The Mohegan tribe, one of the largest tribal operators of casinos in the United States, will end its management of Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City at the end of this year. 

Both the Mohegans and Resorts announced the coming change to their 12-year relationship on Monday. 

The Mohegans have been running Resorts’ gaming operations since 2012, an agreement that came about after the death of casino co-owner Dennis Gomes.

Mohegan Provided Stability, Experience for Resorts

The Mohegan tribe – and its gambling subsidiary, Mohegan Gaming Advisors – currently operate a total of eight casino properties worldwide. But the arrangement at Resorts was unique among their resorts. 

The owners of Resorts needed a steady hand to manage the casino after Gomes, who was a veteran of the casino industry, had passed away. The Mohegan tribe was a perfect fit, as they had already found success running both their flagship Connecticut casino – Mohegan Sun – and Mohegan Pennsylvania in Wilkes-Barre. 

The move proved an immediate success. Under tribal management, Resorts began winning awards and seeing improved revenues. While it remains one of the smaller winners in Atlantic City, often ranking 8^th of nine casinos in terms of profits, it is consistently and reliably profitable. Last year, Resorts reported a total of $163 million in gaming revenue, a 24.6% increase over 2012 levels. 

This has led the casino’s owners to decide they’re ready to once again operate the casino on their own.

“We entered into a management agreement with Mohegan at a time when Resorts faced many operational, economic and market challenges,” Resorts owner Morris Bailey said in a statement. 

“Mohegan brought stability and direction to Resorts by helping to assemble a stellar management team which will remain in place. We are happy that, with Mohegan’s help, Resorts has reached a point where it is able to operate independently.” 

While Mohegan is no longer operating Resorts, they aren’t pulling out of the casino entirely. When the two sides reached their agreement in 2012, it included allowing the Mohegans to acquire a 10% ownership stake in the casino. The tribe will retain that stake even after giving up management of the resort.

Mohegan Tribe Owns Casinos in United States, Canada, Korea

Mohegan remains one of the most prominent casino operators in the northeast, thanks to its casinos in Connecticut and Pennsylvania. However, the tribe has expanded its reach well beyond its home region.

Around the United States, the tribe also operates the gaming floor – now known as Mohegan Casino – at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. It also worked with the Cowlitz Tribe to develop ilani, a casino resort near La Center, Washington.

Internationally, Mohegan operates two Canadian resorts near Niagara Falls. Those include Casino Niagara, which has been open since 1996, and the Fallsview Casino Resort, which began operation in 2004. The tribe has even expanded to Asia, with the Mohegan INSPIRE Entertainment Resort in Incheon, South Korea enjoying a soft launch last November.

It is unclear if Resorts will take over management of its casino in-house or find a new company to manage its gaming operations. 

Resorts was the first casino to open outside of Nevada in the United States when it began operations in 1978. It has remained a staple of the Atlantic City Boardwalk and New Jersey casino market ever since, surviving a near foreclosure in 2009 during the Great Recession.