MASHANTUCKET, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, owners of Foxwoods® Resort Casino, reached a landmark contribution to the state of Connecticut this month, reporting slot revenue for June that exceeded $4 billion infused into the state economy since the inception of the first-ever slot revenue sharing agreement between a tribe and state in 1993.
The preeminent milestone marks the latest chapter in the Mashantucket Pequots’ pioneering history with the Constitution State. The tribe broke new ground for Connecticut 25 years ago, as Mashantucket became the birthplace of class-three Indian Gaming and home to the third gaming jurisdiction in the United States, joining the ranks of Las Vegas, Nevada and Atlantic City, New Jersey.
“Foxwoods’ early success had unexpectedly opened a door to full-service gaming for tribes nationwide, which today, is an industry generating nearly $30 billion each year,” said Rodney Butler, Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. “We are humbled by this as we reach yet another historic milestone - one as symbolic of our tribe’s pioneering vision as it is our unique and historic relationship with Connecticut. This $4 billion contribution has supported much-needed programs and services throughout Connecticut since 1993 and symbolizes our commitment to the state we love and the region we’ve called home for hundreds of years.”
The Mashantucket Pequots are long-time benefactors of Connecticut’s economy as evident by the tribe’s comprehensive investments spanning gaming revenue, tourism, entertainment and job creation. As the premier resort destination in the Northeast, Foxwoods has received over 340 million guests through offerings ranging from entertainment to dining to ecotourism, and nearly $100 million of that tourism revenue has been reinvested into Connecticut each year through contracts with in-state vendors, fostering business and job growth. Foxwoods’ own workforce is largely homegrown, as nearly 85 percent of its 6,500 team members hail from Connecticut.
“It’s incredibly special and fitting that this milestone comes during our silver anniversary year, when we are celebrating 25 Years Proud,” said Foxwoods President and CEO Felix Rappaport. “We take pride not only in providing an unmatched experience at our resort every day for our guests, but also in our roots, which includes being a member of the Connecticut community. We are honored to have an opportunity to invigorate our economy as a direct result of our work in making Foxwoods the premier resort casino in the Northeast and attracting people to the wonderful state of Connecticut.”
An industry innovator, Foxwoods has kept its competitive edge in the gaming landscape over two-plus decades by consistently offering new and diverse gaming options to its guests, which includes a focus on slots. In the past month alone, the property launched a pair of region firsts with skill-based slot technology and PLAY Arena @ Foxwoods, an interactive arena-style gaming experience in the all-new Great Cedar Casino, which now features a high-speed slots floor with hundreds of new machines.
The June 2017 slot revenue of $36.3 million is up 2.7 percent compared to $35.3 million in June of 2016. Handle for the month was $482.7 million, up 9.2 percent from the $442 million wagered in the same month in 2016. Foxwoods’ contribution to the Connecticut Special Revenue Fund in June 2017 is $9.9 million, which puts the property’s cumulative contribution to the state at the $4 billion-plus milestone.
About the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
The Mashantucket Pequots are a native Algonquin people in southeastern Connecticut who endured centuries of conflict and survival on the oldest continuously occupied reservation in the U.S. (est. 1666). As the first native people within the continental United States to survive attempted genocidal massacre by European immigrants (1637), the Mashantucket Pequots have an unprecedented story of restoration, which is exhibited at their world-class Museum and Research Center (www.pequotmuseum.org). For more information, visit www.mashantucket.com.
About Foxwoods Resort Casino
25 Years Proud: Since 1992, Foxwoods Resort Casino has offered guests The Wonder Of It All as the premier resort destination in the Northeast. As the largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming in seven casinos, AAA Four-Diamond hotels, restaurants from gourmet to quick service, world-renowned spas, award-winning golf, state-of-the-art theaters, and exclusive retailers. Foxwoods is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and was the first full-service casino built on tribal land, pioneering a nationwide movement that now includes more than 400 gaming properties owned and operated by over 200 tribes across the U.S. For more information on Foxwoods and the property’s 25th Anniversary celebrations, visit foxwoods.com.
