Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements - Additional Information (Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	Amendments in this update allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings effectively eliminating the stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the U.S. federal government enacted a tax bill, H.R.1, An Act to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Titles II and V of the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2018). Because the amendments only relate to the reclassification of the income tax effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the underlying guidance that requires that the effect of a change in tax laws or rates be included in income from continuing operations is not affected. The amendments in this update are effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. Amendments in this update should be applied either in the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period (or periods) in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is recognized. We are currently assessing the effect the adoption of this standard will have on our financial statements.
Accounting Standards Update 2017-09 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	Amendments in this update provide guidance regarding which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting. An entity should account for the effects of a modification unless all of the following are met: (i) the modification does not affect any of the inputs to the valuation technique that the entity uses to value the award; (ii) the vesting conditions of the modified award are the same as the vesting conditions of the original award; and (iii) the classification of the modified award as an equity instrument or a liability instrument is the same as before the original award was modified. Amendments in this update are effective for all periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. Application of amended guidance should be applied prospectively to an award modified on or after the adoption date. We are adopting this standard as of January 1, 2018.
Accounting Standards Update 2017-01 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	Updated amendments intend to clarify the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisition (or disposals) of assets or businesses. Amendments in this update provide a more robust framework to use in determining when a set of assets and activities is a business and to provide more consistency in applying the guidance, reduce the costs of application, and make the definition of a business more operable. The amendments are effective to annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those periods. Early adoption is allowed as follows: (1) transactions for which acquisition date occurs before the issuance date or effective date of the amendments, only when the transaction has not been reported in financial statements that have been issued or made available for issuance and (2) transactions in which a subsidiary is deconsolidated or a group of assets is derecognized that occur before the issuance date or effective date of the amendments, only when the transaction has not been reported in financial statements that have been issued or made available for issuance. Application of amended guidance should be applied prospectively on or after the effective date and no disclosures are required at transition. We are adopting this standard as of January 1, 2018.
Accounting Standards Update 2016-15 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	Amended guidance addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing diversity in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The amendments should be applied retrospectively to each period presented. The amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. We are adopting this standard as of January 1, 2018, and are in the process of evaluating the effect it will have on our financial statements, if any.
Accounting Standards Update 2016-16 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	Amended guidance addresses intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory, which requires the recognition of any related income tax consequences when such transfers occur. The amendments should be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. Amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim reporting periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted. We are adopting this standard as of January 1, 2018, and are in the process of evaluating the effect it will have on our financial statements, if any.
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	Created a new Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The new guidance is intended to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue and to develop a common revenue standard for GAAP applicable to revenue transactions. Existing industry guidance will be eliminated, including revenue recognition guidance specific to the gaming industry. The FASB has recently issued several amendments to the standard, including clarification on accounting for and identifying performance obligations. This guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those reporting periods. The guidance should be applied using the full retrospective method or retrospectively with the cumulative effect initially applying the guidance recognized at the date of initial application. We are currently in the process of our analysis and anticipate this standard will have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. As described below, we expect the most significant effect will be related to the accounting for the Total Rewards customer loyalty program and casino promotional allowances. However, due to the complexity and nature of the gaming industry, the quantitative effects of these changes have not yet been determined and are still being analyzed. The Total Rewards customer loyalty program affects revenue from our four core businesses: casino entertainment, food and beverage, rooms and hotel, and entertainment and other business operations. Currently, CEC estimates the cost of fulfilling the redemption of Reward Credits, after consideration of estimated forfeitures (referred to as “breakage”), based upon the cost of historical redemptions. Upon adoption of the new guidance, Reward Credits will no longer be recorded at cost, and a deferred revenue model will be used to account for the classification and timing of revenue recognized as well as the classification of related expenses when Reward Credits are redeemed. This will result in a portion of casino revenues being recorded as deferred revenue and being recognized as revenue in a future period when the Reward Credits are redeemed, and the revenue will be classified according to the good or service for which the Reward Credits were redeemed (e.g., a hotel room). Additionally, we currently record promotional allowances in a separate line item within net revenues. As part of adopting the new standard, promotional allowances will no longer be presented separately. Alternatively, revenue will be recognized based on relative standalone selling prices for transactions with more than one performance obligation. For example, when a casino customer is given a complimentary room, we will be required to allocate a portion of the casino revenues earned from the customer to rooms revenues based on the standalone selling price of the room. As a result of this change, we expect to report substantially lower casino revenues; however, we do not expect this to significantly affect total net revenues. In addition, we do not expect the adoption of the new standard to have a material effect on income from operations or net income. However, we are still evaluating certain assumptions used in our underlying calculations, particularly as it relates to our Total Rewards program.
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description of Transition Method	As described below, we expect the most significant effect will be related to the accounting for Total Rewards and casino promotional allowances. Total Rewards affects revenue from our four core businesses: casino entertainment, food and beverage, rooms and hotel, and entertainment and other business operations. Currently, CEC accrues a liability based on the estimated cost of fulfilling the redemption of Reward Credits, after consideration of estimated forfeitures (referred to as “breakage”), based upon the cost of historical redemptions. Upon adoption of the new guidance, Reward Credits will no longer be recorded at cost, and a deferred revenue model will be used to account for the classification and timing of revenue recognized as well as the classification of related expenses when Reward Credits are redeemed. This will result in a portion of casino revenues being recorded as deferred revenue and being recognized as revenue in a future period when the Reward Credits are redeemed, and the revenue will be classified according to the good or service for which the Reward Credits are redeemed (e.g., a hotel room). We also expect to see a significant decrease in casino revenues. The presentation of goods and services provided to customers without charge in gross revenue with a corresponding reduction in promotional allowances will no longer be reported. Revenue will be recognized based on relative standalone selling prices for transactions with more than one performance obligation. For example, when a casino customer is given a complimentary room, we will be required to allocate a portion of the casino revenues earned from the customer to rooms revenues based on the standalone selling price of the room.
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	The amended guidance requires most lease obligations to be recognized as a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset with a corresponding liability on the balance sheet. The guidance also requires additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures to assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. The guidance should be implemented for the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach, which includes optional practical expedients primarily focused on leases that commenced before the effective date, including continuing to account for leases that commenced before the effective date in accordance with previous guidance, unless the lease is modified. Operating leases, including agreements relating to slot machines, will be recorded on the balance sheet as an ROU asset with a corresponding lease liability, which will be amortized using the effective interest rate method as payments are made. The ROU asset will be depreciated on a straight-line basis and recognized as lease expense. The qualitative and quantitative effects of adoption are still being analyzed. We are in the process of evaluating the full effect the guidance will have on our financial statements.
Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	Amended certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. Among other things, they require equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation) to be measured at fair value with any changes in fair value recognized in net income and simplify the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values by requiring a qualitative assessment to identify impairment. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted on certain provisions. We are adopting this standard as of January 1, 2018, and are in the process of evaluating the effect it will have on our financial statements, if any.
Accounting Standards Update 201613 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	Amended guidance replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. Amendments affect entities holding financial assets and net investment in leases that are not accounted for at fair value through net income. The amendments affect loans, debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, off-balance-sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables and any other financial assets not excluded from the scope that have the contractual right to receive cash. Amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently assessing the effect the adoption of this standard will have on our financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements - Additional Information (Details)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Member]

New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]

New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description

Amendments in this update allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings effectively eliminating the stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the U.S. federal government enacted a tax bill, H.R.1, An Act to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Titles II and V of the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2018). Because the amendments only relate to the reclassification of the income tax effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the underlying guidance that requires that the effect of a change in tax laws or rates be included in income from continuing operations is not affected. The amendments in this update are effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. Amendments in this update should be applied either in the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period (or periods) in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is recognized. We are currently assessing the effect the adoption of this standard will have on our financial statements.

Accounting Standards Update 2017-09 [Member]

New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]

New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description

Amendments in this update provide guidance regarding which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting. An entity should account for the effects of a modification unless all of the following are met: (i) the modification does not affect any of the inputs to the valuation technique that the entity uses to value the award; (ii) the vesting conditions of the modified award are the same as the vesting conditions of the original award; and (iii) the classification of the modified award as an equity instrument or a liability instrument is the same as before the original award was modified. Amendments in this update are effective for all periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. Application of amended guidance should be applied prospectively to an award modified on or after the adoption date. We are adopting this standard as of January 1, 2018.

Accounting Standards Update 2017-01 [Member]

New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]

New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description

Updated amendments intend to clarify the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisition (or disposals) of assets or businesses. Amendments in this update provide a more robust framework to use in determining when a set of assets and activities is a business and to provide more consistency in applying the guidance, reduce the costs of application, and make the definition of a business more operable. The amendments are effective to annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those periods. Early adoption is allowed as follows: (1) transactions for which acquisition date occurs before the issuance date or effective date of the amendments, only when the transaction has not been reported in financial statements that have been issued or made available for issuance and (2) transactions in which a subsidiary is deconsolidated or a group of assets is derecognized that occur before the issuance date or effective date of the amendments, only when the transaction has not been reported in financial statements that have been issued or made available for issuance. Application of amended guidance should be applied prospectively on or after the effective date and no disclosures are required at transition. We are adopting this standard as of January 1, 2018.

Accounting Standards Update 2016-15 [Member]

New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]

New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description

Amended guidance addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing diversity in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The amendments should be applied retrospectively to each period presented. The amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. We are adopting this standard as of January 1, 2018, and are in the process of evaluating the effect it will have on our financial statements, if any.

Accounting Standards Update 2016-16 [Member]

New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]

New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description

Amended guidance addresses intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory, which requires the recognition of any related income tax consequences when such transfers occur. The amendments should be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. Amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim reporting periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted. We are adopting this standard as of January 1, 2018, and are in the process of evaluating the effect it will have on our financial statements, if any.

Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]

New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]

New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description

Created a new Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The new guidance is intended to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue and to develop a common revenue standard for GAAP applicable to revenue transactions. Existing industry guidance will be eliminated, including revenue recognition guidance specific to the gaming industry. The FASB has recently issued several amendments to the standard, including clarification on accounting for and identifying performance obligations. This guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those reporting periods. The guidance should be applied using the full retrospective method or retrospectively with the cumulative effect initially applying the guidance recognized at the date of initial application. We are currently in the process of our analysis and anticipate this standard will have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. As described below, we expect the most significant effect will be related to the accounting for the Total Rewards customer loyalty program and casino promotional allowances. However, due to the complexity and nature of the gaming industry, the quantitative effects of these changes have not yet been determined and are still being analyzed. The Total Rewards customer loyalty program affects revenue from our four core businesses: casino entertainment, food and beverage, rooms and hotel, and entertainment and other business operations. Currently, CEC estimates the cost of fulfilling the redemption of Reward Credits, after consideration of estimated forfeitures (referred to as “breakage”), based upon the cost of historical redemptions. Upon adoption of the new guidance, Reward Credits will no longer be recorded at cost, and a deferred revenue model will be used to account for the classification and timing of revenue recognized as well as the classification of related expenses when Reward Credits are redeemed. This will result in a portion of casino revenues being recorded as deferred revenue and being recognized as revenue in a future period when the Reward Credits are redeemed, and the revenue will be classified according to the good or service for which the Reward Credits were redeemed (e.g., a hotel room). Additionally, we currently record promotional allowances in a separate line item within net revenues. As part of adopting the new standard, promotional allowances will no longer be presented separately. Alternatively, revenue will be recognized based on relative standalone selling prices for transactions with more than one performance obligation. For example, when a casino customer is given a complimentary room, we will be required to allocate a portion of the casino revenues earned from the customer to rooms revenues based on the standalone selling price of the room. As a result of this change, we expect to report substantially lower casino revenues; however, we do not expect this to significantly affect total net revenues. In addition, we do not expect the adoption of the new standard to have a material effect on income from operations or net income. However, we are still evaluating certain assumptions used in our underlying calculations, particularly as it relates to our Total Rewards program.

New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description of Transition Method

As described below, we expect the most significant effect will be related to the accounting for Total Rewards and casino promotional allowances. Total Rewards affects revenue from our four core businesses: casino entertainment, food and beverage, rooms and hotel, and entertainment and other business operations. Currently, CEC accrues a liability based on the estimated cost of fulfilling the redemption of Reward Credits, after consideration of estimated forfeitures (referred to as “breakage”), based upon the cost of historical redemptions. Upon adoption of the new guidance, Reward Credits will no longer be recorded at cost, and a deferred revenue model will be used to account for the classification and timing of revenue recognized as well as the classification of related expenses when Reward Credits are redeemed. This will result in a portion of casino revenues being recorded as deferred revenue and being recognized as revenue in a future period when the Reward Credits are redeemed, and the revenue will be classified according to the good or service for which the Reward Credits are redeemed (e.g., a hotel room). We also expect to see a significant decrease in casino revenues. The presentation of goods and services provided to customers without charge in gross revenue with a corresponding reduction in promotional allowances will no longer be reported. Revenue will be recognized based on relative standalone selling prices for transactions with more than one performance obligation. For example, when a casino customer is given a complimentary room, we will be required to allocate a portion of the casino revenues earned from the customer to rooms revenues based on the standalone selling price of the room.

Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member]

New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]

New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description

The amended guidance requires most lease obligations to be recognized as a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset with a corresponding liability on the balance sheet. The guidance also requires additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures to assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. The guidance should be implemented for the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach, which includes optional practical expedients primarily focused on leases that commenced before the effective date, including continuing to account for leases that commenced before the effective date in accordance with previous guidance, unless the lease is modified. Operating leases, including agreements relating to slot machines, will be recorded on the balance sheet as an ROU asset with a corresponding lease liability, which will be amortized using the effective interest rate method as payments are made. The ROU asset will be depreciated on a straight-line basis and recognized as lease expense. The qualitative and quantitative effects of adoption are still being analyzed. We are in the process of evaluating the full effect the guidance will have on our financial statements.

Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member]

New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]

New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description

Amended certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. Among other things, they require equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation) to be measured at fair value with any changes in fair value recognized in net income and simplify the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values by requiring a qualitative assessment to identify impairment. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted on certain provisions. We are adopting this standard as of January 1, 2018, and are in the process of evaluating the effect it will have on our financial statements, if any.

Accounting Standards Update 201613 [Member]

New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]

New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description

Amended guidance replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. Amendments affect entities holding financial assets and net investment in leases that are not accounted for at fair value through net income. The amendments affect loans, debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, off-balance-sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables and any other financial assets not excluded from the scope that have the contractual right to receive cash. Amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently assessing the effect the adoption of this standard will have on our financial statements.