MGM Resorts International, which is expected to close on its $850 million acquisition of the Empire City Casino in Yonkers, New York early next year, named the top executive for the property Friday.
The Las Vegas-based company tabbed Uri Clinton as president and chief operating officer. An attorney, Clinton has spent considerable time in the Northeast, managing MGM Resorts’ efforts to explore development opportunities in Connecticut and New York. He will continue in that role.
“Uri’s proven leadership and wide range of skills have been instrumental in the company’s development efforts in New York and Connecticut, and he will continue to build on those successes with this new role,” MGM Resorts President Bill Hornbuckle said in a statement.
In May, MGM Resorts announced the planned acquisition of Empire Casino and Yonkers Raceway in partnership with its real estate investment trust partner, MGM Growth Properties.
The two companies – MGM Resorts owns 70 percent of MGM Growth – entered into an agreement which stipulates the REIT will buy back the property associated with Empire City and lease the operations to the gaming company.
Clinton joined MGM Resorts as a vice president and deputy general counsel in 2014 and was promoted to senior vice president and legal counsel in 2016. During this time, he provided legal advice and counseling on gaming jurisdictions before transitioning to Global Development in 2018.
Before joining MGM, Clinton held leadership roles in legal affairs with several companies, including Baha Mar, Ltd., Multimedia Games, Inc. and Caesars Entertainment Corporation. He is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and received his law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law.
