The Rise of Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment
Raymond Pineault, a youthful Mohican chief, is shaking up the gaming industry. He’s the head honcho of Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment, a business that’s making a splash in Las Vegas, online wagering, and South Korea.
Pineault kicked off his career in 1996 with a modest gambling house on tribal land in Connecticut. Today, he’s at the helm of a global corporation with ventures spanning the globe. He’s branching out into Asia and North America, and he’s even got a project in South Korea.
Pineault asserts that Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment is a major force in the casino business, and they’re renowned for their excellence and creativity.
The Mohegan Sun gambling hall in Sin City, a collaboration with the Virgin Hotels, marks the tribe’s initial foray into the Las Vegas marketplace. MGE oversees numerous gambling establishments across the nation.
Last spring, Pinote became the second member of the Mohegan Tribe to guide its gaming division. “I am honored that the tribe has placed their trust in me to manage their [gambling] enterprises,” he stated. The appointment underscored his two decades of experience working with MGE and its predecessor, the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, including serving as Chief Operating Officer and managing their flagship Mohegan Sun resort in Connecticut.
MGE concluded its 25th year of operations with record adjusted EBITDA of $110.2 million in the final quarter of its fiscal year ending September 30, 2021. MGE acknowledged that this figure was somewhat deceptive, primarily driven by reduced staffing and marketing expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, robust underlying trends supported these figures, suggesting further expansion in the future.
The Mohegan Sun in Uncasville – named after a 17th-century tribal leader – commemorated its 25th anniversary with enhanced EBITDA and profit margins compared to the pre-COVID-19 fiscal year 2019.
The Mohegan Sun’s Supremacy and Innovation
Situated a two-hour drive from Boston and two-and-a-half hours from New York City, the Mohegan Sun boasts over 300 gaming tables and nearly 5,000 slot machines, 1,500 hotel rooms, and 90 retail outlets. It contributes the majority of MGE’s revenue, accounting for 70% in the final quarter.
“[Jeffrey Hamilton, Chief Executive and Head of Mohegan Sun] truly thought about how we were using our resources, and how to deploy our personnel where they were most needed,” Pinote remarked. “He truly put a lot of effort into reimagining and reconstructing the business so that we could achieve higher customer satisfaction scores and more significant profit margins.”
As the COVID-19 pandemic waned in 2021, Mohegan Sun and other MGE properties benefited from loosened restrictions. The integrated resort reopened its three entertainment locations, including the award-winning 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena, which hosts major musical acts, professional and collegiate sporting events, as well as a 300-seat theater and a comedy club.
“Our arena in Connecticut is ranked among the top five in the world for arenas of its size,” Pinote stated. “We plan to host over 1,900 live performances across all of our properties. With our diverse dining, retail, spa and entertainment offerings, and our customer service, we position ourselves as a destination resort that people desire to visit and return to.” Despite the emergence of the Omicron variant, events continued, including WWE wrestling and Dancing with the Stars, to commence 2022.
Strategic Investments
Sports betting should provide Connecticut operations with an extra boost. A partnership with FanDuel saw the launch of on-site wagering on September 30, and a dedicated sportsbook opened before the Super Bowl on February 13. More importantly, online sports betting and iGaming launched in mid-October.
An independent evaluation indicates that Connecticut’s online operators could achieve a half-billion dollar revenue mark in their third year of operation.
With a substantial user base of roughly 8 million and consistent internet activity, Mohegan anticipates avoiding the expenses associated with attracting new customers as competitors enter the Connecticut market. “We have stated our intention to operate our digital gaming activities profitably from the outset,” Pinote remarked.
Beyond Connecticut, Mohegan’s portfolio of six properties across North America encompasses Mohegan Sun Pocono, situated at the Pocono Downs racetrack in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, approximately a two-hour drive from both New York City and Philadelphia. Mohegan acquired the racetrack from Pennsylvania Gaming & Entertainment in 2005 for $280 million, marking its transformation into the first racetrack in Pennsylvania to feature electronic gaming options. Table games were introduced in 2010, followed by the opening of a 238-room hotel in 2013, and the addition of sports betting in 2019.
Within the Northeast Corridor, Mohegan also manages the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, which debuted in 1976 as the first legal casino in the United States outside of Nevada. Mohegan has overseen the operations of this beachfront hotel, boasting over 900 rooms, since 2012. In Canada, Mohegan operates the Fallsview Casino Resort and Niagara Casino, overlooking the iconic falls that mark the US-Canada border. Due to the global health crisis, both properties were temporarily closed for 16 months, spanning from March 2020 to July 2021.
Northwest Partnerships and Expansion
The Ilani Gaming Resort was constructed by the Cowlitz Native American group in collaboration with the Mohegan Native American group in Ridgefield, Washington, close to the Columbia River, roughly two and a half hours south of Seattle and thirty minutes north of Portland, Oregon. The Mohegan Tribe provided financial backing and design assistance to the Cowlitz Tribe to aid in the development of the project.
Ilani officially opened its doors in 2017, showcasing 3,000 slot machines, 75 table games, 13 dining establishments, and an entertainment venue with a capacity of 2,500 individuals. A 300-room hotel with glass walls is scheduled to open in 2023.
The Mohegan Tribe partnered with Friedmutter Group, a Las Vegas-based architectural and design firm, to bring Ilani to life. “The Mohegan’s initial balance between traditional tribal culture and top-notch commercial design defined the first two decades of development,” Sol stated. “Currently, they are transitioning towards a more conventional modern design.”
The Mohegan Tribe’s expansion is not driven by strategic planning, but rather by growth opportunities within the Las Vegas market. On March 25, the Mohegan Sun Casino opened its doors at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas, aiming to create property synergy. “Having a presence in Las Vegas is crucial for enhancing their profile and image, and cross-promoting their own properties,” said a senior gaming executive who requested anonymity. “Las Vegas embodies intrinsic and extrinsic value, and these values are not always easily quantifiable.”
The Las Vegas casino’s $1 million operating loss for the initial two full quarters is much easier to quantify.
The Hard Rock Hotel in Sin City, situated about a mile east of the main gambling strip, boasts 44 tables, 650 gaming machines, and a Betfred sportsbook. Reports indicate the establishment has been facing difficulties in the gambling industry. The hotel was sold before the Seminole Tribe in Florida finalized its acquisition of the Hard Rock brand. Last month, the Hard Rock announced its intention to remain in Las Vegas and acquire the legendary hotel, the Mirage, on the Strip.
Pino expressed confidence in the Mohegans’ ability to turn the situation around. “We are certain of the long-term profitability of this venture. It’s not just a matter of profit, but it will offer a novel experience for our existing patrons.”
Pino attributed the Las Vegas losses to the effects of Covid on flights to the destination and the sluggish recovery of the convention sector. Fourth-quarter property revenue was further diminished by low table hold percentages. “Sadly,” he stated, “we are in the gambling industry, not the winning industry.”
The Mohegans’ most significant investment remains their Inspire integrated resort in South Korea. In November, the Mohegans secured $1.55 billion in financing, including $300 million in equity from MGE, to construct the initial phase of Inspire, located near Incheon International Airport in South Korea, approximately an hour west of Seoul.
Mohegan is poised to launch its new venture next year, featuring a trio of towers, surpassing 1,100 rooms, a water park enclosed within a climate-controlled structure, a vast retail and dining area spanning 63,000 square meters (678,000 square feet), a 15,000-seat arena, and the most extensive convention facility within the Seoul metropolitan region. They are also constructing a casino exclusively for foreigners, boasting 150 tables and 700 gaming machines.
**A Long-Term Dedication**
In essence, Mohegan aims to replicate the triumph of its Connecticut flagship, but without the advantage of local gambling. “We are entering this venture with full awareness, recognizing that this will be a foreign-only integrated resort,” stated Pineault.
“Within a 1.5-hour drive, there are over 28 million residents, indicating a substantial demand,” remarked Bobby Soper, MGE International President, tribal member, and former MGE President, during an August interview with ICE365. “For instance, while Seoul is the epicenter of Asian pop culture, particularly live entertainment, the greater Seoul area offers a limited selection of entertainment venues, and existing ones are not well-suited for live entertainment.”
“We are confident that this project can achieve success in the short term, even without the legalization of local gambling,” asserted Pineault. “Should Korea permit [local] gambling, we anticipate a resounding success, surpassing a mere triumph.”
To concentrate on Incheon, Mohegan withdrew from its integrated resort partnership at the former Athens airport in Greece last year.
Its a fantastic piece of property, but it’s not the ideal chance for us at this time, Pineau stated.
Pineau and the Mohegans have a long-range vision. Pineau cited the Mohegans’ vision statement: “They discuss the next 13 generations, constructing an organization that will endure far beyond us.” The Mohegans believe they are establishing a long-lasting business.
Mohammed Cohen, a former US ambassador, has been covering the gambling industry in Asia since 2006. He recently wrote for Forbes and Inside Asian Gaming, and penned “Hong Kong Air,” a novel set against the backdrop of the 1997 transfer, about television news, love, treachery, high finance, and inexpensive lingerie.
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