Casino Enterprise Management

Resort Casino Experiences Increases of 5.3% in Slot Handle & 1.3% in Slot Win as Compared to July of 2009

MASHANTUCKET, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Foxwoods Resort Casino and MGM Grand at Foxwoods today reported to the Connecticut State Division of Special Revenue that slot revenue for the month of July was $64.1 million. This amount represents an increase of 1.3 percent in slot win and an increase of 5.3 percent in total slot handle as compared to July of 2009. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, the casino’s owner, also reported a $17.2 million payment to the State of Connecticut for July 2010. This contribution increases the total dollar amount given to the State of Connecticut to approximately $3.05 billion since January 1993, when slot machines were first introduced at Foxwoods.

 “While we’re pleased with July’s results, it appears that current economic conditions will continue to pose challenges to our business over the coming months,” said Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprises (MPGE) President William Sherlock. “We’ll continue to introduce new experiences, amenities and customer benefits that are sure to resonate with consumers.”

The increase in slot revenue for North America’s largest resort casino is in contrast to July figures for Atlantic City, where the 11 area properties recorded a combined 5 percent decrease compared to July of last year. This loss marks the 23rd consecutive month of declining revenues, with a number of the Atlantic City area casinos recording double digit losses.

This fall, the award-winning property will introduce two major entertainment establishments at Foxwoods with the opening of Comix, the first outpost of the popular Manhattan comedy club, and High Rollers Lanes and Lounge, a luxury bowling complex courtesy of Big Night Entertainment, the company behind SHRINE and The Scorpion Bar Tequila Cantina. The addition of these two venues will provide customers with even more unique entertainment choices while continuing to set the property apart from its competition.

This week Foxwoods also announced a unique partnership with one of Times Square’s most historic venues, the former Hilton Theater. The newly named “Foxwoods Theatre” will play host to SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK, a highly-anticipated Broadway production featuring music by U2’s Bono and The Edge, and will provide the resort casino with a signature opportunity to further penetrate the New York market.

Foxwoods and MGM Grand at Foxwoods feature first-rate entertainment events throughout August and September including Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy featuring Debbie Gibson (through September 1); Legends in Concert (through September 5); Stevie Nicks (August 28); Donna Summer (September 3); Trey Songz and Monica (September 5); John Fogerty (September 10); Comix Presents an Evening with Stephen Lynch (September 11); and Ragazzi Di Oggi (September 12).

About Foxwoods and MGM Grand at Foxwoods
North America’s largest casino, Foxwoods Resort Casino® is located at the Mashantucket Pequot Indian reservation in the midst of the rolling hills of southeastern Connecticut; easily accessible from Boston, New York, Hartford and Providence. Owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, Foxwoods offers something for everyone as the East Coast’s premiere entertainment destination. Four award-winning hotels offer accommodations to suit every budget, along with luxury butler-serviced villas, extensive retail offerings, and more than thirty dining establishments offering everything from world-class gourmet cuisine to casual fare. Six casinos offer non-stop gaming excitement with over 7,000 slots and 570 table games throughout the resort; including the only WPT World Poker Room™ on the east coast; a High Stakes Bingo hall and Ultimate Race Book. The renowned Norwich Spa at Foxwoods and the tranquil oasis of G-Spa will provide the perfect escape to recharge the mind, body and soul. Meetings and Convention seekers will find more than 115,000 square feet of meeting space including the largest column-free ballroom in the northeast; MGM’s 50,000 square foot Premiere Ballroom. Two acoustically-perfected theater venues offer weekly entertainment for all ages. The original state-of-the-art Fox Theater, seating 1400, was opened in 1993 by the legendary Frank Sinatra. The majestic 4,000-seat MGM Grand Theater hosts an impressive variety of weekly headline entertainment. Conveniently located adjacent to Foxwoods is Lake of Isles™, featuring two, 18-hole championship golf courses designed by Rees Jones and a state-of-the-art Golf Academy. Foxwoods supports responsible gaming, and plays a leadership role in the Connecticut Council of Problem Gambling, of which it was a founding entity. For more information, call 1-800-FOXWOODS or visit www.foxwoods.com.

About the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
The Mashantucket Pequots are a native Algonquin people in southeastern Connecticut, having endured centuries of conflict, survival, and continuity on and around one of America’s oldest Indian reservations, established in 1666. As the first native people within the borders of the continental United States to suffer attempted genocidal massacre by Puritan Colonists in 1637, the Pequots and their repatriation is an unprecedented story of restoration exhibited in detail at the Tribe’s world-class Museum and Research Center (www.pequotmuseum.org). Today the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation owns the largest resort casino in the world, Foxwoods Resort Casino (www.foxwoods.com), along with several other economic ventures including the Lake of Isles Golf Course (www.lakeofisles.com), a joint-venture partnership establishing the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, and Foxwoods Development Company dedicated to world-class resort development throughout the United States and Caribbean. All together, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation remains one of the State of Connecticut’s highest tax payers and largest employers. Likewise, the Tribe provides significant financial contributions to state and local nonprofit organizations that support neighboring communities.