Harrah’s to change name to Caesars

Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., the casino company taken private in January for $17.1 billion, is changing its name to Caesars Entertainment Corp., 71 years after its founding by Bill Harrah.

The new name will help the company develop casinos overseas, where the Caesars brand is better known, Harrah’s said Wednesday. The change will take place after it’s approved by regulators.

Harrah’s bought Caesars Entertainment Inc. in 2005, giving it control of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Harrah’s had been considering a name change and postponed a move after buyout talks began in 2006 with Apollo Management and TPG Inc.

While the Harrah’s brand is associated with riverboat casinos in the U.S. South and Midwest, Caesars Palace is known around the world as a luxury resort, said David Norton, Harrah’s chief marketing officer.