Ontario will open Niagara’s market to new land-based casino operators, but Mohegan will continue running Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara.

Ontario is opening the Niagara Region to additional casino operators after Mohegan agreed to suspend and potentially terminate its land-based gaming exclusivity in exchange for undisclosed financial consideration.

The agreement was announced on August 13, 2026. It involves the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and MGE Niagara Entertainment Inc., a Mohegan subsidiary.

OLG plans to begin a procurement process later in 2026 for potential new operators and projects.

Mohegan will keep its existing casinos

Mohegan will continue operating Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara under its long-term agreement with OLG. The deal does not remove the company from Niagara’s casino market.

It removes Mohegan’s exclusive position over new land-based gaming development in the region. OLG will manage the procurement process and provincial gaming oversight.

Mohegan will remain the service provider for the two existing casinos.

Ontario links the move to tourism investment

The decision forms part of Ontario’s Destination Niagara strategy. The province has identified expanded casino and gaming opportunities, hotels, entertainment venues, dining and transportation improvements as ways to attract visitors and investment.

Ontario says the wider tourism strategy aims to increase annual visits to Niagara Falls from about 13 million to 25 million. It also targets an additional $3 billion in annual gross domestic product.

The target represents about 12 million additional annual visits. The procurement process will determine whether new operators enter the region, where projects could be located and what investment commitments they would make.

The August 13 announcement did not identify potential bidders or provide a schedule for final selections.

Mohegan trades exclusivity for financial protection

Mohegan told investors that it accepted the change in exchange for financial consideration. The amount was not disclosed.

Company executives said the revised commercial arrangement includes protections linked to Mohegan’s service-provider fees and existing Niagara revenues.

They also said Mohegan could reinvest in Fallsview and Casino Niagara if future competition changes demand in the region.

The agreement comes as Mohegan’s Niagara casino results weakened. For the quarter ended June 30, 2026, the company reported international-resort net revenue of US$66.8 million, down 11% from a year earlier.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization fell 56.8% to US$2.2 million.

Mohegan attributed the decline mainly to lower gaming revenue caused by an adverse swing in table-game hold. The company’s reported international-resort figures include its Niagara operations.

Online gaming adds another competitive front

Mohegan’s online business moved in the opposite direction. Gross gaming revenue on the PlayFallsview platform in Ontario rose 9.7% year over year in the quarter ended June 30.

Ontario monthly active users increased 48% during the same period.

PlayFallsview operates through MGE Digital Canada Inc. and appears in iGaming Ontario’s regulated operator directory. As of August 6, 2026, the directory listed 48 operators and 83 gaming websites in Ontario.

New casino brands could compete for visitors, hotel guests and entertainment spending while also seeking customers through Ontario’s regulated online gaming framework.

What changes next

  • OLG is expected to launch a Niagara procurement process later in 2026.
  • Mohegan will remain the operator of Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara.
  • The financial terms of Mohegan’s agreement with OLG remain undisclosed.
  • Any new operator or casino project will remain subject to Ontario’s procurement, regulatory and government approval processes.
  • Details on new sites, operators, investment levels and responsible-gambling requirements will emerge through the procurement process.

The decision changes who can pursue future land-based gaming projects in Niagara. It does not immediately change who runs the region’s two existing casinos.

The market impact will depend on the projects and companies that OLG ultimately approves.