As Caesars Entertainment expands its sports betting operations from the Strip into the affluent suburbs for the first time, the president of Caesars Digital said while prediction markets aren’t having much of an impact on state-licensed betting operators across the country, he expects them to be “formidable” competitors in the future.
Caesars officially dedicated the opening of its new upscale sportsbook at The Resort at Summerlin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a ceremonial first bet by former Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland.
Caesars Digital President Eric Hession told CDC Gaming there hasn’t been an “appreciable impact” so far from prediction markets, which derive their authority from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission rather than state laws. Arguing these operators are unlicensed, the Nevada Gaming Control Board has sued Kalshi and others to stop taking bets in the state
“I suspect most of their customers are coming from unregulated locations like California, Texas, Georgia, and other states where we’re not able to compete,” Hession said of prediction market operators who are taking billions of dollars in bets. “Our product is significantly better than theirs. However, they’re making massive advances. Every week, it seems like their product gets better, so I’m under no pretense that they won’t have a great product too. At that point, they will be a formidable competitor.”
Hession said Caesars agrees with the Nevada Gaming Control Board and other states that prediction market operators are offering illegal sports betting. Caesars and other casino operators aren’t entering the prediction markets after state regulators told them they would place their licenses in jeopardy by doing so. Hession said they continue to wait on the outcome of cases tied up in the federal court system.
“From our perspective, it’s sports betting and we’re not participating in it,” Hession said. “We respect our gaming licenses and our relationships with the regulators. It’s got to be frustrating for the states, because they miss out on tax revenue and there are limited responsible-gaming controls and detection for nefarious wagering. It’s generally not good across the board in our view.”
As for opening its first sportsbook in the affluent Summerlin area, Hession called it a “significant milestone” and a great partnership for the Caesars brand. Caesars customers in Summerlin don’t always want to drive to the Strip to place wagers or make a deposit. The new sportsbook has betting across the counter and 20 wagering kiosks on site, in addition to signing up for mobile accounts.
“They will be able to come here now because it’s so convenient,” Hession said. “They have done a fabulous job with the property and put a ton of capital in, so we believe it fits with our brand and has good synergies between the two. Customers in Summerlin are very pleased to come in here and try these restaurants. Every once in a while, they’ll still drive down to the Strip. They aren’t going to do it on their way home from work.
“We’re vested in the locals markets and see the value associated with these customers, but I wouldn’t look at this as a signal we will be entering the locals market,” Hession said. “We have lots of folks moving here and building houses. It’s a big business, and we want to be part of it. We have normally served it from the William Hill perspective, and now we are able to serve it from the Caesars Sportsbook brand.”
Caesars operates under the William Hill brand at other locations in Las Vegas, such as the M Resort in the south valley; the one other sportsbook beyond the Strip with the Caesars brand is the Downtown Grand in downtown Las Vegas. The William Hill and Caesars offerings are the same, but some casinos prefer a non-competitive brand name.
“I’m quite confident it won’t be” the last rebranding to Caesars at Las Vegas casinos,” Hession said. “Some of the other partners may ask, can we switch too, and that will be fine. Some will say they don’t want to switch and that’s fine too. In general, if you don’t think you’re a competitor with the Strip and you think it could be an augmented benefit for your customers to go have dinner at Caesars Palace, it can be seen as a benefit.”
Michelle McHugh, vice president and general manager of The Resort at Summerlin, said they’re thrilled with the new partnership that has launched ahead of March Madness, the NCAA basketball tournament.
“It will be such a home run for our customers, and they’re really thrilled about the new betting options,” McHugh said. “Between the 95 and 215 (freeways) and being just off Summerlin Parkway, you can get here so quickly.”
The Resort of Summerlin caters to 90% local residents and 10% from out of town.
In placing the first official bet following the ceremony, Engelland said he bet $40 on the Las Vegas Raiders to win more than 5.5 games in the 2026 NFL season. As a Summerlin resident, Engelland said it’s great to have a Caesars Sportsbook without having to drive down to the Strip to sign up for accounts or place bets.
“It makes you want to come to enjoy the game and place bets,” Engelland said. “It makes me want to do it a bit more.”
In response to a question from the media, Engelland joked that he works for the team’s television broadcasts, so he can’t bet on hockey. “That would have been an easy bet,” Engelland said.
The sportsbook had previously been operated by independent casino operator South Point.
Since its launch in 2021, the Caesars Sportsbook mobile app has enhanced its user experience through regular updates, including the introduction of Universal Digital Wallet. Now live in 27 jurisdictions, Universal Digital Wallet enables sports bettors visiting Nevada to manage their funds across the majority of markets where Caesars Sportsbook operates, Hession said.
Hession said the Caesars Sportsbook app offers one of the most expansive wagering menus in Nevada, including same game parlays, player props, futures, live in-play betting markets, and livestreaming of thousands of marquee sporting events directly within the app.
Caesars Race & Sportsbook opens at 8 a.m. on weekdays and 7:30 a.m. on weekends. Over-the-counter betting assistance is available most days until 9 or 10 p.m., but self-service kiosk wagering is available 24/7.