Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., is set to excite younger visitors with its latest addition — a $300 million Great Wolf Lodge. 

Revealed in 2022 alongside its 30th anniversary, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation declared a $385 million development. Although $85 million was allocated to launch a new 50K-square-foot gaming venue — the Pequot Woodlands Casino — and The Bedford by Martha Stewart, most of the funding was designated for a Great Wolf Lodge. 

Building the Water Park and Adventure Park, alongside the eight-story hotel with 549 rooms, surpassed the planned construction schedule. 

Initially scheduled for a June 2025 launch, Foxwoods officials announce the family-oriented resort aspect will now welcome guests starting on May 6. The Great Wolf Lodge had a quiet opening this past weekend. 

Will Guests of Great Wolf Gamble? 

It has been several years since Foxwoods primarily served as a place just for gamblers. Currently, the resort offers a wide variety of attractions for everyone, featuring over 30 dining options, a Tangler Outlets shopping complex, ziplining, escape and adventure rooms, bowling, an arcade, walking and hiking paths, indoor golf simulators, two 18-hole golf courses, go-karting, and a “7-D multisensory immersive experience.” 

Great Wolf will enhance Foxwoods by adding more family-oriented features. Brian Hayes, senior vice president of gaming operations, informed Casino.org in February that Foxwoods’ “numerous amenities not available at some of the smaller [casino] establishments emerging in the area” have enabled the tribal complex to stay highly competitive in the increasingly saturated Northeast gaming sector. 

Hayes anticipates that certain Great Wolf visitors will frequent the primary Foxwoods establishment.

"Being able to come to Great Wolf and spend the day at the water park and then spend the evening here walking around the property with the kids will be very complementary,” Hayes said.

The route to economic sovereignty for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation started in the mid-1980s with the establishment of a bingo hall on its tribal territory in Connecticut. In February 1992, the bingo hall transitioned to a casino following the enactment of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) by Congress, establishing a legal structure for federally acknowledged tribes to run specific types of gaming. To offer Las Vegas-style slots and live dealer table games, tribes need to establish Class III gaming compacts with their respective host state. 

In the last thirty years, Foxwoods has experienced many expansions to evolve into one of the largest casino venues globally. With the addition of Woodlands, Foxwoods now features five unique casinos that together provide 2,900 slot machines, 250 table games, as well as poker, bingo, keno, and sports betting through DraftKings. 

Appealing Market 

Great Wolf Resorts, headquartered in Chicago, will operate 23 locations in North America when Foxwoods Great Wolf Lodge opens next month. Great Wolf representatives believe that its Connecticut site will rank among its most prosperous locations due to its position approximately midway between New York City and Boston. 

To commemorate its new addition, Great Wolf is providing accommodations at reduced prices of up to 30% off for visits from April 28 to July 11, 2025. Reservations need to be completed by April 30 to be eligible for the discount. 

Visitors at Great Wolf Lodge enjoy unlimited entry to the pools and water slides. The Adventure Park can be accessed for an extra fee. 

For a weekend stay of two nights from May 16-18 for a family of four, room prices start at $339 per night. After deducting taxes and fees, the total price amounts to $871.68.