The off-Strip property's casino operations will eventually be taken over by Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, according to a Tuesday announcement made by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment and Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
After that transfer is completed, Mohegan will no longer be involved in the day-to-day operations of the gambling establishment. The duration of the transition was not specified, and there was no discussion of the financial effects of the change.
"We are grateful for the collaboration with Mohegan, and we will continue to work together to ensure a well-oriented transition of casino operations,” said Virgin Las Vegas President Cliff Atkinson in a press release. “This transition is a natural progression in our journey to provide guests of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas with a seamless resort experience.”
Currently, the Virgin Las Vegas casino employs the Momentum loyalty program from Mohegan, but after the switch to Virgin operations is complete, a new rewards program with tier matching to Momentum is anticipated.
An Overview of Virgin Las Vegas's Past
Since Virgin Las Vegas first opened its doors in September 2019, Mohegan has been running the casino there. The integrated resort has had difficulty drawing in a devoted clientele at that time. It's not the usual Las Vegas tourist destination because of its location off the Strip, but it's also not thought of as a locals' casino.
The resort also accepted a degree of outsourcing that is uncommon amongst gambling hotels in Las Vegas. Mohegan, the gaming and recreational division of the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, has been operating the casino. The hotel at the location is a member of Hilton's Curio Collection, while the theater is run by AEG Live. Betfred is in charge of its sportsbook.
Moving the casino under Virgin's management may help to smooth over some of those kinks, but it's unclear how much of the property's problems—if any—can be attributed to Mohegan.
“With both Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and Mohegan committed to a smooth handover, the transition period is planned to be completed by current year end with no significant disruptions anticipated for resort guests and team members,” according to the statement.
Las Vegas Tribal Casino Population Cut by One
The number of Sin City casinos run by Tribal gaming companies drops from three to two with Mohegan out at Virgin Las Vegas.The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians of California owns and manages the off-Strip Palms, while Hard Rock International is in charge of the Mirage on the Strip.
Given the substantial financial reserves held by Tribal operators, including Hard Rock, Mohegan, and many Californian entities, it is plausible that the number of Tribal gaming establishments in Sin City may rise in the event that additional Las Vegas gaming venues become available for purchase.
With regard to Mohegan specifically, the news of its impending exit from Las Vegas came less than three months after it was declared that it will terminate its management contract at the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at the end of this year.
