Question of the Day - 16 October 2023

They most certainly do. And don't forget Virgin/Mohegan Sun.

At the Global Gaming Expo last week, a panel discussion covered this very topic. The panelists talked about the biggest adjustment of entering the commercial market: the loss of control. The new jurisdiction, not the tribe, determines and enforces regulations.

“We don’t control the regulatory environment, the licensing environment, the taxing environment,” said Raymond Pineault, CEO of Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment. For example, Mohegan’s Pennsylvania casino had a 390-day streak of not allowing a minor on the gaming floor, but the first one who got through triggered a fine.

“Our team did an incredible job, but it doesn’t matter,” he said. “It’s their rules, their regulations. We have to abide by them.” 

Also, compliance differs by jurisdiction. So what the Mohegans face in Pennsylvania isn't necessarily the same as in Nevada. 

Veteran California casino regulator Richard Schuetz concurs. “Las Vegas casinos operated by tribes are subject to the same regulatory scrutiny in Nevada by the Gaming Control Board as any other Las Vegas casino."

There are, actually, three tribal casinos in this state. They're not in Las Vegas; rather, they're on their own reservations, so they're regulated by the tribes, the National Indian Gaming Commission, and to some degree, as defined in the compact, by the state regulatory authority. Those are the only exceptions in Nevada.