Foxwoods Resort Casino plans to expand its entertainment and business apartment further in Mashantucket City through a sprawling recreational campsite.
Foxwoods recently unveiled its plans to build a high-end, resort-like campsite with Blue Water Development (BWD), a Maryland-based hospitality company specializing in campground management. Mashantucket Pequot communication representatives told casino.org that the proposed project with be family-oriented.
The development targets a land owned by the tribe at Avery Pond, located along Route 2 in the Preston town. BWD and Foxwoods submitted plans for the recreational campsite last week to township executives.
If approved, the campground would include:
- Several camping sites.
- A pool complex with splash pads and waterslide.
- Volleyball and tennis courts.
- Pavilions.
- A camp store.
The area will service utilities, including water, electricity, and washrooms.
Foxwood’s campsite resort proposal will next be regarded this week at a Preston Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission sitting.
Foxwoods is owned and run by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, one of two publicly recognized tribes in Connecticut. The other one is the Mohegan Tribe, which owns and runs Mohegan Sun.
Keeping wagers put
Connecticut’s two Native American casino resorts highly struggled during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods both willingly stopped their operations during the peak of COVID-19. When they reopened, they did so with a lot of ongoing safety measures in place.
Resort-wide, business at both locations was poor. Net revenue for the two tribal casinos was down more than a half-billion dollars in their 2020 financial years, compared with 2019. Net income includes all resorts revenue, including gaming.
The tribes share 25% of their slot machine win with the state. They retain all their gaming revenue generated from table games.
Mohegan and Foxwoods will be well equipped to handle the pandemic in the future. The two land-based casinos are in the process of deploying mobile sportsbooks and online casinos.
That will allow anyone inside Connecticut to bet remotely online without the need of traveling to the remote tribal casinos, as it also presents concerns that some retail wagers will frequent the brick-and-mortar resorts.
However, Foxwood’s campsite could bring out a new demo to the Connecticut facility.
“Visitors who camp, visit for an extended stay,” president of the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, Tony Sheridan, explained. “For many years, our tourism efforts have focused on encouraging visitors to go beyond a one-day engagement.”
He continued,
“These travelers stay up to three and a half days. For the greater Mystic region, this means a quality consumer, one interested in staying and exploring while spending more time and more dollars, locally.”
Demo thriving
The camping industry performed better than most during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recreational vehicles (RVs) are trading at a top pace, with more than a half-million new RVs expected to be sold by the end of this year.
The RV Industry (RVIA) predicts that more than 600,000 new systems will be sold in 2022. The union added that RV ownership has risen by 62% over the last two decades, and currently, there are a record 11.2 million households owning an RV.
The RVIA further explains that the regular RV owner is 48 years old, married, and has an above-average yearly household income of $62,000. RV owners are likely to own their homes and spend an average of three to fours week every year traveling.
Foxwoods is hoping to become a leading destination for RV families. While the casino currently carries a small RV parking slot, online reviews report numerous complaints concerning noisy generators and idling buses. In addition, there is no water, electric, and sewer services.
Last Updated on by Ryan
