Donation will help more than 70,000 people obtain safe access to clean water Caesars Entertainment Corporation and the World Series of Poker (WSOP) worked together this summer to support ONE DROP, an international organisation dedicated to give access to safe water for all, today and tomorrow. Their efforts comprised of the world’s largest buy-in poker tournament, WSOP’s The Big One for ONE DROP, and an eight-week multi-property awareness campaign which resulted in approximately US$5.6 million in financial and US$3 million of in-kind donations inclusive of tournament costs for hosting, operations and marketing.

As the largest single-year donation ONE DROP has received from a corporation since the charitable organisation’s inception, this donation will have far reaching impacts. The contributed funds will be dedicated to ONE DROP water projects in El Salvador, Honduras and Burkina Faso aimed at significantly increasing safe access to water today, and for future generations. During the next five years, the health and overall well-being of more than 77,000 men, women and children will be improved with the installation of water filters, new wells, restrooms, washing stations and gardens.

“It was such a thrill for ONE DROP to be part of the most significant charity initiative in poker history during the biggest poker tournament ever, The Big One for ONE DROP. We are truly thankful for the effort expended before and during the tournament, from selling reusable water bottles in aid of ONE DROP, to installing water fountains on site. WSOP showed true commitment while inviting players and fans to join in support of ONE DROP and its water-access projects and the players displayed their on-going generosity,” said Guy Laliberté, Founder of Cirque du Soleil™ and Chairperson of ONE DROP.

In its inaugural year, The Big One for ONE DROP poker tournament was a sold-out event featuring 48 participants from around the world who competed in the three-day tournament for a chance at more than US$42 million in winnings. For each US$1 million entry fee, US$111,111 was donated to ONE DROP along with additional poker player and spectator donations. Caesars Interactive Entertainment CEO Mitch Garber, and eventual winner Antonio Esfandiari each personally donated an additional US$111,111, bringing the total monies raised to more than US$5.6million from just the WSOP event.

“It was an incredible event for a great cause, and we’re thrilled that the end result of our efforts will have long-lasting positive effects,” said Garber. “What started as an outlandish concept turned out to be one of the most successful charitable endeavors our company has ever been a part of and we are content that ONE DROP will use these funds to change people’s lives meaningfully.”

Four of Caesars Entertainment’s Las Vegas properties (Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Harrah’s Las Vegas, Imperial Palace and Caesars Palace Las Vegas) and Caesars Entertainment’s meetings and conventions group also did their part to raise funds by donating a portion of proceeds from specially designed water bottles sold poolside and at retail centres.

This collective effort is one of many social and environmental causes Caesars has implemented this year under its comprehensive sustainability strategy, CodeGreen. To learn more about the CodeGreen strategy and its employee-driven programs visit www.caesars.com/codegreen or the CodeGreen Blog at www.codegreen.harrahsblog.com.

Caesars Entertainment Las Vegas resorts is represented in Australia by Discover the World Marketing.