Golden Entertainment Inc. reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024. The Company reported third quarter revenue of $161.2 million, net income of $5.2 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $34.0 million. In addition, on November 5, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the Company’s recurring quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share of the Company’s outstanding common stock payable on January 7, 2025 to shareholders of record as of December 20, 2024. The Company’s Board of Directors also increased the Company’s share repurchase authorization by $100 million, creating $131.4 million of current availability under the Company’s share repurchase program.

Blake Sartini, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Golden, said: “In the third quarter, we have maintained our commitment to returning capital to shareholders through our regular dividend and share buyback program despite a challenging operating environment for our properties. We anticipate that business conditions will improve in the fourth quarter and, with our increased share buyback authorization currently at over $130 million, we expect to continue to use our liquidity to acquire our own shares throughout the year.”

The Company repurchased 815,116 shares of common stock in the third quarter, at an average price of $31.65 per share for a total of $25.8 million. In October, after the end of the quarter, an additional 134,613 shares were repurchased for a total of $4.2 million. Year to date, the Company has repurchased 1.94 million shares of the Company’s common stock at an average price of $30.70 per share for a total of $59.5 million.

Consolidated Results

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The Company reported third quarter of 2024 revenues of $161.2 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $34.0 million, compared to revenues of $257.7 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $53.2 million for the third quarter of 2023. The declines in revenues and Adjusted EBITDA over the prior year period were primarily related to the exclusion of the results for the Company’s Rocky Gap Casino Resort and distributed gaming operations in Montana and Nevada that were sold on July 25, 2023, September 13, 2023 and January 10, 2024, respectively. The Company reported net income of $5.2 million, or $0.18 per fully diluted share, for the third quarter of 2024, compared to net income of $241.2 million, or $7.83 per fully diluted share, for the third quarter of 2023. The third quarter of 2023 results included the impact of the $305.8 million gain on the sales of the Rocky Gap Casino Resort and the Montana distributed gaming business recognized during the quarter.

Debt and Liquidity

As of September 30, 2024, the Company’s total principal amount of debt outstanding was $399.0 million, consisting primarily of $395.0 million in outstanding term loan borrowings.

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $68.6 million. There continues to be no outstanding borrowings under the Company’s $240 million revolving credit facility.

NorthStar Gaming Holdings Inc. released its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2024. All dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars.

“In the first quarter we continued our pattern of strong year-over-year growth, highlighted by record total wagers. Our premium customer experience and growing brand awareness are propelling higher player retention, strengthened loyalty and increased player values. These positive trends enable us to spend our marketing dollars more efficiently, contributing to improved operating leverage as the business scales,” Michael Moskowitz, Chair and CEO of NorthStar, said.

Financial highlights for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024:

• Revenue, including managed services fees, net of bonuses, promotional costs and free bets, was $5.9 million in Q1 2024, an increase of 63% over $3.6 million in Q1 2023.
• Total Wagers1 at Northstarbets.ca were $218.0 million in Q1 2024, an increase of 56% compared to $140.2 million in Q1 2023.
• Gross Gaming Revenue at NorthStarbets.ca was $7.0 million in Q1 2024, an increase of 59% over $4.4 million in Q1 2023.
• Gross Margin was $2.2 million in Q1 2024, an increase of 91% over $1.2 million in Q1 2023, and represented approximately 37% of revenue compared to 32% of revenue in Q1 2023.

Recent Operating Highlights:

• Notable year-over-year improvements in key performance indicators (KPIs) included a 42% increase in active players, a 9% decline in cost per acquisition of a customer (CPA), and a 54% increase in estimated 12-month player values.
• Renewed the strategic marketing agreement with Playtech Software Limited, which will contribute services valued at up to $4 million through to October 31, 2024, designed to accelerate player acquisition in Ontario.
• Secured $3 million of short-term financing to fund the Company’s continued growth through an unsecured promissory note to Playtech plc dated April 25, 2024 repayable in one year, or earlier upon completion by the Company of additional financing transactions.
• Recently celebrated the second anniversary of the NorthStar Bets platform, which launched in Ontario on May 9, 2022. Northstarbets.ca has generated more than $1 billion in total wagers1 in its first two years of operations.
• Ongoing roll-out of enhancements to the Company’s “Sports Insights 2.0” content vertical, an initiative announced in February 2024, with recent additions including player injury reports from industry leader RotoWire and a revised content strategy placing a greater emphasis on casino.
• Launched the VIP Elite program to help secure the loyalty and satisfaction of our most active players.
• Introduced branded studios for select live dealer games, prominently showcasing the NorthStar Bets brand and reinforcing the Company’s positioning as a premium offering.
• Continued to strengthen the Casino vertical, which has surpassed 650 games covering all major categories and curated from leading vendors worldwide.

“March was the strongest month of Q1, and we have maintained that momentum into the second quarter. Our team is making regular improvements to our service offering, such as the recent launch of a VIP Elite strategy aimed at the most active players who drive a meaningful share of our results. We have some exciting demand creation activities planned for the coming months along with further innovations to our platform and content. We remain focused on unlocking value for our stakeholders and are excited about the opportunities ahead of us in 2024,” Mr. Moskowitz said.

Bragg Gaming Group, a global B2B content-driven iGaming technology provider, reported record financial results for the first quarter of 2024.

Matevž Mazij, Chief Executive Officer for Bragg, commented: “We carried our strong momentum in 2023 into the first quarter, delivering robust growth that underscores the ongoing success of our efforts to transform Bragg into a content-focused iGaming solutions provider across expanding North American and European markets. Year-over-year revenue increased by 4.2% to EUR 23.8 million, largely propelled by organic growth from our current client base, the addition of new customers in multiple jurisdictions, and impressive results from our in-house Wild Streak Gaming casino games studio.

“Although gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA saw modest decreases in the first quarter stemming from the extension and renegotiation of our agreement with Entain Plc to provide our PAM platform to BetCity.nl through 2025, we maintain a strong belief in our ability to achieve long-term growth and profitability. Our proprietary and exclusive third-party content continues to gain ground with an increasing number of top-tier operators globally, and we introduced a total of 19 new exclusive titles worldwide in the first quarter of 2024.

“Additionally, as we continue to make encouraging progress on our strategic alternatives review process, it’s important to emphasize that we are operating the business as usual and remain laser-focused on capitalizing on growth opportunities.

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“With that in mind and in response to the increasing demand and growth in the iGaming marketplace, subsequent to quarter end, we took two significant steps to further fuel our growth initiatives. First, we secured a USD 7.0 million investment through a promissory note, enhancing our balance sheet flexibility as we continue to execute our strategy and explore strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value.

“Second, we bolstered our leadership team with the appointment of Neill Whyte as our new Chief Commercial Officer. With over 18 years of iGaming experience and a proven track record of driving growth through successful commercial partnerships, Neill’s expertise will be invaluable as we leverage our extensive content and product portfolio to expand in existing and new markets. This key hire is another testament to how we are scaling our organization for sustained growth and profitability.

“While the strategic review process progresses, we remain bullish on the opportunities ahead as the trend of iGaming regulation continues worldwide. We see exciting potential in newly regulating markets like Brazil, Peru and Finland, as well as untapped opportunities in regions like Africa that we are actively exploring.

“The strategic moves we have made have established Bragg as a vital content provider for premier international iGaming operators, reinforcing our base for reliable and lucrative growth. Equipped with the appropriate strategies, financial resources, and talent, we are well-prepared to maintain our business momentum while pursuing initiatives that foster cash flow growth and deliver increased value to our shareholders.”