Integrated resorts were once the bailiwick of Las Vegas and Asia , but today ’ s tribal casinos are entering that territory eagerly
By Roger Gros and Dave Bontempo
Those of us who can remember the birth of tribal government gaming recall the rudimentary buildings that housed the slot machines or a few table games . Some tribes used converted community centers . Others rented trailers and lashed them together , so finding your favorite machine was something like the Yellow Brick Road . Still others erected Sprung Structures , which were essentially large tents crammed with slots .
It didn ’ t take long for tribes to realize that these temporary facilities were holding them back , and they began to build more elaborate casinos , sometimes with small hotels and a few restaurants . As quickly as they upgraded , the market showed up , and those facilities were deemed outdated .
That happened quickly to the casinos nearest the most populated areas . Take Foxwoods , for example , the gaming effort of the Mashantucket Pequot tribe . It started out as a bingo hall , and has expanded several times over the years . In 1990 , the tribe won a high-profile legal ruling that held tribal gaming halls could offer the same gaming options that were permitted elsewhere in Connecticut . Since “ casino nights ” were a staple of charities in the state , that meant Foxwoods could install the table games that were the centerpiece of such events .
Continuous expansion has spread Foxwoods out over the forest floor . Recently Foxwoods broke ground on Great Wolf Lodge
Instantly , Foxwoods added several buildings that would house the tables . But then-general manager Mickey Brown had higher aspirations . Visitors to the under-construction casino area were shown electrical conduits beneath the carpets , a sure sign the place was being wired for slots . And in just a year or so , Brown negotiated a deal with the state where the tribes ( Mohegan Sun had begun
10 TRIBAL GOVERNMENT GAMING 2023