Buy Photo

Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati(Photo: Enquirer file/Liz Dufour)Buy Photo

Caesars Entertainment has tapped the general manager of its Horseshoe Casino Baltimore to take the helm at the Horseshoe here in Cincinnati.

Chad Barnhill will become the Downtown casino's general manager in December, replacing Kevin Kline, whose last day is Nov. 13. Caesars will name a replacement for Barnhill in Baltimore at a later date.

Barnhill will transition the Cincinnati casino from a Caesars-run property to a Rock Gaming-run property and remain the top manager. On Monday, casino-owner Rock Gaming announced it was curtailing its relationship with Caesars and take over direct management of its Ohio casinos.

Originally from Paducah, Kentucky, Barnhill, 43, oversaw the development and opening of the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore, which opened August 2014 and cost nearly $450 million to build.

“Chad has done an outstanding job managing Horseshoe Baltimore, and we are pleased he will be bringing his valuable combination of operational excellence, marketing expertise and commitment to community involvement to our team in Cincinnati,” said John Payne, CEO of Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., a Caesars subsidiary.

Kline announced in mid-October his plans to step down and leave Caesars.

Barnhill said he's looking forward to moving back from the East Coast.

“While I will miss Charm City, its residents and the many dedicated local officials with whom I have partnered, this is a unique opportunity for me to relocate to the Midwest, where my wife and I both have extensive family,” Barnhill said.

By mid 2016, Rock Gaming also plans to rename the Horseshoe casinos in Cincinnati and Cleveland. Caesars will also exit operations of Rock Gaming's ThistleDown racino in suburban Cleveland as well.

Rock Gaming is the gambling arm of Detroit mogul Dan Gilbert, the owner of Quicken Loans and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Read or Share this story: http://cin.ci/1NoPkFa