The Mohegan Native American tribe spent $1.6 billion and almost a decade building a gambling venue near Seoul with three five-star hotels, a 15,000-seat arena and a water park so lavish that Netflix chose to film a hit dating show there.
The Inspire Entertainment Resort was Mohegan’s first casino project outside North America, one designed to tap into a lucrative market of Chinese gamblers, who spent $28 billion on games in 2024 in Macau. While that Chinese territory dominates the global gambling market, Inspire was set to become one of the largest high-end establishments of its kind in Asia. But going all-in on a casino resort in the region proved to be a risky bet for the tribe.
