The first time, Connecticut’s Indian casinos, Foxwoods and the Mohegan Sun, defied Governor Ned Lamont and reopened from Covid-19 shutdowns before he wanted them to.
This time, as the governor has ordered rollbacks, the tribes say they will voluntarily comply, although, as sovereign tribes they don’t have to.
Lamont has transitioned from the less strict Phase 3 guidelines to Phase 2.1, which is more restrictive.
A nationwide and statewide autumn spike in the number of Covid cases prompted the governor to roll back dining in restaurants, ending indoor dining and requiring closing by 10 p.m.
The casinos are complying, even though they don’t buy the governor’s data. Foxwoods Interim CEO Jason Guyot criticizes the earlier closing times because the effect is for people to crowd restaurants during the abbreviated hours.
He also claims, “We’ve had over 1.5 million guests here since June 1 and have yet to see a case of transmission within the resort.”
In announcing that the Mohegan Sun would comply with the orders, Jeff Hamilton, president and general manager, said “Mohegan Sun’s capacity limits will continue to operate at no more than 50 percent to allow for physical distancing, and reservations are encouraged. Dining rooms will have last calls for in-restaurant food service no later than 9:30 p.m.”
Both casinos have experienced significant declines in business and numbers of employees while trying to protect workers and the public from the coronavirus. The union representing Foxwoods table dealers told members last weekend that permanent layoffs are in the offing.
Meanwhile Foxwoods’ poker room, one of the largest in the country, has never reopened after closing in March.
Guyot told the Day: “We’d love to bring it back, and sooner than later. It’s one of the things we get the most comments about. But it’s about safety first. Everything we do has to be based on safety and science.”
