I was just advised by a confidential employee that the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas will be closing. Reportedly, "all employees were pulled in last month" [late Sep 2014] and advised of this transition, as they were offered opportunities to transfer elsewhere within Caesars.

If this reported rumor is true, what is to become of the WSOP? What property within the failing Caesars conglomerate has enough floor space to support the massive field sizes at the WSOP? Would they outsource to another property outside of Caesars or maybe finally use all of that wasted space inside Planet Hollywood now that the Aussie chicks went back home? (Would Adelson let them use the Sands Convention Center even though the WSOP has an evil online gaming platform that supposedly any child can access and is the equivalent of prostitution and crack cocaine in his view?)

This rumor may in fact be a complete crock. However, it is well known that Caesars has been trying to sell off the WSOP brand for quite some time. It is also well known that the WSOP generates enough revenue for the Rio to stay afloat for the rest of the year... and without it they would have probably tanked already. (Their lame zip line and Voodoo tourist site/nightclub no-dress-code-having whatever lounge isn't turning the profits.) So why would they consider selling off their largest revenue maker aside of Penn & Teller if they weren't projecting a closure in the near future? ... the speculation ensues.

If the hundreds/thousand of minimum wage employees of Rio were all pulled in and advised of this, do you really think it would have stayed quiet until now? Can't see it.

It would not shock me if the Rio closed the place has nothing going for it.

id be happy if the wsop was on the strip at either planet hollywood or caesars, however, the room rates would probably be much higher.

i think at one point caesars was trying to sell whatever assets they could (with the exception of caesar's palace itself - that would include wsop.)

but the most likely scenario would be the wsop moving to planet hollywood or caesars.

Agree with Punker, if any significant number of staff was notified in late September the story would have broke about 2 hours later. Not to mention the obvious fact that big business does not keep the little guy in the loop.

If it happens no great shakes, the rio is a dump and WSOP is the only reason I would ever venture to it.

Hard to see where else they could hold some of the WSOP events though.

Just to add some more gossip:

https://twitter.com/Robin_Leach/stat...96753041592320

People assumed he was talking about Rio but nothing official ever came out of it.

Not to mention that Nevada gaming would have to be notified, as would the public because chip holders need reasonable time to cash in their chips.

Lol rumoraments...

Rio website still taking reservations for June 2015

Also, no WARN letters have been reported.

I work in the Awards industry and our big tradeshow is held in the same pavilions as the wsop, its at the end of January. I would imagine they are staying open at least until then...I hope lol

Your industry rewards itself with a convention at the Rio? Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the benefits of using a reward company.

The Rio just put in a new zip line between the two towers.

The Rio might be a little bit ragged around the corners, but this rumor is 100% false.

a $100K zip line would have no weight when deciding to close or not.

I've worked for near bankrupt companies before. Management is continually discussing cost saving scenarios. Closing the Rio is certainly one the the potential ideas for Caesars. However, that's all it is right now. They aren't going to talk to union members about it until they need to file a WARN notice. The "confidential" source probably heard something from someone else that misunderstood what was told him.

WSOP to caesars?

statement released: Rio to install new zipline to Ceasers

If Privateworld didn't post it, I don't believe it.

The Rio is the biggest dump on the face of the planet. The place is infested with bed bugs, thieving staff, lying management and a bunch of shtty outdated restaurants and old carpets. I hope the entire WSOP brand is sold to the Wynn or Pokerstars.

was just at ph... that would be a nice location for the WSOP... just convert the whole inner arena into a big gaming floor. Britney can serenade. put some stuff at Ceasars too... install a zipline between Ceasars and ph over Las Vegas Blvd. and pray the fatties don't splat

this.

until we hear from Privateworld this is all just random rumors and speculation.

Too bad the rumor is false. That place is a dump

I only know that some upper management employees were transferred to other hotels. Did not hear why.

Sometimes big outfits just one day shut the doors without warning, but it does seem unlikely here. The meeting with low level employees to let them know is also very unlikely.

The WSOP could easily be flagshipped at Caesars Palace. They have massive convention space, and a lot of deadtime in June and July, as does all of LV.
I would also think slightly out of the box here- and suggest that by moving the WSOP back to Caesars as a HQ....they could use their surrounding properties as satellite locations for the smaller MTTs, dailies, and mixed-games, etc. etc. Why try and limit all the action to a single property, when you own the east side of LVB from PH all the way up to Harrahs. Have a 10,000 O/8 over at Planet Hollywood at the same time as a millionaitre maker at Caesars, at the same time as random satellites at the Flamingo ballroom, at the same time as .....you get the picture.
The WSOP then becomes not only the largest poker convention in the world, but a vehicle for exposing all of the core properties CET has, not just one behemoth a mile west of the strip.

It's true, I work there.

It is done, will be official in 30 days.

Media will be directed to Three Chips Media, Inc, Las Vegas.

GL All, its been fun.