Faces of Gaming: Jason Guyot, Foxwoods – Reimagining the future

Saturday, January 17, 2026 12:00 PM
  • Commercial Casinos
  • Tribal Gaming
  • Tom Osiecki — CDC Gaming and Raving Partner

In 1992, a 14-year-old stood at the entrance as Foxwoods Resort Casino opened its doors for the first time. Just a few years later that young man worked as a bellboy at Foxwoods while attending high school, and later found a position as Manager of Employment after graduating college.

Today, Jason Guyot is the first Mashantucket Pequot tribal member to lead Foxwoods Resort Casino as President and Chief Executive Officer.

As CEO, and earlier as Senior Vice President of Resort Operations and Development, Guyot transformed the identity of Foxwoods from a gaming-centric property to a world-class integrated resort destination with more celebrity star power than the Milky Way.

Now, you can walk through Foxwoods and experience celebrity chef restaurants by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, Gordon Ramsay, Guy Fieri, and, soon, Martha Stewart. Families can make a splash at the newly opened Great Wolf Lodge at Mashantucket, soar through the air on the HighFlyer Zipline, or rev up the excitement at MONZA World-Class Indoor Karting.

First Native American casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino has continuously evolved, adding new offerings over the years to address growing competition that didn’t exist when it first opened.

“We were an anomaly as the first casino outside of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. We were the first Native American casino in the United States. Back then, it was Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Foxwoods. Many others followed, but not in the northeast corridor.”

“The reason Foxwoods grew so quickly in size was that there was never a thought, especially in the mid-90s, that any other states would approve gaming. It really wasn’t as accepted in the business sector as it is today. Over the past 10 years, and even more now, there are probably 8-10 competitors on the I-95 corridor that opened in our competitive set. It used to be all Foxwoods. But with each new competitor eroding our revenue, it forced us to think differently about our business model,” Guyot said.

Largest resort casino in the northeast
Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut, the largest integrated resort destination in the northeast, has set the standard in gaming and hospitality for over 33 years. Owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Foxwoods continues to redefine the resort experience by offering a dynamic mix of world-class gaming, award-winning dining, top-tier entertainment, and family-friendly attractions.

Foxwoods offers over 1,900 luxury hotel rooms, more than 150,000 square feet of flexible space for meetings and events, shopping at Tanger Outlets, expansive gaming floors throughout the resort, and unmatched amenities. The entertainment portfolio features globally acclaimed artists, exclusive live performances, and premier events hosted at its venues, including the Premier Theater and Great Cedar Showroom.

Through strategic partnerships with leading brands like DraftKings Sportsbook, Hell’s Kitchen, and Great Wolf Lodge, Foxwoods continues to expand its offerings and deliver curated experiences for guests.

Psychological
Guyot grew up in Norwich, Connecticut, never envisioning a career in gaming. After earning a degree in behavioral science from Mitchell College, he found an unexpected connection between his education and his future in hospitality.

“What’s interesting is I use my background in behavioral science every day, whether it’s working with people or building relationships. It’s been a tremendous asset as my career has grown,” Guyot shared.

After graduating, he joined Foxwoods as Manager of Employment. “I thought I’d be working in social work, which is why human resources was such a natural fit for me right out of college. We’re a massive resort employing over 8,000 people and building relationships and working with people are some of the most important aspects of leadership in this industry,” Guyot explained.

The Fox Tower
In 2007, Foxwoods partnered with MGM to develop an expansion known as MGM Grand at Foxwoods, where Guyot worked closely with its general manager, Gillian Murphy. “I remember Gillian and I went to Vegas to collaborate with MGM on policies and procedures, figuring out how to integrate them for the opening of MGM Grand. When we returned, she offered me a position to transition from Director of Employment to Director of Operations, and I worked alongside her to open The Fox Tower. I shifted from HR to operations in 2007, and we officially opened in 2008. Gillian remained my mentor throughout the entire process,” Guyot said.

Shortly after, he advanced to Vice President of Hotel Operations at The Fox Tower (previously called MGM Grand at Foxwoods) and later became Vice President of all Hotel Operations. This progression eventually led to him overseeing all non-gaming functions for Foxwoods as Senior Vice President of Resort Operations and Development in 2018.

“At this time, I oversaw all non-gaming operations on the property,” Guyot recalled. “This included development, the entire hotel collection, resort sales, engineering, security, and several other departments—essentially the majority of the resort services departments.”

The pandemic
“In 2020, our CEO at the time left the organization while I was serving as Senior Vice President of Resort Operations,” said Guyot. “The tribal council approached me and asked if I would step in as interim CEO. It was an incredible vote of confidence from the council, especially during such a challenging time. At that point, the resort had been closed for three weeks, and there was a tremendous amount of work to be done. But I embraced the opportunity wholeheartedly because I knew we could overcome the challenges ahead. We had a strong foundation and exciting opportunities to guide us forward.”

“The resort had been closed for the first time in 30 years, and reestablishing operations was no small task. With the council’s support, we reopened more efficiently and resolved some long-standing challenges. We were proud to be the first business in Connecticut to reopen, bringing people back to work and reigniting hope in the community.”

We started with about 1,000 team members and steadily grew, adding more staff and expanding the resort’s offerings. Fast forward to today, and we’ve returned to nearly the same capacity we had before the closure in 2020,” Guyot said.

In 2021, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s Tribal Council officially named Guyot as President and CEO, solidifying his leadership and vision for the future of Foxwoods.

Diversification
Since 2014, Guyot had been leading development efforts and began envisioning the transition to an integrated resort model. “It was around that time that Bally’s in Rhode Island opened in our core market,” Guyot explained. “We had been the only casino on the I-95 corridor, but when Bally’s opened in Providence, it significantly impacted a key segment of our business. That shift made it clear that diversifying into more of a resort destination was essential, and those changes started back then.”

SWOT and celebrity chefs
I asked Guyot about the process that Foxwoods employs to decide on new development projects.

“It’s a very complex process,” Guyot said. “We went through extensive analysis to identify where we needed to go. Using a SWOT analysis, we pinpointed key opportunities, and one area that really stood out was the food and beverage sector. At the time, we were negotiating with Great Wolf Lodge and looking for concepts that would serve as crossovers and major drivers. You know, there are plenty of celebrity chefs out there, but there’s only one Gordon Ramsay, one Martha Stewart, and one Iron Chef Morimoto, right?

“Our goal was to align with brands and celebrity chefs that would not only appeal to our current guests, but also attract new ones, especially with the opening of Great Wolf Lodge Mashantucket and other amenities we had planned. It’s one thing to say, ‘Oh yeah, I want to get Gordon Ramsay.’ No problem, right? But it’s another thing entirely to reach out and convince him that this is the place he wants to be. The same goes for convincing Martha Stewart that Foxwoods is the perfect location for her second restaurant (and first on the east coast) or persuading Iron Chef Morimoto to open a unique concept here.

“Most recently, we announced the opening of Sally’s Apizza at Foxwoods, which is widely regarded as the best pizza in Connecticut—and, I’d argue, the best in the United States. The only reason we were able to secure that partnership was because we demonstrated that Foxwoods is the right place to expand, based on what we’ve already accomplished and our future plans. They were genuinely excited about it,” Guyot shared.

The ultimate question
With relentless competition and ever-changing markets, I asked Guyot about his approach to differentiation from his competitors.

“That’s the ultimate question, right? We opened the Fox Tower in 2008, right as the economy plunged into a severe recession. It was a tough time. Then, in 2012, more competition started entering the market. There were a lot of challenging years.”

“So, by 2015 and 2016, my focus shifted to leveraging the unique assets we have, including the vast land and space at Foxwoods. It became evident that more casinos would continue to enter our competitive set, but gaming itself wasn’t growing at the same pace as the expansion of casinos. With nine million square feet to work with, my vision centered on, ‘How can we turn that into an advantage? How can we use that space to create experiences our guests can’t find at the typical casinos that offer table games, slot machines, a restaurant, and maybe some meeting space?’ That wealth of land and space became the key driver for how we could differentiate ourselves from the competition.”

“Even though the expansion of gaming in the northeast has had an impact on us, with this vision, we’ve been able to hold our ground and maintain market share. People choose to drive past the competition to come to Foxwoods because of everything we offer. And now, we’re taking it to a whole new level with the non-gaming amenities we’ve added, whether it’s Monza World Class Karting, our partnerships with celebrity chefs, or, most recently, the addition of Great Wolf Lodge. We’re bringing an entirely new demographic of guests to Mashantucket and Foxwoods,” Guyot declared.

Opportunity leads to opportunity
Adding amenities to Foxwoods has created opportunities far beyond a traditional master plan.

One standout example is the addition of Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, which not only elevated the resort’s dining offerings but also created an extraordinary PR opportunity when Foxwoods was selected as the broadcast location for FOX network’s Hell’s Kitchen seasons 23 and 24. That choice allowed Guyot the unique ability to build a television studio on the property to broadcast the show.

“I received a phone call from ITV, which owns the show Hell’s Kitchen. They reached out and said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in throwing your hat into the ring to host a few seasons of Hell’s Kitchen?’ It took me a while to kind of come around. And then we threw our hat in the ring, and we were up against Atlantic City, Las Vegas, the UK, and LA, and we ended up convincing them that Foxwoods was the right place to do the filming. Part of that negotiation was that we would build the studio, which we did, and it has been a great success. I mean, season 24 is still on. Now, it’s kind of coming towards the end of that season, but season 23 was fantastic. We ended up hiring the chef that won, Kyle Timpson, as our head chef for Hell’s Kitchen.”

Guyot reflected on the unexpected ripple effects of the partnership. “It all comes full circle. The filming itself, and the marketing value that we’re getting on FOX prime time on Thursday nights, it’s essentially a massive Foxwoods special. And, no, we did not see that one coming. But again, opportunity leads to opportunity, you know,” Guyot said.

Christmas by Martha Stewart
After years of cultivating a relationship with Martha Stewart’s Marquee Brands, Foxwoods is set to open Stewart’s second Bedford restaurant, a milestone that has already sparked unique collaborations, including Christmas by Martha Stewart, which is a one-of-a-kind holiday experience curated by Martha Stewart herself.

“We hosted Christmas by Martha Stewart in the Grand Pequot lobby, and it’s been such a success that we’re planning to expand it next year. Who better to do Christmas than Martha Stewart? Guests are coming from Great Wolf Lodge and beyond just to experience it. Partnering with her, a name synonymous with the highest level of hospitality, has elevated our brand tremendously, and this is just the first of many collaborations to come.”

Huge engine, lots of fuel
With attractions as diverse as the family-oriented Great Wolf Lodge; premier, highly recognizable celebrity chef restaurants; HighFlyer Zipline; MONZA World-Class Indoor Karting; Christmas by Martha Stewart; and the Tanger Outlet Mall, to name a few, Guyot has played a pivotal role in redefining Foxwoods as a destination resort with cross-generation appeal.

“Our goal is to become one of the greatest integrated resort destinations in the northeast, and perhaps even beyond that. To achieve that, we need to be more than just a casino. We need to attract diverse demographics, extend the length of stay, and provide guests with experiences that they can’t get anywhere else.”

“With nine million square feet, we’re a massive engine—we need a lot of fuel, meaning a lot of visitors to keep it running. The more reasons we give people to visit, the more successful we’ll be. I’m a big believer in driving volume and creating compelling reasons for people to visit. There are so many options out there now, and I think we’ve done a great job differentiating ourselves over the past several years.” Guyot said.

Walk with purpose
I asked Guyot what he felt was the secret to his success, which took him from being a bellboy to the CEO of Foxwoods.

“I’ve always been curious and, early in my career, asked a lot of questions. I was fortunate to have a mentor like Gillian, who taught me so much about hospitality and the service industry as a whole.”

“I always say ‘walk with purpose.’ It’s something I believe is incredibly important, no matter what you’re doing. That mindset has helped me stay motivated and stay sharp. But beyond that, it’s about building relationships. That’s been a key to my success—fostering strong teams and a positive culture, which are the foundations of long-term success. I always tell our team members that I want them to feel welcomed, valued, and important every time they walk into this building. If we can achieve that, we’ll create a great culture and build a strong, successful team,” Guyot said.

The future of Foxwoods
“The future of Foxwoods is being thoughtfully and strategically crafted every day. I take great pride in representing this brand and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. It’s a role I don’t take lightly and one that fuels me every single day. This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for more,” said Guyot.

Entries in the Faces of Gaming series:

Tom Osiecki is a casino consultant who writes an occasional column for CDC Gaming called Faces of Gaming, about interesting and engaging people in the gaming industry.

Tom Osiecki is a marketing and management consultant for Raving Consulting and can be reached for consulting engagements at 775-329-7864.

If you know of a fascinating personality in the gaming industry you would like to see profiled, please send Tom Osiecki an email at tosiecki@cdcgaming.com