Facilities
The Mohegan Sun casino currently has almost 4,000 slot machines and over 300 table games, including roulette, blackjack, craps, baccarat and pai gow. The casino also has a dedicated poker room, which offers both Hold’em and stud poker. The gaming floor spans across 364,000 sq ft (33,800 m2).
Aside from casino games, Mohegan Sun also offers sports betting through the Mohegan Sun FanDuel Sportsbook. This includes a 140ft wide video wall, 39 betting kiosks and six cashier windows. Customers are able to wager on all major leagues at the sportsbook, including international games. While collegiate football, basketball and baseball games are available for wagers, CT College games will be excluded.
History and Renovations
History
In 1992, RJH Development, LMW Investments of Connecticut and Slavik Suites Inc formed the Trading Cove Associates (TCA). This organisation would then work with the Mohegan Tribe of Indians to achieve federal recognition, get a contract with Connecticut and begin development of the casino. The TCA also operates in partnership with Sun International, led by Sol Kerzner and partner Waterford Group.
The land was originally occupied by the United Nuclear Corporation, which was responsible for building nuclear reactors for submarines. After the base was decommissioned, the land was cleaned and sold. At this time, the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (MTGA) officially hired the TCA to oversee the construction and development of the casino.
The Mohegan Sun was officially opened to the public on October 12, 1996.
Renovations
The first renovation was titled Project Horizon and was announced in November 2006. This $740m project would see the casino expanded and a hotel tower added to the venue, with projections anticipated to see construction finished by 2010.
The first stage of the project was completed in August 2008, which would add 650 slot machines, 28 table games and a 42-table poker room added in the new Casino of the Wind area of the casino.
However, the hotel part of the project was abandoned after the economic recession hit one month later in September 2008. This was compounded by a $58.1m impairment charge that was placed on the halted renovations in 2010.
The Mohegan Tribe tried to revive the plans to build a hotel in May 2011. This new project would see a third party construct the 300-500 room hotel, but this was never started.
On June 25, 2013, the Mohegan Tribe announced yet another expansion would begin at the Mohegan Sun property, named The Downtown District. This would span 200,000 sq ft and would feature a food pavilion and a retail district.
A year later, on July 28, 2014, the tribe said that it would be breaking ground on a hotel expansion by the end of the year. The $110m project would be financed and built by a third-party company and then leased back to the tribe.
The Earth Tower hotel would open on November 18, 2016, with the final cost reaching $139m. This was connected to the Casino of the Earth and offered 400 rooms and suites.
Tribal Information
The Mohegan Sun is operated by the Mohegan Tribe. Although the English officially recognised the Mohegan Tribe’s sovereignty in 1638, the tribe did not regain its full land until the Mohegan Nation (Connecticut) Land Claim Settlement Act in 1994.
After the tribe was federally recognized in 1994, it started plans to open the casino.
The Mohegan gaming operations are overseen by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE), an organisation formerly known as the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (MTGA). This announcement came on June 17 2017 after it was revealed that the tribe had been selected to operate the Inspire property in South Korea.
Corporate Partners
The sports betting company FanDuel announced on July 7, 2021 that it would partner with MGE. This deal would see FanDuel deliver its sportsbook to the Mohegan Sun, which has since grown to include 140ft wide video wall, 39 betting kiosks and six cashier windows. In addition, FanDuel would also facilitate online sports betting, iGaming and Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) to Mohegan.
On April 9, 2021, MGA announced that it has partnered with the Miss America Organization to host the finals in the Mohegan Sun Arena. The deal would last for three years and the finals will be broadcast nationwide.
Non-gaming facilities
Mohegan Sun Arena
The Mohegan Sun area is a multipurpose event arena that can seat over 10,000 people. It was opened in October 2001 and was originally home to the Mohegan Wolves football team. Since 2003, it has been the home arena of the Connecticut Sun basketball team.
The arena has hosted a variety of events, including WWE, UFC, the World's Strongest Man Super Series Competition and musical events.
Hotel
There are two hotel towers at the Mohegan Sun; the Earth Tower and the Sky Tower. The first tower offers rooms from the Earth Tower Deluxe King up to the Earth Tower Earth Suite, an apartment that spans up to 910 sq ft. The second tower offers at least 450 sq ft in all its rooms, from the Sky Tower Deluxe King up to the 3,500+ sq ft Royal Suite.
Entertainment
The Mohegan Sun has several venues that host live entertainment, including the Mohegan Sun Arena, the Wolf Den and Comix Roadhouse. Between these venues, the Mohegan Sun offers music concerts, comedy shows, sports and other events.
Also at the Mohegan Sun is Kids Quest and Cyber Quest, a supervised arcade area for, according to its website, children aged six weeks and above.
Golf
The Mohegan Sun Golf Club features a Par 72, 18-hole golf course designed by Geoffrey Cornish. There’s also a comprehensive training facility found in the Mohegan Sun Gold Academy as well as several restaurants available on the property.
Spa & Fitness Center
The Mandara Spa is located in the Sky Tower and is part of an international chain. Based on Balinese and European practices, the spa offers facials, massages and scrubs. Also available are the Sky Pool, Sky Fitness Center, Earth Spa and Sky Salon.
