Accounting Policies Accounting Policies - (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates

The accompanying unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements of Caesars have been prepared under the rules and regulations of the SEC applicable for interim periods, and therefore, do not include all information and footnotes necessary for complete financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). The results for the interim periods reflect all adjustments (consisting primarily of normal recurring adjustments) that management considers necessary for a fair presentation of financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. The results of operations for our interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that may be achieved for the entire 2017 fiscal year.

Consolidation, Subsidiaries or Other Investments, Consolidated Entities, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Consolidation of CGP

Effective in 2013, CGP was determined to be a VIE, and Caesars was determined to be the primary beneficiary. As of September 30, 2017, CAC is the sole voting member of CGP and holds a material noncontrolling interest in CGP. Common control exists between CAC and CEC through the majority beneficial ownership of both by Hamlet Holdings (as defined in Note 15). Neither CAC nor CGP guarantees any of CEC’s debt, and neither the creditors nor the beneficial holders of CGP have recourse to the general credit of CEC.

Transactions with CEOC were treated as related party transactions for Caesars Entertainment. These transactions include items such as casino management fees paid to CEOC, insurance expenses related to insurance coverage provided to CEOC by Caesars Entertainment, and rent payments by CEOC to CERP under the Octavius Tower lease agreement. See Note 15 for additional information on related party transactions and on the carrying amounts and classification of assets and liabilities that relate to our variable interest in CEOC.

As described in Note 17, on October 6, 2017, the Debtors consummated their reorganization pursuant to the Plan, and CEC completed the acquisition of all of New CEOC. As a result, New CEOC, as CEOC’s successor, is a wholly owned subsidiary of CEC following the Effective Date, and will no longer be treated as a related party going forward.

Consolidation of CES

A steering committee acts in the role of a board of managers for CES with each Member entitled to appoint one representative to the steering committee. Each Member, through its representative, is entitled to a single vote on the steering committee; accordingly, the voting power of the Members does not equate to their ownership percentages. Therefore, we determined that CES was a VIE, and we concluded that CEC is the primary beneficiary because our combined economic interest in CES, through our subsidiaries, represents a controlling financial interest.

Expenses incurred by CES are allocated to the casino properties directly or to the Members according to their allocation percentages, subject to annual review (see Note 15). Therefore, CES is a "pass-through" entity that serves as an agent on behalf of the Members at a cost-basis, and is contractually required to fully allocate its costs. CES is designed to have no operating cash flows of its own, and any net income or loss is generally immaterial and is typically subject to allocation to the Members in the subsequent period.

Consolidation Considerations for CEOC

CEOC’s filing for reorganization was a reconsideration event for Caesars Entertainment to reevaluate whether consolidation of CEOC continued to be appropriate. We concluded that CEOC was a VIE and that we were not the primary beneficiary; therefore, we no longer consolidated CEOC. Subsequent to the deconsolidation, we accounted for our investment in CEOC as a cost method investment of zero due to the negative equity associated with CEOC’s underlying financial position.

Consolidation of Subsidiaries and Variable Interest Entities

Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Caesars Entertainment and its subsidiaries after elimination of all intercompany accounts and transactions.

We consolidate all subsidiaries in which we have a controlling financial interest and variable interest entities (“VIEs”) for which we or one of our consolidated subsidiaries is the primary beneficiary. Control generally equates to ownership percentage, whereby (1) affiliates that are more than 50% owned are consolidated; (2) investments in affiliates of 50% or less but greater than 20% are generally accounted for using the equity method where we have determined that we have significant influence over the entities; and (3) investments in affiliates of 20% or less are generally accounted for using the cost method.

Revenue Recognition, Revenue Reductions [Policy Text Block]

The retail value of accommodations, food and beverage, and other services furnished to guests without charge is included in gross revenues and then deducted as casino promotional allowances. The estimated cost of providing such casino promotional allowances is included in casino expenses.

Segment Reporting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

We view each casino property as an operating segment and currently aggregate all such casino properties into two reportable segments: CERP and CGP.

The results of each reportable segment presented below are consistent with the way Caesars management assesses these results and allocates resources, which is a consolidated view that adjusts for the effect of certain transactions between reportable segments within Caesars, as described below. Accordingly, the results of certain reportable segments presented in this filing differ from the financial statement information presented in their standalone filings.