A promotional video for the Jack brand describes the name as reminiscent of “that friend that got you to do things you knew you probably shouldn’t do.”
The Horsesheo Casino Cincinnati is due to close on June 6 for 40 hours. When it reopens, the casino is going to have a new name: Jack Cincinnati Casino. The new branding must pass regulatory protocols, though this is expected to be a formality.
The Jack Casino Cincinnati is part of a wider rebranding by owner Dan Gilbert, who also owns Quicken Loans and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Dan Gilbert’s gaming company has been named Rock Gaming, but it is changing its name to Jack Entertainment.
Jack Entertainment’s Rebranding
Jack Entertainment is undergoing a $40 million company-wide rebranding effort. The Horseshoe Cleveland, the ThistleDown Racino, and the Greektown Casino in Detroit have changed their names in the recent past.
The casino’s parking structure will be closed to the public during the 40-hour hiatus, too. Hamilton County officials can come and go to that parking garage, but no one else will be allowed access. These officials must be credentialed and have a parking pass.
Cincinnati Casino Closure
The downtown Cincinnati casino closes at 11:59:59 on June 6. The reopening is planned for 4 pm on June 8, with the parking space opening for business on June 8. Drivers on Interstate 71 already have had a glimpse of the new JACK brand, because the the casino’s 80-foot marquee along I-71 has been changed.
Changing the name from “Horseshoe” to “Jack” requires a process, because all the branding information on the inside of the casino is going to need to be resurfaced. In many cases, this only means removing a sign. In other cases, it requires paining over previous logos. External signage must be changed, too.
How the Rebranding Will Happen
On the inside, virtual every piece of gaming equipment bears the Horseshoe Casino logo. This include slot machines and gaming tables. It also includes hand-held gaming equipment, such as playing cards and dice.
Gaming regulators are set to inspect the entire Jack Casino operation. New playing cards and dice must be inspected, to see if they comply with Ohio gaming regulations.
Dan Gilbert’s Gaming Empire
Dan Gilbert, a native of Detroit, bought out his partner in the Ohio operations, Caesars Entertainment, in 2015. The two entered a partnership in 2009, after Dan Gilbert and Caesars successfully campaigned for Ohio’s approval for new casinos.
Because the casinos in Cincinnati and Cleveland would be competing against an already-successful brand in Penn National Gaming, it was decided that Caesars Entertainment would lend one of its famous property names, Harrah’s, to the new casinos.
Bought Out Caesars Entertainment’s Role
Those names served their purpose at the time, but Dan Gilbert and Caesars Entertainment found 2015 as a good time to go their separate ways. Caesars Entertainment entered what appears to be a long bankruptcy battle in January 2015, while Caesars has lightened its operations in certain cities (Tunica, Atlantic City) in lieu of the coming bankruptcy.
About Dan Gilbert
Dan Gilbert’s parents worked as Century 21 realtors and he worked with them while still in college, attaining his real estate license. Once he graduated, Dan Gilbert founded Rock Financial in 1985, alongside his brother, Gary, a realtor named Ron Berman, and friend Lindsay Gross. Gilbert realized the real money was not in selling real estate, but in originating mortgage loans. This became the focus of Rock Financial, which proved to be a huge success.
In 2000, the software company, Intuit, purchased Rock Financial. Intuit renamed the business Quicken Loans, but left Dan Gilbert in charge as CEO. This became one of the biggest online business in the 2000s, eventually making Dan Gilbert a billionaire. He used the capital to purchase the Cleveland Cavaliers, which is how most Americans know the businessman.
The Decision and The Letter
Dan Gilbert is probably most famous for writing “The Letter”, a defiant press release (or polemic) against Lebron James, after Lebron left the Cleveland Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat. In the letter, Dan Gilbert claimed the Cavaliers would win an NBA title before James and the Miami Heat ever did. Two years later, Lebron James and the Heat won the first of two back-to-back titles.
In four years in Miami, Lebron James made the finals all four years. The Cavs languished at the bottom of the NBA’s standings, though they received the 1st pick in the NBA Draft an unlikely three out of four years. It was a big surprise to many that Lebron James, after his contract with Miami ended, chose to return to Cleveland to try to help the Cavaliers win a world title. Dan Gilbert appears to have repaired his relationship with his star player, though it likely won’t last, unless the Cavaliers win an NBA title — and soon.
