Iowa’s market-leading sportsbook officially went live with a new name and a new look today. As part of an ongoing acquisition, William Hill Sportsbook in Iowa is now Caesars Sportsbook.
Bettors in Iowa should already notice the branding change on their desktop or mobile devices, along with the face of actor and comedian JB Smoove, who is the brand’s ambassador.
Caesars Entertainment CEO Tom Reeg said in a press release that he’s excited to launch a marketing campaign for the new Caesars app:
“The rebranded and upgraded offerings for our Caesars Sportsbook will provide customized offers, flexible limits, a wide range of betting lines, and an intuitive user experience.”
As part of Monday’s announcement, the company said the new sportsbook uses Liberty technology. Users should look for extensive odds and flexible limits on the new app. Caesars Sportsbook went live in seven other states, including Indiana and Michigan and Illinois.
Eric Hession is the co-president of Caesars Digital. He said:
“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.”
William Hill, now Caesars, has a major presence in Iowa
William Hill enjoyed Iowa’s largest retail sportsbook presence at six Iowa casinos. Four of the six are Caesars-operated casinos:
- Harrah’s Casino, Council Bluffs (Caesars)
- Horseshoe Casino, Council Bluffs (Caesars)
- Isle of Capri, Bettendorf (Caesars)
- Isle Casino Hotel, Waterloo (Caesars)
- Lakeside Casino, Osceola
- Prairie Meadows, Altoona
The location inventory helped William Hill’s sportsbook hold onto the biggest share of the sports betting handle in Iowa.
PlayIA estimates William Hill captured nearly $37 million and 33% of sports betting handle in June. Prairie Meadows and Isle Waterloo also had two of the four-highest sportsbook handles in Iowa over the past fiscal year.
Caesars Rewards a big selling point
Caesars Entertainment said its rewards program is be one of the top benefits for Caesars Sportsbook customers.
The company offers “Caesars Rewards Tier Credits” and “Reward Credits” with each bet — win or lose. Customers should find it easy to redeem the rewards both online or in person. Rewards perks include bonus play, dining, getaways and access to special sports and entertainment experiences.
There are more than 50 Caesars destinations across 16 states, including five in Iowa: Horseshoe and Harrah’s casinos in Council Bluffs, Isle Bettendorf, Isle Waterloo and Mid-American Center in Council Bluffs.
William Hill reign to end in Iowa
The William Hill to Caesars rebrand was a year in the making:
- Caesars Entertainment and mostly UK-based William Hill reached a $3.7 billion agreement in September 2020.
- The sides finalized the agreement on April 22.
- Reeg then announced plans to rebrand William Hill at the company’s May 4 quarterly earnings call to investors.
Caesars wanted the switch in place for the upcoming football betting season. It is an official partner of the NFL and owns naming rights to the Superdome in New Orleans.
Chris Holdren, fellow co-president of Caesars Digital, said:
“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.”
