Contrast Essay

Ever since I began my career in gaming I've heard how incredible Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun were. I've noticed it's common for people to make a comparison between these two different properties. I hear the differences people see between the two all the time since I represent a sort of nearby similar option. They always tell me they were each so big you couldn't see from one end to the other. They had the best of everything. But I've heard they each do some things better or worse than the other. I never was really sure of what to think about either place because a lot of the information contrasted, but they both sounded so impressive. Well, I finally made may way down there and got to see these man-made marvels, these venerable behemoths, these towering city like structures first hand.

During my trip the first thing I noticed as a difference between the two was the level of service. At Mohegan Sun there was a noticeable absence of slot attendants. The casino floor was not speckled with security officers. Most teller windows and table games were closed. The restaurants felt light on staff through each meal. The servers, which cost the least, were hard pressed to visit the table or to replenish drinks. I punished the Texas no limit hold'em table for a few hours and only ever managed to get a cocktail waitress three or four times, with tipping generously to boot. Most casinos require cocktail servers to reach every gaming position in their section every 10 minutes. At Foxwoods it was quite the opposite. The entire facility was a flutter with service employees. Most of the tables were open. The restaurants were well staffed. Their was a cocktail waitress at every turn. In fact the only employees that I didn't see in abundance were EVS (environmental services) or maintenance folk.

The second thing I noticed was how these places were maintained. At Foxwoods the decor was falling apart. The video walls and bits of marketing collateral were half functioning, half not. There were cigarette burns every few feet of carpet, on any ledge or railing, and on the majority of the gaming tables. There was noticeable dust collecting on all of the sills, in the elevators, and on the fake vegetation. The windows were yellowed with residue from collecting the smoke of millions of cigarettes. However, Mohegan was the positive opposite this time. It was very clean in all regards. I didn't find a single cigarette burn or any dust. All of the slot signage was functional, the video displays were pristine, and the decor was in good repair. The most impressive to me in this area was that I was unable to find a single light bulb out!

The last thing I noticed was the different amenities that each had. They were probably closest to each other here. They both had several restaurants, though I found Mohegans most appealing and in greater abundance. In fact the buffet at Foxwoods was so bad I found it offensive. The stores at Foxwoods seemed to be more high end or expensive, I think they had a Rolex store. They both offered complimentary alcohol, of course as I mentioned earlier Foxwoods provided it better. They both had very impressive night clubs, but the mountain-like lounge and the Italian bar over water at Mohegan were my favorites. They were beautiful shops and stores, but I think you could find anything you were looking for at either really.

I've been to dozens of casinos all over the US and Canada. I've worked in the business for about 4 years and have been consulting on Casino Food & Beverage operations for just as long. Being intimately familiar with Quality Assurance from having conducted so many inspections at many facilities over the years has really given me sharp eye for these kind of things. I've never seen facilities as large as these two, but I've seen close. I think it's safe to say that these two mighty, once largest in the world, casinos were both very impressive in some areas, and fell down in others. If your considering a trip, I'd say you could have a good time at either, but if it were up to me and I had to chose one or the other it would be Mohegan for sure.