The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority is based in Connecticut. That is also where its most popular casino, the Mohegan Sun is located. Working with Virgin Hotels, plans are underway to expand into the Las Vegas market.
Mohegan is poised to become the first Indian tribe to operate a casino in this gambling town. It can move one step closer later this month. The Nevada Gaming Commission has set Oct. 22 as its final approval date. This should just be a formality. This past week, the Nevada Gaming Control Board gave its unanimous approval to the licensing process.
When Is The Mohegan Tribe Set To Make Its Debut In Las Vegas?
The tribal officers were able to field the board’s questions from their home office in Uncasville, CT. Nevada regulators obviously like what they heard in the virtual meeting.
There will a dozen executives and tribal officers tied to the Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment license. The actual casino is part of Virgin Hotel’s complete renovation of the former Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. That property is located on the corner of Paradise Road and Harmon Avenue.
The entire property makeover was a $200 million project. While Virgin will run the hotel, Mohegan will run the casino. The group still plans on a Jan. 15 opening next year.
This Indian tribe is no stranger to the casino industry. It has done quite well with the flagship property in Connecticut. The Mohegan Sun is one of nine properties under this umbrella. These gaming properties are located in the US, Canada and South Korea.
The Mohegan Sun first opened for business in 1996.
Expanding its East Coast presence, Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City is also a Mohegan run casino. The Mohegan Sun Pocono is in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Moving north of the border is the Fallsview Resort and Casino Niagara Falls. This is in Ontario, Canada.
The Inspire Entertainment Resort is located near the Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea. This property is under construction with 2022 as its target opening date.
Plans are also underway for expansion overseas. This includes a new integrated resort in Athens, Greece.
These casinos draw more than 25 million visitors annually. Combined, there are more than 4,000 hotel rooms with expansion plans underway. The company is expected to employ a total of 22,000 workers by 2025.
The plan in Las Vegas is to bring back more than 300 workers previously employed at the Hard Rock. That casino operated for more than 13 years. It had ties to:
The Culinary workers union Local 226
Bartenders union Local 165
The International Union of Engineers Local 151
During this year’s coronavirus shutdown, Mohegan was forced to furlough 98 percent of its workforce. This added up to 11,000 jobs. However, the company continued to pay all of its employees’ health benefits. The new casino in Las Vegas will offer 650 slot machines and 50 table games with expansion capabilities.
