Mohegan Sun
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| Number of rooms | 1,356 | |
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| Theme | Native American | |
| Gaming space | 300,000 sq ft. | |
| Permanent show(s) | Connecticut Sun during WNBA season | |
| Signature attraction(s) | Mohegan Sun Arena Connecticut Sun The Wolf 104.7FM Radio Station |
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| Notable restaurant(s) | Michael Jordan's Steakhouse Todd English's Tuscany |
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| Owner | Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority | |
| Date opened | October 12, 1996 | |
| Casino type | Land | |
| Major renovation(s) | 2001 2002 |
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| Previous name(s) | none | |
| Casino website | Mohegan Sun | |
The Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino located in the village of Uncasville in the town of Montville, Connecticut, U.S., is the world's second largest casino. It is located on 240 acres along the banks of Thames River. It is at the heart of the scenic foothills of southeastern Connecticut, where 60 percent of the state's tourism is concentrated. It also features the state's only major-league professional sports team, the Women's National Basketball Association's Connecticut Sun, and is the home of New London's WMOS FM radio station.
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[edit] History
The Mohegan Sun was originally developed and managed by Trading Cove Associates: a joint venture of Waterford Gaming, Sol Kerzner's Kerzner International (Formerly Sun International) and the Mohegan Tribe. In 2000 Trading Cove Associates gave complete control of the resort to the Mohegan tribe; TCA still receives a 5% dividend on the gross revenue generated by Mohegan Sun until 2014. The casino operates under a gaming contract which the Tribe entered into with the State of Connecticut on April 25, 1994.
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates designed Mohegan Sun’s exterior and luxury hotel tower. Rockwell Group created Mohegan-inspired designs for the gaming space, retail and restaurant promenade and hotel lobby. Hirsch Bedner Associates designed the 1,200-room, 34-story luxury hotel interiors and meeting spaces.
The multi-purpose Mohegan Sun Arena was opened in 2001 under the construction of Perini Building Company. Casino of the Sky opened in September 2001, adding to the existing Casino of the Earth.
The hotel tower was unveiled in April 2002 with 1,200 rooms. That has since been increased to 1,356 rooms.
Since 2003 ESPN has broadcast live pre- and post-game WNBA shows from inside the facility.
On January 25, 2005, Mohegan Sun acquired its first gaming venture outside of Connecticut with its $280 million purchase of the Pocono Downs Racetrack in Plains Township, Pennsylvania from Penn National Gaming. Mohegan Sun renamed the property "Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs" and began a major expansion.
In November, 2006, the tribe announced a $740 million expansion titled Project Horizon. The project will be completed in 2010, with phases of the expansion being completed prior to that. The expansion will add the Casino of the Wind which will feature 964 slot machines, 10 table games, and 45 House of Blues poker tables. It will also add 1,000 new hotel rooms, including 300 House of Blues themed rooms complete with its own separate lobby.
[edit] Management
Besides the Mohegan Sun management team, the casino is also managed by the Mohegan Council of Elders group and the Mohegan Tribal Council.
[edit] Gaming and Entertainment
- 6,200 slot machines, 300 gaming tables including blackjack, craps, roulette, Caribbean stud poker, keno and baccarat.
- Three entertainment venues including the Mohegan Sun Arena, the 350-seat Cabaret Theatre and the 300-seat Wolf Den.
- More than 100,000 sq ft of meeting and function room space, including the Northeast’s largest ballroom.
- The Race Book offers live horse or greyhound racing from around the U.S. as well as from Australia and England. It also offers wagering on Jai-alai from Florida.
- 130,000 sq ft of retail shopping.
[edit] Dining and Resort
- A 34-story hotel tower, which at 148 metres or 487 feet[1], is one of the tallest buildings in Connecticut.
- 20,000 sq ft of world class spa.
- 3,000 sq ft fitness cardiovascular center and aerobic studio.
- 22,000 sq ft of three individually themed night club and lounges.
- The compilations of restaurants combine to more than 3000 seats.
- 10,000 sq ft indoor swimming pool.
- 17,500 sq ft outdoor sun terrace.
- The Hotel is particularly noted for offering complimentary high speed Internet connections (15 MBps up and 15 MBps down) in all of its rooms
[edit] Environment
- The Casino of the Sky is a functional planetarium utilizing fibre optics to display the sun, moon and stars accompanying the lighting effects of the Wombi Rock, which is a three-story high crystal mountain crafted of alabaster and more than 12,000 individual plates of hand-selected onyx from quarries in Iran, Pakistan and Mexico, which were transported to Carrera, Italy and fused into glass.
- A 55 ft high indoor waterfall called Taughannick Falls represents a treacherous crossing point during the tribe's migration.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Fact Sheets. Retrieved on February 1, 2006.
- Metropolitan Transportation. Retrieved on February 1, 2006.
