Mohegan Sun celebrates 25th anniversary in Connecticut

Mohegan Sun casino in southeastern Connecticut has turned 25 years old. The venue, which opened on October 12, 1996, has generated $25.4 billion in net revenue throughout its lifetime. It has also paid $4.8 billion in wages and contributed more than $3.9 billion in slot-machine winnings to the state’s General Fund.

The facility, which has 364,000-square feet of gaming space, attracts approximately 9 million visitors per year. But its gambling offerings are not the only key feature driving guests to the banks of the Thames River in Uncasville: the Mohegan Sun Arena, opened in 2001, has seen some 3,000 paid events which have drawn more than 13.5 million guests, reports The Day.

Discussing the success of the casino, Mohegan Sun’s president and general manager Jeff Hamilton said: “We’ve made hospitality and tourism around here into a much bigger thing than it ever was.”

The Mohegan Tribe-owned property has hosted world title fights, renowned acts such as Aerosmith and U2, and events like Miss America. Throughout its 25 years of existence, entertainment never ceased at the venue, except for the 11-week closure period amidst pandemic-related measures in 2020.

In order to prove its resilience and celebrate its 25th anniversary, Mohegan Sun hosted a three-day event, which ended last Saturday. The weekend celebration actually kicked off on Thursday, with pop superstar Harry Styles playing to a sell-out Mohegan Sun Arena crowd.

On Friday evening, country musician Blake Shelton also played to a sell-out crowd, while Saturday was capped off by a second Harry Styles performance. Rap legends Run DMC also played a free, first-time performance in the legendary 325-seat Wolf Den on Saturday, Mohegan Sun’s very first music venue that opened in 1996.

Mohegan Sun described the weekend as “one of the most exciting and star-studded” in the casino’s history. Other legendary events that took place throughout the 25 years include Michael Jordan playing with the Wizards in a pre-season game in the fall of 2001 and the Fight of the Century, where on May 18th, 2002, Micky Ward defeated the late Arturo Gatti in the first battle of what would be an all-time boxing trilogy.

The latest additions to Mohegan Sun include a premium dining experience at TAO Asian Bistro & Lounge, located in the Sky Tower Lobby, and the all-new Mohegan Sun FanDuel Sportsbook at Bow & Arrow Sportsbar. 

Online casino games recently launched as well through MoheganSunCasino.com in mid-October. Sports wagering, both at the Mohegan Sun FanDuel Sportsbook on-site at Bow & Arrow Sportsbar, and online through a partnership with FanDuel, also launched this fall.

Situated on 185 acres along the Thames River, Mohegan Sun is home to two casinos, 1,600 deluxe hotel rooms, two spas, a golf course, over 80 shops, restaurants and bars as well as three award-winning entertainment venues including its 10,000-seat arena.