A short stint in charge

The CEO and president of the Foxwoods Resort Casino, John James, resigned with immediate effect on April 14. He had been working in the said roles for approximately eight months. 

he wanted more family time

The Connecticut casino owner, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, said the reason for James’s resignation was that he wanted more family time. James had taken over in August 2019 from Felix Rappaport, who passed away suddenly due to a heart condition back in June 2018.

The search for a new head and president is set to begin in the current turbulent environment of the COVID-19 pandemic. Until a replacement is found, the senior vice president of resort operations, Jason Guyot, will act as interim CEO. 

Continuing shutdown

James has stepped down at a time when, just like the majority of casinos across the US, the Foxwoods Resort Casino remains closed to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The gambling facility shut down on March 17 and it now plans to hold off resuming operations until April 30 at the earliest. It was the first time that the doors of the casino did not open in 28 years. The majority of the 5,000+ employees at the Foxwoods Resort have been furloughed.

Tribal casinos struggling

While tribal casinos don’t have to follow federal orders in the United States, the vast majority of the country’s 524 tribal casinos have closed their doors amid the pandemic. Approximately 296,000 people are out of work as a result, with about $4.4bn worth of economic activity lost to date. 

Reacting to the situation, the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) is pushing for its members to receive aid from the federal government.