Say Goodbye To Bally’s: Vegas Casino Becomes ‘Horseshoe’ Thursday
The complicated web of casino ownership has led to this moment. Tomorrow, Bally’s Las Vegas will be no more and in its place? Horseshoe.
The property opened on December 4th, 1973 as the MGM Grand. In 1980, the property went up in flames in one of the worst fires in US history, claiming 85 lives. The fire changed fire code in Clark County and throughout the country forever.
It took on the name Bally’s after Bally Manufacturing, the company behind slot and pinball machines, bought the property in 1986.
Follow along… it gets wild.
Stick with us, because it gets complicated. Bally Entertainment, which held the casino properties, was sold to Hilton Hotels in 1996. Two years later, the casino division of Hilton was spun off into Park Place Entertainment. Then Paris Las Vegas opened, Bally’s sister property.
Still with us? Park Place Entertainment became Caesars Entertainment back in 2003. Then Harrah’s bought Caesars two years later. In 2010 the company became Caesars Entertainment again. But the name “Bally’s” persisted. Why change the branding? It’s not hurting anyone!
Enter Twin River Worldwide Holdings. The company based out of Rhode Island bought the rights to the Bally’s brand from Caesars back in 2020, which led to them changing the name of the company to, you guessed it, Bally’s Corporation. They went on a casino buying and building tear, owning properties throughout the country and just this September, bought Tropicana Las Vegas for $148,000,000.
So, to recap, the casino got bought by Caesars who then sold the name to another company that owns the casino down the street. It’s like Caesars owning MGM Grand. It makes no sense.
Today, let’s bid adieu to Bally’s and tomorrow, let’s say hello to Horseshoe. Although… we think they missed a big opportunity: BALLS Resort & Casino.
