Caesars Shareholders Approve $17.6 Billion Fertitta Merger, Deal Awaits Antitrust Review

Caesars Entertainment shareholders approved a $17.6 billion merger with Fertitta Gaming on September 22, 2026, voting more than 133 million shares in favor and 4 million against at a Reno, Nevada meeting, according to a September 23 SEC filing. The deal, first announced in May, has Fertitta paying $5.7 billion in cash and assuming roughly $12 billion of Caesars debt. Caesars shareholders will receive $31 per share, and the company will become privately held upon closing. The combined entity would hold a dominant Las Vegas Strip presence spanning Caesars Palace, the Flamingo and Harrah's, alongside Fertitta's Golden Nugget. Billionaire Tilman Fertitta, the largest shareholder in Wynn Resorts and DraftKings, stepped back from his company's presidency and board after his April 2025 confirmation as U.S. ambassador to Italy and San Marino. Completion remains contingent on federal antitrust review.