Big Panda

What is Big Panda?

50 Cent previewed the project on Instagram on Sept. 17, 2026, framing the venture as the long-overdue legitimization of a game that always played by its own rules.

“For a hundred years this game lived on the corner,” he said in TCS/JOHNHUXLEY’s press release. “Now it’s got a dealer, a pay table and a seat at the table in a real casino. Same dice, new floor.”

Cee-lo—derived from sì wǔ liù (Chinese for “four-five-six”)—is played with three six-sided dice. Popular among Chinese-American players as early as 1893, it was adopted by hip-hop culture in the late 1970s and became a fixture on the street corners of Harlem, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.

Nas, the Notorious B.I.G., and Jadakiss all referenced the game in their music. Kool G Rap called his 1995 album 4,5,6, and its title track included the line “Headcrack, time to get the bread”—the lyric that most likely inspired 50 Cent’s casino adaptation.

What is Big Panda?

“The agreement paves the way for CME Group to list weekly, monthly and quarterly cash-settled futures contracts, pending regulatory review, based on the CME FSPI MLB benchmarks,” according to a statement issued by FutureSports.

Launch dates for the MLB team futures contracts weren’t revealed, but spring training for the 2027 season commences on Friday, Feb. 19, according to the league schedule.

The initial batch of FSPIs launched with NHL performance gauges, triggering a wave of filings from exchange-traded fund (ETF) issuers seeking to launch futures-based funds for each professional hockey team. One issuer even filed plans for leveraged ETFs tied to the NHL indexes.

How to play Big Panda

For a second year, the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is organizing the city-wide “Vegas 5-Day Sale.” Officially running from today (Sept. 22) through Saturday (Sept. 26), the event for 2026 includes more than 180 limited-time offerings.

Caesars is offering rooms at its Las Vegas properties discounted by up to 60% for stays through March 2027. The Caesars Palace operator is extending the five-day promotion to 9 am PT on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Caesars is additionally offering $50 tickets for Josh Groban and Tim McGraw, $30 seats for Jeff Dunham, and 20-25% discounts on the High Roller Observation Wheel, Fly LINQ Zipline, and Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck.