Q&A: Mohegan Sun rises in New Jersey
Mohegan Sun CEO Bobby Soper talks up his firmâs plans for online casino in New Jersey, and explains why a poker launch is not on the cards
eGR North America (eGR NA): What are your plans for MoheganSunCasino.com in New Jersey?
Bobby Soper (BS): We had a soft-launch on 20 July and went live permanently on 22 July and itâs been a really good start and a seamless launch. We were excited to be an early entrant into egaming in North America, we believe that it is a great opportunity in light of the fact it is a $40bn industry globally but only $120m in North America. So we think there is a significant upside by being an early entrant. Mohegan Sun is a well-recognized brand in the north east of the United States, and itâs an opportunity to extend our brand into a new segment of gaming. [private]
eGR NA: Can your brand compete with the established operators in the state?
BS: We feel confident we will be able to compete. We have a significant database in the north east between our properties in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, as well as Resorts [in New Jersey]. We have a substantial number of New Jersey residents in that database, and being able to leverage that allows us to be competitive.
eGR NA: How will you differentiate your offering from those already live?
BS: We are going to have robust content, 144 games on desktop and 44 games on mobile. We are going to have a very strong loyalty program tied to our bricks-and-mortar loyalty program, Momentum. It will allow players to utilize points they earn online at our facilities, and we have some unique marketing opportunities.
Next week we are launching Spin the Wheel, so everyday registered players spin a wheel and will be guaranteed to win something, anywhere from $1 to $3m. Also from an acquisition standpoint we have a fairly aggressive offering: first automatic tier upgrade if you have a card with other sites and we are also offering to match your initial deposit up to $1,000.
eGR NA: Will you join forces with ResortsCasino.com in any marketing initiatives?
BS: They are distinct sites, but clearly we are going to leverage each otherâs resources. We both have a vested interest in ensuring that both sites perform well. But they are positioned differently and Resorts has its own database and Mohegan Sun will be able to complement the Resorts site with its database.
eGR NA: Any plans to launch online poker?
BS: There are no plans to launch online poker. Resorts has teamed up with PokerStars and Full Tilt, which we are excited about. We understand they will soon be receiving their license, so we will leave poker to them.
eGR NA: Why have you decided to enter the social casino sector?
BS: We view it as an additional marketing channel to engage with the player other than the traditional direct mail campaigns, for example. We think the offering is complementary to our online gaming strategy, and when you look at least three of the top ten social games on the Apple App Store are casino games.Itâs a reflection that in fact that it is complementary to an online gaming strategy.
eGR NA: Do you seen any more states regulating online egaming in the next 12 months or so?
BS: There has been a discussion in a number of jurisdictions and Pennsylvania is certainly at the forefront of that discussion. There have also been discussions in New York and California and some other states. We do our own the Mohegan Sun Pocono in Pennsylvania and if in fact online gaming was authorized in Pennsylvania we would move forward quickly. But itâs a wait and see at this point.