Mohegan Sun-owner Mohegan Gaming is trying to get a downstate NYC casino license, but one former state official does not think it deserves one. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

A tragic incident

In New York City, major gambling operators are vying for a lucrative casino license. Tribal organization Mohegan Gaming is one such entity, although a former city executive has argued that a personal tragedy at the tribe’s casino should exclude it from the conversation.

Kamal Bherwani worked as Chief Information Officer for Health and Human Services for former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg. His son, Ethan Bherwani, died at Mohegan Gaming’s Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut on May 18 this year.

didn’t receive any medical attention until 11 minutes after his collapse

The former NYC exec claims his son could have survived the incident had he received immediate help from staff. Instead, a video of the incident, released by the New York Post, shows Ethan falling from his blackjack chair at around 2am. He didn’t receive any medical attention until 11 minutes after his collapse.

The 22-year-old was eventually taken to hospital but was pronounced brain dead and died nine days later. He had fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol in his system.

Father blames casino

Bherwani has blamed Mohegan Sun for negligence in relation to his son’s death. “If they had gotten to him in three minutes, he’d be completely alive,” he told the Post. “My son was going to law school. He was cooped up during the pandemic and celebrating his graduation; he made a mistake… but it should not have cost him his life.”

A casino worker did check on Ethan after about four minutes, but from a few meters away. Once the Mohegan Tribe’s medics arrived 11 minutes after he fell, they attempted CPR for around ten minutes.

Bherwani filed a negligence lawsuit against Mohegan in May 2022. A tribal court tossed this on a technicality, but the former official plans to file a new one.

Mohegan Gaming is attempting to secure one of three highly-coveted downstate casino licenses in New York, but Bherwani thinks the tribe should be excluded since it “put money ahead of safety” in the case of his son. The former NYC official is a keen supporter of current Governor Kathy Hochul, having donated $30,000 to her 2022 gubernatorial campaign.

“There is a culture there that permeates,” Bherwani said of Mohegan. “You know the values of the Mohegan Sun just through what you see on the video.”

The casino race

Mohegan Gaming is trying for a casino license in partnership with Soloviev Group. The two entities have proposed a $4bn casino on a 6.7-acre site on Manhattan’s East Side. They have named it Freedom Plaza, and it would be a mix-use project.

Hopefuls include Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts

Mohegan will have to fight off ten other bidders though. Hopefuls include Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts, Bally’s Corporation, and others. Genting-owned Resorts World New York and MGM’s Empire City Casino are favorites to receive two of the licenses, given that they already have a strong presence in the area.

According to the current timeline, the New York State Gaming Commission will approve the chosen plans by December 31, 2025. Delays have caused some state lawmakers to question the process, arguing that the state will miss out on $2bn and thousands of new jobs as a result of slow progress.