If there were doubts lingering about whether or not Eldorado Resorts would be able to acquire Caesars Entertainment, essentially creating one of the largest casino companies in the US, those doubts are beginning to fade.  Eldorado received approval from Missouri regulators in December before Louisiana regulators with the Louisiana Gaming Control Board signed off on the deal earlier this month.  Now, three more approvals have been given, making the merger that much more likely to happen sometime during the first half of this year.

Eldorado issued a statement this week, indicating that it had been given the green light by three more regulatory bodies to move forward with the acquisition.  It explained that it had “received approval from the Louisiana Racing Commission (LRC), the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission [PSHRC], and the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) in connection with its pending acquisition of Caesars Entertainment Corporation, subject to customary conditions.”

In Pennsylvania, the deal still has to be approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) and approval by the LRC was necessary because of Harrah’s Louisiana Downs, a property owned by Caesars.  The PSHRC was involved because of Harrah’s Philadelphia, another Caesars venue, that offers sports gambling in both the retail and online spaces.  There are no concerns about the PGCB signing off on the deal since Eldorado has no presence in Pennsylvania, and the Harrah’s property is the only one in the state currently operating under the Caesars name.  As such, creating a local market that is overrun with post-merger venues is a non-issue.

Securing support from the IGB is a big deal because of the current gaming environment in Illinois.  Expansion is happening at a rapid rate, even if Chicago can’t figure out where to put a casino, and, between Eldorado and Caesars, they currently operate three properties in the state.