Caesars Palace (Getty Images)

BALL SPINS

Caesars’ stock has been a winner since launching new NBA slot game

The casino entertainment group is cashing in on its digital gambling and sports betting divisions as Vegas revenues slump.

Millie Giles

4/28/25 10:04AM

In the online gambling business, sometimes it pays to shoot your shot. Caesars Entertainment, Inc., which claims to be the largest casino entertainment company in the US, launched a new NBA-themed slot game last Wednesday — helping its stock gain almost 14% over the last week.

With the NBA playoffs now playing out on court (and our screens), the online game, which features NBA branding and visuals, was created in collaboration with Games Global as part of Caesars Entertainment’s multiyear partnership with the basketball behemoth.

The news comes as Caesars’ online gambling arm continues its yearslong winning streak. Since Caesars Entertainment Corporation was acquired by Eldorado Resorts in 2020 as part of its bankruptcy reorganization, annual revenue for the group’s gaming and sports betting operations segment, Caesars Digital, has ballooned, topping more than $1.1 billion last year. In fact, digital was the only one of the company’s divisions that grew in FY24.

Sides of the coin

The group’s digital gaming efforts, which include Caesars Sportsbook, Caesars Racebook, and other online casino apps, have been a bright spot for some time, burgeoning alongside a national boom in online gambling. Indeed, reports emerged in February that the entertainment giant is considering spinning off its digital business into its own publicly traded entity due to its exceptional growth.

But with digital gambling soaring, what happens in Vegas? While the Caesars brand is famed for its presence in the Nevada city — in particular, world-renowned hotel and casino Caesars Palace, though Caesars now leases this property from its new owner — net annual revenue from its Las Vegas segment declined last year.

Max Knoblauch10/16/25

Uber launches “digital tasks” in the US, paying some drivers to train AI

Beginning later this fall, US Uber drivers will be able to earn money by completing short “digital tasks” like uploading restaurant menus or recording audio samples.

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi teased the new gig income stream back in June at the Bloomberg Tech conference.

At that time, Khosrowshahi said drivers and couriers were “labeling maps, translating language, looking at AI answers, and grading AI answers.” According to Thursday’s announcement, the tasks won’t be so focused on Uber’s business, but instead on connecting workers with “companies that need real people to help improve their technology.”

Per Uber, digital tasks can be done when drivers aren’t on a trip, be it at home or when not driving, and will take only “a few minutes” each.

Uber’s having drivers train its AI while partnering with robotaxi companies that could replace them

Per Uber, digital tasks can be done when drivers aren’t on a trip, be it at home or when not driving, and will take only “a few minutes” each.

Max Knoblauch

10/15/25

United Airlines posts stronger-than-expected profit but weaker sales in its third quarter

United’s full-year profit outlook falls somewhere in between the dual forecasts it issued back in April.

United Airlines Airplanes at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey

Hyunsoo Rim, David Crowther

HEAD OF MACROS

10/15/25

Pop-Tarts, Doritos, and Uncrustables have joined the protein craze taking over America’s snack aisle

Food giants are catching up with the latest diet obsession.

Apple TV dropped the “plus” as streamers keep pulling back on originals

After the spray-and-pray approach led to a wave of cancellations, Hollywood is settling into an era of just making fewer shows.

Hyunsoo Rim10/15/25

Max Knoblauch10/14/25

The average price of a new vehicle in the US passed $50,000 for the first time ever in September

The average price of a new vehicle in the US surpassed $50,000 in September, according to Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book.

At $50,080, that’s the highest industry average ever, reflecting the price hikes faced by new car buyers in recent years amid pandemic supply shortages, tariff-induced increases, and the high cost of EV production. The figure marks a 3.6% jump from the same month last year.

“Tariffs have introduced new cost pressure to the business, but the pricing story in September was mostly driven by the healthy mix of EVs and higher-end vehicles pushing the new-vehicle ATP into uncharted territory,” Cox executive analyst Erin Keating said. Passing the $50,000 mark was inevitable, Keating said, especially considering that the country’s bestseller is a Ford truck that “routinely costs north of $65,000.”

Year over year, new vehicle prices rose nearly 6% for GM, while Ford’s climbed 2.5%. Volkswagen new prices were up 12.5%.

As prices climb, so do delinquencies on loans to borrowers with lower credit scores. Recent data from Fitch Ratings shows the portion of subprime US auto loans 60 days or more overdue reached 6.43% in August.