APRIL 20, 2010
MGM Mirage to Become MGM Resorts International
ALEXANDRA BERZON
Las Vegas casino company MGM Mirage plans to change its corporate name to
MGM Resorts International, the company disclosed in a filing Tuesday.
"This name better reflects the fact that we are a family of hotels,"
spokesman Alan Feldman said.
Mr. Feldman said some people misinterpreted MGM Mirage name to mean the
company owned just two hotels-MGM Grand and Mirage.
The company also wanted to add "International" to the name to reflect its
intention to grow its presence internationally, Mr. Feldman said.
Right now the company is primarily tethered to Las Vegas, where it owns 10
casino resort complexes on the Las Vegas Strip, including City Center,
Bellagio and Mandalay Bay. The company owns half of a casino in Macau and
plans to spread such brands names as Bellagio in the Middle East and Asia
through a hospitality division.
The name MGM Mirage came about in 2000 when MGM Grand Inc., led by
billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, took over Mirage Resorts. Rival casino
impressario Steve Wynn had founded Mirage Resorts and developed for it such
iconic Las Vegas properties now owned by MGM Resorts as Mirage, Treasure
Island and Bellagio. Mr. Wynn went on to form a new company, Wynn Resorts,
which owns two casinos in las Vegas.
The name MGM Grand Inc. had its roots in Mr. Kerkorian’s entertainment
company, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Mr. Feldman said it was important to current company leadership to retain
that heritage.
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