Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun keep expanding

Foxwoods is making the bigger move into partnering. The casino is in the middle of a us$ 700 million expansion with MGM Mirage, one of the largest gambling companies in the USy. The new project will become the "MGM Grand at Foxwoods," and the two companies plan to do more developments together.

"Mohegan Sun is starting a us$ 740 million expansion with House of Blues, a Hollywood-based entertainment and dining company, as its centerpiece. Besides a music club, House of Blues will have a restaurant, retail store and members-only club, and it will lend its name to a new poker room and hotel.

Because of the projects, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are expected to continue to drive job growth in southeastern Connecticut, once a region heavily dependent on the defense industry. The expansion will add 3,800 permanent jobs to a workforce at the two casinos of about 21,000 employees.

When explaining the benefits of the partnership, Foxwoods and industry experts also have pointed to MGM’s massive database of customers, connections with top-tier dining establishments and entertainment acts and the company’s vast experience in casino management.

At nearby Mohegan Sun, Mitchell Etess, president and CEO of the casino, sees House of Blues helping to attract 20-somethings, people from outside the Northeast and tourists with a strong interest in other amenities besides gambling.