Item 1. Business
ITEM 1. Business
Overview
Boyd Gaming Corporation (the "Company," the "Registrant," "Boyd Gaming," "we" or "us") is a multi-jurisdictional gaming company that has been in operation since 1975. Headquartered in Las Vegas, we operate 28 wholly owned brick-and-mortar gaming entertainment properties ("gaming entertainment properties") in Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In addition, we own and operate Boyd Interactive, a business-to-business (“B2B”) and business-to-consumer (“B2C”) online casino gaming business in the United States and Canada. Through a management agreement with Wilton Rancheria, we also manage the Sky River Casino, which is located in California.
We have a strategic partnership with and are a 5% equity owner of FanDuel Group, the nation’s leading sports-betting operator. Through our strategic partnership, we pursue sports-betting opportunities, both at our properties and online, across the country. We operate FanDuel-branded sportsbooks at 16 of our properties. We also offer online sports-betting under the FanDuel brand in all states that our 28 gaming entertainment properties are located, except in Mississippi and Missouri where online sports-betting has not been legalized and in Nevada where we operate our own brand, Boyd Sports. In addition, we have market access agreements outside of Nevada with other third parties for online sports-betting.
We continually work to position our Company for greater success by strengthening our existing operations and growing through acquisitions, capital investments and other strategic initiatives. Our operating strategy is focused on building loyalty with core customers and operating efficiently. Our operating model is focused on maximizing gaming revenues, streamlining our cost structure, targeting our marketing investments and reducing lower margin offerings, which allows us to flow a higher percentage of our revenues to the bottom line.
In addition, we believe the following factors have contributed to our success in the past and are central to our success in the future:
•
we have an experienced management team;
•
our operations are geographically diversified;
•
we are focused on building loyalty and driving growth with our core customers, a valuable customer segment in our business;
•
our Las Vegas Locals properties are well-positioned to capitalize on the attractive Las Vegas locals market;
•
three of our properties are located in the growing downtown Las Vegas market and also market to a unique niche - Hawaiian customers;
•
we have used our increased free cash flow to strengthen our balance sheet, invest in our properties and return capital to shareholders; and
•
we have the ability to expand certain existing properties and to act opportunistically to make strategic acquisitions.
Properties
We view each of our 28 gaming entertainment properties as an operating segment. For financial reporting purposes, we aggregate these properties into four reportable segments: (i) Las Vegas Locals; (ii) Downtown Las Vegas; (iii) Midwest & South; and (iv) Online, (collectively "Reportable Segments"). The Online segment includes the operating results of our online gaming operations through collaborative arrangements with third parties throughout the United States and the operations of Boyd Interactive. To reconcile Reportable Segments information to the consolidated information, the Company has aggregated nonreportable operating segments into a Managed & Other category. The Managed & Other category includes management fees earned under our management agreement with Wilton Rancheria and the operating results of Lattner Entertainment Group Illinois, LLC, our Illinois distributed gaming operator ("Lattner") with approximately 880 gaming units in approximately 160 locations across the state of Illinois as of December 31, 2023.
For financial information related to our segments as of and for the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, see Note 14, Segment Information, to our consolidated financial statements presented in Part II, Item 8 .
As of December 31, 2023, we operate 27 of our 28 wholly owned gaming entertainment properties (as our Eastside Cannery property has remained closed since March 18, 2020 due to the current levels of demand in the market) offering a total of 1,711,201 square feet of casino space, 28,917 slot machines, 617 table games and 10,405 hotel rooms. We derive the majority of our revenues from gaming at our gaming entertainment properties and Lattner, which generated approximately 70% and 75% of our revenues in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Online revenues from Boyd Interactive and third-party access arrangements, including reimbursements received from our third-party operators for gaming taxes and other expenses we pay under the collaborative arrangements, represent our next most significant revenue source, generating 11% and 7% of our revenues in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Food & beverage revenues, room revenues, management fee revenues and other revenues separately contributed 8% or less of revenues in each of 2023 and 2022.
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Table of Contents
The following table sets forth certain information regarding our gaming entertainment properties (listed by Reportable Segment classification) as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023:
Year
Opened
Casino
Average
or
Space
Slot
Table
Hotel
Hotel
Daily
Location
Acquired
(Sq. ft.)
Machines
Games
Rooms
Occupancy
Rate
Las Vegas Locals
Gold Coast Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, NV
2004
88,915
1,461
41
712
52
%
$
67
The Orleans Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, NV
2004
135,460
1,831
57
1,885
66
%
$
75
Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall
Las Vegas, NV
1979
120,681
1,422
14
645
51
%
$
81
Suncoast Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, NV
2004
95,898
1,394
25
427
73
%
$
101
Eastside Cannery Casino and Hotel
Las Vegas, NV
2016
••
••
••
••
••
••
Aliante Casino + Hotel + Spa
North Las Vegas, NV
2016
125,000
1,455
21
202
86
%
$
118
Cannery Casino Hotel
North Las Vegas, NV
2016
86,000
1,208
20
200
75
%
$
96
Jokers Wild
Henderson, NV
1993
23,698
344
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Downtown Las Vegas
California Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, NV
1975
34,403
826
20
779
77
%
$
54
Fremont Hotel & Casino
•
Las Vegas, NV
1985
43,414
832
21
447
62
%
$
64
Main Street Station Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, NV
1993
26,918
591
8
406
43
%
$
62
Midwest & South
Par-A-Dice Casino
•
East Peoria, IL
1996
26,116
553
18
202
53
%
$
89
Belterra Casino Resort •••
•
Florence, IN
2018
70,232
830
25
662
40
%
$
93
Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa
•
Michigan City, IN
1999
65,000
1,374
22
486
47
%
$
98
Diamond Jo Casino
•
Dubuque, IA
2012
41,408
705
18
N/A
N/A
N/A
Diamond Jo Worth
•
Northwood, IA
2012
34,820
828
22
N/A
N/A
N/A
Kansas Star Casino
•
Mulvane, KS
2012
70,010
1,264
42
N/A
N/A
N/A
Amelia Belle Casino
•
Amelia, LA
2012
27,484
668
11
N/A
N/A
N/A
Delta Downs Racetrack Hotel & Casino
•
Vinton, LA
2001
15,000
1,497
N/A
370
46
%
$
79
Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino
•
Opelousas, LA
2012
39,208
1,118
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Sam's Town Shreveport
•
Shreveport, LA
2004
29,285
760
17
514
36
%
$
83
Treasure Chest Casino
•
Kenner, LA
1997
23,668
900
25
N/A
N/A
N/A
IP Casino Resort Spa
•
Biloxi, MS
2011
81,700
1,135
45
1,088
65
%
$
83
Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall Tunica
•
Tunica, MS
1994
44,020
591
7
354
35
%
$
60
Ameristar Casino * Hotel Kansas City •••
Kansas City, MO
2018
140,000
1,641
42
184
77
%
$
97
Ameristar Casino * Resort * Spa St. Charles •••
St. Charles, MO
2018
130,000
1,763
46
397
78
%
$
100
Belterra Park •••
•
Cincinnati, OH
2018
56,863
1,076
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Valley Forge Casino Resort
•
King of Prussia, PA
2018
36,000
850
50
445
31
%
$
109
Total
1,711,201
28,917
617
10,405
N/A = Not Applicable
● These properties feature FanDuel-branded sportsbooks.
●● The Eastside Cannery Casino and Hotel remains closed due to local market conditions.
●●● Property is subject to a master lease agreement with a real estate investment trust.
We also own a travel agency and a captive insurance company that underwrites travel-related insurance, each located in Hawaii. Financial results for these operations are included in our Downtown Las Vegas segment, as our Downtown Las Vegas properties focus marketing efforts on gaming customers from Hawaii.
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Las Vegas Locals Properties
Our Las Vegas Locals segment consists of eight casinos that primarily serve the resident population in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Las Vegas has historically been characterized by a vibrant economy and strong demographics that include a large population of retirees and other active gaming customers. In recent years, the Las Vegas economy has strengthened, as reflected in the positive trends in employment, construction activity and visitation. Our Las Vegas Locals segment competes directly with other locals casinos and gaming companies, some of which operate larger casinos and offer different promotions than ours.
Gold Coast Hotel and Casino
Gold Coast Hotel and Casino ("Gold Coast") is located on Flamingo Road, approximately one mile west of the Las Vegas Strip and one-quarter mile west of Interstate 15, the major highway linking Las Vegas and southern California. Its location offers easy access from the entire Las Vegas Valley. The primary target market for Gold Coast consists of local customers who actively gamble. Gold Coast's amenities include 712 hotel rooms and suites along with meeting facilities, multiple restaurant options and a 70-lane bowling center.
The Orleans Hotel and Casino
The Orleans Hotel and Casino ("The Orleans") is located on Tropicana Avenue, a short distance from the Las Vegas Strip. The target markets for The Orleans are local residents and visitors to the Las Vegas area. The Orleans provides a New Orleans French Quarter-themed environment. Amenities at The Orleans include 1,885 hotel rooms, a variety of restaurants and bars, a spa and fitness center, 18 stadium-seating movie theaters, a 52-lane bowling center, banquet and meeting space, and a special events arena that seats up to 9,500 patrons.
Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall
Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall ("Sam's Town Las Vegas") is located on the Boulder Strip, approximately six miles east of the Las Vegas Strip, and features a contemporary western theme. Its informal, friendly atmosphere appeals to both local residents and out-of-town visitors alike. Amenities at Sam's Town Las Vegas include 645 hotel rooms, a variety of restaurants and bars, 18 stadium-seating movie theaters, and a 56-lane bowling center.
Suncoast Hotel and Casino
Suncoast Hotel and Casino ("Suncoast") is located in Peccole Ranch, a master-planned community adjacent to Summerlin, and is readily accessible from most major points in Las Vegas, including downtown and the Las Vegas Strip. The primary target market for Suncoast consists of local customers who gamble frequently. Suncoast features 427 hotel rooms, multiple restaurant options, banquet and meeting facilities, 16 stadium-seating movie theaters, a showroom, and a 64-lane bowling center.
Eastside Cannery Casino and Hotel
Eastside Cannery Casino and Hotel ("Eastside Cannery") has been closed to the public since March 18, 2020 and has not yet re-opened due to the current levels of market demand. Eastside Cannery is located directly south of Sam's Town Las Vegas at the intersection of Boulder Highway and Harmon Avenue in Las Vegas. Its location offers easy access for both the Las Vegas and Henderson valleys. At the time of its closure in March 2020, Eastside Cannery offered 63,879 square feet of casino space with 881 slots and eight table games, 306 hotel rooms, a restaurant and bars, meeting and ballroom space, and an entertainment lounge.
Aliante Casino + Hotel + Spa
Aliante Casino + Hotel + Spa ("Aliante") is located in North Las Vegas adjacent to an 18-hole championship golf course and has convenient access to major freeways connecting it to points throughout Las Vegas. The primary target market for Aliante consists of local customers who gamble frequently. Aliante features a full-service Scottsdale-modern, desert-inspired casino and resort, which includes 202 hotel rooms, multiple restaurant options, a 16-screen movie theater complex, showroom, spa, and a resort style pool with cabanas.
Cannery Casino Hotel
Cannery Casino Hotel ("Cannery") is located in the northeastern part of the Las Vegas Valley and has convenient access to major freeways connecting it to points throughout Las Vegas. The primary target market for Cannery consists of local customers who gamble frequently. The Cannery has a 200 -room hotel, a variety of restaurants and bars, an entertainment venue and a 16-screen movie theater.
Jokers Wild
Located in Henderson, the Jokers Wild is approximately 14 miles from the Las Vegas Strip and includes slots, a sportsbook and dining options. The principal customers of this property are Henderson residents.
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Downtown Las Vegas Properties
Our three Downtown Las Vegas properties directly compete with nine other casinos that operate in downtown Las Vegas. As such, we have developed a distinct niche for our downtown properties by focusing on customers from Hawaii. Our downtown properties focus their marketing on gaming enthusiasts from Hawaii as well as tour and travel agents in Hawaii with whom we have cultivated relationships since we opened our California Hotel and Casino (the "Cal" or "California") in 1975. We have strong relationships with Hawaiian travel agencies and offer affordable all-inclusive packages. These relationships, combined with our Hawaiian promotions, have allowed the Cal, Fremont Hotel & Casino ("Fremont") and Main Street Station Hotel and Casino ("Main Street Station") to capture a significant share of the Hawaiian tourist trade in Las Vegas. During the year ended December 31, 2023 , patrons from Hawaii comprised approximately 73% of the occupied room nights at the Cal, 41% of the occupied room nights at Fremont, and 54% of the occupied room nights at Main Street Station.
California Hotel and Casino
The Cal's amenities include 779 hotel rooms, multiple dining options, a sportsbook and meeting space. The Cal and Main Street Station are connected by an indoor pedestrian bridge.
Fremont Hotel & Casino
Fremont is adjacent to the principal pedestrian thoroughfare in downtown Las Vegas, known as the Fremont Street Experience. The property's amenities include 447 hotel rooms, a FanDuel branded sportsbook, a contemporary new food hall and other dining options and meeting space.
Main Street Station Hotel and Casino
Main Street Station's amenities include 406 hotel rooms and two restaurants. In addition, Main Street Station features a 96-space recreational vehicle park, the only such facility in the downtown area.
Midwest & South Properties
Our Midwest & South properties consist of four land-based casinos, six dockside riverboat casinos, three racinos and four barge-based casinos that operate in nine states predominantly in the midwest and southern United States. Generally, these states allow casino gaming on a limited basis through the issuance of a limited number of gaming licenses. Each of our Midwest & South properties primarily serve customers within a 100-mile radius and compete directly with other casino facilities operating in their respective immediate and surrounding market areas, as well as with gaming operations in surrounding jurisdictions. Online sportsbooks are operated under the respective property gaming license of certain of our Midwest & South properties pursuant to collaborative arrangements with FanDuel or one of our other market access partners.
Par-A-Dice Casino
Par-A-Dice Casino ("Par-A-Dice") is a dockside riverboat casino located on the Illinois River in East Peoria, Illinois that features a FanDuel branded sportsbook and a 202 -room hotel. Located adjacent to the Par-A-Dice riverboat is a land-based pavilion, which includes multiple restaurants and a gift shop. Par-A-Dice is strategically located near Interstate 74, a major east-west interstate highway, and it is the only casino gaming facility located within an approximately 90-mile radius of Peoria, Illinois.
Belterra Casino Resort
Belterra Casino Resort ("Belterra Resort") is a dockside riverboat casino located in Florence, Indiana, approximately 50 minutes from downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, 70 minutes from Louisville, Kentucky, and 90 minutes from Lexington, Kentucky and features 662 hotel rooms, a FanDuel branded sportsbook and an 18-hole championship golf course. Belterra Resort is also approximately two and one-half hours from Indianapolis, Indiana. The real estate utilized by Belterra Resort is subject to a Master Lease with Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. ("GLPI"). Ogle Haus Inn, a 54-room boutique hotel that we lease from GLPI, is operated by us and located near Belterra Resort.
Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa
Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa ("Blue Chip") is a dockside riverboat casino located in Michigan City, Indiana, which is 40 miles west of South Bend, Indiana and 60 miles east of Chicago, Illinois. The property competes primarily with five casinos in northern Indiana and southern Michigan and, to a lesser extent, with casinos in the Chicago area and racinos located near Indianapolis. The property features 486 guest rooms, a spa and fitness center, dining and nightlife venues, meeting and event space, including a land-based pavilion, and a FanDuel branded sportsbook.
Diamond Jo Casino
Diamond Jo Casino ("Diamond Jo Dubuque") is a land-based casino located in the Port of Dubuque, a waterfront development on the Mississippi River in downtown Dubuque, Iowa. Diamond Jo Dubuque is a two-story property that includes several dining outlets and bars. The property has meeting space, a 30-lane bowling alley, an entertainment venue and a FanDuel branded sportsbook.
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Diamond Jo Worth
Diamond Jo Worth is a land-based casino situated on a 46-acre site in Northwood, Iowa, which is located in north-central Iowa, near the Minnesota border and approximately 30 miles north of Mason City, Iowa. The casino has an event center, several dining options and a FanDuel branded sportsbook. A 102-room Country Inn & Suites hotel connected to the casino and a 60-room Holiday Inn Express hotel adjacent to the casino, are owned and operated by third parties.
Kansas Star Casino
Kansas Star Casino ("Kansas Star") serves as Lottery Gaming Facility Manager for the South Central Gaming Zone on behalf of the Kansas Lottery pursuant to a Lottery Gaming Facility Management Contract with the State of Kansas (the "Kansas Management Contract"). The land-based casino is located in Mulvane, Kansas, approximately 20 miles south of Wichita, Kansas and has multiple dining venues, casino bars and a FanDuel branded sportsbook. Kansas Star also has an arena that provides a venue for concerts, trade shows and equestrian events. In addition, the property has an event center and an equestrian pavilion that includes a practice arena and covered stalls. There is a 300-room Hampton Inn & Suites hotel connected to the casino that is owned and operated by a third party. Under the terms of the agreement, Kansas Star has the option to purchase the hotel.
Amelia Belle Casino
The Amelia Belle Casino ("Amelia Belle") is located in south-central Louisiana and is a three-level riverboat with gaming, including a FanDuel branded sportsbook, located on the first two decks as well as a café on the first deck. The property's third deck includes a banquet room.
Delta Downs Racetrack Hotel & Casino
Delta Downs Racetrack Hotel & Casino ("Delta Downs") is a land-based racino located in Vinton, Louisiana and conducts horse races on a seasonal basis and operates year-round simulcast facilities for customers to wager on races held at other tracks. In addition, Delta Downs offers slots, a 370 -room hotel and a FanDuel branded sportsbook. Delta Downs is approximately 25 miles closer to Houston than the next closest gaming properties. Located near Lake Charles, Louisiana, Delta Downs is conveniently near a route taken by customers traveling between Houston, Beaumont and other parts of southeastern Texas to Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino
Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino ("Evangeline Downs") is a land-based racino located in Opelousas, Louisiana and approximately 20 miles north of Lafayette, Louisiana. The racino currently includes a casino with a convention center, a FanDuel branded sportsbook and multiple food venues and bars. The racino includes a one-mile dirt track, a 7/8-mile turf track, stables for 1,008 horses and a clubhouse, which together with the grandstand and patio area, provides seating capacity for up to 4,295 patrons and includes a concession stand and bar. There is also a 117-room hotel connected to the racino, which is owned and operated by a third party.
Evangeline Downs operates three Off Track Betting ("OTB") locations in Henderson, Eunice and St. Martinville, Louisiana. Each OTB offers simulcast pari-mutuel wagering and video poker. Under Louisiana's racing and off-track betting laws, we have a right of prior approval with respect to any applicant seeking a permit to operate an OTB within a 55-mile radius of the Evangeline Downs racetrack, which effectively gives us the exclusive right, at our option, to operate additional OTBs within such a radius, provided that such OTB is not also within a 55-mile radius of another horse racetrack.
Sam's Town Shreveport
Sam's Town Shreveport is a dockside riverboat casino located along the Red River in Shreveport, Louisiana. Amenities at the property include 514 hotel rooms, a FanDuel branded sportsbook, multiple restaurants, a live entertainment venue, and convention and meeting space. Feeder markets include east Texas (including Dallas), Texarkana, Arkansas, and surrounding Louisiana cities.
Treasure Chest Casino
Treasure Chest Casino ("Treasure Chest") is a dockside riverboat casino that features a FanDuel branded sportsbook and is located on Lake Pontchartrain in the western suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana. The portside building located adjacent to the riverboat houses two restaurants. Located approximately five miles from the New Orleans International Airport, Treasure Chest primarily serves residents of suburban New Orleans.
A $100 million project is underway to construct a new land-based casino facility to replace the existing riverboat casino. The single-level facility will feature a 47,000-square-foot casino, several new restaurants and bars, nearly 10,000 square feet of convention and meeting space, a FanDuel branded sportsbook, and parking directly adjacent to the casino entrance. The project is expected to be complete by mid-year 2024.
IP Casino Resort Spa
IP Casino Resort Spa ("IP") is a barge-based casino overlooking the scenic back bay of Biloxi, Mississippi and, as a recipient of a AAA Four Diamond Award, is one of the premier resorts on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The property includes 1,088 hotel rooms and suites, a FanDuel branded sportsbook, convention and meeting space, a spa and salon, an entertainment venue, and multiple restaurants and bars.
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Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall Tunica
Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall Tunica ("Sam's Town Tunica") is a barge-based casino located in Tunica County, Mississippi. The property has 354 hotel rooms, a FanDuel branded sportsbook, multiple dining venues, a recreational vehicle park, and entertainment venues.
Ameristar Casino * Hotel Kansas City
Ameristar Casino * Hotel Kansas City ("Ameristar Kansas City") is a barge-based casino located 10 miles from downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The property competes primarily with five casinos in the Kansas City area and bordering eastern Kansas market. The property features 184 guest rooms, several restaurants and a concert venue. The real estate utilized by Ameristar Kansas City is subject to a Master Lease with GLPI.
Ameristar Casino * Resort * Spa St. Charles
Ameristar Casino * Resort * Spa St. Charles ("Ameristar St. Charles") is a barge-based casino located in St. Charles along the Missouri River, strategically situated to attract guests from the St. Charles and the greater St. Louis areas, as well as tourists from outside the region. The property, which is in close proximity to the St. Charles convention facility, is located along the western bank of the Missouri River. The property features a AAA Four Diamond full-service luxury suite hotel with 397 rooms, an indoor-outdoor pool, several dining venues and bars, an entertainment venue, a full-service luxury day spa, two TopGolf Swing Suites and a conference center. The real estate utilized by Ameristar St. Charles is subject to a Master Lease with GLPI.
Belterra Park
Belterra Park is a land-based racino located in Cincinnati, Ohio, situated on approximately 160 acres of land, 40 of which are undeveloped. The property is a gaming and entertainment center offering live racing, pari-mutuel wagering, video lottery terminal gaming, a FanDuel branded sportsbook, several restaurants and the only grass horse racing track in Ohio. The real estate utilized by Belterra Park is subject to a Master Lease with GLPI.
Valley Forge Casino Resort
Valley Forge Casino Resort ("Valley Forge") is a land-based casino hotel located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The property features meeting, conference and banquet facilities and two hotel towers with 445 rooms total. The property also includes multiple dining options, a FanDuel branded sportsbook and an entertainment venue.
Online
Boyd Interactive
On November 1, 2022, the Company completed the acquisition of Pala Interactive and Pala Canada (individually and collectively rebranded, "Boyd Interactive"). Boyd Interactive is an innovative online gaming technology company that provides proprietary solutions on both a B2B and B2C basis in regulated markets across the United States and Canada. Under the Stardust brand, we offer B2C online casino gaming in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Canadian province of Ontario. Beginning in January 2024, we also offer online social gaming via the Boyd Interactive platform in the United States and Ontario. Our B2B customers in the United States and Canada license our platform for use in their online casino offerings.
Online Sports Betting
Through our strategic partnership with FanDuel and other third-party market access partners, we offer online sports wagering in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Lousisana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Management Agreement
We have a management agreement with Wilton Rancheria, a federally recognized Native American tribe, to manage the Sky River Casino, a gaming entertainment complex, located southeast of Sacramento, California. Sky River Casino has over 2,100 slot machines and 80 table games with 17 food and beverage options and live entertainment.
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Competition
Our properties generally operate in highly competitive environments. We compete against other gaming companies as well as other hospitality, entertainment and leisure companies. We face significant competition in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. Such competition may intensify in some of these jurisdictions if new gaming operations open in these markets or existing competitors expand their operations. Our properties compete directly with other gaming properties in each state in which we operate, as well as in adjacent states. We also compete for customers with other casino operators in and around our markets, including Native American casinos, and other forms of gaming, such as lotteries and online gaming. In some instances, particularly with Native American casinos, our competitors pay substantially lower taxes or no taxes at all. We believe that increased legalized gaming in other states, particularly in areas close to our existing gaming properties, and the development or expansion of Native American gaming in or near the states in which we operate, could create additional competition for us and could adversely affect our operations or future development projects.
Frequent Player Loyalty Program
Boyd Rewards
We have established a nationwide branding and loyalty program. Our players can use their "Boyd Rewards" cards to earn and redeem points. The program has five player tiers - Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Onyx and Titanium. The "Boyd Rewards" loyalty program, among other benefits, rewards players for their loyalty and allows players to qualify for promotions, earn rewards toward slot, video poker, or table games play and redeem points for complimentary slot play, food & beverage, hotel rooms and other free goods and services. Benefits for certain tiers of our loyalty program include annual cruises, vacations, and gifts of luxury jewelry and electronics.
Through the Boyd Rewards card, players may link their card to our digital cashless wallet "BoydPay", in jurisdictions with regulatory approval, providing players with a cashless gaming experience. We have also linked the BoydPay wallet to our Boyd Rewards mobile app, creating a contactless experience that allows customers to use their smartphones to play and cash out on casino games. The ability to use a smartphone to play is in the early stages of rollout and will be expanded further pending regulatory approval.
Other Promotional Activities
We provide other promotional offers and discounts targeted towards new customers, frequent customers, inactive customers, customers of various levels of play, and prospective customers who have not yet visited our properties. We also provide mid-week promotional offers and other promotional activities that seek to generate visits to our properties during slower periods. Complimentaries generally are in the form of monetary discounts, and other rewards generally are limited to redemption at our hotels, restaurants, spas and retail facilities.
Government Regulation
We are subject to extensive regulation under laws, rules and supervisory procedures primarily in the jurisdictions where our facilities are located or docked. The states in which we operate empower their regulators to investigate participation by licensees in gaming outside their jurisdiction and may require access to periodic reports with respect to those gaming activities. Violations of laws in one jurisdiction could result in disciplinary action in other jurisdictions. A detailed description of the governmental gaming regulations to which we are subject is filed as Exhibit 99.1 and is herein incorporated by reference.
If additional gaming regulations are adopted in a jurisdiction in which we operate, such regulations could impose restrictions or costs that could have a significant adverse effect on us. From time to time, various proposals have been introduced in the legislatures of some of the jurisdictions in which we have existing or planned operations that, if enacted, could adversely affect the tax, regulatory, operational or other aspects of the gaming industry and us. We do not know whether or not such legislation will be enacted. The federal government of the United States has also previously considered a federal tax on casino revenues and the elimination of betting on National Collegiate Athletic Association events. With the recent expansion of sports wagering in various state jurisdictions, and online casinos on a more limited basis, a federal government may enact legislation taxing and regulating sports wagering and online casino wagering, or alternatively may elect to prohibit such wagering. In addition, gaming companies are currently subject to significant state and local taxes and fees in addition to normal federal and state corporate income taxes, and such taxes and fees are subject to increase at any time. Any material increase in these taxes or fees could adversely affect us.
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Human Capital and Labor Relations
As of December 31, 2023, we had 16,129 Team Members, including 15,308 Team Members at our properties and 821 Team Members in our corporate function. We have collective bargaining agreements with three unions covering 1,107 employees.
Our Team Members are the most important contributors to our business. For our business to operate successfully, to execute on our long-term strategy, and to continue to grow, we depend on having Team Members with the necessary talent and skills to support our property operations and corporate function.
Our access to talent is impacted by local factors in each of our communities, including employment levels, and demand for and availability of specialized skills. In the near term, we expect hiring pressures to continue to be a challenge for our business, however we are confident that we will be able to maintain our workforce and add Team Members with the specialized skills and experience necessary to sustain and grow our business.
We strive to attract individuals who are people-focused and share the values of our culture, which we refer to as "Boyd Style." Our culture includes valuing relationships, exceeding expectations, working smart, and exhibiting our commitment to integrity in everything we do. These values are expected and reinforced at all levels of our organization. We believe this fosters dignity and respect between our Team Members and creates a positive working environment, reinforces the customer experience, and promotes long-term stakeholder value.
We have programs dedicated to selecting new talent and enhancing the skills of our Team Members, including recruiting relationships with numerous industry associations, government agencies and colleges. We believe we provide competitive wages and benefits to attract and retain the talent necessary for the successful operation of our business. Our benefits include healthcare and retirement benefits, holiday and paid time off, and tuition assistance. Additionally, in 2023, we completed our efforts to increase the hourly minimum rate to $15 per hour for all non-tipped, non-represented positions.
We believe our business is differentiated from our competitors due to our commitment to customer service and delivering a customer experience that fosters long-term loyalty. As such, our business depends on the capability and friendliness of each of our Team Members in order to provide outstanding customer service to each of our guests. Every new Team Member at Boyd Gaming is required to complete the Company’s guest service training program. The program is strongly linked to our culture and values and gives Team Members the tools and training to create outstanding customer service experiences for our guests. Additionally, all Boyd Gaming leaders are required to attend leadership training. The program provides our leaders with the tools and training to effectively communicate and coach their team to success.
We are committed to the diversity, equity and inclusion of our workforce. Currently, 51% of our workforce are women and 53% are minority Team Members. As a Company, we work hard to promote and increase the diversity of our workforce. Our goals include attracting, retaining and growing individuals that reflect the diversity of the communities where we do business, developing policies and practices that help our Team Members realize their potential, and creating goodwill with our Team Members and customers. We seek feedback from our Team Members through an annual Team Member Opinion Survey to measure the culture and to improve our work environment for Team Members. The annual survey regularly achieves over 80% participation. Through our most recent annual Team Member Opinion Survey, 85% of Team Members reported high levels of satisfaction in regard to being treated with respect regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age or any other aspect of team member identity. In January 2023, we received a five-star rating in Newsweek magazine's annual listing of America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity. We are proud that we were the only gaming company to receive a perfect rating in this listing, which was compiled through anonymous employee surveys nationwide.
The Company has adopted a Code of Business Conduct that promotes ethical behavior and encourages Team Members to talk to supervisors, managers, or other appropriate personnel when in doubt about the best course of action. Furthermore, we also maintain a confidential Team Member hotline operated by an independent firm for anonymously reporting suspected wrongdoing.
Boyd Gaming strives to provide all Team Members a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All supervisors and management staff are required to attend annual harassment awareness training, are responsible for ensuring that all Team Members comply with this policy and are responsible for ensuring appropriate action is taken if harassment occurs in the workplace.
We have formal, annual goal setting and performance review processes to drive engagement, performance and retention. Our commitment to Team Member engagement is evidenced by our high average tenure of 8.6 years. In our most recent survey, 76% of Team Members reported high levels of job satisfaction.
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Corporate Social Responsibility ("CSR")
We believe our focus on CSR issues is consistent with our values and an integral part of our success as a Company. Dating back to our Company’s founding nearly 50 years ago, we strive to share our success with others, treating every stakeholder of our Company with respect and integrity, and making sure that our home communities are better places because we are a part of them.
We strive to help protect the environment and meaningfully reduce our consumption of natural resources across our nationwide operations. Through these efforts, we endeavor to find ways to continue to reduce our carbon footprint, lower water stress on our communities and reduce the amount of waste sent to the landfills, helping ensure the health of our shared environment for future generations.
We believe our long-term success is intertwined with healthy and vibrant communities. We look to invest in our communities, contributing millions of dollars each year to non-profit organizations across the United States. When crises like pandemics or natural disasters strike our communities, we look for ways to support our neighbors and team members in need.
We strive to be an employer of choice, and create a workplace environment that embraces diversity and inclusion, where Team Members of every background have the ability to realize their full potential and build a rewarding career with us. We have established the Boyd Gaming Diversity Council, as well as 17 property-level diversity committees across seven states. These committees are tasked with promoting diversity and inclusion across our workplaces nationwide, as well as the successful execution of our Company’s diversity goals. Our commitment to being an employer of choice has been recognized by Newsweek magazine, which awarded Boyd Gaming a perfect five-star rating in America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity in 2023. Boyd was also recognized by Newsweek as one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Women in 2023, as well as one of America’s Best Large Employers by Forbes magazine for 2023. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion extends beyond our workforce to our communities as we prioritize leveraging our supply chain to create opportunities for diverse and underrepresented businesses in our communities.
We are committed to promoting responsible gaming throughout our operations and our marketing efforts, and to helping provide assistance to those who need help. We provide financial support to problem gambling and responsible gaming organizations across the country, require all employees to participate in annual responsible gaming awareness training and post prominent signage throughout our properties providing problem gambling helpline information. Additionally, we circulate communications throughout the year to Team Members regarding key responsible gaming practices. We also ensure all advertising and marketing includes information on problem gambling and additional information is available to our customers at our properties.
To fulfill our commitment to our shareholders to operate with the highest level of integrity and respect, we follow a robust set of corporate governance policies and procedures and have assembled an experienced Board of Directors that shares our commitment.
Corporate Information
Boyd Gaming was incorporated in Nevada in June 1988. Our principal executive offices are located at 6465 South Rainbow Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89118, and our main telephone number is (702) 792-7200. Our website is www.boydgaming.com . Information on our website is not incorporated by reference herein.
Available Information
We file annual, quarterly, current and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet site, at http://www.sec.gov, containing reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Copies of our SEC filings are available on the SEC’s website. You also may read and copy reports and other information filed by us at the office of the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005. A copy of this Annual Report on Form 10-K will be provided to a stockholder, with exhibits, without charge upon written request to Boyd Gaming Corporation, 6465 South Rainbow Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89118, (702) 792-7200, Attn: David Strow, Vice President, Corporate Communications.
We make our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to these reports, available free of charge on our corporate website as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. In addition, our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Corporate Governance Guidelines, and charters of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee are available on our website. We will provide reasonable quantities of electronic or paper copies of filings free of charge upon request. In addition, we will provide a copy of the above referenced charters to stockholders upon request.
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Important Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Such statements contain words such as "may," "will," "might," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "could," "would," "estimate," "pursue," "target," "project," "intend," "plan," "seek," "should," "assume," and "continue," or the negative thereof or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the factors listed below. The following factors, along with the Risk Factors included in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K, could affect future results and cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements:
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the general effect and expectation of the national and global economy on our business, including but not limited to interest rates and inflationary pressures, as well as the economies where each of our properties are located;
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the factors that contribute to our ongoing success and our ability to be successful in the future;
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our business model, areas of focus and strategy for driving business results;
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our ability to maintain the integrity of our information technology systems and to protect our internal information;
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impacts caused by public health emergencies and man-made or natural disasters we may encounter;
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competition, including expansion of gaming into additional markets including online gaming, the impact of competition on our operations, our ability to respond to such competition, and our expectations regarding continued competition in the markets in which we compete;
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our expectation regarding the trends that will affect the gaming industry over the next few years and the impact of these trends on growth of the gaming industry, future development opportunities and merger and acquisition activity in general;
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our intention to pursue expansion opportunities, including acquisitions, that are a good fit for our business, deliver a solid return for stockholders, and are available at the right price;
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our compliance with government regulations, including our ability to receive and maintain necessary approvals for our projects;
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that our credit agreement and our cash flows from operating activities will be sufficient to meet our respective projected operating and maintenance capital expenditures for the next twelve months;
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indebtedness, including our ability to refinance or pay amounts outstanding under our credit agreement and our unsecured notes, when they become due and our compliance with related covenants, and our expectation that we will need to refinance all or a portion of our respective indebtedness at or before maturity;
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our belief that all pending litigation claims, if adversely decided, will not have a material effect on our business, financial position, results of operations or cash flows;
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our estimates and expectations regarding anticipated taxes, tax credits or tax refunds;
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our expectations regarding the expansion of sports betting and online wagering;
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our asset impairment analyses and our intangible asset and goodwill impairment tests;
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the likelihood of interruptions to our rights in the land we lease under long-term leases for certain of our hotels and casinos;
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that estimates and assumptions made in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") may differ from actual results; and
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our estimates as to the effect of any changes in our Consolidated EBITDA on our ability to remain in compliance with certain covenants in the credit agreement.
All forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty. All forward-looking statements in this Form 10-K (including any document incorporated by reference) are made only as of the date of the document in which they are contained, based on information available to us as of the date of that document, and we caution you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements in light of the risks and uncertainties associated with them. Forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of our senior management and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which may be beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. If any of those risks and uncertainties were to materialize, actual results could differ materially from those discussed in any such forward-looking statement. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in forward-looking statements are those discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our other current and periodic reports filed from time to time with the SEC.
In addition, historical, current, and forward-looking CSR related statements may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing, and internal controls and processes that continue to evolve. Our CSR initiatives are subject to additional risks and uncertainties, including regarding the evolving nature of data availability, quality, and assessment; related methodological concerns; our ability to implement various initiatives under expected timeframes, cost, and complexity; our dependency on third parties to provide certain information and to comply with applicable laws and policies; and other unforeseen events or conditions. These factors, as well as others, may cause results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any of our forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Additionally, we may provide information that is not necessarily material for SEC reporting purposes but that is informed by various CSR and environmental, social and governance standards and frameworks (including standards for the measurement of underlying data), internal controls, and assumptions or third-party information that are still evolving and subject to change. Our disclosures based on any standards may change due to revisions in framework requirements, availability of information, changes in our business or applicable governmental policies, or other factors, some of which may be beyond our control.
All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by our cautionary statements. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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