Caesars Coming To Michigan With Brand Cache, Fresh Start — And Possibly Poker

With the possibility of rebranding to Caesars, online bettors from Michigan may never truly discover the true identity of the William Hill individual.

During Tuesday’s quarterly earnings call, Caesars CEO Tom Reeg mentioned that the United Kingdom brand’s brief presence in MI will be coming to an end soon.

Caesars has recently acquired William Hill and plans to rename the online products with its own brand. The goal is to establish a strong, competitive brand before the start of the football season.

This implies that a well-known American brand will soon be making its way to Michigan.

William Hill not gaining foothold in MI

Although William Hill Sportsbook is a prominent gambling brand globally, it has not gained significant popularity in Michigan.

From the Jan. 22 launch of MI online sports betting and internet gaming until March, William Hill has accumulated $17.2 million in online sports bets and generated $1.1 million in online casino revenue.

Out of the 12 existing brands, the sports betting handle secures a 2.2% market share, placing it in sixth position. However, WH’s online casino revenue ranks eleventh among the eleven brands that were operational by the end of March.

Having the name “Caesars Casino” might be advantageous in that aspect.

William Hill retail sportsbook currently closed

The Grand Traverse Bay Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians has granted William Hill access to the Michigan market through a partnership agreement.

William Hill is the brand associated with the sports betting operations of Turtle Creek and Leelanau Sands, the casinos owned by the tribe located near Traverse City.

Due to a lack of staff, the Onyx Sports Book by William Hill at Turtle Creek sportsbook is currently closed. Nevertheless, sports betting can still be accessed at both casinos using the available kiosks.

Playinmichigan has learned that a rebranding of the casinos under the Caesars name is imminent. However, no specific timeline for this transition has been announced yet.

Caesars could bring WSOP.com poker to Michigan

Not only will a rebranding of William Hill to Caesars increase its name recognition, but it could also introduce an online poker brand like WSOP.com to the Michigan market. Currently, BetMGM Poker and PokerStars MI are the only players in this market.

Qualifiers to the World Series of Poker tournaments are provided by WSOP. Additionally, WSOP offers cash games, Blast poker, and various tournaments. WSOP.com is powered by 888 Poker software, which also operates independently in New Jersey under its own brand.

During this upcoming autumn, Caesars plans to allocate significant funds for various purposes. Reeg further mentioned that William Hill encountered challenges during the previous football season, facing obstacles with limited resources.

Reeg refused to disclose any specific market share objective or anticipated marketing expenditure in relation to sports betting.

Reeg expressed his reluctance to make a definite claim about achieving a specific market share within a set timeframe. He emphasized that the company is still in the early stages of development. However, he expressed confidence in their capabilities and their intention to become a leading player in the US market.

The acquisition of William Hill by Caesars was valued at $3.7 billion.

Former William Hill CEO Joe Asher has temporarily withdrawn from the business following the deal.