If you walked through Public Square in the late nineties, the Higbee Building was a ghost. It was a massive, 11-story Art Deco shell that used to smell like expensive perfume and Christmas magic. Then, the Horseshoe Casino in Cleveland moved in and the vibe shifted. Fast.
It wasn't just a place to lose twenty bucks on a slot machine. It was a massive gamble on urban renewal that most people thought would fail. Clevelanders are skeptical by nature. We’ve seen enough "renaissance" projects go belly up to know better. But when Dan Gilbert and Rock Gaming teamed up with Caesars Entertainment to open Ohio's first legal casino in May 2012, it actually worked. The Horseshoe Casino in Cleveland became the heart of a downtown that was desperately looking for a reason to stay awake past 5:00 PM.
The Higbee Factor: Not Your Average Casino Floor
Most casinos are windowless boxes designed to make you lose track of time. They’re depressing. The Horseshoe was different because it lived inside a landmark. You’re standing on carpet that costs more than some houses, but if you look up, you see the original brass light fixtures and crown molding from 1931. It’s weirdly classy.
They spent roughly $350 million just to get the doors open. A huge chunk of that went into preserving the "A Christmas Story" legacy—yes, the department store from the movie is this exact building. They didn’t gut it; they polished it. They kept the high ceilings. They kept the sense of scale. It felt like Vegas had a baby with a museum.
Honestly, the layout was a bit of a maze at first. Because it’s a historic retail space, the gaming floors are stacked. You have to take escalators to get from the penny slots to the high-limit poker room. It creates this constant movement that makes the place feel busier than it probably is on a Tuesday morning.
What Actually Happened to the Horseshoe Name?
You won’t find the "Horseshoe" brand on the building anymore. In 2016, a massive shift occurred when Rock Gaming (owned by Dan Gilbert) decided to go independent. They rebranded everything to JACK Cleveland Casino.
Why the change? It was basically a corporate divorce. Gilbert wanted more control over the local experience and didn't want to pay the licensing fees to Caesars for the Horseshoe name. While the name on the outside changed, the DNA of the Horseshoe Casino in Cleveland stayed put. The staff, the brass railings, and the 1,600+ slot machines didn't go anywhere.
It’s worth noting that people still call it "The Horseshoe" or "The Higbee Casino" all the time. It’s a local quirk. If you ask a ride-share driver to take you to the Horseshoe, they won't even blink; they'll drop you right at the front door on Public Square.
The Food, the Buffet, and the "Casino Diet"
Let’s talk about the buffet. For a few years, "The Spread" was the hottest ticket in town. It was the kind of place where you’d see people in suits sitting next to guys in Browns jerseys, both of them piling crab legs onto their plates like it was their last meal.
But the Horseshoe's real impact on food wasn't inside the casino. It was outside.
Part of the original deal with the city was that the casino wouldn’t have a massive "comped" hotel or ten different in-house restaurants. They wanted gamblers to walk outside. They wanted you to spend your winnings (or drown your sorrows) at the local spots on East 4th Street. It worked. Places like Lola (RIP to Michael Symon’s flagship) and Mabel’s BBQ saw a massive surge because people were already downtown for the blackjack tables.
The Poker Scene is Surprisingly Serious
If you think Cleveland is just about casual slot players, you haven't been to the poker room. It’s tucked away on the top floor and it’s intense. It’s one of the few places in the Midwest where you can consistently find a $2/$5 No-Limit Hold 'em game that doesn't break at 10:00 PM.
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The Horseshoe (now JACK) became a hub for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit events. I’ve seen guys fly in from Vegas just to play the Cleveland circuit because the "action" is famously good. Local players here tend to be aggressive. It's not a place for the faint of heart, especially during a Friday night rush when the drunk-money starts flowing in from the bars.
The Dark Side: Was it Actually Good for Cleveland?
Everything isn't sunshine and jackpots.
There was a lot of talk about how the casino would bring 5 million visitors a year. The actual numbers have fluctuated. While it definitely revitalized the Higbee building, some critics argue the tax revenue didn't solve all the city's problems like the ballot initiative promised.
- Traffic: Public Square became a nightmare to navigate during peak hours.
- Crime: While the casino has its own massive security force, the surrounding blocks saw a spike in "opportunistic" petty crime in the early years.
- Competition: Now that every state around Ohio has legalized gambling, the "destination" feel has faded. It's more of a local hangout now.
Still, compared to a vacant department store, the casino is a massive win for the tax base. It employs about 1,500 people. Those are real jobs with benefits in a city that needed them.
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Real-World Advice for Your Visit
Don't park in the casino garage unless you have a loyalty card with some status. It’s expensive. You’re better off parking in the surface lots near the Standard Building and walking a block. You'll save enough for a couple of hands of video poker.
Also, check the schedule for the local sports teams. If the Cavs or Guardians are playing, the casino will be packed. If you hate crowds, avoid game days. If you love the energy of a thousand people screaming at a TV in the sportsbook, that's exactly when you should go.
The sportsbook is a newer addition—thanks to Ohio finally legalizing sports betting in 2023—and it’s a game-changer. It’s located near the front entrance and features massive wall-to-wall LED screens. It's basically a high-end man cave where you can bet on everything from NFL games to obscure European soccer leagues.
Actionable Steps for the Cleveland Gambler
If you’re planning to head down to the former Horseshoe Casino in Cleveland (JACK), do these three things to make sure you don't walk out feeling like a loser:
- Get the Club Card Immediately: Even if you only play for an hour. The "ClubJACK" card (formerly the Total Rewards card) gets you discounts at local restaurants and, more importantly, can validate your parking.
- Eat on East 4th Street: Don't just eat at the snack bar. Walk across the street. The food scene in Cleveland is legit, and the casino is right in the middle of it.
- Set a "Walk Away" Limit: It sounds cliché, but the multi-level layout of the Higbee building makes it easy to lose track of how much you've spent as you wander from floor to floor.
The transition from the Horseshoe Casino in Cleveland to JACK Cleveland Casino marked the end of an era, but the building remains the most impressive gambling floor in the state. It’s a piece of history that happens to have a few thousand slot machines inside. Whether you’re there for the architecture or the Royal Flush, it’s a centerpiece of the city that isn't going anywhere.