LAS VEGAS, Dec. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NASDAQ: CZR) (“Caesars” or “Caesars Entertainment”), one of the world’s most diversified casino-entertainment providers, today announced it has completed the previously announced sale of the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino (the “Rio”) to a company (the “Buyer”) affiliated with Dreamscape Companies (“Dreamscape”), which is owned and controlled by Eric Birnbaum, for $516.3 million (including certain fees, expenses and $40 million in seller financing provided by a Caesars affiliate). Dreamscape acquires, repositions and/or develops hospitality, residential, retail, gaming and entertainment assets.
Caesars Entertainment Corporation logo. (PRNewsFoto/Caesars Entertainment Corporation)
In connection with the completion of the sale, a Caesars subsidiary entered into a lease with the Buyer under which Caesars will continue to operate the property for a minimum of two years and pay annualized rent of $45 million. The Buyer has the option to pay Caesars $7 million to extend the lease under similar terms for a third year. At the end of the lease term and at the request of the Buyer, Caesars may continue to manage the Rio or may provide transition services to the Buyer.
The Rio will continue to be part of the Caesars Rewards network during the lease term, and the transaction is not expected to result in any changes to the guest experience. The World Series of Poker will be hosted at the Rio in 2020 and hosting rights will remain with Caesars Entertainment thereafter. Further details on the transaction are available in the Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
HONG KONG, Dec 1 (Reuters) – Gambling revenue in the Chinese territory of Macau dropped 8.5% in November year on year, hit by lacklustre demand from high roller gamblers due to slowing economic growth amid the ongoing Sino-U.S. trade war and protests in neighbouring Hong Kong.
November’s figure of 22.9 billion patacas ($2.8 billion), the second weakest figure this year, comes as some high roller players delay trips to Macau, analysts said.
The figure was better than analyst expectations of a drop between 10-13%. It was down from October’s haul of 26.4 billion patacas which had been the highest figure in 2019.
While protests in the Asian financial hub of Hong Kong have caused transport disruption and deterred travel to the former British colony and then on to Macau, analysts and executives say the impact on gaming revenues has been minimal.
However the protests have added to other factors such as a softening Chinese economy and weakness in the Chinese yuan currency.
Tightened liquidity in the high roller VIP sector due to an attack by Chinese state media on Macau’s biggest junket operator Suncity, have also affected demand from big punters.
President Xi Jinping is due to visit Macau in December to mark 20 years under Chinese rule, an event that analysts say will likely put further pressure on VIP gaming revenues as big whales put off visits.
($1 = 8.0750 patacas)(Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
(Bloomberg) — MGM Resorts International, pressured by investors to unload its remaining company-owned casinos, agreed to sell the Bellagio resort in Las Vegas to Blackstone Group for $4.25 billion and will continue to operate the property under a lease arrangement.
The Las Vegas-based casino company also agreed to sell the Circus Circus property on the Strip, along with 47 adjoining acres, to real estate mogul Phil Ruffin for $825 million, according to a statement Tuesday.
With the sales, MGM Resorts moves a step closer to becoming a landless casino company, marking a new era for the largest operator of casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. When all of its deals close, the company will have just two wholly owned properties, including the flagship MGM Grand, remaining under its ownership. The company is keeping a 5% stake in the Blackstone-led venture that’s buying Bellagio.
“The casino industry is evolving and we figured the best use of our intellectual capital was to focus on sports, live entertainment and reduce leverage,” Jim Murren, MGM’s chairman and chief executive officer, said in an interview. “It’s very historic for a variety of reasons.”
MGM has been restructuring under pressure from activist investors. The company has cut and reorganized management, and previously sold all but four of its wholly owned casinos to MGM Growth Properties Inc., a real estate investment trust it created three years ago. The REIT has an option to buy the MGM Springfield in Massachusetts.
The price for Bellagio represents 17.3 times the initial annual rent of $245 million, MGM said. Bloomberg News previously reported Blackstone was in talks to buy and lease back the Bellagio and MGM Grand. The property is being purchased by the Blackstone Real Estate Investment Trust.
MGM will use the proceeds to bolster its balance sheet and return capital to shareholders. Murren said the transactions will help the company target new growth opportunities, including one of the new integrated resource licenses in Japan and sports betting in the U.S. MGM has no plans to develop any more casinos in Las Vegas, he said.
Earlier Deals
Ruffin, a real estate mogul raised in Wichita, Kansas, will pay $662.5 million in cash for Circus Circus. The $162.5 million balance will be in a note that’s due in 2024. The parties expected to deal to close in the fourth quarter. The resort has 2,300 employees and includes a 20-acre RV park and 37-acre festival grounds.
Ruffin bought the Treasure Island casino from MGM for $746 million in 2009. The company then was trying to raise cash following the financial crisis and complete construction of its CityCenter project.
He fixed up Treasure Island, once known for its daily pirate battles outside, adding a western-themed barbecue restaurant and other amenities aimed at Middle American guests. Earlier, he partnered with Donald Trump on the Trump International Hotel, a non-casino hotel and condo development on the Strip.
Circus Circus, now more than 50 years old, was once a flagship property of publicly traded Circus Circus Enterprises. MGM ultimately acquired that company. The resort itself is located at the less-trafficked north end of the Strip.
The sale of Bellagio will provide a benchmark value to attract bidders for MGM’s remaining real estate interests, Murren said, including the CityCenter properties that are co-owned with Dubai World, and the flagship MGM Grand.
Murren also said he wasn’t concerned that Penn National Gaming Corp., another casino operator that had moved to a similar asset-light strategy, trades at a lower multiple of earnings than other casino companies. He said MGM’s assets make it unique.
MGM Resorts enlisted Weil, Gotshal & Manges as its legal counsel, while PJT Partners and JPMorgan Chase & Co. served as financial advisers. Blackstone’s REIT used Citigroup Inc. and Morgan Stanley as its financial advisers. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, meanwhile, was its legal counsel.
Story by Christopher Palmeri,Bloomberg•October 15, 2019
HONG KONG, Aug 25 (Reuters) – The Chinese territory of Macau elected former legislature head Ho Iat Seng as its leader on Sunday – the sole approved candidate.
Ho, who has deep ties to China, is expected to cement Beijing’s control over the special administrative region and distance it from protests in neighbouring Hong Kong.
He secured 392 votes from a 400-member pro-Beijing committee to lead the world’s largest gambling hub for at least the next five years, public broadcaster TDM reported.
The 62-year-old’s highly scripted appointment comes as the former Portuguese colony tries to position itself as a beacon of stability and model for the Chinese government’s “one country, two systems” formula through which Beijing administers Macau and Hong Kong.
Although anti-government protests have roiled the former British colony of Hong Kong for nearly three months, Macau has seen little dissent to Beijing’s rule.
Ho said local youth could resist the influence of Hong Kong’s protesters and support measures to boost patriotism in Macau.
(Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. casino operator Eldorado Resorts Inc has agreed to merge with Caesars Entertainment Corp in a cash and stock deal that values its peer at about $18 billion including debt, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.
The agreement comes three months after Reuters reported that Caesars had agreed to give Eldorado access to its books under pressure from billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who earlier this year was awarded seats on Caesars’ board.
The deal, which is expected to be announced on Monday, values Caesars at close to $13 a share, according to the sources. The combined company’s ownership would be split roughly between Eldorado and Caesars shareholders, the sources said.
The sources asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential. An Eldorado spokesman said the company did not comment on rumors or speculation. Caesars did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The combination of the two companies would create a serious competitor to larger casino industry players, such as Las Vegas Sands Corp, Wynn Resorts Ltd and MGM Resorts International.
Caesars’ shares closed on Friday at $9.99. The company, which emerged from bankruptcy in 2017, operates casinos with the Harrah’s and Horseshoe brands. It had 53 properties in 14 U.S. states and five countries outside the United States at the end of December.
Eldorado has a market value of $4 billion. It also had long-term debt at the end of March of $3.1 billion. It owns and operates 26 properties in 12 U.S. states.
(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis; Editing by Peter Cooney)
