Casino, tribal leaders mourn passing of Sol Kerzner
Casino mogul dies at 84 in South Africa
Former Mohegan Sun executives and Mohegan tribal officials Monday remembered Solomon “Sol” Kerzner, the South African hotelier and casino mogul, as the visionary behind Mohegan Sun.
Kerzner, 84, died of cancer Saturday in Cape Town, South Africa, media outlets reported.
“Our sincerest condolences go out to the Kerzner family,” James Gessner, the Mohegan chairman, said in a statement. “The support and guidance Sol provided Mohegan in our early years created the cornerstone of our successes today. As an innovator in his industry, Sol was a true friend to Mohegan, and his loss is felt by all.”
Len Wolman, the Waterford Hotel Group chairman, partnered with Kerzner, his son Butch Kerzner and the Mohegan Tribe to develop and for a time operate Mohegan Sun. The partnership, Trading Cove Associates, also collaborated with the tribe on Project Sunburst, a billion-dollar expansion of the casino in 2001 and later turned Lincoln Park in Rhode Island into Twin River, a slot-machine facility that has since become a full-fledged casino.
“Sol made his mark globally as one of the most innovative hotel and gaming developers,” said Wolman, like Kerzner, a native of South Africa. “It was so rewarding to partner with Sol and Butch Kerzner for decades beginning with our partnership with the Mohegan Tribe. My family and I appreciate and value most the friendships we formed, and the many memories of time spent together that we will forever cherish. Our hearts go out to the Kerzner family and their many colleagues and friends throughout the world.”
Jeff Hartmann, a former Mohegan Sun chief executive officer, praised Kerzner’s contributions.
“Sol was a brilliant casino developer who inspired much of the vision and design for Mohegan Sun that still stands tall today,” said Hartmann, who founded The Hartmann Group, a gaming consultancy, after leaving Mohegan Sun. “Sol, Len Wolman and Bill Velardo encouraged the tribe and the management team to create a unique guest experience that immediately made the Mohegan Sun brand relevant in the early days of tribal gaming.
“Project Sunburst was a game-changer in the Northeast gaming market and a game-changing event for the Mohegan Tribe,” Hartmann said.
Mitchell Etess, a senior adviser to the tribe and former CEO of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, said knowing Kerzner was “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for someone in his position.
“Aside from the financial aspect, he was the designer, the overall visionary who made Mohegan Sun what it is,” Etess said. “He was legendary in dealing with architects. He really was one of the greats in our industry.”
Kerzner opened the acclaimed Sun City resort near Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1979, and was credited with rejuvenating the Bahamas’ tourism industry with his Atlantis and Ocean Club resorts on Paradise Island.