Dry Creek Rancheria and Caesars Entertainment Break Ground on Caesars Republic Sonoma County

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 4, 2025--

On Aug. 2, Dry Creek Rancheria and Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR) broke ground on a joint project to turn River Rock Casino into Caesars Republic Sonoma County. The partnership was launched when Dry Creek Rancheria selected Caesars Entertainment as its development and management partner for the new integrated resort. Citizens led the project financing, with Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ: GLPI) (“GLPI”) serving as the lead real estate financing partner. Caesars Republic Sonoma County is located off Hwy 101 and sits above the Alexander Valley Vineyards, providing breathtaking views of both the vineyards and the Russian River.

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“Breaking ground on Caesars Republic Sonoma County marks a monumental moment for Dry Creek Rancheria. This partnership with Caesars Entertainment represents more than just a new chapter in our casino’s story — it’s a bold leap into the future for our Tribe and our community. Together, we are creating a world-class resort experience that blends the natural beauty of Sonoma County with premier gaming, hospitality and entertainment,” said Chris Wright, Chairman, Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians. “We are proud to work alongside Caesars, Citizens and GLPI to bring this vision to life and elevate our economic and cultural legacy. This project is a powerful step forward and we are eager to share it with the region and beyond.”

The resort casino will be completely transformed and will feature a new casino floor with more than 1,000 slot machines and 28 table games. The destination will also be home to a new 100-room hotel with a luxury spa, pool and fitness center.

“On the heels of a successful launch of Caesars Republic in Lake Tahoe, we couldn’t think of a better place than Sonoma County to continue the brand’s expansion,” said Anthony Carano, President and COO at Caesars Entertainment. “We’re excited to partner with Dry Creek Rancheria to bring this incredible destination to life and offer a new, elevated and unique experience for our guests to indulge in, right in the heart of wine country.”

Caesars Republic Sonoma County will also offer a robust food and beverage line-up, including a steakhouse, an upscale café, an Asian concept and an elevated quick-service option. Additionally, guests can enjoy a fireside bar, sports bar and the resort’s dedicated wine bar, which will have an outdoor deck providing unparalleled views of the valley.

“Dry Creek Rancheria and Caesars are creating a premier gaming destination in Sonoma County,” said Jason Miller, Head of Debt Capital Markets at Citizens. “We appreciate the opportunity to support Dry Creek, leverage our lending relationships and partner with Caesars and GLPI to help set the foundation for the long-term success of the Tribe.”

Peter Carlino, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GLPI, commented, “We are proud to be initiating a long-term relationship with Dry Creek Rancheria in our role as the lead real estate financing partner for Caesars Republic Sonoma County. We are also delighted to expand our long-term relationship with Caesars Entertainment. GLPI’s involvement in this project is consistent with our underwriting and coverage criteria as well as our focus on aligning with and supporting our tenants, who are the industry’s leading regional gaming operators. Caesars Republic Sonoma County represents an exciting opportunity to develop a world-class destination in the heart of California’s iconic Sonoma Valley wine region.”

Caesars Republic Sonoma County will be part of Caesars Entertainment’s expansive Caesars Rewards ® network. Guests who stay and play at the resort can earn and redeem Reward Credits at any of Caesars Entertainment’s 50+ destinations across the country, including Caesars Republic Sonoma County.

Additional details about the project will be announced at a later date. For more information about Caesars Entertainment or Caesars Republic Sonoma County, please visit www.caesars.com.

About Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians

The Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians is a Northern California Tribe whose Pomo ancestors continuously and successfully occupied the Russian River and Dry Creek Valleys for more than five thousand years. Official recognition of the Tribe as a sovereign nation occurred in 1915, when the federal government created the Dry Creek Rancheria and named the Tribe the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians. The rancheria occupies 75 acres in Geyserville off Highway 128 – a sliver of the Tribe’s historic land. In March 2000, the California voters passed Proposition 1A — also known as the Gambling on Tribal Lands Amendment — approving Indian gaming on reservation lands. Dry Creek Rancheria opened River Rock Casino in 2002 and has been in operation since then. Dry Creek Rancheria is made up of approximately 1,300 Tribal members and more than 60% live in Sonoma County.

About Caesars Entertainment, Inc.

Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR) is the largest casino entertainment company in the U.S. and one of the world's most diversified casino entertainment providers. Since its beginning in Reno, NV, in 1937, Caesars Entertainment, Inc. has grown through the development of new resorts, expansions and acquisitions. Caesars Entertainment, Inc.'s resorts operate primarily under the Caesars®, Harrah's®, Horseshoe® and Eldorado® brand names. Caesars Entertainment, Inc. offers diversified gaming, entertainment and hospitality amenities, one-of-a-kind destinations, and a full suite of mobile and online gaming and sports betting experiences. All tied to its industry-leading Caesars Rewards® loyalty program, the company focuses on building value with its guests through a unique combination of impeccable service, operational excellence and technology leadership. Caesars is committed to its Team Members, suppliers, communities and the environment through its PEOPLE PLANET PLAY framework. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700. For more information, please visit www.caesars.com/corporate. If you think you or someone you care about may have a gambling problem, call 1-877-770-STOP (1-877-770-7867).

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $218.3 billion in assets as of June 30, 2025. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,000 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on X, LinkedIn or Facebook.

About Gaming and Leisure Properties

GLPI is engaged in the business of acquiring, financing, and owning real estate property to be leased to gaming operators in triple-net lease arrangements, pursuant to which the tenant is responsible for all facility maintenance, insurance required in connection with the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties, taxes levied on or with respect to the leased properties and all utilities and other services necessary or appropriate for the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties.

Caesars Republic Sonoma County Exterior Rendering_Credit Caesars Entertainment

MADRID (AP) — Venezuelans living in Spain are watching the events unfold back home with a mix of awe, joy and fear.

Some 600,000 Venezuelans live in Spain, home to the largest population anywhere outside the Americas. Many fled political persecution and violence but also the country’s collapsing economy.

A majority live in the capital, Madrid, working in hospitals, restaurants, cafes, nursing homes and elsewhere. While some Venezuelan migrants have established deep roots and lives in the Iberian nation, others have just arrived.

Here is what three of them had to say about the future of Venezuela since U.S. forces deposed Nicolás Maduro.

David Vallenilla woke up to text messages from a cousin on Jan. 3 informing him “that they invaded Venezuela.” The 65-year-old from Caracas lives alone in a tidy apartment in the south of Madrid with two Daschunds and a handful of birds. He was in disbelief.

“In that moment, I wanted certainty,” Vallenilla said, “certainty about what they were telling me.”

In June 2017, Vallenilla’s son, a 22-year-old nursing student in Caracas named David José, was shot point-blank by a Venezuelan soldier after taking part in a protest near a military air base in the capital. He later died from his injuries. Video footage of the incident was widely publicized, turning his son’s death into an emblematic case of the Maduro government’s repression against protesters that year.

After demanding answers for his son’s death, Vallenilla, too, started receiving threats and decided two years later to move to Spain with the help of a nongovernmental organization.

On the day of Maduro’s capture, Vallenilla said his phone was flooded with messages about his son.

“Many told me, ‘Now David will be resting in peace. David must be happy in heaven,’” he said. “But don't think it was easy: I spent the whole day crying.”

Vallenilla is watching the events in Venezuela unfold with skepticism but also hope. He fears more violence, but says he has hope the Trump administration can effect the change that Venezuelans like his son tried to obtain through elections, popular protests and international institutions.

“Nothing will bring back my son. But the fact that some justice has begun to be served for those responsible helps me see a light at the end of the tunnel. Besides, I also hope for a free Venezuela.”

Journalist Carleth Morales first came to Madrid a quarter-century ago when Hugo Chávez was reelected as Venezuela's president in 2000 under a new constitution.

The 54-year-old wanted to study and return home, taking a break of sorts in Madrid as she sensed a political and economic environment that was growing more and more challenging.

“I left with the intention of getting more qualified, of studying, and of returning because I understood that the country was going through a process of adaptation between what we had known before and, well, Chávez and his new policies," Morales said. "But I had no idea that we were going to reach the point we did.”

In 2015, Morales founded an organization of Venezuelan journalists in Spain, which today has hundreds of members.

The morning U.S. forces captured Maduro, Morales said she woke up to a barrage of missed calls from friends and family in Venezuela.

“Of course, we hope to recover a democratic country, a free country, a country where human rights are respected,” Morales said. “But it’s difficult to think that as a Venezuelan when we’ve lived through so many things and suffered so much.”

Morales sees it as unlikely that she would return home, having spent more than two decades in Spain, but she said she hopes her daughters can one day view Venezuela as a viable option.

“I once heard a colleague say, ‘I work for Venezuela so that my children will see it as a life opportunity.’ And I adopted that phrase as my own. So perhaps in a few years it won’t be me who enjoys a democratic Venezuela, but my daughters.”

For two weeks, Verónica Noya has waited for her phone to ring with the news that her husband and brother have been freed.

Noya’s husband, Venezuelan army Capt. Antonio Sequea, was imprisoned in 2020 after having taken part in a military incursion to oust Maduro. She said he remains in solitary confinement in the El Rodeo prison in Caracas. For 20 months, Noya has been unable to communicate with him or her brother, who was also arrested for taking part in the same plot.

“That’s when my nightmare began,” Noya said.

Venezuelan authorities have said hundreds of political prisoners have been released since Maduro's capture, while rights groups have said the real number is a fraction of that. Noya has waited in agony to hear anything about her four relatives, including her husband's mother, who remain imprisoned.

Meanwhile, she has struggled with what to tell her children when they ask about their father's whereabouts. They left Venezuela scrambling and decided to come to Spain because family roots in the country meant that Noya already had a Spanish passport.

Still, she hopes to return to her country.

“I’m Venezuelan above all else,” Noya said. “And I dream of seeing a newly democratic country."

Venezuelan journalist Caleth Morales works in her apartment's kitchen in Madrid, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

David Vallenilla, father of the late David José Vallenilla Luis, sits in his apartment's kitchen in Madrid, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Veronica Noya holds a picture of her husband Antonio Sequea in Madrid, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

David Vallenilla holds a picture of deposed President Nicolas Maduro, blindfolded and handcuffed, during an interview with The Associated Press at his home in Madrid, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Pictures of the late David José Vallenilla Luis are placed in the living room of his father, David José Vallenilla, in Madrid, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)