Just like the Venetian, which has moved its poker room off its casino floor, Planet Hollywood and Caesars Palace are reportedly following suit. According to reliable sources, Caesars Palace will open a new poker room inside the shops of the Appian Way, and this poker room will be half the size of its predecessor. Meanwhile, Planet Hollywood is also relocating its poker room in a previous event space, but it will double in size compared to its former poker room.

Caesars Entertainment is breathing new life into two of its shuttered poker rooms, announcing plans to reopen poker facilities at Planet Hollywood and Caesars Palace this spring. The move comes amid a trend of Las Vegas casinos rethinking the location and scale of their poker operations in an era increasingly dominated by slot machine revenue.

Caesars Palace's brand-new poker space

According to reliable reports, Caesars Palace will unveil its new poker room on May 16 in a repurposed retail area within the Appian Way Shops. This upscale shopping corridor, located near the iconic Statue of David replica and Gordon Ramsay's Pub & Grill, is about five minutes from the main casino floor. Unlike its previous locations - both embedded within the casino - this poker room will be entirely off the gaming floor.

The newly redesigned Caesars Palace poker room will feature just eight tables, making it half the size of its most recent predecessor. Despite the reduced footprint, there is potential for future expansion if the location proves successful in drawing steady foot traffic. This marks a significant downscale from the poker room's original incarnation, which once boasted a sprawling 63-table layout opposite the sportsbook before closing in 2014. The room was later moved to a smaller space near the Colosseum, with only 16 to 18 tables, before closing again in August 2024.

At the time of its closure, Caesars had promised a temporary shutdown to make way for renovations in the high-limit slots area, with expectations of reopening within 90 days. However, that space has since been converted to accommodate lower-limit slots, casting doubt on poker's long-term value on the prime casino floor.

Planet Hollywood's reorganization revealed

In tandem with Caesars Palace's revival, Planet Hollywood's poker room is also set to return - this time with a larger and more ambitious setup. Closed since July 2021, the new Planet Hollywood poker room will more than double the size of its former operation. Set to open on May 2, it will occupy the former London Club space, a 4,800-square-foot private event area on the mezzanine level, just across from the wedding chapel.

Unlike its original 10 to 12-table room located in the high-visibility Pleasure Pit area, the new venue will host 23 tables - 12 dedicated to cash games - while still offering a view of the casino floor below. The London Club space, dormant since the pandemic, was previously used for private parties and corporate events.

A decline in popularity

These strategic relocations reflect a growing trend among Vegas casinos, where poker is increasingly being moved away from high-revenue real estate. Following a similar move by the Venetian last August, which relocated its poker room to the Grand Canal Shoppes' second floor, Caesars appears to be prioritizing higher-yield gaming options like slot machines on its casino floors.

While poker once enjoyed a meteoric rise during the early 2000s boom, the game has seen a steady decline in Las Vegas. Since the market began contracting around 2012, more than 40 poker rooms have permanently closed in the city. As of now, only 17 poker rooms remain operational. The most recent casualty was the Sahara's room, which closed in November 2024 - making it the seventh Strip poker room to fold in just five years.

Despite poker's lower profit margins - relying on a modest "rake" rather than house-vs-player odds - its cultural significance and loyal player base still give it a place in the Las Vegas gaming landscape. With Caesars' latest move, fans of the felt will soon have two more places to play, albeit a bit further from the action.