Investigator finds ‘degree of civil fraud’ in Caesars’ pre-bankruptcy transactions

Casino operator Caesars Entertainment has been warned that the judge overseeing the bankruptcy of its main unit could force the process into liquidation.

On Wednesday, US Bankruptcy Court Judge Benjamin Goldgar warned Caesars that its main unit could be forced into liquidation proceedings if it continued efforts to block the release of a court-appointed examiner’s report into the company’s pre-bankruptcy transactions.

Caesars has been attempting to restructure its bankrupt main unit Caesars Entertainment Operating Co (CEOC) for a year now but junior creditors are fighting the company’s plan to force them to bear the brunt of slashing CEOC”s $18.4b debt in half.

The bankruptcy process has also been held up waiting for a report by former Watergate prosecutor Richard Davis into allegations that Caesars improperly (a) reneged on billions in debt obligations and (b) stripped CEOC of its most lucrative assets – including its online gaming division – prior to filing for bankruptcy in order to shield them from claims by junior creditors.