Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun Casinos To Begin Reopening June 1

UNCASVILLE, CT — The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe will begin reopening of portions of their reservations on June 1, officials announced Wednesday. As part of Phase 1, Mashantucket Pequot will reopen portions of Foxwoods Resort Casino and the Mohegan Tribe will reopen portions of Mohegan Sun to the public on June 1.

Both resorts are operated on sovereign land and are not subject to Gov. Ned Lamont’s executive orders. During a news conference Wednesday, Lamont said he was concerned about the casinos reopening June 1. He said he thought it was “incredibly risky and it's risky for the people that work at the casinos, it’s risky for the people that go to the casinos, it’s risky for the region because you have a lot of employees who go back out through the region," according to NBC Connecticut.

Officials said the two tribes collaborated to establish new safety protocols and operating procedures for each property's reopening guidelines, aimed at mitigating the risks for both guests and employees.

“Based on the collaborative guidelines, each Tribal Nation has developed their own policies to address the unique needs of their respective property,” according to a news release. “Consistent with or exceeding the state's phased guidance and safety protocols, each property has incorporated protective equipment and physical distancing in its policies. Neither property will open its concert venues, buffets or poker rooms and tenant restaurants will be open for takeout only.”

Both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun will also be catering to Connecticut and Rhode Island residents only, officials said.

“No out-of-state marketing to New York or Massachusetts will take place at either property and no out-of-state buses will be accepted,” the news release states.

Mohegan Tribal Chairman James Gessner issued the following statement Wednesday night in response to Lamont's comments:

“This afternoon, Governor Lamont and his reopen team expressed two general concerns about Connecticut casinos opening on June 1. First, they worry about the regional impact, specifically referencing buses coming from New York or other states. We completely agree, that’s why the plan we put forward today made clear that both casinos will not accept any buses and clearly not from New York or Massachusetts, nor will we do any marketing to those states at this time. Second, they are concerned about older customers who may have increased health risks. Again we agree, that’s why the plan we put forward today made clear that we will advise older customers to take specific precautions and to stay home if they are part of an at-risk group. We appreciate the Governor’s concerns, and we appreciate that he also made clear the tribal nations are being 'thoughtful' about reopening. We look forward to working with him further as the state continues to reopen."

A Foxwoods spokesman also clarified Wednesday night that guests from all over are welcome to come to Foxwoods.

“There will be no immediate out-of-state marketing beyond Connecticut, but we welcome guests from all over to Foxwoods as we reopen on June 1," the statement reads. "There will be new safety protocols which exceed the requirements for businesses in the state of CT– such as non-invasive temperature scans, mandatory masks, increased social distancing guidelines and more – to ensure the safety of our guests and team members.”

Reopening plan for casinos

Earlier on Wednesday, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Chairman Rodney A. Butler said they are "proud to partner with the Mohegan Tribe to ensure we develop the most responsible plan for helping the state of Connecticut recover swiftly and safely from the crippling economic impact of this pandemic.”

“The safety, health and well-being of our Tribal community, guests, team members and local communities remain our number one priority as we prepare to reopen," Butler said. "With the guidance from our Chief Medical Officer and the CDC, we’ve made significant investments to enhance our processes to adapt to the challenges of the new normal brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many casinos successfully opening around the country – we are implementing industry best practices to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.”

Butler said some of the changes will be obvious, including infrared temperature scanners installed at all entrances and guests will be required to wear masks. Casino staff members will be required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

“Behind the scenes, ongoing disinfection of all common surfaces will be performed at short intervals, as well the replacement of dice, tiles and cards in use at our table games,” Butler said. “On behalf of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the entire Foxwoods team, we look forward to delivering moments of joy and celebration that help ease ourselves back into this new way of life through safe experiences and environments.”

Gessner said both tribes have “deep roots within our communities and are fortunate to call many of our neighbors team members and friends.”

“As we developed our new guidelines for reopening which expanded on the rigorous safety policies already in place at Mohegan Sun, the safety of these team members, neighbors, partners and friends were at the forefront of each decision we made,” Gessner said. “We have spent the past 10 weeks putting extraordinary measures in place including cutting edge technology to protect the safety and health of all individuals who walk through the doors of Mohegan Sun as well as to ensure the safety of our community as a whole. The new guidelines, which were shared with state officials weeks ago, are based off recommendations from experts nationally and around the globe and have been implemented at several of our other resort destinations across the country – some of which are now open or will be later this month. As we enter our ‘new normal’ we are excited to welcome back our team members who are an extension of our Mohegan family and to once again begin working with many of our local partners and businesses to help stimulate the Connecticut economy.”

In addition to the above protocols, team members at each property will receive training on infectious disease (with a heavy focus on COVID-19) safety and sanitation protocols to further ensure guest and team member safety, according to the release. More comprehensive training will be provided for team members with frequent guest contact including Housekeeping, Food & Beverage, Environmental Services, Hotel Operations, Gaming, Retail, Entertainment and Security.

This article originally appeared on the Montville Patch