Parent company of Mohegan Sun casinos announces appointment of new president

The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority announced that Robert Soper, president and CEO of the Connecticut casino, will succeed Mitchell Grossinger Etess on March 30. "The organization is in a strong financial position and it's poised to prosper and grow," Soper said. "It's in as strong a position as it's been in a number of years."

Mohegan Sun has come up short in bidding competitions for new casinos in Massachusetts and New York, but Soper said it is pursuing a number of opportunities including a project with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe in Washington state and others that have not been made public.

Ray Pineault has been appointed president and general manager of the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville.

Thomas Burke was appointed to the new post of chief operating officer of the authority. He is acting president of Mohegan Gaming Advisors, the authority's management consultant firm.

Etess, who joined Mohegan Sun about 20 years ago as senior vice president of marketing, announced in November that he was retiring as chief executive officer.

He says Soper's experience as general manager of the Connecticut and Pennsylvania sites makes him the natural choice for president.