Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood to close poker room again

Planet Hollywood will shut down its poker room at the end of the month, less than a year after reopening it ahead of the 2025 World Series of Poker.

The Caesars Entertainment property reopened the 23-table room in 2025, but it failed to generate enough traffic to remain viable, according to a report by PokerNews. Caesars confirmed that no layoffs are expected, with all poker staff set to be transferred to Caesars Palace or Horseshoe.

The closure leaves Las Vegas with just 18 operating poker rooms, far fewer than before the pandemic.

Planet Hollywood reopened last year after closing during the COVID years, but its location limits foot traffic. The venue is located above the casino floor, largely out of view for most visitors.

Industry observers noted that the room struggled to build a consistent player base, facing stiff competition from nearby flagship poker destinations such as Bellagio and Aria. Broader factors, including softer Las Vegas tourism numbers, also appear to have contributed.

Poker on the Strip is now limited to nine resorts: Aria, Bellagio, Caesars, Horseshoe, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, Resorts World, Venetian, and Wynn. In the early 2010s, about a dozen more Strip properties offered poker, including Mirage, Monte Carlo (now Park MGM), Luxor, and Harrah’s.

Downtown Las Vegas has also seen major contraction. Fremont Street now has only one poker room — Golden Nugget — after several closed following COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Station Casinos reopened the poker room at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson last month, restoring a popular low-stakes venue that had been closed since 2020.

Planet Hollywood’s shutdown comes shortly after hosting a World Series of Poker Circuit stop that included 17 ring events. The $500,000 guaranteed Main Event drew 616 entries and produced a $976,360 prize pool, which Darren Rabinowitz won for $175,430. The resort also hosted the Chainsaw Mixed Series of Poker, run by Allen Kessler.

Despite tournament success, cash games reportedly failed to gain consistent traction.

Before COVID-19, Planet Hollywood’s poker room sat on the main casino floor and hosted the annual Phamous Poker Series, one of Las Vegas’ top non-WSOP festivals.