Connecticut

Connecticut is home to Foxwoods, a few miles north of New London, said to be the largest and most profitable casino in the world. The 314,000-square foot casino, which is operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, opened in 1992 after a certain amount of legal wrangling. Eventually, the United States Supreme Court agreed with the tribe that if the state permitted charities to sponsor low-stakes gambling nights, the tribe could do the same.

The Foxwoods facility has three hotels and more than 20 places to get food, including three 24-hour restaurants. There are also five nightclubs, a golf course, a spa, and a beauty shop. An off-track betting facility allows patrons to place wagers on horses, dog races, and jai-alai games.

At the time the casino opened, it did not have slot machines. After a series of discussions, the tribe reached an accord with the state government that permitted the tribe an exclusive right to have slot machines in exchange for an annual payment of one-quarter of the gross revenue of the slot machines. The agreement could be canceled if the slot machines were allowed anywhere else in the state. A few years later, when the Mohegan tribe wanted to build their casino at Uncasville, the Pequots gave permission for the Mohegans to have slot machines in their casino under the same agreement.

Connecticut casinos are open 24 hours a day. One must be 18 years old to play bingo and 21 years old to gamble in a casino.

Rhode Island

The state has two pari-mutuel facilities which offer video lottery terminals, which give the player the opportunity to enjoy a variety of different games, including blackjack, poker, keno, and slots. While the machines take cash, a winner will get a receipt for payout by a cashier. One must be 18 to gamble in Rhode Island.

Massachusetts

Two gambling cruise ships sail from Massachusetts ports to points three miles into international waters where casino gambling is legal. Games include poker, blackjack, craps, bingo, and roulette.

Maine

The Maine legislature has authorized the placement of slot machines at Bangor Raceway. They are expected to be in place late 2005 or early 2006. One must be at least 18 to gamble in Maine.

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