Gambling in the USA

Las Vegas Sands Reports First Quarter 2020 Results

Published

4 years ago

April 24, 2020

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

For the quarter ended March 31, 2020 (Compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2019)

– Greatest Priorities Remain the Safety and Security of Team Members and Guests and Support for Local Communities in Macao, Singapore and Las Vegas

– The Company will Continue Previously Announced Capital Expenditure Programs in both Macao and Singapore

– Strong Balance Sheet Positions the Company Well to Invest in Future Growth Opportunities

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), the world’s leading developer and operator of convention-based Integrated Resorts, reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.

“The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our business has been unprecedented, and I have never seen anything like it in my over seventy years in business,” said Sheldon G. Adelson, chairman and chief executive officer. “Our greatest priority during this difficult time remains our deep commitment to supporting our team members and to helping those in need in each of our local communities of Macao, Singapore and Las Vegas.

Despite these circumstances, our balance sheet strength will enable us to emerge from this pandemic with all our promising future growth opportunities fully intact. We remain extremely optimistic about an eventual recovery of travel and tourism spending across our markets, as well as our future growth prospects. We are fortunate that our financial strength will allow us to continue to execute our previously announced capital expenditure programs in both Macao and Singapore, while continuing to pursue growth opportunities in new markets.”

Net revenue was $1.78 billion, a decrease of 51.1% from the prior year quarter. Operating income decreased 94.3% to $55 million. Net loss in the first quarter of 2020 was $51 million compared to net income of $744 million in the first quarter of 2019. Consolidated adjusted property EBITDA was $437 million, a decrease of 69.9% from the prior year quarter.

The company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.79 per common share on March 26, 2020. The company has suspended its quarterly dividend program due to the impact of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic.

Sands China Ltd. Consolidated Financial Results

On a GAAP basis, total net revenues for SCL decreased 65.1%, compared to the first quarter of 2019, to $814 million. Net loss for SCL was $166 million, compared to net income of $557 million in the first quarter of 2019.

Other Factors Affecting Earnings

Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized, was $131 million for the first quarter of 2020, compared to $141 million in the prior-year quarter. The decrease resulted from our weighted average borrowing cost in the first quarter of 2020 decreasing to 4.2%, compared to 4.6% during the first quarter of 2019.

Our income tax expense for the first quarter of 2020 was $25 million, compared to $85 million in the prior year quarter. The tax rate for the first quarter of 2020 was primarily driven by a 17% statutory tax rate on our Singapore operations.

Balance Sheet Items

Unrestricted cash balances as of March 31, 2020 were $2.60 billion.

The company has access to $3.93 billion available for borrowing under our U.S., SCL and Singapore revolving credit facilities, net of outstanding letters of credit.

As of March 31, 2020, total debt outstanding, excluding finance leases, was $12.30 billion.

Capital Expenditures

Capital expenditures during the first quarter totaled $320 million, including construction, development and maintenance activities of $241 million in Macao, $33 million in Las Vegas and $46 million at Marina Bay Sands.

Conference Call Information

The company will host a conference call to discuss the company’s results on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Interested parties may listen to the conference call through a webcast available on the company’s website at www.sands.com.

About Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS)

Las Vegas Sands is the world’s pre-eminent developer and operator of world-class Integrated Resorts. We deliver unrivaled economic benefits to the communities in which we operate.

Sands created the meetings, incentives, convention and exhibition (MICE)-based Integrated Resort. Our industry-leading Integrated Resorts provide substantial contributions to our host communities including growth in leisure and business tourism, sustained job creation and ongoing financial opportunities for local small and medium-sized businesses.

Our properties include The Venetian Resort and Sands Expo in Las Vegas and the iconic Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Through majority ownership in Sands China Ltd., we have developed the largest portfolio of properties on the Cotai Strip in Macao, including The Venetian Macao, The Plaza and Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Sands Cotai Central and The Parisian Macao, as well as the Sands Macao on the Macao Peninsula.

Sands is dedicated to being a good corporate citizen, anchored by the core tenets of serving people, planet and communities. We deliver a great working environment for our team members worldwide, drive social impact through the Sands Cares charitable giving and community engagement program and lead in environmental performance through the award-winning Sands ECO360 global sustainability program. To learn more, please visit www.sands.com.

SOURCE Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Detroit casinos

Detroit Casinos Report $109.44M in April Revenue

Published

3 days ago

May 16, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

detroit-casinos-report-$109.44m-in-april-revenue

The three Detroit casinos reported $109.44 million in monthly aggregate revenue (AGR) for the month of April 2024, of which $107.87 million was generated from table games and slots, and $1.57 million from retail sports betting.

The April market shares were:

MGM, 46%
MotorCity, 30%
Hollywood Casino at Greektown, 24%

Monthly Table Games, Slot Revenue, and Taxes

The casinos’ revenue for table games and slots for the month of April 2024 decreased 1.6% when compared to the same month last year. April’s monthly revenue was 11.8% lower when compared to the previous month, March 2024. From Jan. 1 through April 30, the Detroit casinos’ table games and slots revenue decreased by 1.6% compared to the same period last year.

The casinos’ monthly gaming revenue results were mixed compared to April of last year:

MGM, down 0.7% to $49.86 million
MotorCity, down 4.5% to $32.68 million
Hollywood Casino at Greektown, up 0.6% to $25.33 million

In April 2024, the three Detroit casinos paid $8.74 million in gaming taxes to the State of Michigan. They paid $8.88 million for the same month last year. The casinos also reported submitting $12.8 million in wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit in April.

Monthly Retail Sports Betting Revenue and Taxes

The three Detroit casinos reported $15.28 million in total retail sports betting handle, and total gross receipts were $1.57 million for the month of April. Retail sports betting qualified adjusted gross receipts (QAGR) were up by $1.5 million in April when compared to the same month last year. Compared to March 2024, April QAGR was down by 1.7%.

April QAGR by casino was:

MGM: $475,492
MotorCity: $516,812
Hollywood Casino at Greektown: $578,131

During April, the casinos paid $59,362 in gaming taxes to the state and reported submitting $72,554 in wagering taxes to the City of Detroit based on their retail sports betting revenue.

Fantasy Contests

For March 2024, fantasy contest operators reported total adjusted revenues of $494,162 and paid taxes of $41,510.

Gambling in the USA

CogniPlay Launches New Social Casino Platform

Published

4 days ago

May 15, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

cogniplay-launches-new-social-casino-platform

CogniPlay has today announced the official launch of their new software product, which aims to provide a robust online sweepstakes or social gaming platform to their clients.The system is designed to be modular, allowing customers to tailor their brand and offering to what they believe will give them optimal performance.

The rise of sweepstake casinos in the US is continuing to gather pace and many companies from real money gaming are investigating the business model and the potentially lucrative revenue opportunity. With no standout platform solution currently on the market, CogniPlay looks to serve clients a full white label style solution with every detail taken care of. Brands like Chumba and Pulsz are already seeing tremendous success and CogniPlay gives an extremely efficient route to market for potential new sweepstake casino owners.

The CogniPlay system has several key integrations which help to deliver the product, including games integrations with the likes of Pragmatic Play, BetSoft, Mascot Gaming and many more, giving them 100s of games for their clients. There are other integration options for their customers to pick from too, including affiliate programme software, CRM platforms and associated products, KYC, ID verification, Geo-IP systems, Gamification, and customer support.

They also have a very long and extensive development pipeline which will see the product offering develop at pace, giving clients an extensive list of options and USPs, and of course giving players a great user experience as a result.

As well as the platform itself the CogniPlay team, due to their considerable experience, also offer a whole host of managed services, with almost a menu that clients can choose from to fill any gaps in their own skillsets or experience.

It is also this experience that CogniPlay hopes to utilise to great effect to provide industry-leading client management to build successful relationships and partnerships with their clients. CogniPlay’s Chief Executive Officer Allan Turner said, “We are very proud to take the CogniPlay product to market and are excited that people who want to start a new social or sweeps brand can get in touch with us to see what we can do for them, or in fact established brands that are unhappy with their existing provider.

Our underlying principles are that we want to provide the most flexible platform in the space, to enable our clients to create the product they want to have, not for us to dictate the product to them. The two other main areas of focus are that we want to be the most future-proof product on the market with plans for any regulatory or legal changes that may arise in the future, and that we have all the right safeguards in place to ensure that we look after both our clients and players with our responsible gaming setup.

This of course means having the right tech and processes in the key areas of KYC, Geo-IP tech, anti-money laundering, fraud, risk assessment and ID verification.”

Gambling in the USA

XSOLLA RELEASES QUARTERLY INSIGHTS REPORT ON THE FUTURE OF GAMING AND GAME DEVELOPMENT: A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF SPRING 2024 METRICS AND UPCOMING TRENDS

Published

5 days ago

May 14, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

xsolla-releases-quarterly--insights-report-on-the-future-of-gaming-and-game-development:-a-preliminary-analysis-of-spring-2024-metrics-and-upcoming-trends

Key trends include the fast-growing mobile gaming segment, the impact of recent regulations, the integration of blockchain and AI, and the investments in equity and inclusion across the gaming industry.

Xsolla, a global video game commerce company, published the Spring 2024 edition of “The Xsolla Report: The State of Play” today. Launched on the heels of the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2024, this extensive report provides invaluable insights into the emerging trends and pivotal shifts impacting the gaming industry in the short and long term. It sets the stage to significantly shape the future of mobile gaming, deepen academic connections within the gaming ecosystem, and redefine investment patterns.

In an era where mobile gaming commanded a 49% share of the global market in 2023, this edition of “The State of Play” sheds light on the evolving landscape of mobile gaming. The report navigates through the advancements in global compliance and regulation, including the Digital Markets Act in Europe’s new player engagement strategies, offering a glimpse into the potential future of mobile gaming monetization and distribution. It discusses the impact of cross-platform play and the importance of innovative monetization models, providing actionable insights for developers and industry stakeholders.

“The State of Play” emphasizes the importance of academia in the growth and diversification of the gaming industry. It explores how educational programs and initiatives develop talent and promote diversity and inclusivity within the gaming community. This edition underlines the symbiotic relationship between the gaming industry and academic institutions, highlighting programs that significantly impact students and the industry.

Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer at Xsolla, comments: “As we introduce the latest edition of ‘The State of Play,’ we’re not merely sharing industry insights but advocating for a transformative vision: Equal Access for Everyone. This initiative goes beyond our commitment to innovation and growth within the gaming industry. It’s about breaking down barriers to ensure that every developer, regardless of company size, has the opportunity to showcase their creativity and reach a global audience. Our focus is on providing platforms and tools that foster creative opportunities, international exposure, and the development of unique projects, ensuring that the future of gaming is accessible to all. We aim to empower every player and developer worldwide, ensuring the gaming landscape is as diverse and dynamic as its community.”

The report offers an in-depth analysis of the gaming industry’s current investment climate, including funding trends, mergers, and acquisitions. It outlines the shifts in investment patterns, from the heights of the pandemic-induced boom to a more measured approach in 2024. “The State of Play” provides a roadmap for navigating the industry’s financial aspects, offering insights into strategic investment opportunities and forecasting future trends.

Featuring expert commentary from industry voices like:

Mukul Aurora, Co-founder of Appsoleut Games;
Mariusz Gasiewski, CEO of Mobile Gaming and Apps Lead at Google;
Karla Reyes, Founder and Studio Director,

Anima Interactive, the Xsolla Report: The State of Play is now available for complimentary download. To secure your copy and gain invaluable insights into the gaming industry, visit our website.