Mohegan Sun is one of two flagship casino resorts located in southeastern Connecticut, both of which are operated by Indian tribes. The other is Foxwoods Casino Resort. 

Boasting 364,000 square feet of gaming space and encompassing two distinct casinos, this property appears to be a gambler’s dream.

I had heard nothing but positive things about Mohegan Sun prior to my visit, so I headed there in anticipation to find out if it could live up to the hype.

The idea of developing Mohegan Sun began in 1992, with three Connecticut based companies expressing an interest in developing a casino in partnership with the Mohegan Tribe.

The three companies formed Trading Cove Associates which assisted the tribe in their efforts to gain federal recognition as a sovereign nation. This was passed by the United States government on 7 March 1994, with the US authorising the cleaned up United Nuclear site for use as Mohegan’s reservation land.

Gaining a sovereign reservation enabled Mohegan to begin developing a casino resort to generate revenue for the welfare of the tribe.

Mohegan Sun opened on 12 October 1996, and in 2000 the Mohegan Tribe were given full control of the resort by Trading Cove Associates in return for a 5% dividend on gross revenue until 2014.

However, the economic recession in 2008 resulted in a planned expansion called Project Horizon, adding a new “Casino of the Wind” along with 1,000 new hotel rooms, being put on hold and it was eventually cancelled completely in 2010.

Expansion plans were again announced in 2013, and in 2016 The Earth Tower was added to run alongside the existing Sky Tower, thus increasing the hotel offering to 1,563 rooms.

As well as Mohegan Sun, the Mohegan Tribe currently own six other casino resorts located across the USA: Mohegan Pennsylvania, Resorts Atlantic City, Ilani Washington, Fallsview Niagara, Casino Niagara and Mohegan Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.       

Location

Mohegan Sun is situated on 185 acres along the Thames River in southeastern Connecticut, an area which attracts 60% of the state’s total tourism.

By car, the property is 45 minutes from Providence, Hartford and New Haven and around 90 minutes from Boston. New York is just over two hours away. Mohegan Sun is 15 minutes from the shops, museums and waterfront of Mystic Country.

There is the option of a ferry service from Orient Point, NY to New London, CT where Mohegan Sun offers a shuttle service to and from the property throughout the day and early evening. Guests must hold a valid ferry or train ticket with New London listed and exact running times vary by season.     

Mohegan Sun offers a mind blowing 364,000 square feet of gambling space, with 3,500 slot machines and 377 table games. This is spread across two separate gaming areas, Casino of the Sky and Casino of the Earth, and there is also a sportsbook operated by FanDuel.

Both casinos are visually stunning with the Casino of the Sky featuring a planetarium-like domed ceiling which uses fibre optics to display the sun, moon and stars. The Casino of the Earth features a number of mechanical wolves sitting on top of large rock-like structures. Most striking of all is the 55-foot indoor waterfall, Taughannick Falls, which proves to be a suitably dramatic centrepiece to compliment the property as a whole. 

Table Games Selection

There are 377 table games at Mohegan Sun spread across both the Casino of the Sky and the Casino of the Earth, with table minimums set at various limits. These include:

• Midi Baccarat (17 tables)
• Mini Baccarat (32 tables in the Casino of the Earth)
• Blackjack (116 tables)
• Caribbean Stud Poker
• Craps (15 tables)
• Four Card Poker
• Let It Ride (9 tables in the Casino of the Earth)
• Pai Gow Poker (10 tables in the Casino of the Earth)
• Pai Gow Tiles (13 tables in the Casino of the Earth)
• Roulette (22 tables)
• Spanish 21 (16 tables)
• Three Card Poker

In addition, there is a dedicated poker room with 30 tables offering daily cash games as well as tournaments.

Daily tournaments feature No Limit Texas Hold’em and Bounty Tournaments. Daily cash game offerings include:

• 7 Card Stud
• Texas Hold’em
• No Limit Texas Hold’em
• Omaha
• Razz
• Badugi
• 2-7 Triple Draw

Slots

Predominantly I am a slots player and, to put it quite simply, Mohegan Sun has the best slots selection I have ever seen, with over 3,500 games on offer. 

The Casino of the Sky is the more modern of the two casinos, with all the newer games under one roof. It includes a Hold & Spin Slot Zone with over 250 of those type of games and includes all the Dragon Link variations (in fact Mohegan Sun boasts the highest number of Dragon Links in Connecticut), Lightning Dollar Link and Ultimate Fire Link.

Other popular slot games on the main casino floor include:

• Huff N’ Even More Puff
• Double Top Dollar
• Wheel Of Fortune
• Frankenstein
• Quick Hits
• Dancing Drums
• Lock It Link: Piggy Bankin’
• Cash Burst
• Buffalo Gold Revolution 
• Luxury Line
• Wonder 4 Boost Gold

The Casino of the Earth is comparable to the Casino of the Sky in size, but the slot selection is not quite as up to date. Expect to find games that are a couple of years old along with a number of three-reel games such as Triple Double Diamond, 10 Times Pay and Wild Cherry.  

During my one-night stay at Mohegan Sun I gambled in the Casino of the Sky, had a wonderful time and did very well, winning around $2,000 in total including a handpay of $1247. However, this is where things turned a little sour.

Being a Brit and an experienced gambler in the USA I possess all the required ITIN documentation that allows casinos to pay me 100% of any handpays, with no tax withheld. British gamblers do not pay tax on gambling winnings at home and thanks to a tax treaty between the UK and the US, the US agree to honour this and should not withhold tax for British visitors providing they can produce original ITIN documentation at the time of payout.  

Unfortunately, staff at Mohegan Sun did not seem to know about this rule and instead insisted on taxing me 30%, therefore withholding $375, and stating it was “company policy”.

As you can imagine this spoiled what was otherwise a fantastic visit and serves as a warning to other Brits who may be looking to visit Mohegan Sun in the future. 

Bar-Top Gaming

As with most casinos in the US, bar-top gaming is offered at Mohegan Sun and the best place to head for this, particularly if you enjoy watching sports, is the Bow & Arrow Sports Bar (located in the Casino of the Earth).

Bar-top games are limited to Video Poker, Blackjack, Keno and a few of the more traditional slot games, but this can be an attractive proposition as you can take advantage of the complimentary drinks on offer whilst enjoying all the sporting action at the same time.  

Sportsbook

Mohegan Sun offers a 13,000 square foot sportsbook. It is operated by FanDuel and is located in the Casino of the Earth. 

It features a 140-foot video wall, 39 betting kiosks, eight cashier windows, and seating for 60 guests.

Waitress Service

As a regular visitor to Las Vegas, I am used to a certain level of waitress service while gambling. I’ve also explained away many a losing slots session with the immortal line “…but at least the drinks service was good”. 

However, even in Vegas drinks service can be somewhat hit and miss, particularly in the larger resorts. I also understand that complimentary drinks are not the norm in other parts of America and alcohol laws vary widely by state.

In Connecticut the sale of alcohol on-premises (which includes casinos) is restricted to the following hours:

• Monday – Thursday from 9:00am until 1:00am
• Friday and Saturday from 9:00am until 2:00am
• Sunday from 11:00am until 1:00am

During my visit to Mohegan Sun, which was on a Monday, I found the waitress service to be very efficient and throughout the evening I was not left without a drink for long. Following our gambling exploits we decamped to the bar and it was quite strange to experience ‘last orders’ in a casino, but that is exactly what happened. Bars began closing at around 12:45am and by 1:00am the casino as a whole was so deserted it may as well have been closed.

High Limit Gaming

Mohegan Sun offers high limit areas in both the Casino of the Sky and Casino of the Earth. 

As with the main casino floor in the Casino of the Sky, the slot offering in the high limit area is excellent and includes all the usual games including Lightning Link, Dragon Link, Prosperity Pearl and Huff N’ Even More Puff. 

The selection at Casino of the Earth is slightly older and includes a greater selection of three-reel games. 

However, whilst both areas are separated from the main casino floors, they are in line with the overall open plan design of the place and are therefore not as private or luxurious as some high limit areas I have visited. 

This did surprise me a little considering how everything else at Mohegan Sun is so well designed. So, if you’re a high limit slot player who values your privacy, you may want to look elsewhere. 

High limit table game players are well catered for, including private and semi-private gaming areas in novelle, a high-end lounge located in the Casino of the Sky. The novelle public area features Blackjack, Mini Baccarat, Craps, and Roulette while the four private VIP rooms offer Blackjack, Mini Baccarat and Craps.  

Rooms

Mohegan Sun offers two separate hotel towers which, like the casinos, are named Sky and Earth.

The Sky Tower, which opened in April 2002, is probably the more luxurious of the two and houses 1,200 guest rooms, including 200 suites. Rooms start at a standard Sky Tower Deluxe King which is 450 square feet, right up to a Royal Suite at 3,500 square feet.

During my visit I opted for a Sky Tower Deluxe King on the 20th floor with a view of the river. The room was very nice and exceptionally clean, although there was a little wear to some of the furniture. 

However, the real standout feature was the view of the river and hills which was simply stunning and worth the price of the room alone. If you decide to stay at Mohegan Sun, whatever you do make sure you book a river view room!

Floors 31-36 of the Sky Tower feature a luxury hotel experience known as Aspire. These accommodations are very much aimed at the high roller with butler service and exclusive access to Thirty Three, a luxury food and beverage lounge located on the 33rd floor.  

The Earth Tower, which opened in November 2016, offers 400 rooms, including 39 suites, as well as a pool, spa, and fitness centre. Rooms start at a standard Earth Tower Deluxe King at 365 square feet, through an Elite King at 595 square feet, right up to an Earth Suite at 910 square feet.   

The Earth Tower rooms are still very nice, although at 14 floors the Earth Tower does not offer the stunning views that rooms on the upper floors of the Sky Tower do.  

Bars

As expected, Mohegan Sun offers a large selection of bar options for your enjoyment. For me, though the one that stands out is the Taughannick Falls Bar, located just in front of the waterfall as you walk into the resort.

Taughannick Falls Bar is everything I look for in a casino bar and sitting there enjoying a few beers with the water cascading all around certainly set the scene perfectly for my stay.

There are however many other options. These include:

• Bow & Arrow Sports Bar: Located next to the FanDuel Sportsbook
• Game On: Craft beer and an eight-lane bowling alley
• Harvest Moon Bar: Slots, beer, wine and liquor
• Lansdown Irish Bar & Music House: Typical Irish public house
• MJ23 Sports Bar & Grill: Pay homage to Michael Jordan over a beer
• Novelle: Upscale cocktail lounge
• Star Bar: Located in the Casino of the Sky  
• The Lodge: Located in the Casino of the Earth
• Tom’s Watch Bar: Old school beers and outlandish cocktails
• Vista Lounge at Wombi Rock: Ultra lounge
• Clay Pipe Cigar Bar: Cigars, beers and spirits

Buffets and Restaurants

Whether it’s fine dining or quick eats, Mohegan Sun has something for everyone. Most of the restaurants can found on the upper level of the main retail section, located between the two casinos. 

Fine Dining

• Ballo: Italian restaurant
• Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse
• TAO: Asian bistro and lounge
• Todd English’s Tuscany: The celebrity chef’s Italian restaurant  

Casual Dining

• Bean and Vine: Coffee and pastries
• Bobby’s Burger Palace
• Bow & Arrow Sports Bar: Bar food
• Carlo’s Bakery: Cakes and pastries
• Chick-fil-A
• Comix Roadhouse: All American food
• Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
• Greenside Grille & Pub: Pub food at the Mohegan Sun Golf Club
• Hash House A Go Go: Traditional comfort food with huge portions
• Summer Shack: Seafood restaurant
• Jersey Mike’s Subs
• Johnny Rockets Hamburgers
• The Lansdowne Irish Pub & Music House: Irish pub grub
• MJ23 Sports Bar & Grille: Contemporary American cuisine
• Phantasia: Asian restaurant next to the Asian table game area
• Sol Toro: Mexican cantina
• Sushi Koya: Sushi and maki
• The Crafty Stir Café: Coffee and pastries
• Tom’s Watch Bar: All American food

During my stay I ate at Summer Shack where I thoroughly enjoyed their Canadian Snow Crab legs. However, there is so much choice at Mohegan Sun you could well still be trying something new after a dozen visits or more!    

Entertainment

Mohegan Sun boasts one of the best live music and entertainment venues in the Northeast in the 10,000 seat Mohegan Sun Arena. The venue has hosted acts such as Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, and Taylor Swift, as well as a number of high-profile sporting events. It is definitely worth checking the schedule prior to your visit!

In addition to the main arena there are several other entertainment spots in and around the resort:

• Wolf Den: Located at the centre of the Casino of the Earth and featuring live music Thursday to Sunday. 
• Comix Roadhouse: A comedy club with a regular roster of acts, also open Thursday to Sunday.  
• Sun Patio: Decked-out outdoor area located off the Casino of the Earth and featuring a concert series each week during the summer.
• Avalon Nightclub: Featuring guest DJs, VIP bottle service, and cocktails. Open Friday and Saturday from 9pm until 2am.  

Pool

Mohegan Sun offers two pool options, one in the Sky Tower and one in the Earth Tower.

The Sun Terrace Pool is located in the Sky Tower and features a 10,000 square foot solarium, with indoor pool and whirlpool. During the summer months there is also the option of soaking up the sun on the terrace located next to the pool area. 

The Sky Tower pool is open from 8am until 10pm and also offers a fire pit which is lit at 7pm daily, weather permitting.  

The indoor pool in the Earth Tower is a lot smaller and quite simple in design and is also open between 8am and 10pm each day. Of the two, I’d certainly opt to head over to the Sky Tower.

Spa

Mohegan Sun has two Mandara Spas totalling 22,000 square feet. The largest of them is in the Sky Tower but there is a much smaller on in the Earth Tower too, 

Their signature treatments include a Fire and Ice Massage, but if you're not that adventurous then there are all the usual ones, as well as facials, to enjoy as well. 

Wet lounges, steam rooms, saunas and whirlpools are also incuded, and a full Salon offers hair, nail and beauty services. 

Mohegan Sun has its own rewards programme called Momentum. It has five tiers and offers various benefits depending on your tier status. To progress through the tiers, you need to earn the required number of Status Points over a six-month period. 

Whilst at first glance the number of Status Points appears quite low, it is worth noting that it takes around $167 to be cycled through a slot machine (or $270 through a Video Poker machine) to earn one Status Point. The tier thresholds and some key benefits are as follows:          

• Core (0 - 399 Status Points) - Earn and redeem Momentum Dollars at participating shops and restaurants/Complimentary rooms & entertainment tickets based on play.  
• Ignite (400 - 599 Status Points) - Monthly Choice Credit allowance/Midweek access to VIP lounges with Choice Credits.  
• Leap (600 - 1,399 Status Points) - Complimentary three-night stay each month at Mohegan Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.  
• Ascend (1,400 - 3,999 Status Points) - Access to VIP lounges (including weekends) with Choice Credits/Complimentary tickets for Comix Roadhouse/Eight complimentary rounds of golf each month.  
• Soar (4,000+ Status Points) - Complimentary early check in and late check out/Priority valet parking/Golf foursome each day with preferred access tee times.

As well as Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, Momentum Dollars can also be spent at participating shops and restaurants at Mohegan Pennsylvania, Resorts Atlantic City as well as Mohegan Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.    

To become a member you must be at least 21 years old and have valid government issued photo ID. Simply take your ID to any Players Club booth to sign up.   

There are sporadic in-house promotions at various times too, but nothing really comparable to what you tend to get at the best online casinos in truth.

There is no doubt that Mohegan Sun is one of the most impressive casinos I have ever visited. The property is immaculately presented, with two superb casino floors and a wide array of bars and restaurants. In short, it is everything a modern casino resort should be.    

I especially enjoyed the Taughannick Falls Bar, which is the perfect spot to kick off your adventure. The hotel offering is also incredibly solid, regardless of which tower you choose, although I would recommend a high floor in the Sky Tower with a view of the river. 

The choice of restaurants is particularly impressive and is likely to tempt even the most frequent of visitors to try something new.   

On the downside, for such a well-designed property the high limit areas are a little underwhelming and, due to the open plan nature of the casino floor, lack privacy. 

In addition, despite the slot selection being the best I have ever experienced, the withholding of tax on handpays for foreign visitors after being provided with all required documentation is tough to swallow. Slot staff are, at best untrained and unaware, at worst deliberately obstructive.

Either way, despite my positive feelings around almost every other aspect of Mohegan Sun, I probably won’t be returning. However, for US gamblers and those who would be unaffected by that policy, it’s up there with the best.