Connecticut: Foxwoods Casino to open 50,000 square feet of additional gaming space, new restaurant next year

Foxwoods Resort Casino announced Wednesday it plans to open 50,000 square feet of new gaming space next year, as well as a celebrity chef-owned restaurant. Construction on the new amenities is scheduled to begin in November.

The proposed improvements, estimated to cost $85 million, come on the heels of the casino’s July opening of a $7 million high-stakes bingo hall, and the casino-owning Mashantucket Pequot Tribe’s announcement in February that Great Wolf Resorts will develop an indoor water park adjacent to Foxwoods. 

Since February, when Foxwoods celebrated its 30th anniversary, the casino has been presenting projects of varying magnitude on a monthly basis. 

Jason Guyot, Foxwoods’ president and chief executive officer, said in a statement: “From our modest bingo beginnings in 1986 to the impressive, full sweep of gaming options now available at Foxwoods, we are excited to announce yet another amenity that will entice guests from near and far to visit."

"Through our team's shared commitment of evolving the Foxwoods experience, together we are continuing to redefine what it means to be a leader in hospitality, gaming and entertainment, and cannot wait to bring this vision to life," Guyot further noted.

According to a press release, the new gaming space will be located in the Grand Ballroom in the casino’s Grand Pequot area. However, the statement did not specify the number of slots or the mix of table games that will be featured in it.

Foxwoods' latest quarterly report, for the period that ended June 30, indicated the casino operated about 300,000 square feet of gaming space that contained some 3,000 slots and 250 table games. The expansion would bring the total gaming space to 50,000 square feet.

The new space will also include a 13,000-square-foot restaurant branded with the name of an "iconic celebrity chef," who will be revealed later this year. The upcoming amenity has been described as "a luxurious, high-limit slot area;" a 40-seat bar featuring more than 35 slots; and a 15-seat bar.

Foxwoods this year also announced plans to open Sushi by Bou, a sushi restaurant; a redesigned version of its Golden Dragon restaurant; and Wahlburgers, a chain burger restaurant. Other projects have included openings of the VIP Canopy Players' Lounge and CardVault, a sports memorabilia store.

In November 2021, the casino opened DraftKings Sportsbook at Foxwoods, which occupies more than 12,000 square feet on two floors.

We are celebrating our 30th Anniversary with big announcements! 🎉 We are so excited to share our new partnership with @GreatWolfLodge. This indoor water park, family entertainment center and hotel is coming soon to Mashantucket, adding to The Wonder Of It All. pic.twitter.com/oX8sgodXfT

— Foxwoods Resort Casino (@FoxwoodsCT) February 16, 2022

An announcement about the Great Wolf Lodge at Mashantucket, the proposed indoor water park resort, will be made in the fall, Guyot said last week. The $300 million project, which will include 550 hotel rooms, will be erected between Foxwoods' Rainmaker entrance and the Pequot Outpost gas station/convenience store on Foxwoods Boulevard.