Caesars Entertainment Celebrates 35th Anniversary of Project 21

One of the original trailblazers in responsible gaming took some time to celebrate this week.

Caesars Entertainment released its 2024 Corporate Social Responsibility Report this week. It covered the positive impacts the company has had on the environment, local communities, and problem gambling. It also highlighted the company’s “Project 21” responsible gaming initiative and celebrated its 35th anniversary. 

While the online sportsbook has been struggling to compete, the report shows that revenue isn’t the Las Vegas gambling giant’s only goal.

Project 21 Started Fight Against Problem Gambling

Unlike the majority of online sportsbooks currently operating in the US, Caesars has been offering legal gambling in the US for decades. They quickly became a staple of the Las Vegas Strip when the brand was still known as Harrah’s, and continue to offer one of the premier resorts and casinos in the city.

In the late 1980s, Harrah’s became the first casino operator to focus on problem gambling. It led to the creation of Project 21 in 1989, which aimed to curb the growth in underage gambling. The project allowed additional training to casino staff to help them detect underage gambling, as well as drinking. 

Project 21 has continued to grow since then, helping to blaze the trail for self-exclusion lists, responsible gaming messaging, and much more over the years. 

Caesars’ RG Dedication Could Pay Off

Almost every major mobile or retail casino operator focuses on preventing problem gambling, but Caesars continues to lead the way. That hasn’t changed as the company’s online sportsbook has begun to fall further behind the likes of BetMGM and Fanatics. While this helps Caesars' customers, it could also lead to a significant payoff for the sportsbook.

Lawmakers at the state and federal levels of government have been sounding the alarm over the growth in problem gambling. This has led to several bills being introduced that would drastically change industry regulations. That would have a massive impact on the vast majority of the industry, including FanDuel and DraftKings. 

Caesars’ dedication and experience as a responsible gaming trailblazer could help them easily adjust to those changes, giving them the edge they so desperately need.

Sportsbook Falling Behind in New York

When online sports betting began to be legalized across the US, Ceases Sportsbook found itself competing with BetMGM for the third spot in most markets. While they were far behind DraftKings and BetMGM, this still gave them enough market share to turn a profit comfortably.

Unfortunately, the sportsbook has fallen further behind over the years. Fast-growing Fanatics Sportsbook began to cut into the Caesars market share after launching in May 2023. This led to the Nevada operator dropping into the fifth slot in many states.

It appears the online sportsbook’s fall may not be over. New York released its May revenue for sports betting, and it showed that struggling ESPN Bet had caught up to Caesars. The Penn Entertainment platform has yet to turn a profit, making the May numbers an ominous sign.