Foxwoods El San Juan Casino Opens

This week the Foxwoods El San Juan Casino in the Fairmont San Juan Hotel opened its doors in Puerto Rico, marking a new market for the Connecticut-based Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.

The casino will be open through mid-December each day, with expanded plans to be open 24/7/364 should Covid-19 rules change to allow for sustained opening. Puerto Rico has been working to expand gambling within its territory, which will help bring in extra revenue when tourists return en-masse. Lawmakers are currently working to legalize sportsbetting in the US territory, but no timeframe for a launch has been indicated.

Regarding the launch Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Chairman Rodney Butler said, "Today is a landmark milestone for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation as we expand the Foxwoods Resort Casino brand - for the first time ever - to the Caribbean.

"We're honoured to bring real economic value and tourism to the region - including an estimated economic impact of $22 million - with the launch of Foxwoods El San Juan Casino and remain a committed partner as we help build a bright future for the island. We thank our partners at LionGrove and Fairmont El San Juan for making this happen."

Puerto Rico's Governor Pedro Pierlusi added: "This past January, we made the historic announcement that this iconic casino would reopen its doors. After a lot of work, today I am pleased to be present to formalize the opening of Foxwoods El San Juan Casino.

"With Foxwoods El San Juan Casino's capital investment of $12.5m, the casino will positively impact our economy and create over 150 direct jobs," Pierlusi continued. "I remain committed to the economic development of our Island, through efforts like Foxwoods El San Juan Casino, to boost tourism growth and investment in Puerto Rico."