Caesars Entertainment Inc. in Reno, Nev. has completed the acquisition of the Michigan iGaming business and long-term extension of iGaming market access rights with the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians from WynnBET in Las Vegas.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Caesars will assume operations on the existing platform under the WynnBET brand with no anticipated interruption to the customer experience. Caesars says it plans to announce a new online casino brand and the transition of the WynnBET iCasino operations to Caesars’ Michigan iGaming Platform in the second half of 2024, pending regulatory approvals.
“Caesars Entertainment would like to thank the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and the Michigan Gaming Control Board for their collaboration through this process,” says Eric Hession, president of Caesars Digital.
WynnBET’s iGaming operations provide Caesars with the opportunity to expand further into one of the largest iCasino markets in the U.S. while continuing to operate both Caesars Sportsbook and Caesars Palace Online Casino.
“It was paramount that our next partner in iGaming possessed both expertise in the U.S. iGaming market and a history of strong partnerships in Indian country,” says Austin Lowes, chairman of Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. “We believe we found that with Caesars and look forward to being part of their new iCasino offering,”
The Sault Tribe currently owns and operates Kewadin Casinos, which consist of five land-based casinos located throughout the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
“As we continue to grow our iGaming franchise, the assumption of WynnBET’s iGaming operations in Michigan allows us to tap into a significant market and customer base, providing a crucial step forward in growing our digital products and offering players more ways to play,” says Matt Sunderland, senior vice president and chief iGaming officer for Caesars Entertainment. “We are honored to work with the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and look forward to growing with them in Michigan.”
