Hey, at Least the Beer is Free!
Written: Aug 10 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful decor, great buffet, brewpub.
Cons: You can lose serious money if you aren't careful.
The Bottom Line: As casinos go, this is a good one.
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| Bruguru's Full Review: Mohegan Sun |
Don't be misled by my opinion of casinos: I'm not singling Mohegan out in particular. Casinos, all casinos, are in business to keep your money, not to give you theirs. Obviously, they have to give some back or no one would walk through the doors. In the long run though you're going to lose money, and you have to accept that. If you go in with the notion that hey, I'm going to lose $100 or $200 for a night's entertainment, then you'll be fine. Any winnings are then a bonus.
I am not a huge fan of casinos, but my ex-wife was. Together we went to several in Atlantic City, plus Foxwoods and Mohegan in Connecticut. Now, the new significant other also has been bitten by the casino bug, which means we’ve made several trips to Mohegan Sun of late. Fortunately, there’s a very good brewpub nearby (Willimantic Brewing) so I get something out of the deal too.
Payout wise, Mohegan stacks up about the same as Foxwoods or the various casinos we visited in New Jersey (we only played slots by the way at all casinos visited). Atmosphere wise, Mohegan is the best in my opinion. Like Foxwoods, Mohegan is dominated by Native American motifs. Thick timbers soar to the ceilings and are ornamented with outdoor-themed decorations. The casino is laid out in a circular pattern so that you can walk around it and easily find just about anything. In the center, there’s a huge stage where live music is performed routinely.
Slots are everywhere, as one would expect. You can play blackjack, bingo, roulette, craps, or bet on dog or horse races. Just about any form of gambling is available here. Just don’t bet on coming home rich. To be fair, we usually do ok here. The last three trips saw us lose $80 the first night, win $150 the second, and lose $130 the third. That’s a net loss of $60, but keep in mind we drank free beer on all three occasions, and earned enough points for a free trip to the buffet on our next visit. My fiancé had a ball, too.
There is a good variety of restaurants here, but expect to pay very high prices (you can however use your comp points to defray some of this cost). There's a food court with burgers, pizza, hot dogs, pastry, sandwiches, and ice cream. You’ll pay about $3.50 for a large dog, Italian sausage, kielbasa, or good-sized slice of pizza and $2.00 for a soda. There's a steakhouse, an Italian restaurant, and a Chinese establishment. The entrees at these restaurants run about $20. Of course, there's a buffet, and it's a good one. Last time I visited it was about $13 for the buffet, not bad considering the wide array of quality dishes available: steaks, chops, turkey, roast beef, Chinese dishes, Italian, Mexican, American, etc.
A new hotel is under construction, and it is an impressive structure indeed, towering into the sky and plated with glass and steel. There will be a planetarium and museum attached as well. Mohegan has a gas station and convenience store too. If you’ve lost your shirt in the casino, hopefully you’ve earned enough comp points to buy gas on the way out (you can pay at the pump with your Player’s Club Card.) The Player’s Club awards you $1 for every $80 you gamble. That may not sound like much, but it can add up on the slots considering you get money back every time you hit, which you’ll more than likely recycle through the machine.
Mohegan does have one distinct advantage over other casinos: they have a brewpub (some in Vegas do too). It's a small extract brewery (the brewing world's equivalent of instant coffee if you will, the mash is already done and the wort boiled down to a concentrate). But hey, the beer is pretty good and if you play the slots built into the brewpub bar or are betting on the horse races it's free. My fiancé on several occasions played the Video Poker for over an hour and each time came out ahead by about $10, with free drinks to boot. You can spend $2 on a horse race and do the same.
In addition to Budweiser and Samuel Adams, There are three made-on-premises beers offered: all on the lighter side:
Sachem Ale: The boldest of the lot and my favorite. Good malt body, subtle yeast character, touch of hops in the finish.
Matagha Lager:
Clean, decent malt body, balanced finish.
Cold Moon Ale: Cold is a good descriptor for this beer. It’s very light and smooth, and served so cold there’s usually ice floating on top. Still, I’ll take it over a Bud Light any day.
In the fall, an Octoberfest beer is brewed here too.
My advice regarding casinos is to take them in moderation. That applies to most things in life. When I do go, I won't say I don't play the slots and have a little fun when those sevens all line up and coins start filling my tray. I won't make a special trip to visit a casino, though, at least not for myself. As casinos go, however, Mohegan is the best I've ever been to. Hey, I’m a Bruguru. Beer talks.
Recommended:
Yes
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