Caesars Entertainment Inc. celebrated the first in-person sports wagering location in the state of Maine at the newly opened sports entertainment venue, Oddfellahs, powered by Caesars Sportsbook. Made possible through Caesars Sportsbook’s partnership with First Tracks Investments LLC, the new state-of-the-art sports bar brings in-person sports betting to the Pine Tree State for the first time.

Oddfellahs commemorated its grand opening in the heart of downtown Portland at 55 Market St. with a ceremonial first bet placed by Portland Mayor Mark Dion alongside representatives from Caesars Sportsbook, First Tracks, the Portland City Council, and the Maine Gambling Control Unit.

“We’d like to thank Governor Janet Mills, the Maine Gambling Control Unit, the Portland City Council and the entire state legislature for making today possible. It’s great to see the momentum following our launch of mobile sports wagering in the state through our historic partnership with three of the Wabanaki Nations. With the first in-person sportsbook now operational, we look forward to collaborating with First Tracks on additional in-person opportunities in Maine,” said Eric Hession, President of Caesars Digital.

“Building something new is always a challenge, but great teams make great things possible. This is an exciting venture for Maine’s harness racing industry, Wabanaki tribes, and sports fans across the state to access a new entertainment venue. We’re excited for whatever comes next and look forward to providing sustainable, responsible opportunitiesopportunities,” said Michael Cianchette, CEO of First Tracks Investments LLC, operator of Oddfellahs.

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Oddfellahs offers sports fans 21 and older full food and beverage service combined with an elevated sports viewing and wagering experience. Full-service sports wagering is available through self-service betting kiosks and a ticket window on-site in addition to convenient cash deposits and withdrawals for Caesars Sportsbook mobile accounts.

Sports fans should expect the ultimate viewing experience modeled after a Vegas-style sportsbook with 36 screens to catch sporting events at any time of the year, including every game of the NFL season. The sports entertainment destination is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, opening at noon on Monday through Thursday and at 11:00 a.m. Friday through Sunday, staying open for each day’s advertised games.

Caesars Sportsbook brings its industry-leading reputation in Responsible Gaming to in-person wagering in Maine with a focus on promoting Responsible Gaming. In March and June 2024, Caesars Sportsbook received the prestigious RG Check accreditation from the Responsible Gambling Council in Ontario, Canada, which recognizes companies that achieve the highest standards for their Responsible Gaming practices.

Caesars enforces an enhanced 21+ gaming policy that ensures Caesars Rewards membership and accounts are only available to individuals 21 and older, where permitted by law. This policy applies to all Caesars Sportsbook in-person and mobile operations in Maine, including at Oddfellahs, where entry is limited to those 21 and older.

Caesars Entertainment Inc. and the Detroit Lions announced a new partnership, making Caesars Sportsbook an Official Sports Betting Partner and Caesars Entertainment the Official iGaming Partner of the Detroit Lions. The collaboration with the defending NFC North Champions combines custom fan experiences for Caesars Rewards members with dynamic sponsorship assets and the use of official Detroit Lions logos and marks in multiple online casino games coming to Caesars’ digital platforms.

The first online casino game launch on behalf of this partnership will be a Live Dealer blackjack game featuring a custom-made Detroit Lions felt. The game is set to go live exclusively in Michigan at the start of the 2024-25 NFL season on Caesars Palace Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino for online casino players 21 and older.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Detroit Lions to bring opportunities to their fans that cater to their interests and are unique to the royal experience only Caesars can deliver. We’ve enjoyed a great relationship with sports fans in Michigan, and partnering with one of the most passionate fan bases in the NFL will help us grow that connection as we continue to expand our offerings in the state with the launch of Horseshoe Online Casino later this year,” said Eric Hession, President of Caesars Digital.

“As we embark on this season, we’re proud to enhance our fan experiences with Caesars Entertainment. This partnership will unite Lions fans who are passionate about the team, offering them exclusive opportunities to engage with us both at Gamedays at Ford Field and through Caesars’ digital platforms here in Michigan,” said Detroit Lions Vice President of Corporate Partnership Mace Aluia.

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Caesars brands, including Caesars Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook & Casino, Caesars Palace Online Casino, and Horseshoe Online Casino, will be featured throughout Ford Field during Lions games. Additionally, Caesars brands will also be featured in radio spots on the Detroit Lions Radio Network and in team digital and social media.

This partnership builds on Caesars Entertainment’s presence in the region complementing its operation of the world-class destination, Caesars Windsor, located just across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario. The destination celebrated the grand opening of Ontario’s first full-service sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook at Caesars Windsor, in January 2023, providing an elevated environment for sports fans and fans of the Detroit Lions to enjoy and wager on marque sporting events.

Caesars Entertainment Inc. announced the signing of a definitive agreement to sell its intellectual property rights for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) brand to NSUS Group Inc. (NSUS), a leading investment group in the iGaming space known for successfully launching several groundbreaking ventures, including the innovative online poker room, GGPoker. The transaction, valued at a total of $500 million, includes $250 million in cash and a $250 million promissory note due five years after the transaction’s closing date (the Closing) secured by the WSOP intellectual property assets being sold.

As a part of this transaction, Caesars has secured the right from NSUS to continue hosting the WSOP’s flagship live tournament series at its Las Vegas casinos for the next 20 years. In addition, brick-and-mortar poker rooms currently operated by Caesars will continue to feature WSOP branding, and Caesars destinations will continue to enjoy preferential rights to host live WSOP Circuit (WSOP-C) events going forward.

Caesars Digital will also receive a license from NSUS to continue operating its recently upgraded WSOP Online real-money poker business in Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania for the foreseeable future but will otherwise be restricted from operating online peer-to-peer real-money poker operations for a specified period of time and subject to certain exceptions.

“We’ve enjoyed a longstanding and successful partnership with GGPoker that has helped spur the growth of the WSOP brand. This transaction is an exciting step for Caesars as a company and the WSOP brand as it continues to evolve. We can’t wait to see what NSUS has in store for growing the WSOP’s legacy in poker, and we look forward to continuing to deliver an unmatched and familiar experience to poker players going forward,” Eric Hession, President of Caesars Digital, said.

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“After collaborating with Caesars Entertainment for years, NSUS Group, the operators of GGPoker, is thrilled to announce their new role in leading the World Series of Poker, the world’s most renowned poker brand. We will leverage GGPoker’s cutting-edge technology and industry expertise to create an exciting future for WSOP, ensuring players have an increasingly improved, safe, and seamless poker experience. Under the new leadership, NSUS intends to expand WSOP worldwide, positioning it at the forefront of poker’s growth,” Michael Kim, Chief Executive Officer of NSUS Group, said.

This sale is subject to customary regulatory approvals and other closing conditions and is expected to close prior to the end of 2024. Kirkland & Ellis LLP provided transactional counsel and Latham & Watkins LLP acted as finance counsel to Caesars, while NSUS was represented by Greenberg Traurig LLP.