Horseshoe Cincinnati to become Jack Cincinnati Casino

The Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati is getting a new name in the Jack Cincinnati Casino.

Rock Gaming, the casino’s parent company, which is owned by mortgage giant Dan Gilbert, will also be renamed Jack Entertainment.

One reason for the name change is that Rock Gaming bought out their former operating partner, Caesars Entertainment, and assumed the day-to-day operations of the business.

The casino won’t officially be renamed until June, when Rock Gaming’s Horseshoe Cincinnati, Horseshoe Cleveland, ThistleDown Racino and Detroit’s Greektown Casino will all be rebranded. The entire rebranding will cost an estimated $40 million.

Another notable change will come with the loyalty program, which is going to be called “ClubJack.”

“Jack wants to make it fun for guests,” said Jack Entertainment chief marketing officer Darlene Monzo, “it’s not optional, it’s mandatory.”

The Jack marketing push comes at a time when the company wants to portray a friendly, more-entertaining approach. According to Cincinnati.com, the Horseshoe was fashioned as a cool, sleek destination for serious gamblers.

The Horseshoe brand was born in 2009, when Gilbert successfully convinced Ohio to legalize casinos in their state. Caesars approved the brand name because they wanted to differentiate themselves from Penn National’s nearby “Hollywood” brand in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The Horseshoe name gained even more significance as the casinos needed to compete with in-state racinos in 2011, when Gov. John Kasich approved legislation that allowed them to install video slots.

Horseshoe Cincinnati has had solid success since launching in 2013, garnering a 25% market share in the region. Horseshoe Cincinnati raked in $196.5 million in gambling revenue alone last year. This was a close second to their sister casino, Horseshoe Cleveland, which netted $212.7 million in 2015.

As a whole, Jack Entertainment earned over $1 billion across four states while employing over 7,000 workers.

Gilbert has been busy expanding the soon-to-be Jack Entertainment brand, buying Turfway Park in Florence, KY, opening Horseshoe Baltimore and buying Detroit’s Greektown.

CEO Matt Cullen said that acquiring Greetown was the beginning of Jack’s “outstanding gambling team,” which prompted the company to assume management of other properties.

The regional casino model has been a moderate success in the U.S., at a time when once-glorious gambling destinations like Atlantic City are struggling. And Jack Entertainment is hoping that the rebranding helps them gain an even larger share of this regional market.