High Rollin’ in the Constitution State

For years, glitz-loving New Englanders—the kind whose idea of fun is more blackjack than backpacking—had two choices: Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun. But starting in May, before Massachusetts even gets its own gambling going, they’ll have two new area places to play and stay.

Adjacent to the existing Foxwoods property, the $700 million MGM Grand at Foxwoods, which just started taking reservations yesterday, will boast a 30-floor hotel, four restaurants, an outdoor pool, high-end retail shops, and a flashy, Vegas-style casino. Starting at a relatively cheap $295 a night, the 825 rooms all come with flat-panel TVs, wireless Internet, and Apple iHome clock radios, so you can be lulled to sleep (should you sleep at all) by your favorite songs.

A massage or facial at the 21,000-square-foot, nature-inspired spa should also help calm your nerves after a misguided, margarita-fueled, mortgage-sized bet. Unlike Vegas though, Bostonista makes no guarantees about whether you can keep what happens in Mashantucket in Mashantucket.

Bonus: Not to be outdone, nearby Mohegan Sun will up the ante this fall with its new 64,000-square-foot Casino of the Wind, part of a billion dollar expansion project that includes a poker room and state-of-the art gaming machines. We’re not exactly sure what a three-story “animated water wall” is, but we admit it sounds cool enough to warrant a visit.

MGM Grand at Foxwoods, 39 Norwich-Westerly Rd., Mashantucket, CT, 860-312-6464, mgmatfoxwoods.com; Casino of the Wind, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville, CT, 888-226-7711, mohegansun.com.

–William DeGregorio