Rodney Butler, Chairman
Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
Foxwoods Resort Casino – Mashantucket, CT
foxwoods.com / mptn-nsn.gov
BENEFITS OF GAMING: The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s (MPTN) gaming operations generate significant gaming revenue for our tribal government, which provides essential services to our tribal members and extended community. Such services include health clinics, a pharmacy, and health plans for our employees, whose competitive benefits include a 401(k) with employer match, disability insurance, childcare reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, and paid meals. We also provide direct and indirect jobs for over 6,000 Connecticut and Rhode Island residents – approximately six times our tribal enrollment.
For our tribal community, we provide healthcare, education, scholarship and cultural programs, childcare, and early childhood and after-school programs. Likewise, we provide an array of government services, including but not limited to: fire, police and emergency dispatch, public works and utilities services, social services, and housing. We also have a tribal court system and regulatory bodies overseeing gaming, building and environmental permitting, historic preservation, zoning, food safety, and employee rights.
Since 1992, both of Connecticut’s federally recognized tribes have generated over $9 billion in direct funding to the state, which is distributed to municipal governments and to the state’s general fund. Likewise, taxes assessed on our off-reservation properties make the MPTN among the largest taxpayer in our neighboring towns.
We also collaborate with state and local governments and non-profit organizations to provide various services off-reservation, including our United Way partnership, Mystic Aquarium sponsorships, and mutual aid agreements for fire and emergency services, among others.
GOALS & INITIATIVES: MPTN’s mission statement is our Tribal Council’s north star: “The ultimate goal is to protect and advance the sovereign rights of the tribal nation in order to build and preserve a cultural, social and economic foundation that can never be undermined or destroyed.” Through our various economic development initiatives and other endeavors, the health, welfare, and safety of our tribal family, along with the protection and preservation of our culture, are paramount.
Foxwoods Resort Casino strives to be a leader, not only in Indian Country, but across the gaming and hospitality industries, offering a first-class and unique integrated resort experience for all of our customers. Now, more than ever, we are well-positioned to appeal not only to casino patrons, but also to customers of all ages through a broad range of attractions and offerings. We are likewise excited for what lies ahead for one of our newest ventures, Wondr Nation, our online gaming entertainment company. Wondr is enjoying great success in leading our iGaming efforts in Connecticut and remains keenly focused on using emerging technologies and trends to create new and exciting experiences for our players. The future is bright.
LEGISLATIVE: Dual taxation continues to burden tribal governments as they struggle to enhance and diversify their economies and is an affront to tribal sovereignty and self-determination. We are actively pursuing a range of solutions to address state and local government taxing authority over on-reservation businesses. Prohibiting these intrusions is the only pathway for tribal economies to reach their full potential and for tribal governments to have a real opportunity to fully meet the needs of citizens.