Caesars celebrates Horseshoe Las Vegas rebranding ahead of 54th World Series of Poker

Horseshoe Las Vegas Hotel & Casino and its corporate owner, Caesars Entertainment, hosted ceremonies Friday to mark the venue's name change from Bally’s Las Vegas, before the rebranded property again hosts the upcoming 54th annual World Series of Poker. 

Jason Gregorec, Horseshoe senior vice president and general manager, said the company is not only excited for guests to visit the redesigned resort and its latest offerings, but that officials were also proud to reintroduce the historic Horseshoe gaming brand to Las Vegas.

The Horseshoe is officially back on the Strip!

The legends were in the house for the official opening of the @HorseshoeVegas. See you all here in 66 days♠️♥️♣️♦️ pic.twitter.com/uoyBeh6BuC

— WSOP - World Series of Poker (@WSOP) March 25, 2023

The 2,800-room property once was the MGM Grand Hotel, where a historic fire in 1980 killed 87 people. It was then Bally’s Las Vegas for 36 years. Recent renovations and its renaming to Horseshoe Las Vegas are reminiscent of Binion’s Horseshoe, a hotel and gambling hall in downtown’s Glitter Gulch where the World Series of Poker began.

Jack Binion, a former casino executive and member of the American Group Association and World Series of Poker halls of fame, was set to present a lucky horseshoe from his family’s ranch at an event also including “Jubilee!” costumes recalling Bally’s revue that ran for 35 years before closing in 2016. 

It is with excitement that we officially welcome the legendary @HorseshoeVegas to the Las @Vegas Strip today with our Grand Opening festivities✨

#HelloHorseshoe | #TheLegendHasArrived pic.twitter.com/qwSbqS3VZq

— Caesars Entertainment (@CaesarsEnt) March 25, 2023

The first World Series of Poker in 1970 was hosted by Binion’s father, former Texas gambler Benny Binion, as an invitation-only game at his downtown Horseshoe, a 366-room hotel he opened in 1951.

Harrah’s Entertainment acquired the poker tournament in 2004 and moved it to the Rio All-Suites Hotels & Casino. A year later, Harrah’s bought Caesars Entertainment, which was purchased in 2020 by Eldorado Resorts, now called Caesars Entertainment Corp. Bally’s hotel-casino was part of the deal, and the renaming started last year. 

Scheduled to start May 30, the tournament that made championship bracelets and Texas Hold ‘em famous now runs for more than seven weeks. It drew nearly 200,000 players last year to Bally’s and the adjacent Paris Las Vegas and awarded almost $350 million in prizes. After it ends in July, officials said an 18-table poker room will offer tournament-style play year-round.

The Bally’s name is still expected to remain on the Las Vegas Strip at the aging, nearly 1,500-room Tropicana resort, now owned by Rhode Island-based Bally’s Corp.