Nevada gambling regulators have enshrined Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment’s status as the first tribal casino operator on the fabled Las Vegas Strip.

On Thursday, the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) unanimously approved MGE’s application for a license to operate gaming at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas property. The NGC ruling follows a similarly unanimous approval by the Nevada Gaming Control Board two weeks ago.

MGE chair James Gessner – one of 15 MGE figures who received personal licensing approval on Thursday – expressed pride at becoming the Strip’s first tribal operator, noting that the company had blazed a similar trail in Atlantic City years ago through a deal with Resorts Casino Hotel.

The Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is slated to open January 15, 2021, assuming everyone in the state isn’t dead from COVID-19 by then. MGE currently operates in Connecticut, Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington state, as well as two casinos on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, and is planning mega-projects in Greece and South Korea.