Tribal owner of Hard Rock now running Mirage on Vegas Strip

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A new operator, Hard Rock International, started running the iconic Mirage resort on the Las Vegas Strip on Monday, following Nevada state gambling regulatory approval for a nearly $1.1 billion sale by former site owner MGM Resorts International, the companies said.

Florida-based Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe, said it plans to reshape the property at the center of the glittery Las Vegas Boulevard casino corridor by replacing its volcano attraction with a huge guitar-shaped hotel tower.

Company Chairman Jim Allen said in a statement that the property's 3,500 employees were absorbed Monday into Hard Rock's 45,000-member workforce. The company has cafes, hotels, casinos and concert properties around the world.

“We are excited to create an integrated resort on the Strip that will make this legendary entertainment community proud,” Allen said. The statement specified there were no immediate plans to close The Mirage or lay off employees.

Hard Rock and MGM Resorts announced plans for the operational takeover a year ago. The deal became official following Nevada Gaming Commission approval at a special meeting Friday.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Hard Rock to the neighborhood and wish them all the very best,” Bill Hornbuckle, CEO and president of casino giant MGM Resorts International said in a statement.

The more than 3,000-room hotel on 80 acres (32 hectares) becomes the first on the Las Vegas Strip to be run by a Native American tribe.

East of the Strip, the Connecticut-based Mohegan Tribe operates a casino that opened in 2021 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas after that property — named Hard Rock Hotel & Casino — was purchased in 2018, renovated and rebranded by Virgin.

West of the Strip, an affiliate of the California-based San Manuel...