Mohegan Sun to Open Casino in Massachusetts

Recently, the Mohegan Sun has laid off over 300 employees. Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority CEO Mitch Etess told the Boston Herald: “The layoffs are unrelated to the Palmer effort. They’re about making Mohegan Sun Connecticut a solid operation.”

Etess continued: “We’re aggressively pursuing the license to build in Palmer as much as we ever have. We haven’t paid the $400,000 state fee yet, but we intend to pay it when we submit our application.”

The Mohegan Sun is making a bid for a license to one of the three casino resorts and one slot machine-only venue. MGM Resorts International, Suffolk Downs, Caesars Entertainment, and Ameristar Casinos have also expressed their interest and are likely to submit their bids too.

American gambling laws allow Native Americans to operate casinos in their territories. The Mohegan Sun is owned and managed by the Mohegan tribe from Connecticut.

One of the sites, Springfield, announced two weeks ago that their casino licensing and authorization process was expected to be long in order to allow the city to choose among the bidders.

City Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby told an American gambling news website in Boston: "On the big issue of the incompatibility with our schedule, I think they have rethought it and are happy to agree with us to try to match our schedule, which is a really good development."

If the Mohegan Sun wins one of the licenses, the Native American internet casino and land gambling enterprise is to build the casino on 152 acres of land, located just off the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Etess thinks that Massachusetts is a great spot for a casino, saying: “We get most of our business from Connecticut and New York, but there’s no doubt that gaming in Massachusetts will have an impact on our revenues in Connecticut. That’s why we’re pursuing Palmer and other opportunities around the country.”