Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut plans to add a sixth gaming space “in the heart of the property,” says Jason Guyot, president and chief executive officer. It’s all part of $85 million in improvements that will start this fall.
In a phone interview with the Day, the CEO said “The thought is to create a vibrant hub of activity in the heart of the property.” Guyot added, “We’re spread out so far, from the Rainmaker Casino on one side to The Fox Tower on the other side, it’s difficult for guests to manage. There’s no better place to put it (a new gaming space) than Grand Pequot, the busiest section of the property ― the heartbeat of the property.”
The new space will join the Cedar, Grand Pequot, Rainmaker, Stargazer and the Fox Tower casinos. It will replace the Grand Ballroom. Once complete, it will feature 500 slot machines, including 175 high-limit machines and 24 gaming tables.
The total number of slot machines in the property, 3,000, will remain about the same. It will reduce the number in other casinos. That number reflects demand, says Guyot.
The Grand Ballroom became superfluous when Foxwoods decided to convert its original bingo hall into the Rainmaker Expo Center, which will open before the end of the year. When that happens, construction on the new casino will commence.
Guyot added, “We’ve had to do some very strategic things to be able to free up the ballroom,” Guyot said. “The Expo Center will give us around 40,000 more square feet than we had in the ballroom. We’ll be able to do more things, like indoor Wiffle ball, car and boat shows, Comicons (comic book conventions) without having to worry about breaking a $500,000 chandelier.”
The casino is still experiencing a labor shortage, said Guyot, despite raising benefits and pay rates. “It’s still a huge challenge to find talent,” he said. The total number of employees is about 3,100, compared to 5,100 before the Covid pandemic.
