Rio sets reopening date

Caesars Entertainment Inc. plans to reopen its final U.S. property next month.

The Rio is set to open its doors once again on Dec. 22 at 10 a.m. The hotel will be open Thursdays through Mondays, and the casino will remain open seven days a week, according to a Thursday statement from the company.

“The past nine months have been filled with challenges, as well as opportunities including the merging of our two gaming companies to form the new Caesars Entertainment,” said Caesars President and Chief Operating Officer Anthony Carano in the statement. “We look forward to welcoming our Team Members and Guests back to Rio with their health and safety still top of mind.”

The announcement comes one week after Caesars CEO Tom Reeg said during an earnings call that he expected to see Rio open before the end of 2020.

Dining and drink amenities at the off-Strip resort will include the All-American Bar & Grille, Hash House A Go Go, Starbucks, VooDoo Steak, Sports Deli, Shutters Bar, iBar, Purple Zebra Daiquiri Bar, Race & Sports Book Bar and Masquerade Bar. The property also will offer a fitness center and Rio Logo gift shop. Valet will remain closed.

On the casino floor, guests will be able to play slot machines, keno and table games. The property also will debut its newly-branded William Hill Sports Book, which has self-service sports betting kiosks and live, in-play wagering.

During the holiday season, hotel reservations will be available seven days a week from Dec. 23 through Jan. 3.

Strip casinos have reopened at a faster pace than those in the locals market.

All Strip properties have returned to operations as of Oct. 29, when Caesars reopened The Cromwell.

Only seven of the casinos run by the six largest Nevada-based casino companies remain dark. Boyd Gaming Corp. has yet to reopen Eastside Cannery, Main Street Station and Eldorado Casino, and Station Casinos’ Texas Station, Fiesta Henderson, Fiesta Rancho and Palms are still closed.

In a Nov. 6 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Red Rock Resorts, the parent company of Station Casinos, said it will “continue to assess the performance of the reopened properties and demand in the Las Vegas locals gaming market before considering whether to reopen” the four properties.

In an earnings call last month, Boyd President CEO Keith Smith said the company would likely reopen Main Street first, followed by Eastside Cannery and then Eldorado, but “it will depend on how the business flows.” He expects Main Street to open sometime in 2021, but said there’s not enough demand to reopen Eastside or Eldorado yet.

Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.