LAS VEGAS (AP) — The tribe that owns the Mohegan Sun casino-hotel between Boston and New York City is poised to become the first Native American casino operator in the Las Vegas resort area.

Nevada casino regulators on Wednesday signed off on letting Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment operate the casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas when it opens at the former site of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino a few blocks east of the Las Vegas Strip.

The Nevada Gaming Commission is due on Oct. 22 to consider the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s unanimous recommendation for approval.

Billionaire Virgin Group founder Richard Branson bought the Hard Rock in 2018. The property closed in February for a $200 million makeover and rebranding. It plans to reopen Jan. 15 with a Mohegan Sun casino and 1,500 remodeled Virgin Hotels rooms.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that control board members in Nevada met online for about two hours with Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority board members at tribal headquarters in Uncasville, Connecticut. They cited no issues with operational plans or executives’ suitability for gambling licenses.