Caesars in new online gaming push with standalone iCasino app

Caesars Entertainment has revealed plans to launch a new standalone iCasino application during the third quarter of 2023 as part of three tech-based improvements to its digital offering over the year.

The Las Vegas-headquartered operator confirmed the roadmap as part of its Q1 2023 financial results call, with the dedicated igaming app focusing on increased game content, which will include new in-house proprietary products and improved marketing capability.

The second major tech upgrade for Caesars will be the testing of an in-house developed player account management (PAM) system, with the aim of developing a shared wallet across Caesars’ land-based properties and its digital offering, slated for launch in 2024.

Lastly, Caesars has confirmed its plans to migrate all of its Nevada-based operations to the Liberty proprietary technology stack before the start of the new 2023 NFL season.

Caesars’ app for Nevada came in for severe criticism during Super Bowl LVII when it crashed and was out of commission for almost a week.

Speaking as part of the financial results call, Caesars CEO Tom Reeg waxed lyrical about the potential of the dedicated igaming app launch.

“We’re particularly excited about that; it’s going to improve in particular our slot business in igaming because our existing portal is through a sports betting app, our existing iCasino business leans toward tables more than our peers and the igaming-forward app is going to change that for us,” Reeg explained.

The Caesars CEO highlighted internal growth estimates of more than $500m over 2023, with the igaming app launch expected to form a key lynchpin of efforts to achieve that target.

The secondary target, however, is to bring the contribution from Caesars’ igaming operations equal to that of its current sportsbook app, as Caesars Digital CEO Eric Hession outlined to investors during the results call, citing the current user journey of players through the sportsbook app to access igaming.

“It’s a fine experience for somebody who’s predominantly a sportsbook player who then likes to dabble or play some of the casino side,” Hession said.

“But for somebody who’s a primary casino customer or somebody who likes to play a little bit of sportsbook but mostly casino, they want to see the casino app and they want to go right into the homepage where the casino games are that they can start engaging with.

“So at the highest level, you’re going to attract a customer that, quite frankly, is very more akin to what our casinos are, which is somebody who likes to come in, play slots, likes to see their favorite game and then start playing and so we’re going to be able to deliver that.

“So overall, it’s going to provide a much better experience for that customer that currently, we’re unable to provide the product that they want because it’s somewhat buried in the sportsbook,” Hession concluded.

Caesars Q1 results come in the same week as long-standing land-based casino rival MGM Resorts deepened its foray into igaming with the acquisition of online game developer Push Gaming, ostensibly as a bolt-on acquisition to LeoVegas, which MGM acquired last year to kick off its own international igaming push.

Addressing this, Reeg was asked if Caesars would follow its rival with a potential investment in a game development business through M&A to augment the new igaming app under construction.

“We want to migrate to more of our own games. That’s part of what moving to our new app and ultimately our PAM allows us to do. I would say we are more of a builder versus a buyer, but that could change tomorrow if we see something attractive,” the CEO said.