The largest Indian casinos in the United State, Connecticut archrivals the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, are each getting new leadership as the beginning of 2015 looms.
Last week Mitchell Etess, 56, who has worked at the Mohegan Sun for nearly two decades, announced plans to retire in 2015 as chief executive officers of the Mohegan Sun Tribal Gaming Authority. He will remain for the transition to a new CEO. A successor is expected to be on board by early spring.
Meantime Foxwoods last week brought on board a new chief executive officer and president, Felix Rappaport who promises to diversify the company’s holdings, including revenue from activities other than gaming. The new chief told the Hartford Courant that the resort’s huge size is one of its advantages. He added, “All brands have lifecycles, and the reality is, I’m a very optimistic person. I think with all the challenges in today’s market, and the competition, I think that Foxwoods can move in a positive direction again.”
Foxwoods recently failed to get a casino license to operate a casino in the Boston metro area. Rappaport would not commit the company to seeking a license in the southeastern zone in Massachusetts. He is currently studying the issue. He has been a member of the casino’s management team since early this year.
“I’ve been more focused on things that we have to do in this property,” he added. He is leading Foxwoods towards diversification and attracting more customers in the middle of the week.
“My vision, our vision, for this property is to continue to do things that first, drive more people to the property and then the second thing is you want to make the property stickier,” Rappaport said. By “sticky” he meant a property where guests stay longer and take advantage of other venues that the resort offers.
He would like to expand the average stay of overnight visitors, which is 1.4 days, to something closer to Las Vegas, which is 4 days.
The casino plans to cut the number of slot machines and gaming tables to make roof for the diversification, taking the slots from 5,800 to around 4,800 and the tables from 350 to around 250.
The 35-year veteran of gaming and hospitality who has previously run Excalibur, New York-New York and the Luxor, takes the helm at Foxwoods when its slots revenues have slowed for several years and the casino’s workforce stands at just over 5,000, down from 13,000 in 2004. Rappaport said he hopes to reverse that trend when the next mall at Foxwoods, Tanger Outlets, opens next spring.
The mall is being developed by Foxwoods in conjunction with two partners, Gordon Group Holdings and Tanger. To Rappaport, this is encouraging. “If you can get other people to invest in your property, not only is that a healthy thing, but it also gives the venue their expertise, their brand,” he told the Courant.
Outgoing Mohegan Sun CEO Etess, on the other hand, doesn’t anticipate large cuts at his casino. During a recent conference call he said, “I think we’ve really done a good job at getting the floor down to what’s manageable and what’s right and then scheduling it for the times when the people are here.”
