LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As of 6 a.m. Monday morning, operations of The Mirage Hotel & Casino officially passed into the hands of Hard Rock International.
Regulatory approval was granted by the Nevada Gaming Commission on Friday.
Hard Rock International paid $1.075 billion in cash for operating assets of The Mirage and entered into a long-term lease agreement with VICI Properties Inc., which owns the real estate the casino sits on.
The resort will operate as The Mirage until renovation and rebranding is complete, the company stated.
"The process is anticipated to take an extended period, but ultimately will dramatically reimagine every aspect of the resort and change the Las Vegas skyline with the addition of a guitar-shaped hotel tower adjacent to Las Vegas Blvd.," Hard Rock officials noted.
FUTURE PLANS: Plans for giant, guitar-shaped hotel at site of Mirage revealed by Hard Rock executives
The company's plans for renovating The Mirage were revealed, along with a first look at the giant, guitar-shaped hotel, before the Nevada Gaming Control Board earlier this month.
One of the first mega-resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, The Mirage was opened in 1989 by casino mogul Steve Wynn. It's been home to some of the Strip's most popular shows and attractions, including Cirque du Soleil's The Beatle's tribute show, "Love," and tiger-taming magicians Siegfried & Roy.
Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat will close forever, Hard Rock announced previously. The company said the animals would be re-located and pledged that "the health, safety, and well-being of the animals is our top priority."
READ MORE: Mirage Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat to permanently close, animals to be relocated
