Operator News
US – Harrah’s Northern California holds soft opening
By Phil - 1 May 2019
Harrah’s Northern California Casino attracted 1,000s of players as it has held its soft opening in Amador County.
The casino, a partnership between Caesars Entertainment and the Buena Vista Rancheria Me-Wuk tribe, opened with 950 new slots and 20 table games in the 71,000 square foot venue.
It also has one full-service restaurant called Louie Oliver and three fast-casual dining concepts. While Harrah’s Northern California guests will benefit from the perks of the casino’s affiliation with Caesars Entertainment’s award-winning loyalty program, Caesars Rewards, the real winner to benefit from the casino’s construction may be the Amador County economy. The Harrah’s project has already generated $20m to the community with the expectation it will bring in around $8m a year.
The casino’s Senior Vice President and General Manager JC Rieger said he expected customers to come from from the Bay Area, Lake Tahoe and Reno. The casino’s grand opening weekend will be May 17 to 19.
This is Caesars’ fourth tribal management agreement.
Eric Hession, Caesars Entertainment Corporation – Executive VP & CFO, said: “The soft opening went well and was well received as the property reached maximum capacity shortly after opening. We anticipate generating between $5m and $10m in annual fees as well as the additional network benefits in Las Vegas and other destination properties in our portfolio. The new property owned by the Buena Vista Tribe of Me-Wuk Indians enables us to grow the Harrah’s brand and our Caesars Reward Royalty Program in a capital-efficient way in an attractive new region. Caesars has a long-standing relationship with various Native American communities across Northern America dating back 20 years and believe we’re the only gaming operator to new agreements with tribes multiple times.”
