Bain Capital takes control of MGE Korea

The investment firm says MGE defaulted on a loan used to finance the integrated resort.  

South Korea.- Bain Capital has announced it has taken operational control of the South Korean casino resort Mohegan Inspire. The company reportedly took the decision because Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE) defaulted on US$275m in loans used to finance the integrated resort (IR). 

However, MGE issued a statement claiming that, while Mohegan did not satisfy certain financial covenant tests, “it has not missed a payment of principal or interest.”

The statement reads: “The loan held by Bain Capital does not mature until May 2027, with no principal payments due before the maturity date. We made several good faith proposals for amending the financial covenants that are consistent with market precedents. However, Bain Capital has dismissed those proposals and provided counterproposals that would result in Bain Capital receiving large payments ahead of other Inspire lenders.”

It added: “We have been and will continue to attempt to negotiate in good faith with Bain Capital to find a mutually agreeable solution that allows us to be continuing partners with the people of Korea and our various stakeholders. We do not believe the change-of-control pursued by Bain Capital is in the best interests of the property, its team members and customers, other lenders and various key stakeholders.”

Mohegan Inspire held a soft opening on November 30, 2023 and a full opening last March. It has over 150 table games, 390 slot machines, and 160 electronic table games (ETG). It has a floor for VIP guests featuring a Guandong-style restaurant.

A week ago, MGE shared its financial results for the first quarter of financial year 2024/2025. It posted net revenue of US$498.9m, up 17.3 per cent when compared to last year. Group-wide EBITDA reached US$85.1m, a rise of 7.6 per cent, while a net loss of US$85.9m is an improvement on the US$97m loss a year ago.

The company attributed the growth in revenue to a strong quarter at Mohegan Sun in the US and continued growth from Mohegan Digital. Mohegan Inspire posted net revenue of US$63.52m compared with US$5.1m a year earlier before the casino at the complex opened. The venue recorded negative adjusted EBITDA of US$4.19m, an improvement on the US$10.9m EBITDA loss recorded in the prior-year period.

The investment firm says MGE defaulted on a loan used to finance the integrated resort.   South Korea.- Bain Capital has announced it has taken operational control of the South Korean…