BATON ROUGE -- Louisiana gambling regulators on Tuesday approved the private equity buyout of Harrah's Entertainment Inc. for $17.1 billion.

The state Gaming Control Board unanimously approved the buyout by Apollo Management and Texas Pacific Group, for $90 per share. The deal still requires regulatory approval from other jurisdictions, which the company said it expects by early 2008.

Harrah's owns Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and runs casinos with the Harrah's, Horseshoe, Harveys and Showboat brands. The company owns casinos in New Orleans and Bossier City and the Harrah's Louisiana Downs racetrack in Bossier City.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)