The temporary casino at Platte County Ag Society Park – featuring more than 250 slot machines and horse racing betting at Ag Park’s existing simulcast – was opened in a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by leadership from Caesars, Columbus Exposition and Racing’s Tom Jackson and the Mayor of Columbus, Jim Bulkley.

Don Ostert, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Harrah’s Columbus, NE Racing & Casino, commented: “Opening the Columbus Casino is a huge milestone for us in the Harrah’s Columbus project.

“With the tremendous support from the community of Columbus, we’re proud to open our doors and welcome guests to the temporary facility for the first time.”

Caesars’ rewards programme Caesars Rewards is also available at Columbus Casino and the upcoming Harrah’s Columbus, allowing guests to earn and redeem reward credits at the operator’s over 50 North American properties.

Being built in partnership with CER, Harrah’s Columbus will feature a 28,000-square-foot casino and sportsbook, more than 500 slot machines and 14 table games, and the longest thoroughbred racetrack in Nebraska.

The Brew Brothers restaurant will also be present at the location, as well as a bar called Wishbones in homage to the former events centre that closed in 2021, and a Marriot Fairfield Inn and Townplace Suites next door with a connecting walkway directly to the casino.

Harrah’s Columbus, NE Racing & Casino is expected to be completed in the first half of 2024.

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Located 35 miles north of Miami and utilising the Live! brand, the 223-acre project’s goal is to create a “world-class destination” by bringing together entertainment, dining, hotel, retail, residential, office and lifestyle amenities alongside Harrah’s Pompano Beach casino. 

“It’s incredibly exciting for The Cordish Companies to continue advancing this game-changing project with our partners at Caesars Entertainment,” noted Blake Cordish, Principal of The Cordish Companies. 

“The Pomp represents one of the most dynamic opportunities for placemaking in the United States. There is no comparable development in South Florida that combines casino gaming with best-in-class entertainment, retail, dining, hotel, residential, office and lifestyle amenities into one dynamic destination.

“With Live! as an anchor, we are creating a high-energy dining and entertainment hub that will attract millions of new visitors from across the region and beyond.”

Live! at The Pomp is built on the site of the former Pompano Park racetrack. The space will be broken down into “1.3 million square feet of retail and entertainment space, 4,000 luxury residential units, two hotels and 1.35 million square feet of Class A office space”.

Anthony Carano, President and COO of Caesars Entertainment, added: “We are completely reimagining what this area of South Florida looks like for residents and visitors to Pompano Beach with The Pomp and Live! through our partnership with The Cordish Companies. 

“Building off the success of our newly remodelled and rebranded Harrah’s Pompano Beach casino, we are committed to delivering a one-of-a-kind entertainment and lifestyle destination, unlike anything in South Florida, that will provide the best in gaming, world-class amenities and attract new visitors to the dynamic area.”

Live! at The Pomp will have more than 25,000 square feet of food and beverage venues, including a Sports & Social and PBR Cowboy Bar.

These venues will open onto a central plaza featuring “live music and entertainment, family-friendly events, cultural celebrations, festivals, new-to-market special events, social activities and experiences, additional dining options, and more”.

The development will also have a Topgolf location, a venue for “point-scoring golf games in an energetic and fun environment” which is expected to open in late 2023.

“The City of Pompano Beach is delighted to have Caesars and Cordish partner on this incredible project,” stated Pompano Beach Mayor Rex Hardin.

“Caesars is known for their energetic gaming destinations, and Cordish has a successful track record of developing and operating dynamic mixed-use properties that spur community revitalization. 

“The Pomp and Live! will not only attract millions of visitors to our city annually, it will also create thousands of jobs for Pompano Beach and South Florida residents, leaving a lasting positive impact on our city and region.”

Elsewhere in the state of Florida, Cordish was the original development partner of the Seminole Tribe of Florida for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.

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The EBCI owned and Caesars operated venue is scheduled to complete the upgrades in 2024, with the project set to create more than 2,500 construction jobs and more than 100 operational positions upon opening. 

Planned additions include 25,000 square feet of expanded gaming floor that will include a 50 per cent increase of slot machines, table games and more. 

This new space will comprise 400 new slot machines, 12 additional table games, 10-table World Series of Poker room and a 22-seat centre bar featuring 14 tabletop gaming units.

Furthermore, the expanded property will also encompass a 296-room hotel tower, fresh dinings concept, 9,600 square-foot spa and salon and parking structure complete with 1,700 spaces.

The ceremony saw remarks from Richard Sneed, EBCI Principal Chief, Barron Fuller, Caesars Entertainment Regional President, and Tommy Lambert, Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise Chair, in addition to leadership from Harrah’s Cherokee including Brooks Robinson, Regional Senior Vice President & General Manager, and Lumpy Lambert, General Manager of Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel. 

“We are thrilled to gather today to see this project commence”, said Lambert. The completion of this project will further enhance our guests experience, economic impact to the region and will demonstrate our commitment to remaining a powerhouse in the entertainment industry across the enterprise.” 

Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River first opened its doors to guests on September 28, 2015, with the groundbreaking ceremony closely following its seventh Anniversary. 

“Since opening day we have continued to exceed all expectations set for us,” added Lambert. “This will be our second expansion project since opening, with the first expansion completed back in 2017. We are grateful for the continued support we have received and look forward to welcoming guests to enjoy new experiences in 2024.”

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As per data published by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the nine casino properties across the Garden State recorded $274m in revenues during August, up 4.4% YoY. This was driven by table game win increases of 8.2%, as revenues reached $69.6m. Meanwhile, slot machine revenue totaled $204.3m, up 3.2% YoY. 

Total gaming revenues across New Jersey casinos, racetracks and their partners reached $470.7m, reflecting a 10.1% increase from the $427.7m made in revenues last year. 

Online gaming provided $131.4m in revenues, up 16.1% YoY, with authorized gaming increases of 16.6% increasing the slight decline on peer-to-peer play revenues. 

Sports betting also contributed $65.3m in revenues during August, up 25.5% YoY from 2021’s figure of $52.0m. However, when looked at year-to-date, sports wagering has seen a decline of 11.9% YoY, with a total of $418.9m trailing August 2021’s figure of $475.3m

From a year-to-date perspective, total casino revenues stood at $1.88bn at the end of August 2022 YTD, up 14.1% YoY. Meanwhile, internet gaming provided $1.08bn, reflecting a 25% increase YoY, from August 2021’s total of $866.1m. 

In total, YTD gaming revenues stood at $3.38bn at the end of August 2022, up 13.2$ from the $2.99bn recorded by the end of August 2021. 

Per casino operator, NJDGE detailed that Borgata led the way in terms of revenue, with $71.9m in August 2022, up 38.2% YoY. Borgata was followed by Hard Rock ($45.8m), Ocean Casino ($25.9m) and Harrah’s ($25.0m) in the top four. 

Borgata also led the way on the internet gaming front, generating $41.8m in August. It was accompanied by Golden Nugget ($31.4m) and Resorts Digital ($30.7m) in the top three online gaming operators. 

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Initially the former is to be afforded access to both Indiana and Iowa, with the potential for further jurisdictions to be added in the future, to operate online gaming and sports betting pending passage of applicable laws and gaining all necessary gaming licenses.

The agreements provide Kindred, under the Unibet brand, instant access to pursue licensing in Indiana and Iowa over a ten-year period, marking the group’s third and fourth states of entry following New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

In the former, Kindred will partner with Caesars’ Horseshoe Hammond property, while the latter sees the company link-up with Harrah’s Council Bluffs.

“As Caesars Entertainment continues to gain state approvals for legalised sports betting in the US, we look forward to adding Kindred to our list of sports betting partners in certain states,” noted Christian Stuart, executive vice president for Caesars Entertainment. 

“Caesars can continue to operate its own sports betting offering under the Caesars Sports brand in these states.”

Striving to introduce players with “a safe and unique online sports betting and gaming offering,” Kindred has also extended its ongoing partnership with Pala Interactive as it vows to continue investing in its growing US operations.

Following a successful launch in Pennsylvania in November 2019, Kindred is adding Indiana and Iowa to its Pala Interactive deal. The firm will leverage Pala’s online gaming platform, which includes a player account management system, online casino products, integration into third party casino content, integration with sports betting provider Kambi and marketing technology integrations.

“We are thrilled to further extend our presence in the US together with one of the world’s most renowned and diversified casino-entertainment providers,” noted Manuel Stan, SVP of Kindred US. 

“Caesars’ geographical spread in the US gives us a unique opportunity to build our footprint, with Indiana and Iowa next in line and potential other states lined up. We also share Caesars’ vision to offer customers an unforgettable experience where every guest is treated like a Caesar.”

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Not disclosing specific terms of the new agreement, a media release did stipulate that the deal includes in-stadium signage and branding, Eagles legends appearances, email and direct mail marketing.

“Harrah’s Philadelphia prides itself on partnering with organisations that share our same core values and the Philadelphia Eagles are the gold standard in terms of customer service, community engagement and on-the-field product,” said Chris Albrecht, SVP and general manager of Harrah’s Philadelphia. 

“We each have passionate and loyal fan bases and we look forward to connecting with them in new and innovative ways and providing them with exciting experiences through this partnership.”

Furthermore, the property will serve as the presenting sponsor of the Eagles ‘Drive Summary’ video board feature as well as the team’s ‘Scratch and Win’ game in its mobile application. 

The casino will also have a branding presence in select email campaigns to the Eagles fanbase, as well as in the Eagles Pro Shop located at its Lincoln Financial Field home. 

In addition to branding opportunities, Harrah’s Philadelphia will host Eagles Legends at its entertainment complex. Casino guests will also enjoy commemorative Eagles Caesars Rewards cards, co-branded apparel and gifts and Eagles branded table games.

“World-class entertainment and a strong commitment to the customer experience are synonymous when you think of Harrah’s Philadelphia,” noted Catherine Carlson, Philadelphia Eagles senior vice president of revenue and strategy. 

“This new partnership will enable us to work creatively with Harrah’s through innovative ways to further engage with Eagles fans. We look forward to offering special Eagles experiences and co-branded touch points with Harrah’s Philadelphia year-round.”

Earlier in the year Caesars, Harrah’s parent company, inked a multi-year sponsorship deal with the NFL that allowed the organisation to provide a number of “unique” experiences for fans.

The firm also holds the exclusive right to use NFL trademarks in the United States and the United Kingdom to promote its casino properties and activate at key events including the Super Bowl and NFL Draft.

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2

Harrah’s New Orleans unveiled a duo of “landmark” partnerships, after becoming the official casino partner of the NFL’s and NBA’s Saints and Pelicans.

Becoming the first land-based entity to finalise an agreement with a franchise of both leagues, the multi-year partnership is said to unite “three notable New Orleans entertainment brands,” and is to provide “unique opportunities for Harrah’s to bring the Saints and Pelicans experience to life”.

Via its link-up with the Mercedes-Benz Superdome based Saints, Harrah’s is to develop a series of customers experience, in-games features and have a branded area on site dedicated to the franchise, whilst also being designated as an official post-game destination.

Dennis Lauscha, New Orleans Saints and Pelicans president, said of the new link-up: “We are proud to align ourselves with a brand such as Harrah’s New Orleans casino, that is an industry leader not only nationally but on a local level as well.

“Located in the heart of downtown New Orleans, Harrah’s vision for development and commitment to the city mirror that of the Saints and Pelicans, and we could not be happier about this partnership.”   

€893m

Swedish gaming group Cherry is the subject of a €893m takeover bid from a consortium that includes current chairman Morten Klein and Betsson CEO Pontus Lindwall.

Cherry’s Independent Bid Committee – set up specifically to consider the bid on the board’s behalf but excluding chairman Klein – has recommended shareholders accept the public offer of SEK87 (€8.46) in cash per share submitted by European Entertainment Intressenter BidCo.

The Independent Bid Committee consisting of Gunnar Lind, Johan Moazed and Jörgen Olsson was established on October 16. Rolf Åkerlind was elected to the board of directors on November 21 and has since joined the bid committee.

The Independent Bid Committee’s recommendation highlighted a number of considerations in connection with the offer, notably that the bid represents a premium of 20 per cent compared to the closing price of Cherry’s series B shares on Nasdaq Stockholm on December 17, the last trading day before the announcement of the offer.

The offer also corresponds to a premium of 28 per cent compared to the volume-weighted average share price of Cherry’s series B shares on Nasdaq Stockholm during the last 90 trading days and 59.6 per cent compared to the closing price on October 15, the day before the board received the written offer.

The committee also stressed that several of those individuals in the consortium “have a long ownership history and deep understanding of the company’s operations and future prospects”.

5

DraftKings has announced the launch of its second online sportsbook, unveiling a new agreement with an affiliate of Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races operator Penn National Gaming in West Virginia.

The Mountain State became the fifth territory to legalise sports betting earlier this year, behind Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey and Mississippi,

DraftKings states that its sportsbook is to offer “a superior and engaging online sports betting experience,” including live and in-game betting, alongside the opportunity to wager on major and niche international and US sports.

Matt Kalish, chief revenue officer and co-founder of DraftKings, explained: “We are thrilled to work with Penn National Gaming to bring our online sportsbook product to West Virginia. We look forward to serving sports fans in the Mountain State, and building on the immense success we have had in leading the New Jersey market.

“With over 90 percent of sports bettors returning to play after trying DraftKings Sportsbook, we are confident we can deliver on being the best place to play for West Virginia consumers.”

1m

CasinoFair, “the world’s first, truly fair blockchain casino” launched by FunFair Technologies earlier in the year, is launching a festive campaign to crown a crypto millionaire.

To be in with a chance of winning one million Fun, the betting token utilised by CasinoFair, players need to opt-in and keep playing the online entity’s games from December 25 to January 1.

The more time spent playing increases an individual’s chance of winning, with players receiving more tickets for the draw, the more they wager throughout the period.

Players can earn tickets for the giveaway draw, which is to be conducted and the winner contacted by January 5, by wagering the following:

• 1 ticket – Wager over 1000 Fun
• 10 Tickets – Wager over 10,000 Fun
• 150 tickets – Wager over 100,000 Fun

Carlos McWayne, VP Product at FunFair, stated: “To celebrate our players this festive period, we’re excited to be giving away an enormous amount of Fun with Millionaire Maker, making one lucky person a crypto millionaire!

“Not only are we famous for fairness, but we’re also the most generous and exciting blockchain casino around.

“Our players receive regular ‘FairDrops’ in Fun which see them come back time and time again, and this latest campaign will showcase our desire to give them the best experience possible.”

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$870m

The Stars Group has seen a $870m Black Friday ruling against the operator in the US state of Kentucky overturned by an appeal court, reversing in full a December, 2015, trial court judgement.

When, on April 15, 2011 – so-called Black Friday – the US government took sweeping actions against the country’s online gambling operations, enforcing the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, a series of actions and reactions were set in motion – including the $870m lawsuit against PokerStars, lodged by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The Kentucky Court of Appeals stated that “allowing a complaint, like the one put forth by the Commonwealth, to move forward would lead to an absurd, unjust result.”

“We applaud the decision of the highly-respected three-judge panel of the Kentucky Court of Appeals,” said Marlon Goldstein, EVP and chief legal officer of The Stars Group. “The merits of the case prevailed, and we look forward to putting this matter behind us as we sharpen our focus on executing on our growth strategy going forward.”

$2,390

Two of Atlantic City’s land-based establishments have fallen foul of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, after being found to have offered wagers on college football earlier in the year.

Such activity is illegal within the state, with Golden Nugget Atlantic City and Caesars Entertainment Corporation subsequently being found to have broken state regulation.

As a result Caesars, which permits sports wagering at its Bally’s and Harrah’s establishments within the region, was fined $2,000 for taking bets on a September 10 football game between Rutgers and Kansas.

Furthermore, the Golden Nugget was penalised $390, arising from bets associated with various, although unspecified, New Jersey college football games during the same period.

The law applies to every Garden State university and is designed to stop wagering on any college sporting events that take place in the state, regardless of whether or not those events are between New Jersey educational facilities.

Those customers who bet on the games in question will receive a full refund if they can be identified.

£20.1m

Nektan released its full-year financial report, for the period ending June 30, 2018, which saw both revenue and reach grow, whilst losses continued, despite being reduced.

Total revenue grew 52 per cent in the period, to £20.1m up from £13.3m, while net gaming revenue also increased significantly, up 48 per cent to £19.4m from £13.1m a year prior.

New first-time depositing players increased strongly, up 20 per cent year on year to 156,703, whilst total cash wagering was up markedly, by 43 per cent to £560m from £390m in the prior period.

However, losses continued even if adjusted EBITDA loss was reduced to £2.4m, down from a loss of £3.4m in FY 2017. The 12-month period also saw an operating loss of £5.5m, an increase on the £4.6m deficit posted in the previous period.

The figures include 12 months’ operation of Nektan’s US division, compared to six months in the prior year. Excluding the US, adjusted EBITDA loss in the period reduced to £1.4m from £2.7m, which saw an operating loss of £0.5m in H2 versus £0.9m in H1.

Gary Shaw, Nektan founder and executive director, commented: “During the year, Nektan continued to develop its mobile casino product offering, expanded into new geographic markets, launched new product offerings and grew significantly in each quarter.

“We believe that our proprietary technology is unique in the market place and we are now attracting major global partners who wish to use the feature rich gaming content we have worked so hard to populate our platforms with.”

2

Global hospitality and entertainment firm Delaware North has unveiled two casino-based sportsbooks within West Virginia, in addition to also launching its BetLucky.com online and mobile app for statewide sports wagering.

The retail sportsbooks are located at Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack in Wheeling and Mardi Gras Casino & Resort near Charleston, which opened this week opened after the completion of field testing.

The free BetLucky betting app, available at BetLucky.com or the Apple App Store, is the first to be available in West Virginia and can be used to wager anywhere within the state.

Luisa Woods, vice president of marketing for Delaware North’s gaming division, commented: “We think West Virginians and visitors to the Mountain State are going to love how easy it is to register and use the app.

“The platform was designed to be flexible, easy to use and reliable, with innovative features designed specifically to engage and entertain US sports fans. Patrons at the casinos can use the app or the betting tellers in the sportsbooks.”

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In the role Guidry is to be responsible for all operations and management of the integrated resort, that is set to debut its $1.5bn expansion on Thursday 24 October, replacing Auggie Cipollini, who has been promoted to the position of president of Seminole Hard Rock support services.

Most recently Guidry was senior vice president and general manager of the Caesars Entertainment Corporation owned Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs and Harrah’s Council Bluffs, both located in the same Iowa city and boasting a combined 1,200 workforce.

Managing the two entities for ten years Guidry was responsible for strategic direction and daily operations, at a time when he also managed Mid-America Center, an arena and convention centre complex, for the city of Council Bluffs. 

Further experience came as vice president of operations and assistant general manager for what was then Harrah’s Casino St Louis, located in Maryland Heights, Missouri, where he also held the position of vice president of casino operations and vice president of food, beverage and hotel operations, as well in various departments across Atlantic City, New Jersey, Lake Tahoe and Nevada, including the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas.

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood is to feature the world’s first guitar hotel and casino complex, which stretches 450 feet into the air.

Boasting 1,271 guest suites and six illuminated guitar strings on each side of the tower, the integrated resort is to also contain an expanded casino floor of 195,000 square feet that includes more than 200 table games.

Furthermore, 3,100 of the latest slot machines and a new 45-table poker room are to also be included, as well as a high limit slots room, non-smoking slots room, and the exclusive Plum Lounge, an upscale enclave featuring a variety of VIP experiences for Seminole Hard Rock’s high-end players.

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The cash and stock deal includes debt, and comes three months after Caesars allowed its Reno, Nevada, headquartered counterpart access to its books, under pressure from billionaire investor Carl Icahn.

With the combination set to create competition to large casino entities, such as MGM Resorts, Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands, sources state confirmation could come today (Monday 24 June).

Caesars, which also operates under the Harrah’s and Horseshoe brands, counts 52 US properties across 14 US states and five further afield as part of its stable, while Eldorado owns and operates 26 establishments in 12 US regions.

Talks of an agreement between the two parties first emerged earlier this year, days after Icahn, who last year sold his Tropicana Entertainment business for $1.85bn to Eldorado Resorts, became Caesars’ largest shareholder after taking his holding to 15.5 per cent.

A series of directorial changes were subsequently unveiled, which saw Keith Cozza, Courtney Mather and James Nelson appointed to Caesars’ board of directors.

Subject to necessary regulatory approval, three existing directors were also announced to be stepping down from the board straight away, with the Icahn Group also holding the right to appoint a fourth representative to the board, if a new CEO, who was not deemed to be acceptable to new directors, was not named within 45 days of the agreement.

This saw further speculation confirmed in April, when it was announced that Anthony Rodio was to transition into the role to take over from the departing Mark Frissora.

Speaking of his goals for the company at the time of making board level changes, Icahn stated: “I believe the best path forward for Caesars requires a thorough strategic process to sell or merge the company, to further develop its already strong regional presence, which will allow Caesars to continue to take advantage of the Caesars Rewards program, bringing more and more players into Caesars’ Vegas market.”

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