ATLANTIC CITY, N,J. — The Mohegan Tribe will end control of the Atlantic City Resorts casino at the end of this year, both parties said Monday.
The move completes an agreement that the tribe’s gaming arm, Mohegan Gaming Advisors, made with Resorts in 2012, six months after the casino’s co-owner, veteran gaming executive Dennis Gomes, died.
Gomes’ death left Resorts with crucial experience and know-how to compete in the increasingly crowded casino market in the Northeastern US.
Mohegan’s successful operation of casinos in markets such as Connecticut and Pennsylvania made it attractive to Resorts, which in 1978 became the first casino in the United States to open outside Nevada.
Now, Resorts says, the casino can stand on its own two feet.
“Mohegan has been a valuable partner and we are grateful for their contributions to our success,” said Morris Bailey, owner of Resorts. “We entered into a management agreement with Mohegan at a time when Resorts was facing many operational, economic and market challenges. Mohegan brought stability and direction to Resorts by helping to assemble a great management team that will remain in place. We are pleased that, with Mohegan’s help, Resorts has reached a point where it can operate independently.”
As part of the 2012 deal, Mohegan acquired a 10% ownership stake in Resorts, which it will retain. Resorts became the first casino in Atlantic City to be run by a Native American tribe.
“We are extremely proud of our relationship with Resorts Casino Hotel and what we have helped accomplish,” said Ray Pineault, president and CEO of Mohegan. “We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our Resorts team members, guests and the Atlantic City community for their support and dedication during our tenure as manager.”
Mark Giannantonio, president of Resorts, praised Mohegan “for the excellent partnership over the past decade.”
According to state gambling regulators, resorts had $130.8 million in gambling revenue in 2012. That total rose to $163 million last year.
During Mohegan’s time managing Resorts, the casino signed a deal with DraftKings sportsbook and launched an online operation – Resorts Digital, which raised more than $822 million last year, up more than 50% from the previous year.
Cross-marketing between Resorts and Mohegan casinos will end at the end of this year, but Resorts plans to launch new marketing programs.
Mohegan Gaming Advisors is a subsidiary of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority.
In addition to Connecticut and Pennsylvania, Mohegan operates casinos in Washington and Nevada; Niagara Falls, Canada, and Inchon, South Korea. It also owns the Connecticut Sun WNBA team.
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