Caesars Southern Indiana Remains Open Despite Worker Strike
Posted on: April 15, 2025, 12:37h.
Last updated on: April 15, 2025, 01:18h.
- Some employees at Caesars Southern Indiana have walked off the job
- The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians operates the Caesars-branded casino
- The casino was recently closed due to flooding
Caesars Southern Indiana in Elizabeth just south of Louisville along the Ohio River remains open despite approximately 140 employees walking off the job on Monday.
Just hours after Caesars Southern Indiana reopened following a 10-day shutdown because of flooding, workers represented by the Local 89 Teamsters initiated a strike. The Louisville-based union represents 18K workers in Kentucky and Southern Indiana across many industries, including gaming and hospitality.
We’re going to hold management accountable for their greed and blatant disrespect,” said Avral Thompson, Local 89 president. “It’s time for the people who run this casino to recognize the workers who make their profits possible. We’ll do whatever it takes to win what our members deserve.”
Thompson says the union has been in negotiations with EBCI Holdings, LLC, which operates the casino and hotel through a licensing agreement with Caesars Entertainment, for months. Teamsters officials claim the commercial holdings group controlled by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Western North Carolina has perpetually rejected reasonable fair contract and retirement benefits proposals.
Caesars Southern Indiana Casino Strike
Caesars Southern Indiana is one of three casinos that’s seemingly operated directly by Caesars Entertainment but which is really a Caesars property in name only. The two other Caesars-branded properties that Caesars Entertainment does not manage include Caesars Republic Scottsdale and Harrah’s Northern California.
Caesars Southern Indiana’s physical assets are owned by Caesars Entertainment’s real estate investment trust called Vici Properties. Vici leases Caesars Southern Indiana’s operations to EBCI Holdings.
A statement from Caesars Southern Indiana said the casino continues to negotiate in good faith with the Local 89 Teamsters.
Caesars Southern Indiana remains committed to the collective bargaining process and continues to negotiate in good faith with union representatives. Caesars Southern Indiana looks forward to continuing productive discussions and remains optimistic about reaching a mutually beneficial agreement in the near future,” the statement read.
Teamsters reps say the casino is making an ill-advised bet.
By forcing our members on strike, this company made a serious miscalculation,” declared Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman. “The Teamsters won’t back down. Our members are united, and we won’t stop until they get what they’ve earned. This strike is the direct result of corporate greed and indifference.”
Along with Caesars Southern Indiana, EBCI Holdings holds a 50% stake in the operations of Caesars Virginia, which opened last December. The Eastern Cherokees also own two tribal casinos in North Carolina — Harrah’s Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River — though Caesars handles those operations.
2024 Performance
Data supplied by the Indiana Gaming Commission shows that Caesars Southern Indiana generated gross gaming revenue of $243 million in the state’s 2024 fiscal year. Of the 13 commercial casinos in the state, Caesars ranked second in GGR behind only Horseshoe Hammond at $274.9 million. The GGR figures include slots, table games, and sports betting.
Caesars Southern Indiana says its operations remain normal in the wake of the strike. The roughly 140 union members not performing their tasks represent about 16% of the resort’s total workforce. Along with 1,100 slots, 70 table games, and a Caesars Sportsbook, the Southern Indiana destination has 503 hotel rooms, an event center, and three restaurants highlighted by Gordon Ramsay Steak.
To entice guests to the casino during the strike, Caesars Southern Indiana is running a 7x tier multiplier for all week for Caesars Rewards members.
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Last Comments ( 3 )
People fail to realize without the company they wouldn't have a job. People fail to understand that company may make a huge profit but don't fully understand the risk and cost of being the owner.
If they're negotiating in good faith, why did they ignore the strike vote, multiple deadlines to prevent the actual strike, and then post everyone's jobs for hire internally and externally?
This strike is as fruitless an endeavor if there ever was one. The bulk of the casinos money comes from non human games of chance. Which means managers will walk the floor to pay out winnings People are still going to visit to get away for life for a little while. Their tables have been tighter than Scrooge McDuck's coin purse ever sense it went on land. Plus they have manipulated the odds to be even more in the houses favor and have raised the per play stakes to drain the wallets faster. A 100 dollars use to last quite a few hands and the stakes fluctuated depending on the foot traffic and seats at the tables. Now average hand is 15 to 30 dollars a hand depending on the game. When the maximum cost per play was 20 dollars and that is not counting the progressive jackpot wagers. In the end this house will win people will still show up to take a chance on hitting "the big score"