Name Of The Game

Their spirit of survival cleared a pathway for the explosion of the Indian Gaming industry. Now, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and its flagship, Foxwoods Resort Casino, are cruising in its comfort zonewhich just happens to be on the cutting edge of innovation.

“Before gaming, we were an afterthought. We were on this postage stamp we call Mashantucket. It’s 1,600 acres, but it was down to 200 acres of swampland and ledge. Quite frankly, land that was useless for anything else.”

That candid recollection from Rodney Butler, Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, is more than just a vivid reminder of how times, fortunes, and perceptions shift: it’s a testament to the power of belief, tenacity, and vision.

In 1986, the Connecticut tribe opened its first bingo hall. In a fight for economic stability, the tribal council saw the opportunity for gaming, and led a multiyear campaign to open up a casino. In 1992, that effort would become Foxwoods Resort Casino, the first-of-its-kind full service gaming resort in the country.

“We were tapping maple trees, raising pigs, growing hydroponic lettuce, but gaming was a game changer. It changed the economy at Mashantucket and allowed the family that couldn’t find jobs here prior, to come back to our homeland and thrive here, and hopefully give back to our community,” Butler told BOSS.

Today, Foxwoods Resort Casino is one of the largest resort casinos in North America, responsible for changing the landscape of both Indian and commercial gaming in the United States. With nine million acres under the roof of entertainment and leisure venues, shopping, outdoor adventures, and the casino games that made them famous, Foxwoods is the standard bearer for what a destination resort can be.

“Education, healthcare, employment—these were all things that gaming revenue provided not only to our Tribal Nation, but to the region as well, in terms of the thousands we employ, the healthcare benefits we provide, and the amount of goods and services that we procure,” Butler said.