Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment’s (MGE) South Korean integrated resort (IR), known as Inspire, is “sailing smoothly” towards its scheduled opening date in late 2023, with its first phase of development 30 percent complete.
At full buildout, Inspire is expected to be the largest IR in Northeast Asia, surpassing Incheon’s first IR, Paradise City.
The initial phase alone will span more than 460,000 square meters (113 acres), the equivalent of 64 soccer fields, reports GGRAsia. It will include three five-star hotels with a total of 1,275 rooms; a 15,000-seat entertainment venue; and a foreigners-only casino. The U.S. tribal gaming authority has invested KRW1.8 trillion (US$1.3 billion) in Phase 1.
Additional phases will include a 4,000-person convention center, an upscale shopping mall called Splash Bay; an indoor water park; and restaurants.
“Mohegan Inspire is elegantly designed with motifs derived from the beautiful landscape of Yeongjong Island in Incheon as well as Korean elements,” said Chen Si, MGE chief operating officer.
“Being nestled in the vicinity of Incheon Airport [the largest airport in South Korea] will serve as a great advantage for us in attracting foreign tourists from all over the world including Chinese and Japanese visitors,” he continued.
“As a landmark leading the revitalized tourism and leisure industry in the post-Covid era, we will become a resort that mesmerizes guests with entertainment facilities and attractions that all generations can enjoy.”
Construction of Mohegan Inspire resumed in February after the company locked down a financing package. At the time, on a call with analysts, the company said the development “demonstrates MGE’s dedication to growth and diversification.”
The Connecticut-based firm once planned a resort, also called Inspire, to be built in Athens. But it withdrew from the project, which was then taken over by another U.S.-based tribal gaming operator, Hard Rock International, along with developer Gek Terna.
