Gambling guests try out new casino

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has finally hosted its grand opening celebration. After enduring opening delays in the pandemic aftermath, the new property welcomed guests starting at 6pm on March 25, with festivities scheduled throughout the evening.

home to 650 slots and more than 150 table games

Gambling guests were able to hit the floor of the property’s Mohegan Sun Casino Las Vegas, featuring 60,000 square feet of space. The gaming facility is home to 650 slots and more than 150 table games.

Virgin and the Mohegan Sun have been counting down to opening day on Twitter, going on to share images of the grand opening celebrations on Thursday:

Attendees enjoyed live entertainment, including special ceremonies at the main entrance before the doors opened. The new casino and hotel space is located at the site of the former Hard Rock Hotel.

A positive sign for the Strip

The Virgin Hotels property is a welcome addition on the Strip, especially during the economic recovery process in the wake of coronavirus. The hotel-casino should have opened in mid-January 2021, but the onset of the pandemic last year led to a number of delays. The venue’s inauguration coincides with the current hopes for the city of Las Vegas to bounce back from the effects of COVID-19 closures and low tourism levels of 2020.

The president & CEO of JG Hospitality and owner of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Richard Bosworth, commented that the property is excited to have team members working once again as it welcomes back locals and tourists. He said:

The opening of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is just one more positive sign of the recovery of the Las Vegas economy.”

The new Mohegan Sun Casino Las Vegas at the Virgin hotel premises provides yet another gaming experience for tourists on the Strip. Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE) was chosen in 2019 to operate the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas casino floor. MGE has worked for many months to prepare the facility for opening day. The Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut is the first Native American tribe to operate a casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Welcoming back former Hard Rock employees

To help former Hard Rock employees, Virgin created the Stick Around and Come Back program. The initiative provided former employees of the property the opportunity to claim a position at the new facility.

Upon opening, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas will have over 1,600 employees. Hotel owner Bosworth said former employees were given the first shot at their old jobs via the program. After the COVID-19 restrictions ease up in Las Vegas, the property plans to hire 400 more employees.

Virgin had asked Hard Rock employees back in August 2019 to stay on through February 2020. That same month, the property closed for renovations and the Virgin rebranding process. For staying on board, employees were provided with ten weeks of pay and a retention bonus. They were able to file for unemployment during the renovations and return to occupy the same position once the Virgin property was operational.