“We’ve learned from past mistakes, and we want to be ready for it in the future.”Įven before the pandemic hit, some tribal casinos were already facing competitive pressures from the advent of other gambling options, including legalized online wagering on sports and casino games in some states. And so, something’s going to happen again,” Butler said.
“You think about the financial crisis in ’08 and now COVID. A member of the Sun’aq Tribe of Kodiak, Alaska, he credited the Mashantucket Pequots’ tribal leaders with doubling down on diversification efforts during the pandemic instead of “shying away and trying to hunker down.”īutler said the tribe hopes non-gambling revenues, including from a planned family resort with a 91,000-square-foot (8,450-square-meter) water park that’s expected to open in 2025, will eventually comprise 50% to 80% of the Mashantucket Pequots’ portfolio, providing “stability and certainty” when another challenging event undoubtedly will happen.
WWC Global CEO Jon Panamaroff applauded the Mashantucket Pequots’ casino and hospitality business but noted that it can be subject to the “ups and downs of the market,” making it important to branch out economically.
