Felix Rappaport, chief executive officer of Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut said last week that extending the hours when alcohol is served in the casino’s 24-hour environment makes good business sense, but that the ultimate decision is up to the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council.
The casino currently stops serving alcohol at 1 a.m. on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends. This puts it at a competitive disadvantage to other regional casinos, he said. If the council does decide to change the time, it will consult with state officials, such as the governor, he said. The issue has come up several times before over the years and is a controversial one with legislators.
In a related development, representatives of the Mashantucket and the Mohegans, who operate the Mohegan Sun, last month met with state lawmakers to discuss possibly allowing another casino or two in the state in order to discourage casinos in nearby states from luring residents across the border.
They met with co-chairmen of the legislature’s Public Safety and Security committee, including Rep. Steve Dargan and Senator Joan Hartley.
According to Dargan, “There’s no plan or concrete bill as of yet, with the understanding that Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s administration would probably have to be on board, too, if there was going to be any expansion of gaming.”
