Indian Gaming > New Mohegan chair tackles gaming issues

October 7, 2009

New Mohegan chair tackles gaming issues

The new leader of the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut comes into office with some big gaming issues on her plate.

Lynn Malerba, the first woman to serve as chair of the tribe, says the gaming industry remains "depressed." Slot machine revenues at Mohegan Sun have fallen over the past year.

"I think the good news for us is we see the same number of customers coming through our doors. They're just not going to spend as much money," she told the Associated Press.

The tribe halted a casino expansion amid the national recession. Malerba said the project might resume at the right time.

Despite economic woes, the tribe has not laid off any casino employees. Malerba said diversification is the key to future success.

"The wisdom in the past was that gaming was recession-proof. Obviously, that's not the case. This was an unusual set of circumstances," she told the AP. "It makes sense to have a kind of balanced portfolio."

Get the Story:
New Gamble for the Mohegans (AP 10/7)