Caesars Entertainment receives FTC request on Fertitta deal

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has requested additional information from Caesars Entertainment and Fertitta Entertainment regarding the proposed acquisition, according to a regulatory filing. The FTC issued the request on September 14 as part of its ongoing review of the transaction. Fertitta Entertainment, controlled by billionaire Tilman Fertitta, had agreed to acquire Caesars in a $17.6 billion deal in May.

Golden Nugget Hotel and Casinos and the NBA's Houston Rockets are among the assets Fertitta Entertainment would take over in the deal. Caesars also announced that Jesse Lynn and Ted Papapostolou would resign from the company's board, effective immediately. The Icahn Group has waived its right to appoint replacement directors, with Lynn and Papapostolou joining Caesars' board last year as part of an agreement with activist investor Carl Icahn.