Foxwoods Resort Casino facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Foxwoods Resort Casino
Location	Mashantucket Pequot Tribe Reservation
Address	350 Trolley Line Boulevard Ledyard, CT 06338
Opening date	July 5, 1986 (bingo) February 15, 1992 (casino) 1997 (hotel)
Theme	Native American
No. of rooms	2,228
Total gaming space	344,000 sq ft (32,000 m2)
Casino type	Land-Based
Owner	Mashantucket Pequot Tribe Nation
Previous names	Mashantucket Pequot Bingo Hall (1986–1992)
Renovated in	1992, 1994–1997, 2002–2003, 2005–2008

Foxwoods Resort Casino is a huge hotel and entertainment place. It is owned and run by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. This amazing resort is located on their special land, called a reservation, in Ledyard, Connecticut.

Foxwoods is really big, covering a huge area. It has six different areas for games, over 250 gaming tables, and more than 5,500 slot machines. You can find many restaurants here, including a Hard Rock Cafe. Foxwoods grew because new laws in the late 1900s allowed Native American tribes to have gaming on their own lands.

The resort also has two tall hotel buildings with a total of 2,228 rooms. There is even an arcade for kids and teens to enjoy! The first hotel tower, the Grand Pequot Tower, opened in 1997. The second tower opened in 2008 and is now called the Fox Tower. In 2015, a shopping area called Tanger Outlet Mall opened between the two hotel towers. It has 85 stores with many cool brands.

Discovering Foxwoods' Story

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe gained official recognition from the government in 1983. This gave them legal control over their reservation land. The tribe then decided to build something special.

In 1986, they started Foxwoods as a place for high-stakes bingo games on their reservation. To help Foxwoods grow into a full casino, the tribe worked with Lim Goh Tong. He was a Chinese Malaysian who had started the only legal casino in Malaysia.

In 1992, Foxwoods added table games, and more slot machines came in 1993. The tribe made an agreement with the state of Connecticut. They agreed to share a part of the money from the slot machines with the state. This helped get approval for the casino.

Foxwoods is on the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe's own land. This means it has its own rules about things like smoking. While it is not a smoke-free place, many common areas are now non-smoking. These include hallways, hotel lobbies, and most restaurants. There are also special areas set aside for smokers. The poker room and some gaming areas are completely smoke-free.

In 1997, the fancy Grand Pequot Tower hotel opened. Foxwoods was once known as the world's largest casino!

Designing the Resort

Many different design and building teams helped create Foxwoods over the years. The main work from 1992 to 2001 was done by CR Klewin and JCJ Architecture. Later parts were built by other companies.

The resort has been updated and is now sometimes called "The Fox." Its look also makes people think of "Emerald City" from the movie Wizard of Oz.

Fun Games to Play

Foxwoods offers many different games for adults. Here are some of the popular ones:

• Baccarat: A card game where a dealer handles the cards.
• Bingo: There is a huge bingo hall that can hold up to 5,000 players!
• Blackjack: Played with 6 or 8 decks of cards. You can even find a "Dollar blackjack" table with a low minimum bet.
• Craps: A dice game.
• Keno: A lottery-style game.
• Money Wheel: A big spinning wheel found in the Fox Tower.
• Pai Gow: An Asian game played with cards, found in the Asian gaming section.
• Sic Bo: Another Asian game played with three dice in a shaker.
• Poker Table Games: These are poker games played against the house, like Caribbean Stud Poker and Three card poker.
• Roulette: Most wheels have two green spots (0 and 00), but some have only one zero.
• Slot Machines: Foxwoods has 3,500 slot machines.
• Race Book: A place where you can bet on dog racing and horse racing. Races are shown on huge digital screens.

Poker Room Fun

The Poker Room is a special area for poker games. It used to be called the WPT World Poker Room. Here, you can play different types of poker, like Texas hold 'em and Omaha hold 'em.

In 2006, the poker room got bigger, going from 76 to 114 tables. This made it one of the largest poker rooms outside of California. It is the third-largest poker room in the world!

Exciting Sporting Events

Since 2014, Foxwoods has hosted big mixed martial arts events. These include UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Mousasi and World Series of Fighting 24: Fitch vs. Okami.

The Fox Tower Experience

Foxwoods Resort, 2009

Construction on a big expansion at Foxwoods started in 2005. This new part, called the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, opened in 2008. It was a separate building from the main Foxwoods resort. Now, a moving walkway and the Tanger Outlets Foxwoods connect the two areas.

The Fox Tower has:

• Many gaming tables and slot machines.
• 825 hotel rooms and suites.
• A large theater with 4,000 seats for shows.
• Several restaurants and shops.

In 2013, the building was renamed The Fox Tower. This was part of a plan to update the resort as new casinos opened nearby.

In 2015, Tanger Outlets Foxwoods opened inside the complex. This mall cost $120 million to build and has 85 stores with fancy brands.

Fun Attractions at Foxwoods

Delicious Restaurants

Foxwoods has many places to eat, offering all kinds of food!

• California Pizza Kitchen
• David Burke Prime Steakhouse
• Guy Fieri's Foxwoods Kitchen + Bar
• Hard Rock Cafe
• High Rollers Luxury Lanes & Sports Lounge
• Cedars Steakhouse & Oyster Bar
• Johnny Rockets
• Stony Creek Brewery
• Sugar Factory American Brasserie
• Wingstop
• Vue 24
• Fuddruckers
• Regina Pizzeria
• Cake by Franck
• Noodles
• The Fox Tower also has a food court with many quick and tasty options.

Working Together: Employee Unions

Some employees at Foxwoods decided to form a union to help improve their working conditions. In 2007, many dealers voted to join the United Auto Workers union. This was a big step, making them the largest group of union-represented dealers at any U.S. casino.

After voting, the union and Foxwoods worked to reach agreements. In 2010, the dealers and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe agreed on a labor contract. This contract helped with things like pay raises and rules about smoking areas. In 2013, a new contract was made that gave dealers more raises and clearer rules for tips.

In 2018, more workers, including cleaning and maintenance staff, also voted to join the union.