There should be three new casinos opening in Las Vegas by next year. We say “should,” because the whole world is in flux as COVID-19 is still spreading throughout the US. Construction in Las Vegas is considered an essential service and work has continued without stopping. There have been some delays but the work hasn’t stopped and all three projects appear to be on schedule.
Let’s take a look at one of those properties, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. We’ll do a brief overview of the property and speculate on possible blackjack conditions. The name(s) of this property might confuse some that aren’t entirely familiar with the projects.
While Virgin will operate the hotel, Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment will operate the casino. The official name of the gaming area will be Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. That name is quite a mouthful and might be confusing to some people who only know one of the two brands. The hotel is also affiliated with the Hilton hotels Curio Collection and that could add another layer of confusion.
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Sir Richard Branson of Virgin and a group of investors announced that his company and some investors purchased the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on March 30, 2018. The original plan called for Virgin Hotels Las Vegas to replace the Hard Rock Hotel in 2019. After some delays in the timeline, the renovated property just off the Vegas Strip should be opening before the end of the year. A specific opening date hasn’t been announced yet but all inclinations are that it will happen shortly after election day.
The entire property is currently being renovated. The hotel will feature 1,504 renovated rooms called Chambers. As you’d imagine they’ll also offer premium rooms – Grand Chamber Suites and Penthouse Suites.
Some restaurants like Nobu will remain at the property but most restaurants will be new. The company will also create new lounges and bars. Virgin will bring its Commons Club brand that’s featured at other properties around the country. They’re also renovating the five-acre pool complex and the entire casino floor.
Mohegan Sun Casino
The Mohegan Sun Casino will occupy 60,000 square feet of the property. For reference, the casino floor will be about the same size as the Tropicana and slightly smaller than New York-New York.
Joe Hasson will be the General Manager of the Mohegan Sun Casino. He’s worked in the casino business for almost 40 years putting in time at Harrah’s Entertainment (now Caesars), Penn National Gaming (owner of Tropicana and M Resort), and Station Casinos (Red Rock, etc).
Mohegan Sun Casino will open with the Momentum Loyalty Rewards Program. This will be separate from the hotel loyalty programs. Guests will be able to earn and redeem rewards and discounts in Las Vegas and at other Mohegan Gaming properties. Between Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Pennsylvania, Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey and ilani in Washington there are over 100 dining, shopping, nightlife and entertainment options, hotels, spas, and golf courses.
Blackjack At The Mohegan Sun Casino At Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Mohegan Gaming hasn’t announced plans for the casino yet but it’s possible to speculate based on some facts we do know. Mohegan Sun in Connecticut has some of the fairest gaming on the east coast. Based on that pedigree, Virgin Hotel should have good blackjack games with fair rules and reasonable limits.
Hasson has previously worked with Station Casinos which offers mostly 3:2 blackjack games at its properties. There are a few 6:5 blackjack pits at some properties but the majority of the games pay 3:2 when a player is dealt a natural blackjack.
Lastly, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas wants to be a destination for tourists with gaming that appeals to locals. This isn’t a new idea as SLS/Sahara has said the same thing since reopening. The beautiful hotel design will draw visitors from all over. Fair blackjack rules and good video poker paytables should bring locals into the casino. We should hear about blackjack at the Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in the next few months.
