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Foxwoods Reaches for Stars of Gambling World8 January 2001MASHANTUCKET, Massachusets -- Jan. 7, 2001 --As reported by the Providence Journal: "...These are the elite of the casino world, the so-called `premium, premium players.' They come from places such as London and Hong Kong and think nothing of dropping several college tuitions on a single game of blackjack or roulette. "Foxwoods Resort Casino has attracted some of these players in the past, according to Stephen J. Karoul, Foxwoods' vice president of casino marketing. But now the Mashantucket Pequot tribe, which owns and operates Foxwoods, wants more. "With this in mind, the tribe opened another new casino over the Christmas holidays. Called Stargazer, it is an opulent, invitation-only gambling parlor tucked away on the 25th floor of a hotel tower, far from the masses below. "...The minimum bet at Stargazer is $200 a hand. And the maximum? Foxwoods says it is willing to let players risk as much as $100,000 a bet, but no more than that. That means the so-called whales of the casino world -- players who routinely bet in the six figures and have been known to put some casinos out of business -- will not be welcome. "...The legendary Sofia Loren presided over the grand opening of Stargazer -- at the casino's invitation. Foxwoods flew her in and put her up for two nights because, as Robert J. DeSalvio, Foxwoods' executive vice president for marketing, explained, she symbolizes a "level of class and international flavor" that premium players can appreciate. "...Then, the next night, at a second private party for another select group of high-rollers, Asian film star Jackie Chan played the celebrity host role. Why Chan? "...`He's probably the number-one movie star in Asia,' DeSalvio said. "And Asia, especially Hong Kong, is where many of the world's premium players come from, he and Karoul said. "In the past, these Asian players have taken their pocketbooks to Las Vegas. This is because flights from Asia typically land on the West Coast, making the Las Vegas casinos quicker and easier to reach than those in Atlantic City, N.J., or Connecticut. "...Foxwoods still values its regular, slots-playing crowd, Karoul said. Slots, after all, account for 60 percent of the casino's revenue; table games make up the rest. But the casino wanted to add an option for the other end of the spectrum, he said..." |