“Since we opened years ago, it was the most requested item that we had - ‘Can we get a drink?’ ”Īlcohol has been available for purchase at Mystic Lake since November in off-floor restaurants and service stations in what Chris Smythe, beverage manager, described as “little closets and out-of-the-way spaces.” This month, those limited-selection service counters (which had as much charm as tollbooths) were supplanted by three new gaming-floor bars. “Our guests have been asking for this for years,” said John Kolander, Mystic Lake’s director of food and beverage services. That is until last fall, when the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community lifted a casino-wide booze ban that lasted longer than Prohibition. Instead of Champagne, jackpot winners have had to toast their luck with a Sprite. The inability to catch a buzz at the Prior Lake casino dampened double-downs and dealer busts for decades. For all its flashing lights and ka-chinging slot machines, Mystic Lake was a longtime buzz kill.

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