| Hall of the Lost Tribes | |
Part 1: Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut
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On Wednesday April 18th, The Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut unveiled The Hall of the Lost Tribes, located in the former bingo hall. The new area is a smoke free mini-casino for slot players.
This week I met with Adam Jalbert the Mohegan Sun's Public Relations Manager to tour the new facility and find out a little more about the decision to close the Bingo hall and open a smoke free area for the slot players. After the tour I was impressed with the well thought out plans that went into the designing of this new facility. I also learned some of the Native American history that is the meaning behind the name "Hall of the Lost Tribes.
Mr. Jalbert explained to me that the since its opening in October 1996, the Mohegan Sun always tried to accommodate their non-smoking players. This was achieved by designating certain tables as non- smoking tables for the casino game players and making certain banks of slot machines a non-smoking area as well. Smokers could however walk through any of the non-smoking slot areas. Many patrons expressed a desire to have larger area dedicated exclusively for non-smokers.
Although Bingo does attract players, in a tough decision, it was decided that a majority of players could better be accommodated by converting the space of the present bingo hall into a mini-casino for non-smoking patrons. So on November 24, 2000 the last cry of "Bingo!" was heard in the hall and construction of the new facility got under way.
The Hall of the Lost Tribes was designed to be a complete self-contained mini-casino for slot players. This means that all of the needs of the players can be served in this area alone. The casino has 635 new slot machines. Many of these are the popular multi-game machines offering the player several choices of games so they will not have to change seats to play a different game. The denomination of machines range from quarter to $25 machines. There are also a few "Quick Hit Progressive" machines.
These machines offer a progressive jackpot but are self-contained and are not linked to other machines. This is similar to the bonus jackpots in some of the video machines, but they play and look like the standard reel machines.
Inside the Hall of the Lost Tribes players will find a lounge area for those that want to enjoy the beverage at the bar. There is also an "Eatery" for anyone desiring a snack. There is a change booth with the new fast self-serve coin redemption machines to speed up service. Players deposit their coins in the machine and they are converted to dollars. There is a Player's Club booth and a casino host office in the new casino as well.
Eatery
The room is pressurized with fresh air flowing in to force a gentle stream of air out of the entrances. This will keep any smoke from areas outside the hall from entering the room. Thus the environment remains truly smoke free.
The Mohegan Sun is located in Uncasville. Connecticut. Two minutes from Interstate 395. . Call toll free anytime for more information at: 1.888.226.7711.
There was much thought given to the decor and theme of the new area. It was decided to dedicate the new casino to the memory of the Native American lost tribes of Connecticut and to honor those tribes who no longer exist as nations. Here is some background.
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All photographs by Bill Burton, copyright 2000, licensed toAbout.com,
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