Gaming operations at Inspire Entertainment Resort in South Korea are projected to be underway in time for the Chinese New Year holiday starting in February 2024. “We are trying,” Inspire President Chen Si told GGRAsia. “That would be our target.”
It all hangs on the hotel rating, said Si. “In South Korea, for us to get the casino license, we need to get the five-star hotel rating first. Then we can officially apply for the casino license.”
Inspire, a project of the U.S.-based Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, includes a foreigner-only casino with 150 gaming tables and 700 slot machines; 1,275 rooms and suites; a multi-purpose arena; restaurants and retail; and indoor and outdoor family-friendly parks. Phase 1 comes with a price tag of US$1.6 billion.
“Construction is about 85 percent complete at this point,” said Si. “Probably by the end of the year we’ll have everything open except the casino.” A soft launch could take place in November, with the convention center set to welcome its first trade show the same month. The 15,000-seat entertainment arena will open before the end of November.
“We want to be careful because that’s a huge capacity,” Si said. “We want to make sure the property is ready to handle a major concert logistically.”
The ratio of gaming to non-gaming should be about “50-50, at least for the near future,” he said.
