The Mohegan tribe, through its development arm, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE), has announced that it will break ground on the Inspire Integrated Resort in South Korea before the end of 2017.
The company which was rebranded from the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority last month
operates the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, and several other casinos in other states, will build the new resort next to the Incheon International Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports.
The rebranding, which was probably done with this South Korean project in mind, was explained this way: “The name change better represents Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment’s growing domestic and international portfolio of integrated resorts, and further aligns its all-encompassing brand image as an entertainment destination with future expansion plans.” Currently all of the tribe’s casinos are in the United States, including the Mohegan Sun Pocono, Pennsylvania, and facilities in Washington, Louisiana and Atlantic City.
MGE CEO Mitchell Etess made the announcement about the mega-casino project July 27 as part of the company’s 3rd Quarter earnings. He said the company was “well into the planning stage,” of the joint venture, whose partners are Incheon International Airport Corp., and KCC Corp. which manufactures chemicals and auto parts.
The resort will eventually cost $5 billion and will be completed in about 20 years, with $1.6 billion earmarked for the first phase, which will take up to four years to complete. The first phase will include a 5-star luxury hotel complex of three towers and 1,300 rooms.
The casino, which would have 1,500 slot machines and up to 250 gaming tables, would take advantage of the fact that Koreans are not allowed to play in their own casinos, so patrons would be entirely foreign. Natives would be allowed to visit the casino for non-gaming activities such as the 200,000 square feet of retail shopping that is planned, as well as dining, art and music.
