Caesars to expand rewards program to New York in a bid for a casino license

Caesars, Times Square, New York

In a further bid for a New York casino license, Caesars Entertainment has announced that it would expand its Caesars Rewards partnership with businesses in greater New York City.

The rewards members are able to redeem their credits by converting them into ‘gift cards’, which are valid within Caesars’ network of ‘hotels, restaurants, retailers, comedy clubs, entertainment venues and more across New York’.

Caesars has joined up with investment group SL Green in a joint bid with hip-hop mogul Jay-Z’s Roc Nation entertainment group in a bid for a casino in Times Square.

Caesars and SL Green have now ‘begun signing up new merchants in Times Square and greater New York to join the ‘Coalition for A Better Times Square’.

The movement is a petition for the group’s entertainment and casino property, claiming an increase in annual retail spending of $166 million, $65 million in new annual Broadway ticket sales, a 50 percent reduction in traffic congestion, 7 million new annual visits and 636,000 new annual overnight visitors at local hotels.

It also claims it will provide 8,900 off-site New York City jobs supported by the project ‘during operations’.

New York is accepting bids for three new downstate New York casinos, with multiple Asia-facing gaming operators – such as Genting, Mohegan and Las Vegas Sands – fighting to get a piece of the pie.