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By Margarita Bauza, Detroit Free
PressMcClatchy-Tribune Business News
Dec. 16, 2006 - As part of a plan to win back U.S. gamblers, Casino Windsor announced Friday that it will rename itself Caesars Windsor. The change will occur in early 2008 to coincide with a $346-million renovation and expansion of the casino, which includes a new 22-story hotel tower and 5,000-seat entertainment center. Casino Windsor's business has dropped in part because of a smoking ban throughout Windsor that began in May. Casino Windsor will remain 50% owned by Harrah's Entertainment, owner of Caesars Palace casino in Las Vegas, said Casino Windsor spokeswoman Holly Ward. The name and brand change will occur when the casino completes its massive renovation. The Caesars brand -- a respected and well-recognized name in the gaming industry -- is meant to inject a more luxurious, Vegas-style flavor into the operation. On Friday, the casino unveiled part of these renovations -- a new two-level 9,454-square-foot rotunda replete with statues of angels, a six-story dome and skylights. Casino Windsor currently attracts about 4.5 million visitors a year, 80% of whom are from the United States, Ward said. ----- Copyright (c) 2006, Detroit Free Press Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. NYSE:HET, |