Blake Sartini

Golden Entertainment Reports 2023 First Quarter Results

Published

11 months ago

May 12, 2023

Golden Entertainment Inc. reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023.

Blake Sartini, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Golden Entertainment, commented: “In the first quarter we were able to grow revenue but elevated costs relative to last year continued to impact our Adjusted EBITDA. During the quarter, we announced the sale of our distributed gaming businesses in both Nevada and Montana, which will allow us to focus on investing in our wholly-owned casino assets and growing our tavern portfolio in Nevada. We expect the sale of our distributed gaming businesses to close by the end of 2023 and continue to expect the previously announced sale of our Rocky Gap property in Maryland to close by the end of June. Most of the sales proceeds from these transactions will further reduce leverage, which will position us well to continue investing in our owned properties, accelerate capital returns to shareholders and pursue future strategic initiatives.”

Consolidated Results

Revenues of $278.1 million for the first quarter of 2023 increased 2% from $273.6 million for the first quarter of 2022. Net income for the first quarter of 2023 was $11.6 million, or $0.38 per fully diluted share, compared to net income of $36.1 million, or $1.12 per fully diluted share, for the first quarter of 2022. First quarter 2023 Adjusted EBITDA was $62.2 million, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $67.3 million for the first quarter of 2022.

Debt and Liquidity

As of March 31, 2023, the Company’s total principal amount of debt outstanding was $913 million, consisting primarily of $575 million in outstanding term loan borrowings and $335 million of senior unsecured notes. As of March 31, 2023, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $156 million, and short-term cash investments of $5 million that will convert into cash during the quarter ending June 30, 2023, and there continues to be no outstanding borrowings under the Company’s $240 million revolving credit facility.

Blake Sartini

Golden Entertainment Announces Leadership Changes

Published

3 weeks ago

March 27, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

golden-entertainment-announces-leadership-changes

Golden Entertainment Inc. announced that effective March 20, 2024, Blake Sartini II, Golden’s Executive Vice President of Operations, became the Company’s Chief Operating Officer.

“Blake has worked in every capacity throughout our organization since he started at Golden almost 17 years ago. His unique knowledge of our Company’s culture, commitment to operational excellence, and strong leadership skills make him the ideal individual to be given responsibility for all our Nevada casino resorts, locals properties, tavern operations and related corporate functions,” Blake Sartini, Chairman and CEO of Golden, said.

Blake Sartini II initially joined Golden in June 2007, working with Golden’s tavern operations and building what is now the largest branded tavern portfolio in Nevada with 69 locations. Currently, as Executive Vice President of Operations, in addition to oversight of Golden’s taverns, he has direct responsibility for the Company’s five local casinos in Las Vegas and Pahrump.

Steve Arcana, Golden’s current Chief Operating Officer, became the Company’s Chief Development Officer also effective March 20, 2024. In this newly created role, Mr. Arcana will be responsible for all new tavern development, finding new third-party food and beverage concepts for the Company’s casino resorts, and exploring opportunities to unlock value in the Company’s excess real estate in Las Vegas, Laughlin and Pahrump. Mr. Arcana initially joined Golden in 2003 and has overseen the Company’s operations as it has grown from a privately held, 900-slot machine route operation to a publicly traded gaming company with casinos in Las Vegas, Laughlin and Pahrump in addition to its significant tavern portfolio.

“Steve has been with Golden for over 20 years and has been an integral part of growing our business and guiding us through many challenges. Steve has established a strong operating team and has been a consistent leader throughout his decades at Golden. His long history and extensive experience in the industry will continue to benefit the Company in his new role focused on creating value from new tavern development and unused assets in our casino portfolio,” Mr. Sartini said.

“These management changes will allow Golden to focus on maximizing performance in our core operations while exploring opportunities to drive future improvement by bringing potential new concepts to our existing portfolio. I am confident the changes to Blake and Steve’s roles with the Company will position us well to create additional shareholder value,” Mr. Sartini added.

Blake Sartini

Golden Entertainment Inks Nevada and Montana Distributed Gaming Operations Divestiture Deals

Published

1 year ago

March 7, 2023

GamingAmericas.com

American gaming firm Golden Entertainment has signed definitive agreements that are to see it divest its video-based distributed gaming operations in the states of Montana and Nevada for an aggregate consideration of some $361.5 million.

The deals will involve J&J Ventures Gaming paying roughly $247.5 million for the Las Vegas-headquartered company’s operations in Nevada alongside around $114 million for its compatriot business in Montana. The arrangements set to close before the end of the year remain subject to customary working capital adjustments and are to additionally embrace expected purchased cash of about $39 million and $5 million respectively.

Golden Entertainment currently owns and operates casinos, taverns and distributed gaming facilities in the American states of Nevada, Montana and Maryland featuring nearly 16,800 slots alongside more than 100 gaming tables. This portfolio runs to nine casinos and 60 taverns in southern Nevada as well as western Maryland’s 216-room Rocky Gap Casino Resort facility.

In addition to these divestitures and Golden Entertainment has signed a five-year agreement that is to see privately-held J&J Gaming support its branded tavern-based gaming operations in Nevada. The company did not disclose the financial details of this latter arrangement with the established Illinois-based distributed gaming operator but did state that these terms are consistent with its ‘past practice’.

The aggregated consideration of these deals represents a multiple of approximately nine times the $44 million Golden Entertainment’s distributed gaming operation chalked up in adjusted EBITDA for the twelve months to the end of December excluding $3.8 million in allocated corporate costs. The company now expects to focus more of its time and resources on its portfolio of wholly-owned casinos and taverns in Nevada so as to create additional shareholder value.

“Our leading distributed gaming operations in Nevada and Montana were built over the last 20 years through the hard work and dedication of team members who provide exceptional service and support to our valued route partners,” Blake Sartini, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Golden Entertainment, said. “We believe these transactions will provide further success for our route partners through sharing of best practices and new technology. We anticipate our distributed gaming team members will continue to serve our route partners with the same dedication under J&J Gaming’s ownership. Our confidence in J&J Gaming’s future success is highlighted by our new long-term agreement with J&J Gaming to service [our] wholly-owned tavern portfolio.”

Adjusted EBITDA

Golden Entertainment Announces Q2 2021 Results

Published

3 years ago

August 9, 2021

GamingAmericas.com

Las Vegas-based gaming company Golden Entertainment has announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2021.

Blake Sartini, Chairman and CEO of Golden Entertainment, said: “Our second quarter operating results demonstrated improvement over our first quarter, as we generated record quarterly levels of revenue, net income and Adjusted EBITDA. These results highlight strong levels of visitation and spend at all of our properties, including The STRAT, combined with the margin improvement we have sustained over the last twelve months.

“During the quarter, we deployed cash generated from operations to repay over $50 million of outstanding debt obligations including $47 million of our term loan. After the quarter ended, we received a $60 million cash payment from Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (Caesars) related to their acquisition of William Hill and have the potential to receive up to an additional $15 million payment from Caesars depending on the sale value for William Hill’s UK business. We appreciate our longstanding relationship with William Hill and look forward to their continued operation of the sportsbooks in our Nevada casinos. After receiving the payment from Caesars, our pro forma LTM net leverage ratio is 3.8x and we expect to continue to reduce our leverage through the end of the year which will provide additional strategic flexibility and position us to return capital to our shareholders.”

Consolidated Results

The Company reported revenue of $292.5 million in the second quarter of 2021 compared to $76.0 million in Q2 2020. Net income for Q2 2021 was $103.0 million, or $3.26 per fully diluted share, compared to a net loss of $78.6 million, or a loss of $2.80 per share, in Q2 2020. Net income for Q2 2021 includes $60.0 million, or $0.53 per fully diluted share, in other non-operating income recognized from the Caesars payment received after quarter end. Adjusted EBITDA was $91.0 million for Q2 2021 compared to Adjusted EBITDA of ($5.5) million in Q2 2020.

Casinos

Casino revenues were $170.8 million for Q2 2021 compared to $39.4 million in Q2 2020. Casino Adjusted EBITDA was $78.5 million compared to $1.9 million in Q2 2020. Total Casino Adjusted EBITDA margin was 46% for the second quarter of 2021.

Distributed Gaming

Distributed Gaming revenues for the second quarter of 2021 were $121.4 million compared to $36.3 million in Q2 2020. Distributed Gaming Adjusted EBITDA was $24.9 million compared to $0.9 million in Q2 2020. Total Distributed Gaming Adjusted EBITDA margin was 21% for the second quarter of 2021.