Foxwoods Uses iPhone Application to Recruit Gambling Patrons

Apple's iPhones are the latest tool in gambling marketing as employed by Foxwoods Resort Casino.

With looming debt creating a crisis atmosphere, Foxwoods Casino is searching for every possible way to attract new customers to its gambling floor. The newest promotion involves a free iPhone application designed to showcase the casino and its games.

The app is available through iTunes, features slots and table games, with tutorials on how to play the games and tips on good strategy. The casino is featured on a tour of the Foxwoods property, and the app includes access to a direct line to the reservation desk at the resort.

No money is bet on the application, as mobile gaming on phones is still restricted to Europe and other, less puritanical countries than the US. But every effort is made to convey the full enjoyment available at Foxwoods.

A Foxwoods press release identified the application as the "first-ever resort casino branded application in the casino gaming category."

Foxwoods officials denied complaints from fanatical anti-gambling groups that the device would create more problem gambling victims.

"There are applications that help a person choose wine; they don't seem to endorse people to overindulge in alcohol," said Robert Victoria, a Foxwoods senior vice-president.