The Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati and Horseshoe Casino Cleveland in Ohio will be getting a different name and will be operated by Rock Gaming. That new operator is Rock Gaming owned by Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who is also chairman and founder of Quicken Loans and owns the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.
During the next six month Caesars will strip its branding from the casinos as well as its ThistleDown Racino in North Randall. None of the casinos will close during the transition. Caesars is selling its 20 percent ownership in these properties.
They will begin to switch over operations to the Detroit-based Rock Gaming LLC. The changeover should be completed by mid-2016. It is unknown at this time what their new names will be.
In the spring the Ohio Casino Control Commission approved of Rock Gaming LLC to be licensed as a new gaming management company.
Much of this has been in the works for several months. In January Caesars filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Ohio properties were excluded from this filing. In February Caesars revealed that it would be selling the 20 percent interest it owns in all of its Ohio casinos, including Horseshoe Casino Cleveland, ThistleDown Racino, Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati, the Ritz-Carlton Cleveland, the Higbee Building, and a controlling interest in Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky. A few weeks ago Horseshoe General Manager Kevin Kline announced his departure, which will happen on November 13. Turfway Park has already completed its transition. Rock Gaming also owns the Greektown Casino in Detroit.
Rock Ohio Caesars was a partnership formed in 2010 by Rock Gaming and Caesars Entertainment to build and run casinos. Horseshoe Casino Cleveland opened in May, 2012 and the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati first opened its doors in March of 2013. Rock Gaming and Caesars will remain partners in the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, which they opened last year.
Last week Matt Cullen, chief executive officer of Rock Gaming, hailed the change, “This is an exciting time for us and we are eager to take the reins of day-to-day operations. We view this as an opportunity to leverage our unique culture and vast network of companies to grow the business and further connect the casinos to the downtown areas where they reside,” He added, “We appreciate Caesars’ commitment in helping develop three world-class gaming facilities, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them in Baltimore and with Caesars Interactive Entertainment.”
He added that Dan Gilbert, chairman of Rock Gaming, “is an operator at heart, so there was an anticipation we would take over operations.”
Caesars CEO John Payne commented, “We are pleased to have developed and opened these three properties with Rock Gaming and proud of the impact they have made on the local communities. We wish Rock Gaming, and especially our colleagues on the front lines of these properties, continued success.”
Because of the changeover, however, customers of the rebranded casinos will no longer be able to build up points in Caesars industry leading Total Rewards program, where loyal customers are able to earn discounts and other perks at over 40 Caesars resorts around the world. The Total Rewards program has 40 million members, including 80,000 who live in the Cleveland area.
Total Rewards patrons accumulate credits based on how much they spend on slot machines, video poker and entertainment. They are also rewarded for table game play based on type of game, average wager and duration of play. Members can advance from Gold to Platinum to Diamond to Seven Stars.
Rock Gaming plans to introduce its own loyalty program offering perks and benefits. It will roll existing Total Reward points into the new program and the Total Rewards points accumulated up until the transition will be able to be used at other Caesars properties outside of the Buckeye state.
Rock Gaming’s GT Rewards program at Greektown has five levels, beginning at bronze and going to silver gold, platinum and infinity. Players get dining and entertainment rewards, plus VIP status at events and tournaments.
According to Cullen, they can keep their current levels and points and we will have a new loyalty program that will come in with the same level.”
This change upset some gamblers and was pounced on gleefully by gaming opponents, such as Pray for Cleveland, which issued a statement: “Without the Total Rewards program it will be even harder for the Higbee casino to draw folks from outside the region and state, as we were told they intended to do.”
One blogger wrote, “No more total rewards?!?!?! well no need to go to the shoe.” When told that there would be a reward system, the same blogger responded, “Doesn’t help for my Vegas comps.”
Rock Gaming says that it doesn’t plan any significant staffing changes. Existing staffers will remain at their posts and become part of the new casino team. Scott Lokke, general manager of the Horseshoe Cleveland Casino told the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “I’m staying put and it is exciting to be part of something big.”
According to Cullen, the company is still mulling over the “second phase” of the Cleveland property someday in the next few years. It may include more gaming development, although he noted, “The market does not allow expansion of gaming in Northeast Ohio right now. There is not sufficient demand.”
Cullen said, “Our top priority is making this transition a seamless experience for our more than 3,600 new team members and millions of guests,” He added, “Our guests will still receive the same high level of commitment and service they have come to expect.
He noted that the ThistleDown racino is in the midst of a $70 million renovation with a projected completion of early 2016. Cullen said he expected the racino to be competitive against the Hard Rocksino Northfield Park, its closest gaming rival.
