Later last call in Mass. would cause Conn. casinos to take note
If Massachusetts amends its liquor laws to enable casinos to serve later than 2 a.m., Foxwoods Resort Casino would be interested in following suit. Mohegan Sun would have to consider it, too.
In the gaming world, it’s all about staying competitive.
A discussion of the prospect of later liquor-serving hours at casinos follows an Associated Press report last week that a House version of Massachusetts’ proposed state budget contains a provision that would allow Bay State casinos to serve patrons until 4 a.m.
Reportedly, Wynn Resorts, which is developing a Boston-area resort casino that’s expected to draw an international crowd, is a key backer of the proposal. MGM Resorts International is building a resort casino in Springfield, Mass.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission would have to approve any change in casino liquor-serving hours. The Bay State currently allows liquor to be served until 2 a.m. In Connecticut, liquor service is prohibited after 1 a.m. on weekday nights and after 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
Though owned and operated by federally recognized Indian tribes, the Connecticut casinos are subject to state liquor laws.
“We believe that extending liquor service hours ... particularly on casino floors, would translate to more revenue for Connecticut, especially considering that gaming competition continues to increase throughout New England,” Lori Potter, director of communications for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, wrote in an email. The tribe owns Foxwoods.
“It would be wise for Connecticut to do whatever possible to remain competitive,” Potter added.
Foxwoods’ president and chief executive officer, Felix Rappaport, has been bullish on extending hours of liquor service since arriving at Foxwoods in 2014.
“I’m very much in favor of extending hours,” he said Tuesday. “I’ve worked in Atlantic City where they have 24-hour service, I’ve worked in Las Vegas where they have 24-hour service. You still have to serve alcohol with care. The last thing you want to do is overserve anybody.”
Rappaport said he recently visited Mississippi, another gaming jurisdiction where liquor is served 24 hours a day.
“Many of our customers drive from New York, where they can get a drink much later,” he said. “In most casino environments, it’s like that. In our case, when 1 o’clock or 2 o’clock approaches, customers want to get that last drink in. ... When we have to compete with Atlantic City and Las Vegas and Massachusetts is at our doorstep — Massachusetts and New York have much bigger budgets than we do for promoting tourism — it’s about being open-minded and progressive as the world changes.”
The Mohegans, owners of Mohegan Sun, have not previously weighed in on the issue publicly.
“We understand the competitive environment,” Chuck Bunnell, the Mohegans’ chief of staff, said this week. “We’re watching Massachusetts closely. If they were to do something, we’d have to take a look at it.”
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