The renamed Horseshoe will host the Poker World Series on the Las Vegas Strip
Following the rebranding of an iconic hotel with a memorable history at a crossroads shared with some of the world’s most recognisable casinos, a name associated with poker and Las Vegas lore now has a place on the neon-lit Strip.
The Horseshoe Las Vegas Hotel & Casino and its corporate owner, Caesars Entertainment Corp., held ceremonies Friday to commemorate the hotel’s rebranding from Bally’s Las Vegas, ahead of the upcoming 54th World Series of Poker.
“We are not only excited for guests to experience the redesigned resort and its latest offerings, but we are also proud to reintroduce the historic gaming brand to Las Vegas,” said Jason Gregorec, Horseshoe senior vice president and general manager.
The 2,800-room property was formerly the MGM Grand Hotel, which burned down in 1980, killing 87 people. For 36 years, it was Bally’s Las Vegas.
Renovations and renamings pay homage to Binion’s Horseshoe, a hotel and gambling hall in downtown’s “Glitter Gulch” where the World Series of Poker first took place.
It also places the Horseshoe marquee across the street from the Bellagio’s fountains, Caesars Palace’s statues, and the glitzy Flamingo Las Vegas.
Jack Binion, 86, a former casino executive and member of the American Gaming Association and World Series of Poker halls of fame, was scheduled to present a lucky horseshoe from his family’s ranch at an event that also featured “Jubilee!” costumes reminiscent of the feathery Bally’s revue that ran for 35 years before closing in 2016.
Binion’s father, former Texas gambler Benny Binion, hosted the first World Series of Poker in 1970 as an invitation-only game at his downtown Horseshoe, a 366-room hotel he opened in 1951.
Jack Binion and his brother, Ted Binion, worked at the downtown property, which is now known as Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel and is owned by the same corporation that owns the neighbouring Four Queens. Ted Binion’s death in 1998 sparked a sensational murder trial that resulted in the acquittal of his ex-stripper, live-in girlfriend, and her secret lover in 2004.
In 2004, Harrah’s Entertainment purchased the poker tournament and relocated it to the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino. A year later, Harrah’s purchased Caesars Entertainment, which was later purchased by Eldorado Resorts, now known as Caesars Entertainment Corp., in 2020. Bally’s hotel-casino was included in the deal. The renaming process began last year.
The tournament that popularised championship bracelets and Texas Hold ’em now lasts more than seven weeks. Last year, it drew nearly 200,000 players to Bally’s and the adjacent Paris Las Vegas, awarding nearly $350 million in prizes. It is set to begin this year on May 30.
Officials stated that after it concludes in July, an 18-table poker room will offer tournament-style play all year.
The MGM Grand, a 26-story hotel, opened in late 1973 as the Horseshoe. It had 2,100 rooms and was one of the world’s largest hotels.
Seven years later, the deadly fire was one of the deadliest in US history. It resulted in legislation mandating fire safety and sprinkler systems in hotels and high-rise buildings. The hotel was rebuilt, and a second tower with 700 additional rooms was added in 1981.
In 1986, Bally Manufacturing purchased the property. In late 1993, MGM Grand Inc. relocated a block down the Strip and opened the movie-themed MGM Grand Las Vegas resort. That 30-story property, with over 5,000 rooms and an emerald green exterior, opened as the world’s largest hotel complex.
