Joe Hasson has experience operating casinos in destination markets, regional jurisdictions, locals areas, and on behalf of American Indian tribes.
That work history will come in handy in his new role as general manager of Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The renovation of the former off-Strip Hard Rock Las Vegas location is expected to open by the end of the year.
“Helping to bring Mohegan Sun, an iconic brand, to Las Vegas is an exciting prospect,” said Hasson, 64, who has been a consultant since February 2019 after some 40 years in operational and corporate roles with Station Casinos, Penn National Gaming, and Harrah’s Entertainment.
Mohegan Gaming, the casino arm of Connecticut’s Mohegan Indian tribe, is partnering with Miami-based Virgin Hotels on the property. Last fall, Mohegan Gaming announced a deal to operate the casino, becoming the first tribal gaming company to manage a resort in the nation’s largest commercial gambling market.
Hasson is now offering input to the casino-renovation portion of the property. Mohegan Gaming will manage the 60,000-square-foot casino space, and will also have access to the 1,500-room Virgin-branded hotel, restaurants, and other non-gaming amenities.
“That aspect is what attracted me to this opportunity,” Hasson said. “I’m likely to be the No. 1 guest working with all our partners in this location. There are going to be many exciting brands. The goal is to make this a seamless experience for our guests.”
Rendering of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Hasson’s last operational role, as general manager of the Grafton Resort in Northern California, ended in 2017 after five years. Station Casinos has the management contract for the casino on behalf of the Graton Rancheria Tribe. In addition to opening the property 45 minutes north of San Francisco, Hasson was involved with adding a hotel to the resort.
Before starting his consulting business, Hasson held several corporate positions, ultimately including chief operating officer, with Station Casinos in Las Vegas.
The operational side of the casino business, however, is where Hasson’s heart truly lies.
JC Hospitality bought the Hard Rock Las Vegas in 2018 and closed the property in February for remodeling. Renovation work has continued, despite the shutdown of casinos and other businesses in Nevada in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, as construction was deemed an essential business.
Hasson said his efforts include putting operational plans in place.
“As the Hard Rock, the location developed a strong customer mix and we’re looking forward to welcoming that back those legacy guests,” he said.
At the same time, Hasson said, Mohegan will reach out to the 300-plus former Hard Rock casino employees and attempt to bring them back into the fold.
“That is something critically important to me, because a lot of people were part of this resort for a long time and we want to welcome the team back,” Hasson said. “They built this resort in a prior life and we want them now to put their expertise back on behalf of Mohegan.
Hasson has adopted the Mohegan Tribe’s guiding philosophy of “The Spirit of Aquai,” which covers four principles – a welcoming environment, respect, service, and building relationships.
“Mohegan Sun Casino will be a tremendous addition to Las Vegas,” Hasson said.
In addition to Hasson, Mohegan Gaming also announced the hiring of Tyler Conover, a marketing professional with 15 years of experience in gaming and hospitality, as director of marketing.
“With industry veterans like Joe and Tyler at the helm of Mohegan Sun Casino Las Vegas, we are confident that our first venture into Las Vegas will be a fruitful one, and we are looking forward to welcoming guests later this year,” Mohegan Gaming CEO Mario Kontomerkos said in a statement.
Hasson spent more than 20 years with Harrah’s casinos in Nevada, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Atlantic City. He also managed an Indiana casino for Penn National.
He gained fame in the mid-2000s in the Discovery Channel’s reality television series American Casino, which tracked the daily events and experiences of the managers and employees for Station Casinos’ Green Valley Ranch Resort in Henderson, Nevada, which is located in the Las Vegas Valley about fifteen miles outside of Las Vegas.
“What I enjoy is the attention to detail and the complexity of operating a property,” Hasson said.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
