Bill Harrah circa 1965
In the ever-changing world of media, the world's largest gaming company has changed its name from Harrah's Entertainment to Caesars Entertainment. I'm sure the corporate officers who engineered this grand scheme see it as a necessary change for improvement to the company's bottom line.
Bill Harrah moved to Reno, Nevada in 1937 and opened a small club called the Owl on Oct. 29th. It was closed and out of business two weeks later. The name was wrong.
In 1938, Harrah partnered with Virgil Smith and opened Harrah's Plaza Tango. The club was successful. As Harrah moved to bigger and better quarters in Reno and Lake Tahoe the casinos always incorporated Harrah's name.
Bill Harrah passed away in 1978 and Holiday Inns, Inc. acquired Harrah's hotel casino company in 1980. Since that time Harrah's has opened casinos in Atlantic City, Laughlin, Joliet, Vicksburg, Tunica, North Kansas City...........the list goes on.
Enter CaesarHowever, Caesars Entertainment became available and in June of 2005, Harrah's Entertainment completed a $9.3 billion acquisition of Caesars Entertainment, Inc.
Jay Sarno started Caesars in 1965. The casino opened in 1966 with classic Greek statuary, columns, and water fountains large enough to jump a motorcycle over, which is exactly what Evil Knievel did in 1967. Well, kind of. Although his 141-foot motorcycle jump over the fountains was successful, his landing was not.
Knievel was in a coma for 29 days with a crushed pelvis and femur, fractures to his hip, wrist and both ankles, and he missed the greatest media frenzy Caesars and Las Vegas had ever experienced. Sports Illustrated and ABC-TV's Wide World of Sports did extensive stories about Knievel, the failed jump, and Caesars Palace. Across the country, hundreds of other media outlets featured stories about Las Vegas, where gambling of all kinds was obviously accepted.
I'm sure the name change to Caesars Entertainment represents the company's desire to showcase their properties as upscale and vibrant. Certainly Harrah's older properties in Nevada such as Harrah's Reno casino is a case in point. Once the area's premier property with 2000 slot machines and 102 table games, the casino now offers just 850 slots and 48 table games and captures only a fraction of the local gambling market. And, that situation underscores the financial quagmire of not just Northern Nevada's older casinos but many holding the Harrah's name.
I know, it's just a name, right? But it seems so wrong for the corporate holding company to not have the Harrah's name!
Oh, well - Hail Caesars.
Photo Courtesy of (Angel Fire Press)
Comments
All Hail Caesars is right… Caesar’s is NOT! Your title includes the common but incorrect apostrophe. Say it isn’t so! If Caesars Entertainment is to remain glorious, don’t diminish its importance by spelling it with the apostrophe.
Bill Harrah wanted/needed to show ownership. Caesars Palace was not possessive, but a Palace for all Caesars.
I’ve been a Harrah’s girl for over 25 years. I’ve never taken to Caesars… too snobby whereas Harrah’s is homey and down to earth. Not happy about the name change, but as a CPA I understand the reason for it…more revenue from higher income customers. In the end for me it will always be Harrah’s!
like L.A. raiders will aways be “OKLAND” CAN’T SEEM TO WRAP “CAESARS” AROUND IN MY HEAD I’LL ALWAYS CALL IT “HARRAH’S”
The problem with Harrahs is not the name. The problem with Harrahs is the corporate mindset that bought up many GREAT casinos and DESTROYED them by lowering payoffs across the board and offering games with unfriendly rules for the player. I watched my once favorite Grand Casino deteriorate into Harrahs. Gone were single zero roulette, 100x odds on craps, 9/6 Jacks or Better, and 98% payback $1.00 slots in favor of 6/5 Jacks and 6/5 Blackjack. As players lose their bankrolls more quickly and more often they take their gambling dollars elsewhere. There is a reason that Harrahs is referred to as “The Evil Empire”. Too bad the corporate suits either don’t care or just don’t get it.
I agree wholeheartedly with Jim. It seems that while Harrah has expanded; it’s customer service has diminished. At least for mid-level gamblers like myself. I used to travel to Vegas and Tunica often. The Grand has changed but while I agree to trying to continue to make it a mega-resort, they have lost something in the transition. For example, Tunica, which used to be destination one for Oklahoma gamblers, is losing out to the multiplex of Indian Casinos here. They NEED to do something to differentiate themselves and to draw customers back.
But I truly think there is still room for BOTH the Harrah and Ceasars name. Having been playing Blackjack and gambling for over 30 years, I think that Ceasars and Harrah’s have DISTINCT different customer bases AND reputations. If the corporation would emphasize and concentrate on the GOOD things of each, they would be successful.
“Caesars Palace was not possessive, but a Palace for all Caesars.”
Well put, Buzz. You are correct. Thanks for the input!
Well said Jim! The last two times I was in Vegas walking up and down the strip the best Video Poker payout I could find was 7-5 Jacks or Better and 6-5 Bonus Poker. Believe it or not, I have better odds across the river in Iowa at the local Harrah’s, Horseshoe and Ameristar casinos. If Harrah’s or MGM would give better odds in their casinos they would still be making pretty good money and the visitors’ bankrolls would last longer. Who wants to go to a place that is only interested in parting you from your money with very little entertainment? We all know that the longer we play the more likely we are to lose money but let us have a little fun and stretch it out, OK?