Caesars Entertainment has reported a new second-quarter adjusted EBITDA record for its Caesars Digital segment in its financial results for Q2 2024.
However, the operator also declared a significant total net loss for the quarter compared to the previous year. In contrast, total net revenues and same-store adjusted EBITDA stayed relatively consistent year-over-year.
Tom Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, has expressed the company’s optimism for the balance of 2024 due to “strong operating trends” from Las Vegas and Digital and the “expected openings of the permanent facility in Danville”, coupled with its $430m capital investment in its rebranded Caesars New Orleans.
Strong Digital performance
Publishing its Q2 results, when adjusting to include the impact of its completed divestitures, Caesars reported net revenues for the period of $2.83bn, flat when compared to the same period last year (Q2 2023: $2.83bn).
The operator’s net revenue remained relatively consistent thanks to a strong performance from Caesars Digital and a small improvement, but record figure, in Las Vegas operations, offsetting decreases in Regional and Managed and Branded revenue.
Per segment, Caesars Digital revenues improved by 27.8% YoY to $276m (2023: $216m), while Las Vegas revenue grew by 1.9% to $1.1bn (2023: $1.08bn). Managed and Branded revenue fell by 2.8% to $70m (2023: $72m), while Regional revenue dropped by 5.2% to $1.39bn (2023: $1.46bn).
During the company’s earnings call, Caesars Entertainment President and COO, Anthony Carano, stated that the Las Vegas growth was “driven by continued growth in hotel cash revenue as a result of higher year-over-year occupancy and ADRs and record performance from our food and beverage”.
As for Digital, Eric Hession, President of Caesars Sports and Online Gaming, noted that sports betting net revenue increased by 19% YoY while igaming revenue rose by 50% for the second consecutive quarter.
In addition, the company closed its acquisition of sports betting technology company ZeroFlucs in July, while the acquisition of WynnBet’s operations in Michigan was completed in June, setting the stage for the company’s new igaming app branded the ‘Horseshoe’ in early Q3.
Across revenue type, casino revenue stood at $1.56bn (2023: $1.58bn), food and beverage came in at $435m (2023: $435m), hotel revenue stood at $514m (2023: $525m) and other revenue was $324m (2023: $335m).
Caesars declared a net loss of $122m for Q2, down when compared to the net income of $920m for the comparable prior-year period, primarily due to “a release of $940m of valuation allowance against deferred tax assets” associated with its REIT leases in the prior year.
Across segments, net losses were reported in the operator’s Regional and Corporate and Other segments of $51m (2023: $124m net income) and $364m (2023: $538m net income) respectively.
Elsewhere, Las Vegas had a net income of $272m (2023: $256m), Digital net income stood at $4m (2023: $22m net loss), while Managed and Branded net income was $17m (2023: $19m).
Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA for Caesars stayed flat at $1bn, as gains seen in Las Vegas, Digital and Corporate and Other were offset by decreases seen in Regional and Managed and Branded.
For adjusted EBITDA per segment, Las Vegas was $514m (2023: $508m), Regional was $469m (2023: $508m), Caesars Digital was $40m (2023: $11m), Managed and Branded was $17m (2023: $19m) while Corporate and Other was a $40m loss (2023: $43m loss).
Carano noted that Regional adjusted EBITDA declines were due to “a combination of competitive pressures in certain markets, construction disruption, principally in New Orleans and a difficult comparison in Reno due to a large group event last year, offset by performance from our Danville and Nebraska properties”.
Reeg commented: “On a consolidated basis, the company generated $1bn of adjusted EBITDA. Our operating results reflect year-over-year growth in adjusted EBITDA in our Las Vegas segment driven by record same-store revenues, hotel occupancy and Average Daily Rate (ADR).
“Our Caesars Digital segment posted a new second-quarter adjusted EBITDA record, driven by strong revenue growth and solid flow through. Regional segment results reflect competition in new markets partially offset by our temporary facility in Danville, Virginia and our property in Columbus, Nebraska.
“We remain optimistic for the balance of 2024 driven by strong operating trends in our Las Vegas and Caesars Digital segments and the expected openings of the permanent facility in Danville coupled with our $430m capital investment in our newly rebranded Caesars New Orleans property.”
Outlook
Across the balance sheet as of 30 June, Caesars had a net debt at the end of the quarter of $11.6bn, with total cash and cash equivalents at $830m, excluding restricted cash of $129m.
Bret Yunker, CFO of Caesars Entertainment, added: “Our debt reduction plan continued in the second quarter, with Term Loan B repayments of over $100m. We continue to forecast 2024 full-year capital expenditures of $800m, excluding our Danville project which is funded within the joint venture.”
Reeg also expressed optimism for Caesars across the rest of the year during the operator’s earnings call.
The CEO stated: “Rest of the year looks strong. Expect Vegas to post growth. I know that that’s not what’s been reflected in estimates, but we feel very good about the rest of the year into 2025. Eric talked about digital. Another quarter of nearly 30% net revenue growth and 50% flow through, which is what we’ve told you that we expect to deliver.
“July is off to a fantastic start. Growth is in excess of that target, so we feel good about the third quarter and then we’ll get into, by the end of this quarter, we’ll be into football, so we feel very good about where digital is heading.
“Expect that the Horseshoe brand, the second brand in icasino, can help us build on the gains that we’ve had since we rolled out Caesars Palace online. Momentum in digital is quite strong for us and all of the targets that we’ve laid out in the past still seem well within our grasp.”