from the movie The Wizard of Oz.

Gaming

Foxwoods Resort Casino offers many fun games for guests to enjoy. You can play classic casino games like Baccarat, Bingo, Blackjack, Craps, Keno, Roulette, and over 3,500 slot machines. There are also special games like Pai gow and Sic Bo in the Asian gaming section, plus a money wheel in the Fox Tower.

The casino has a big poker room where players can enjoy different types of poker games, such as Texas hold 'em and Omaha hold 'em. The poker room is very large, with many tables for players. Foxwoods also hosts exciting mixed martial arts events, bringing thrilling sports action to the resort.

Fox Tower

Construction began in November 2005 on a big expansion at Foxwoods Resort Casino that cost $700 million. On April 25, 2006, Foxwoods announced they would use the MGM Grand brand name for the new building, with help from MGM Mirage. The expansion, called MGM Grand at Foxwoods, opened on May 17, 2008. It is a separate building from the main Foxwoods resort. A moving walkway and a shopping area called Tanger Outlets Foxwoods (built in 2015) now connect the two places. The MGM Grand at Foxwoods had many fun things, like games, slot machines, hotel rooms, a big theater, and restaurants.

In late 2013, MGM Mirage stopped working with Foxwoods. The tribe changed the building's name to The Fox Tower as part of updating their brand because of new competition from other casinos nearby.

In 2015, Tanger Outlets Foxwoods opened between the two hotel towers. This $120 million shopping area has 85 stores with many different brands.

Attractions

Restaurants

Foxwoods Resort Casino has many different restaurants to choose from. You can try foods from places like California Pizza Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen, and Guy Fieri's Foxwoods Kitchen + Bar. There are also fun spots such as Hard Rock Cafe and High Rollers Luxury Lanes & Sports Lounge. Other options include Cedars Steakhouse & Oyster Bar, Johnny Rockets, and Wingstop, along with many more places to eat.

Unionization of employees

Some workers at Foxwoods Resort Casino wanted to form a union to have a stronger voice about their jobs. They asked the United Auto Workers for help in June 2007. After collecting enough signatures, a vote was held to see if workers wanted union representation. In November 2007, most workers voted yes, and the union was formed.

Later, the casino disagreed with some rules about the vote, but the decision stood. Workers and their union asked for better workplace rules, like limiting smoking areas. In 2010, they made a new agreement, and in 2013, they reached another agreement for better pay and working conditions. In 2018, more workers also joined the union.