Gambling in the USA
Penn National Stock Drops 10% Despite Earnings Beat
Penn National Gaming Inc. shares dropped more than 10% last Thursday trading after the gambling company reported earnings that more than doubled expectations. Penn reported first-quarter profit of $91 million, or 55 cents a share, improving from a loss of $5.26 a share in the same quarter a year ago, which was mostly due to an impairment charge of more than $600 million related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Penn reported net revenue of $1.28 billion, up from $1.12 billion in the year-ago quarter. Analysts on average expected earnings of 26 cents a share on sales of $1.14 billion.
Shares dove in Thursday’s trading session despite the earnings beat, with Penn suffering the second-weakest day of any S&P 500 stock behind only Etsy Inc.’s ETSY, +4.97% post-earnings selloff. Jefferies analysts had expected “a neutral to modestly positive reaction in the shares” after the numbers hit, but said that a slower rollout of online gambling options could temper enthusiasm.
“The upside in the quarter … should be expected given the regional strength previously indicated by peers, but is positive nonetheless. Separately, the ongoing transformation to a technology-driven enterprise continues to progress, albeit more gradually than some peers, [which] could temper the Street’s bullishness in response,” the analysts wrote ahead of Thursday morning’s conference call.
Executives did not appear to provide any reason for pessimism in the call, with Chief Executive Jay Snowden calling out improving metrics into the current quarter. The company did not provide any official guidance for the current quarter nor year due to pandemic uncertainty.
“Our performance in March and April … reflects the additional easing of restrictions and an increase in the percentage of people vaccinated. Revenues were 8% over the same two-month period in 2019, while adjusted Ebitdar accelerated 29% to $410 million and Ebitdar margins increased 650 basis points to nearly 40%. We also note that spend-per-visit is much higher than it was pre-COVID,” Snowden said.
Penn has seen its stock rise more than 400% in the past year amid further legalization of sports betting and its investment in popular sports website Barstool.
Fanatics Sportsbook Plans To Launch Online Statewide, Open Retail Sportsbooks Serving Kansas City and St. Louis Markets –
Today, Fanatics Betting and Gaming announced that it is partnering with Boyd Gaming Corporation in the state of Missouri.
Under the terms of their multi-year agreement, Fanatics Sportsbook will operate mobile sports betting under Boyd’s sports betting license in Missouri. The companies will open Fanatics-branded retail sportsbooks at Boyd’s Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City and Ameristar Casino Resort and Spa St. Charles, located near St. Louis. Fanatics plans to launch its online and retail betting products with the debut of regulated sports wagering in Missouri this December, contingent upon receipt of all required regulatory approvals.
Upon launching this December, sports fans across Missouri will be able to download the Fanatics Sportsbook on iOS and Android and begin their Fanatics experience. Winning Hits Different in Missouri on Fanatics Sportsbook with up to 10% FanCash back on every bet, win or lose; Fair Play™ injury protection; and events and experiences that only Fanatics can pull off.
The Fanatics Sportsbook retail locations at the two Ameristar casinos in Missouri will cater to guests looking to enjoy the ultimate sportsbook experience, offering legal betting markets for all major sports including professional and college football, basketball, hockey, baseball, tennis, soccer, golf, MMA, boxing and more. All development and trading of sports betting markets will be done in-house by Fanatics.
For more news and information on the pending launch of legal sports betting in the state of Missouri, follow the Fanatics Sportsbook social channels on X @FanaticsBook and on Instagram @FanaticsSportsbook.
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Gambling in the USA
NYC Mayoral Front-runner Zohran Mamdani Says He Won’t Oppose Casino Development
As a state lawmaker, Zohran Mamdani generally opposed plans to open full-scale casinos in New York City. In June, when he walked past a billboard showing betting markets for the city mayor’s race, he even quipped that “gambling is haram,” an Arabic word meaning forbidden.
But on Wednesday, Mr. Mamdani said that he did not intend to use his newfound political clout as the Democratic mayoral nominee and the race’s front-runner to try to stop the arrival of casinos that are widely considered a fait accompli.
Speaking alongside the leader of a union pushing the gambling expansion, Mr. Mamdani told reporters that while he still had doubts about the casinos backed by corporate giants, he respected the views of state voters who had approved the downstate gambling expansion more than a decade ago.
According to research from Better Business Bureau (BBB), the illegal online gambling market is nearly four times bigger than the legal online gambling industry; $402 billion to $103 billion (estimates from Researchandmarkets.com and the American Gaming Association, respectively).
The BBB says it has received almost 200 scam reports and more than 10,000 business complaints related to online gambling and gaming since 2022. Some scam reports involved theft, while complaints showed a pattern of unclear terms and consumer misunderstandings. In some cases, consumers lost tens of thousands of dollars.
Here are some common questions with answers from the BBB regarding online gambling:
What red flags should I look out for if using gambling or gaming services?
Big promises around payouts and tempting ads without details are common. Many people aren’t aware the people they are dealing with are in countries overseas. People should also be leery of sweepstakes-style games, payment through cryptocurrency and typos in names.
How can I avoid issues with gambling or gaming companies?
Read your state and provincial laws. There are many different laws for online gambling, depending on where you live.
Check for proper licensure. Even if your state allows gambling, it may have a limited list of allowed websites. Check with your state’s gaming agency to see who is licensed.
Read the fine print. The reality of how winning and withdrawal works may be different than your first impression on a website. Check out the details of a specific service and fully understand how they work before sending them any money.
Even legitimate websites may freeze winnings. There are many reasons why a casino or sportsbook might freeze winnings, even if the money is rightfully yours. Know what actions to take if your account is frozen.
Visit BBB.org to check out a business or register a complaint and BBB.org/ScamTracker to report a scam.
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