On January 1, 1999, Harrah’s merged with Rio Hotel and Casino Inc. located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rio owns a hotel-casino, a neighboring championship golf course, and has the rights to thirty-five acres of undeveloped land. However, as part of the merger, Harrah’s assumed Rio’s outstanding debt. Harrah’s was already well established in the Las Vegas area and has hotels and casinos in Atlantic City, but this new merger offered a different type of place for its customers. Unlike a hotel on the Las Vegas strip, Rio is more of a resort, and with this move Harrah’s has increased its number of clients and will bring in even more revenue.

Harrah’s use of technology has made it the leading casino and hotel network in the United States. Winners Information Network, or EiNet, is a database with all of Harrah’s customers that allows those people to tell the company where they like to play as well as what they like to play, which helps Harrah’s make promotional decisions. Total Gold is Harrah’s player recognition and rewards system, which allows players to gain points playing the slot machine and then redeem their points in the form of cash, food, or even lodging.

Running a business such as this one is not easy. Gambling is against many Americans’ ethical beliefs, and there are some people who will not invest in Harrah’s stock for that reason. Harrah’s, however, is very respected in its community and has participated in the "Responsible Gaming Awareness Week." Its "Project 21" effort discourages minors from gambling, and its employees have done over 900,000 hours of volunteer work. Harrah’s also contributed $1.4 million to the United Way charity fund.