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“Wow.”
It’s the reaction of many when they enter the FanDuel Sportsbook at Mohegan Sun. The new 11,000 sq. ft. sportsbook located at Casino Of The Earth opened in early March and is the largest FanDuel Sportsbook on the East Coast.
The “wow” is warranted from the massive 140-foot video wall that has all the action, to those big black sportsbook-staple chairs and a mezzanine level available for VIPs and parties.
“Until you see it in person, pictures don’t do it justice,” said Brad Bryant, the general manager at Mohegan Sun FanDuel Sportsbook.
FanDuel Sportsbook at Mohegan Sun – about the experience
Mohegan Sun is a resort destination, and its FanDuel Sportsbook is a destination sportsbook.
On this Saturday in May, a baseball game and the FA Cup Finals occupy the two main screens in the center of the video wall. A group of twenty-something guys sitting on a U-shaped sofa is staying for the weekend to celebrate a birthday.
“I see it more at Mohegan than I ever have, it’s about the experience,” said Bryant, who has over two decades of experience in the industry.
“You have the gamblers who are going to bet almost every day and they are going to play online. Then you have the people who don’t bet every day and want the sports betting experience. Those players also do other things in the casino. They might only get away a few times a year.”
Later in the evening, with the Boston Bruins playing in a Game 7 against the Carolina Hurricanes, a larger crowd began to flock to the betting kiosks and teller windows.
By the sound of it, no one hedged against the “home team” Bruins. (The Bruins lost 3-2).
A landmark day for sports betting
This Saturday in May in Uncasville, CT started to get in motion four years ago. On May 14, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court repealed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which made sports betting legal outside of Nevada.
Connecticut launched retail sports betting in September 2021, followed by online Connecticut sports betting in October 2021.
Bryant started his career in the industry in Las Vegas in 1996 with Station Casinos. He reflected on some of the changes he’s seen since sports betting expanded outside of Nevada:
“Every day I see something we are doing that back when I broke into the business…was so taboo. The max parlay you could bet was six teams. Now, you can bet on 15 teams. I think things have turned for the better and it’s better for people who want to have fun. They have reaped the benefits of the changes of the past two decades.”
Big Derby winners at Mohegan Sun
On this Saturday in May, there is a good crowd at the Mohegan Sun Race Book next to the FanDuel Sportsbook. For the Kentucky Derby, Bryant said the turnout was “unbelievable.”
People weren’t only there to bet, but they came wearing fancy hats and sipped mint juleps.
“I never anticipated we could have that type of crowd,” said Bryant.
Two guests were big winners. The first was a “Superfecta,” where a player correctly picked the first four finishers in sequence in the Kentucky Derby, winning $321,500 off a $1.00 wager.
