DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Rhode Island residents made 1.7 million trips to Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun in the past 12 months, according to a report released today by the University of Massachusetts–Dartmouth’s Center for Policy Analysis.
The report is part three of a seven-part behavioral study on New Englanders’ attitudes toward casinos and slot-machine parlors, for which UMass researchers interviewed residents of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.
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Among Rhode Islanders, nearly 35 percent of those surveyed said they had visited either Foxwoods or Mohegan sun in the past 12 months, the highest percentage in any of the four states.
In 2006, Rhode Islanders spent an estimated $322.5 million at the two casinos, the report said, and over the past 12 months, made up an estimated 16 percent of Foxwoods visitors and 8 percent of visitors to the Mohegan Sun.
Overall, the study found, 77 percent of respondents who said they’d visited the casinos had not visited either Lincoln Park or Newport Grand.
“Per capita, Rhode Islanders – even more than Massachusetts residents – overwhelmingly prefer visiting Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun for casino gambling and the recreational and entertainment amenities the two casinos offer,” said Clyde W. Barrow, the center’s director.
During their visits, he added, they also spent more time and money than others surveyed on non-gambling expenditures in Southeastern Connecticut.
Many Rhode Islanders view their casino visits as “mini-vacations,” Barrow explained. “They’re spending more time in that region overnighting, attending a cabaret show or sporting event, shopping and dining at restaurants.”
For additional details of today’s survey results, and of the other surveys in the series, go to “What’s New!” at www.umassd.edu/cfpa.
