Gambling in the USA

Century Casinos Enters into a Definitive Agreement to Acquire the Operations of Three Casinos from Eldorado Resorts

Published

6 years ago

June 18, 2019

Century Casinos, Inc., announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the operations of Isle Casino Cape Girardeau, Lady Luck Caruthersville and Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort from Eldorado Resorts, Inc. for approximately $107.0 million.

Simultaneous with the closing of the transaction, VICI Properties Inc. will acquire the real estate assets of the three properties for approximately $278.0 million and the Company will enter into a triple net lease agreement with VICI for the three casino properties. The lease will have an initial annual rent of approximately $25.0 million and an initial term of 15 years, with four five-year renewal options. The pro-forma rent coverage ratio at the acquired portfolio level is 2.1x.

The purchase price represents an implied trailing twelve month pro-forma earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) multiple of 4.1x for the three casinos. The multiple excludes any potential cost synergies and operational improvements. The acquisition is expected to meaningfully enhance the Company’s free cash flow as well as be immediately accretive to earnings.

The Company will finance the $107.0 million purchase with a new credit facility that is anticipated to be issued by Macquarie Capital. On a pro-forma basis, the Company estimates this will result in total leverage of 3.5x and net leverage of 2.2x. The Company expects to quickly delever given the growth across its existing portfolio, newly acquired properties and the ramp up of Century Mile Racetrack and Casino.

“This transaction further highlights our commitment to enhancing shareholder value,” Erwin Haitzmann, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Century Casinos remarked. “Cape Girardeau, Caruthersville and Mountaineer expand the strategic diversity of Century Casinos with attractive assets in strong, stable markets. The expected increase to our free cash flow will allow us to remain well positioned to reduce leverage and evaluate additional strategic growth opportunities,” Haitzmann concluded.

“The acquisition of the operations of Cape Girardeau, Caruthersville and Mountaineer will transform Century Casinos into a premier regional casino operator in North America,” Peter Hoetzinger, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Century Casinos remarked. “We believe these assets are a great fit for our portfolio and will complement Century Casinos’ expertise in operating small to mid-sized casinos. We are pleased to partner with VICI Properties to structure this transaction in a manner that we expect will be immediately accretive to our operating results,” Hoetzinger concluded.

Isle Casino Cape Girardeau is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, approximately 120 miles south of St. Louis, Missouri, overlooking the Mississippi river. The property opened in 2012 and consists of a dockside casino featuring 41,500 square feet of casino space, 863 gaming machines, 20 table games, three dining venues, a pavilion and an entertainment center. The property also includes a wide variety of non-gaming amenities, including an events center.

Lady Luck Caruthersville is a riverboat casino located along the Mississippi river in Caruthersville, Missouri. The property opened in 1995 and consists of a dockside casino featuring 21,000 square feet of casino space, 507 slot machines, nine table games, two dining venues, a 40,000 square foot pavilion and a 28-space RV park.

Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort is a hotel, casino, entertainment and live thoroughbred horse racing facility located in New Cumberland, West Virginia, one hour from downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The property originally opened in 1951 with the casino opening in 1994 and features a 357-room hotel, approximately 1,486 slot machines, 36 table games, a poker room, a racetrack and five dining venues.

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Upon closing this transaction, the Company’s portfolio will increase to 10 casinos in North America that include over 6,700 gaming machines and 150 table games. On a pro-forma trailing twelve-month basis the Company expects to generate 96% of its Adjusted EBITDA* before rent from its North American casinos.

The transaction, which is expected to close in early 2020, is subject to antitrust approval and approvals of the Missouri Gaming Commission and the West Virginia Lottery as well as other customary closing conditions.

Gambling in the USA

Scientific Games’ iLottery Games Portfolio Expands as Pixiu Gaming Joins SG Content Hub

Published

2 weeks ago

July 21, 2025

Zoltan Tundik

Exciting New Hasbro-Licensed MONOPOLY and BATTLESHIP iLottery Games Coming Via SG Content Hub

Scientific Games welcomed Pixiu Gaming as the newest studio partner to the SG Content Hub. Pixiu Gaming joins the government-regulated lottery industry’s premier iLottery content delivery platform, featuring an expanding, highly curated selection of iLottery games from Scientific Games and partner studios around the globe. The games are available to lotteries in multiple languages and in a variety of play styles for all player segments.

Widely recognized as the leading supplier of Keno games in North American regulated gaming markets, Pixiu Gaming is a boutique developer focused on authentic, engaging and player-centric games. Founded in 2014 and based in London, UK with a remote global team, Pixiu is named after a fierce Chinese mythical creature that attracts and preserves great wealth.

Scientific Games, the world’s largest lottery games company, is collaborating with Pixiu Gaming to bring exciting new MONOPOLY and BATTLESHIP iLottery games to lotteries through its exclusive licensing agreement with Hasbro. Games created by Pixiu Gaming will be available in the SG Content Hub, in addition to games from Scientific Games’ own SG Studios and other premier partner studios worldwide.

Tony Plaskow, Pixiu Gaming Co-Founder, said, “Pixiu Gaming is thrilled to join the SG Content Hub to bring our games to more lotteries. We look forward to working with Scientific Games and Hasbro to create exciting, brand-sensitive MONOPOLY and BATTLESHIP-themed iLottery game experiences. These iconic brands are familiar worldwide, and each provides the perfect mix of strategy and luck. We will weave a true-to-brand digital game experience with fun, simple-to-understand content that entertains players.”

Matt Lynch, President, Digital for Scientific Games, said, “We are very excited to partner with Pixiu Gaming, an up-and-coming studio. Their unique approach to game development and artistic vision brings a differentiated offering to market that will add depth to iLottery portfolios by expanding game play options for existing players while bringing new game experiences to attract new players. Scientific Games is focused on creating an unparalleled range of playstyles and game mechanics for players with the SG Content Hub, and we are proud to soon include play experiences from Pixiu Gaming.”

SG Content Hub offers partner studios select exclusively licensed brands from the company’s portfolio of more than 100 licensed brands, which also includes other Hasbro-licensed games such as CONNECT 4, THE GAME OF LIFE and YAHTZEE. MONOPOLY is perennially the lottery industry’s top performer, with 33 lotteries worldwide offering MONOPOLY-themed games in fiscal year 2025, resulting in more than $2 billion in retail and digital sales during the year.

Scientific Games provides retail and digital games, technology, analytics and services to 150 lotteries in 50 countries worldwide. The company is a digital lottery innovator offering lotteries entertaining game content featuring the most extensive portfolio of licensed brands in the industry, and world-leading digital programs, including CRM, loyalty, promotions, second chance, mobile and web applications.

The MONOPOLY name and logo, the distinctive design of the game board, the four corner squares, the MR. MONOPOLY name and character, as well as each of the distinctive elements of the board and playing pieces are trademarks of Hasbro for its property trading game and game equipment. © 1935, 2025 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Licensed by Hasbro.

Gambling in the USA

Caesars Entertainment Bolsters Online Casino Live Dealer Offering with the Launch of Branded Live Dealer Studio in Michigan

Published

3 weeks ago

July 17, 2025

Niji Narayan

Caesars Entertainment Inc. announced the launch of its third branded online casino live dealer studio, available now to players on Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in Michigan. Developed in partnership with Evolution, the new studio reinforces Caesars’ commitment to delivering world-class, immersive experiences across its online platforms, inspired by the iconic atmosphere of its Caesars Rewards destinations.

The debut of the new studio marks Caesars’ third branded live dealer studio that has opened in 2025 and draws inspiration from table game play at the Las Vegas Strip’s most iconic casino, Caesars Palace. Its opening follows the successful launch of Caesars’ first branded studio with Evolution in Pennsylvania in January. In April, the Company also debuted its first studio inside a Caesars Rewards destination at Tropicana Atlantic City in New Jersey.

“Our third live dealer studio expands our fully customized live dealer experience that is already extremely popular in Pennsylvania and New Jersey into another key jurisdiction where our online casino platforms are live. The studio design takes inspiration from our flagship destination, Caesars Palace, to authentically recreate the atmosphere of Las Vegas for online players. We look forward to our Michigan players enjoying the new experience,” said Matthew Sunderland, Senior Vice President and Chief iGaming Officer at Caesars Digital.

The new live dealer studio in The Great Lakes State is composed of five blackjack tables, including a VIP-exclusive blackjack table, one roulette table, and one baccarat table. The tables are adorned with custom-branded felts featuring iconic Caesars destinations and each marquee online casino platform, including Caesars Palace Online Casino, Caesars Sportsbook & Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino, and, for the first time, Tropicana Online Casino.

Select tables also feature custom felts co-branded through partnerships with professional sports teams. Like Caesars Rewards destinations across North America, the studio caters to VIP players with an exclusive high-limit blackjack table offering an authentic 1-to-1 live experience that could previously only be found in a physical casino.

“As the global leader in online live casino with nearly two decades of experience, Evolution is proud to partner once again with Caesars to launch this bespoke live dealer studio in Michigan. The studio brings the unmistakable character of Caesars’ iconic destinations to the online space, offering players in the state a polished, immersive entertainment experience that mirrors the energy and elegance of the casino floor. It’s another bold step forward in our shared commitment to innovation and quality at scale in the online live casino market,” said Marcus Huber, Chief Commercial Officer of Evolution North America.

Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino are available on iOS, Android, and desktop for those 21 and older in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ontario, and West Virginia. Each platform offers a dynamic online casino experience with a range of unique Caesars-branded games alongside hundreds of classic land-based casino favorites and core casino game mechanics, including high limit slots, private live dealer tables, linked progressive jackpots, variations of poker and roulette, and more.

Gambling in the USA

Snoqualmie Casino & Hotel Unveils Expanded Non-Smoking Gaming Floor

Published

4 weeks ago

July 8, 2025

Niji Narayan

Snoqualmie Casino & Hotel has officially opened its newly expanded non-smoking gaming floor, marking a significant milestone in the property’s continued commitment to exceptional guest experiences.

Located adjacent to the hotel lobby, the new, larger non-smoking slot floor will feature nearly 400 of today’s most popular slot machines in a fresh, modern environment designed exclusively for non-smoking guests. This addition enhances the casino’s dedication to providing smoke-free gaming options in a luxury setting. For convenience and ease of access, non-smoking guests can also take advantage of the smoke-free entrance via the hotel’s valet parking.

This new space complements Snoqualmie Casino & Hotel’s existing fully enclosed, non-smoking slot area near Falls Buffet and Snoqualmie Café & Deli, offering guests even more choice and accessibility when it comes to their preferred gaming environment.

In addition to these gaming enhancements, all restaurants on property are 100% non-smoking, making Snoqualmie Casino & Hotel a premier destination for guests seeking an elevated, smoke-free entertainment and dining experience.

“We’re thrilled to offer our guests even more smoke-free options. The expansion of our non-smoking gaming floor reflects our ongoing efforts to listen to our guests and create an atmosphere that’s both exciting and comfortable for everyone,” said Mary Lou Patterson, CEO of Snoqualmie Casino & Hotel.