William Hill Sportsbook rebranded to Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill in various states. The official announcement of the change was made official on Aug. 2 in a press release from Caesars touting a plan to create the “best sports betting experience” under one brand that integrates the sports betting app with Caesars rewards program.
What does it mean for Pennsylvania? The William Hill app was never available in PA? What happens to the William Hill Sportsbook at Harrah’s Casino Philadelphia? Are any upgrades coming to the existing Caesars PA Sportsbook app?
Here, we break down how Monday’s announcement from Caesars empire will play out in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
What the William Hill rebrand, Caesars sportsbook upgrade means for PA
What happens to the William Hill Sportbook at Harrah’s Philadelphia?
William Hill never launched an online sportsbook in Pennsylvania. But in Oct. 2020, in partnership a with Caesars, they opened a William Hill Sportsbook at Harrah’s Casino Philadelphia in Chester. It replaced “The Book” which opened in Jan. 2019.
Reps from Caesars told Playin Pennsylvania that the William Hill retail sportsbook at Harrah’s is currently in the process of being rebranded to Caesars Sportsbook.
What happens to the Caesars Sportsbook app in Pennsylvania?
Caesars PA sportsbook went live in March 2020 in Pennsylvania. You can still access the Caesars sports betting app and online casino. Reps said they “look forward to bringing the new Caesars Sportsbook app to Pennsylvania and are working with state regulators to make it happen over the coming months.”
Can I still get sign up bonuses?
Yes. New players at Caesars online casino are eligible for a 100% deposit match bonus up to $2,021 by using our links to sign up. Playin Pennsylvania will provide details on the welcome offer for the new Caesars Sportsbook when available at a future date.
Upgraded Caesars Sportsbook app
Tom Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, said the rebranded and upgraded Caesars Sportsbook will have:
- Customized offers
- Flexible limits
- A wide range of betting lines
The Caesars Sportsbook app operates on Liberty, the company’s owned and integrated tech stack.
Caesars Sportsbooks links with the industry-leading Caesars Rewards loyalty program. Each bet placed earns Caesars Rewards Tier Credits and Reward Credits. Reward Credits earned within the Caesars Rewards network can be redeemed at over fifty destinations across states for things such as free play, dining, getaways and more.
Eric Hession, Co-President of Caesars Digital, commented:
“Caesars Sportsbook puts the bettor at the center of everything. We understand that we need to be nimble, we need to give bettors what they want in terms of depth of odds and breadth of sports, and we need to make our app easy and fun to navigate. But beyond that, we want to treat every Caesars Sportsbook player like a Caesar. And that means generous offers and a way to earn through Caesars Rewards.”
Smoove and Oswalt lead advertising campaign
Caesars can’t “curb their enthusiasm” for the rebrand and upgrades. They’ve brought on JB Smoove, from Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Patton Oswalt as part of a nationwide advertising campaign to educate customers what it means to “bet like a Caesar.” Smoove will be “Caesar” and Oswalt, “Carl,” one of Caesars’ biggest fans who’s already playing on Caesars Sportsbook and earning Caesars Rewards.
Chris Holdren, Co-President of Caesars Digital said:
“Sports bettors deserve a sports betting experience that treats them like royalty. In our world, everyone’s an emperor, and the Caesars Sportsbook app delivers an experience worthy of them. We invite people to play with us online, stay with us at our resorts and experience their favorite sports in new ways through our unparalleled partnerships.”
In April 2021, Caesars became the Official Sports Betting Partner of the NFL and renewed rights as an Official Casino sponsor. In late July 2021, Caesars and the New Orleans Saints signed a twenty-year deal that resulted in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome being renamed the Caesars Superdome.
Caesars sportsbook trails in PA
In a case of awful timing, Caesars online sportsbook launched in PA on March 10, just as the sport’s calendar was about to be shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. In FY 2020/2021, Caesars online sportsbook’s handle was $16.5 million. Caesars Sportsbook’s online handle only represented .3% of the $5.1 billion in bets placed online. FanDuel continues to be the leader in the PA sports betting market which now consists of 13 sports betting apps.
For PA sportsbooks, only Harrah’s Casino Philadelphia and Presque Isle had a higher retail handle than online handle. Harrah’s retail sportsbook handle in FY 2020/2021 was $29.4 million and they posted $2.4 million in revenue, whereas online handle was $16.5 million and revenue $460,783.
Lead image c/o Caesars.
