Planet Hollywood’s Poker Room Comeback Story Ends Earlier Than Expected

Planet Hollywood is shuddering its 23-table poker room at the end of January just nine-months after reopening. (Photo: Crinsontide / Reddit)

LAS VEGAS — After all was said and done, the competition surrounding the poker room at Planet Hollywood Resort & CasinoHollywood Resort & Casino apparently proved to be too strong. The casino-resort is closing its 23-table poker room again at the end of January, just nine months after a reopening after a 5-year COVID-induced hiatus. 

There was some excitement in the poker community about the new room at Planet Hollywood, which was placed in a quieter environment on a mezzanine above the casino floor. 

Vegas Poker Room Boom Then Bust

Despite the early excitement in the poker community, the relocation appears to have come at a cost, as the room failed to generate enough traffic to keep it alive. Fierce competition from other Strip casinos only added to the list of problems that lead to the poker room ultimately folding. Larger casino poker rooms have continued to thrive at other Las Vegas Strip casinos nearby, including more popular ones at Bellagio and Aria.

“It’s always tough to see a Las Vegas poker room close, especially one that had just reopened,” Poker GO Chief Marketing Officer Donnie Peters told Casinos.com. “Poker is at its best when there are more places to play, more jobs in the industry, and more energy around the game.”

He explained that while demand for the game remains strong, the economics of running a live poker room have made it difficult for mid-tier properties to compete with established destinations.

“Las Vegas is the heartbeat of live poker,” Peters said. “The more healthy, active rooms the city has, the better it is for players, staff and the game as a whole. Anytime a room goes away, you feel it. I always root for poker to grow, evolve and thrive here.” 

Silver Poker Linings?

Despite the impending closure, Planet Hollywood employees will not lose their job. According to Caesars Entertainment, the company will transfer employees to their other casinos like Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, and Horseshoe Las Vegas. The latter two Caesars properties have taken on increased importance in recent years after hosting the World Series of Poker on the Strip since moving away from the Rio in 2022. 

With the addition of the new poker room at Green Valley Ranch Casino and subtraction of Planet Hollywood, the updated number of current Vegas area poker rooms now stands at 19.  

Green Valley Ranch reopened its poker room on December 17 to bring the number up to 20, although that is a far cry from the heyday of almost 70 during the peak of the early 2000s. Unfortunately, COVID-19 killed most live rooms after casinos briefly closed in 2020.