Report : Caesars Entertainment Prepares To Appoint Anthony Rodio As CEO

(RTTNews) - Caesars Entertainment Corp. (CZR) is preparing to appoint Anthony Rodio as its next chief executive officer and say it will evaluate takeover interest in the casino operator, the Wall Street Journal reported citing people familiar with the matter.

The Journal reported that Rodio, who currently serves as chief executive officer of privately held Affinity Gaming, will replace departing Caesars chief executive officer Mark Frissora and take his seat on the board, Caesars is expected to announce Monday.

Caesars also is expected to announce that it has formed a board committee to work with bankers at PJT Partners Inc. to evaluate takeover interest it has received, the report said.

The casino operator has fielded overtures from multiple parties including Eldorado Resorts Inc. and Golden Nugget LLC and already has given those two bidders access to its financial records to conduct due diligence, the report said. The moves represent a nod to activist investor Carl Icahn, who controls roughly 18% of Caesars stock, according to filings, and has been pushing the company to consider Rodio as its next chief and to sell itself.