Item 1. Business
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Overview
GLPI is a self-administered and self-managed Pennsylvania REIT. GLPI was incorporated on February 13, 2013, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of PENN Entertainment, Inc., formerly known as Penn National Gaming, Inc. (NASDAQ: PENN) ("PENN"). On November 1, 2013, PENN contributed to the Company, through a series of internal corporate restructurings, substantially all of the assets and liabilities associated with PENN's real property interests and real estate development business, as well as the assets and liabilities of Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge and Hollywood Casino Perryville (which are referred to as the "TRS Properties") and then spun-off GLPI to holders of PENN's common and preferred stock in a tax-free distribution (the "Spin-Off"). The assets and liabilities of GLPI were recorded at their respective historical carrying values at the time of the Spin-Off in accordance with the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 505-60 - Spinoffs and Reverse Spinoffs ("ASC 505").
The Company elected on its U.S. federal income tax return for its taxable year that began on January 1, 2014 to be treated as a REIT and GLPI, together with its former indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, GLP Holdings, Inc., jointly elected to treat each of GLP Holdings, Inc., Louisiana Casino Cruises, Inc. (d/b/a Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge) and Penn Cecil Maryland, Inc. (d/b/a Hollywood Casino Perryville) as a "taxable REIT subsidiary" ("TRS") effective on the first day of the first taxable year of GLPI as a REIT. In connection with the Spin-Off, PENN allocated its accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) for periods prior to the consummation of the Spin-Off between PENN and GLPI. In connection with its election to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, GLPI declared a special dividend to its shareholders to distribute any accumulated earnings and profits relating to the real property assets and attributable to any pre-REIT years, including any earnings and profits allocated to GLPI in connection with the Spin-Off, to comply with certain REIT qualification requirements.
On July 1, 2021, the Company sold the operations of Hollywood Casino Perryville to PENN and leased the real estate to PENN pursuant to a standalone lease. On December 17, 2021, the Company sold the operations of Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge to The Queen Casino & Entertainment Inc., formerly known as CQ Holding Company, Inc., ("Casino Queen") and leased the real estate to Casino Queen pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Casino Queen Master Lease as described below. On December 17, 2021, GLPI declared a special dividend to the Company's shareholders to distribute the accumulated earnings and profits attributable to these sales. In 2021, subsequent to the sale of the operations of the TRS Properties, GLP Holdings, Inc. was merged into GLP Capital, L.P., the operating partnership of GLPI ("GLP Capital"). On February 7, 2025, Bally's Corporation (NYSE: BALY) ("Bally's") completed its merger transactions with Standard General L.P. ("Standard General") and its affiliates, and pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, Casino Queen is now a subsidiary of Bally's.
During 2020, the Company and Tropicana LV, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company that at the time held the real estate of the former Tropicana Las Vegas Casino Hotel Resort ("Tropicana Las Vegas"), elected to treat Tropicana LV, LLC as a TRS. In September 2022, Bally's acquired both the building assets from GLPI and PENN's outstanding equity interests in Tropicana Las Vegas. GLPI retained ownership of the land and entered into a ground lease with Bally's. In connection with this transaction, Tropicana LV, LLC was merged into GLP Capital. GLPI paid a special earnings and profits dividend of $0.25 per share in the first quarter of 2023 related to the sale of the building assets to Bally's.
As partial consideration for the transactions with The Cordish Companies ("Cordish") described below, GLP Capital issued 7,366,683 newly-issued operating partnership units ("OP Units") to affiliates of Cordish. OP Units are exchangeable for common shares of the Company on a one-for-one basis, subject to certain terms and conditions. Such issuance of OP Units to Cordish in exchange for its contribution of certain real property assets resulted in GLP Capital becoming treated as a partnership for income tax purposes, with GLPI being deemed to contribute substantially all of the assets and liabilities of GLP Capital in exchange for the general partnership and a majority of the limited partnership interests, and a minority limited partnership interest being owned by Cordish (the "UPREIT Transaction"). In advance of the UPREIT Transaction, the Company, together with GLP Financing II, Inc., jointly elected for GLP Financing II, Inc. to be treated as a TRS effective December 23, 2021. On January 3, 2023, the Company issued 286,643 OP Units to affiliates of Bally's in connection with its acquisition of Bally's Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi ("Bally's Biloxi") and Bally's Tiverton Casino & Hotel ("Bally's Tiverton"). On February 6, 2024, the Company also issued 434,304 OP Units in connection with the acquisition of the real estate assets of Tioga Downs Casino Resort ("Tioga Downs") from American Racing & Entertainment LLC ("American Racing"). On December 16, 2024, the Company issued 137,309 OP Units in connection with its acquisition of Bally's Kansas
3
Table of Contents
City Casino ("Bally's Kansas City") and Bally's Shreveport Casino & Hotel ("Bally's Shreveport'). There were 8,224,939 OP Units outstanding (other than OP Units held directly or indirectly by the Company) as of December 31, 2024.
GLPI's primary business consists of acquiring, financing, and owning real estate property to be leased to gaming operators in triple-net lease arrangements. Triple-net leases are leases in which the lessee pays rent to the lessor, as well as all taxes, insurance, utilities and maintenance expenses that arise from the use of the property. As of December 31, 2024, GLPI's portfolio consisted of interests in 68 gaming and related facilities, including the real property associated with 34 gaming and related facilities operated by PENN, the real property associated with 6 gaming and related facilities operated by Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR) ("Caesars"), the real property associated with 4 gaming and related facilities operated by Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE: BYD) ("Boyd"), the real property associated with 15 gaming and related facilities operated by Bally's (including Casino Queen) and 1 facility under development with Bally's in Chicago, Illinois, the real property associated with 3 gaming and related facilities operated by Cordish, 1 gaming facility managed by a subsidiary of Hard Rock International ("Hard Rock"), 3 gaming and related facilities operated by Strategic Gaming Management, LLC ("Strategic") and 1 gaming and related facility operated by American Racing. These facilities, including our corporate headquarters building, are geographically diversified across 20 states and we own over 5,400 acres and lease approximately 1,000 acres. As of December 31, 2024, our properties were 100% occupied. GLPI expects to continue growing its portfolio by pursuing opportunities to acquire or develop additional gaming facilities to lease to gaming operators under prudent terms.
Leases
PENN 2023 Master Lease and Amended PENN Master Lease
As a result of the Spin-Off, the Company owns substantially all of PENN’s former real property assets (as of the consummation of the Spin-Off) and leases back most of those assets to PENN for use by its subsidiaries pursuant to a unitary master lease (the initial form of such lease, the "Original PENN Master Lease"). The Original PENN Master Lease was a triple-net lease, the term of which was scheduled to expire on October 31, 2033, with no purchase option, followed by three remaining 5-year renewal options (exercisable by the tenant) on the same terms and conditions extending to October 31, 2048.
On October 10, 2022, the Company announced that it agreed to create a new master lease with PENN for seven of PENN's properties (the "PENN 2023 Master Lease"). The companies also agreed to a funding mechanism to support PENN's pursuit of relocation and development opportunities at several of the properties included in the PENN 2023 Master Lease.
Pursuant to this agreement, the Original PENN Master Lease was amended (the "Amended PENN Master Lease") to remove PENN's properties in Aurora and Joliet, Illinois; Columbus and Toledo, Ohio; and Henderson, Nevada. The properties removed from the Original PENN Master Lease were added to the PENN 2023 Master Lease. In addition, the existing leases for the Hollywood Casino at The Meadows in Pennsylvania (the "Meadows Lease") and the Hollywood Casino Perryville in Maryland (the "Perryville Lease") were terminated and these properties were transferred into PENN 2023 Master Lease. Both the Amended PENN Master Lease and the PENN 2023 Master Lease are triple-net operating leases that became effective on January 1, 2023, the terms of which expire on October 31, 2033, with no purchase options, followed by three remaining 5-year renewal options (exercisable by the tenant) on the same terms and conditions extending to October 31, 2048.
The Company agreed to fund up to $225 million for the relocation of PENN's riverboat casino in Aurora at a 7.75% cap rate and, if requested by PENN, will fund up to $350 million for the relocation of the Hollywood Casino Joliet, as well as the construction of a hotel at Hollywood Casino Columbus, and the construction of a second hotel tower at the M Resort Spa Casino at then current market rates. PENN has not requested any funding for these projects to date.
Amended Pinnacle Master Lease, Boyd Master Lease and Belterra Park Lease
In April 2016, the Company acquired substantially all of the real estate assets of Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. ("Pinnacle") for approximately $4.8 billion. The Company originally leased these assets back to Pinnacle, under a unitary triple-net lease, the term of which expires April 30, 2031, with no purchase option, followed by four remaining 5-year renewal options (exercisable by the tenant) on the same terms and conditions (the "Pinnacle Master Lease"). On October 15, 2018, the Company completed its previously announced transactions with PENN, Pinnacle and Boyd to accommodate PENN's acquisition of the majority of Pinnacle's operations, pursuant to a definitive agreement and plan of merger between PENN and Pinnacle, dated December 17, 2017 (the "PENN-Pinnacle Merger"). Concurrent with the PENN-Pinnacle Merger, the Company amended the Pinnacle Master Lease to allow for the sale of the operating assets of Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City, Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles and Belterra Casino Resort from Pinnacle to Boyd (as amended, the "Amended Pinnacle Master Lease") and entered into a new unitary triple-net master lease agreement with Boyd (the "Boyd Master Lease") for these properties on terms similar to the Company’s Amended Pinnacle Master Lease. The Boyd Master Lease has an initial
4
Table of Contents
term of 10 years (from the original April 2016 commencement date of the Pinnacle Master Lease and expiring April 30, 2026), with no purchase option, followed by five 5-year renewal options (exercisable by the tenant) on the same terms and conditions. The Company also purchased the real estate assets of Plainridge Park Casino ("Plainridge Park") from PENN for $250.0 million, exclusive of transaction fees and taxes, and added this property to the Amended Pinnacle Master Lease. The Amended Pinnacle Master Lease was assumed by PENN at the consummation of the PENN-Pinnacle Merger. The Company also entered into a mortgage loan agreement with Boyd in connection with Boyd's acquisition of Belterra Park Gaming & Entertainment Center ("Belterra Park"), whereby the Company loaned Boyd $57.7 million (the "Belterra Park Loan"). In May 2020, the Company acquired the real estate of Belterra Park in satisfaction of the Belterra Park Loan, subject to a long-term lease (the "Belterra Park Lease") with a Boyd affiliate operating the property. The Belterra Park Lease rent terms are consistent with the Boyd Master Lease. The annual rent is comprised of a fixed component, part of which is subject to an annual escalator of up to 2% if certain rent coverage ratio thresholds are met, and a component that is based on the performance of the facilities which is adjusted, subject to certain floors, every two years to an amount equal to 4% of the average annual net revenues of Belterra Park during the preceding two years in excess of a contractual baseline.
Third Amended and Restated Caesars Master Lease
On October 1, 2018, the Company closed its previously announced transaction to acquire certain real property assets from Tropicana Entertainment Inc. ("Tropicana") and certain of its affiliates pursuant to a Purchase and Sale Agreement dated April 15, 2018 between Tropicana and GLP Capital, which was subsequently amended on October 1, 2018 (as amended, the "Amended Real Estate Purchase Agreement"). Pursuant to the terms of the Amended Real Estate Purchase Agreement, the Company acquired the real estate assets of Tropicana Atlantic City, Bally's Evansville Casino & Hotel (Bally's Evansville"), Tropicana Laughlin, Trop Casino Greenville and the Belle of Baton Rouge ("The Belle") (the "GLP Assets") from Tropicana for an aggregate cash purchase price of $964.0 million, exclusive of transaction fees and taxes (the "Tropicana Acquisition"). Concurrent with the Tropicana Acquisition, Eldorado Resorts, Inc. (now doing business as Caesars) acquired the operating assets of these properties from Tropicana pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger dated April 15, 2018 by and among Tropicana, GLP Capital, Caesars and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Caesars and leased the real property from the Company pursuant to the terms of a new unitary triple-net master lease with an initial term of 15 years, with no purchase option, followed by four successive 5-year renewal periods (exercisable by the tenant) on the same terms and conditions (the "Caesars Master Lease").
On June 15, 2020, the Company amended and restated the Caesars Master Lease (as amended, the "Amended and Restated Caesars Master Lease") to, (i) extend the initial term of 15 years to 20 years, with renewals of up to an additional 20 years at the option of Caesars, (ii) remove the variable rent component in its entirety commencing with the third lease year, (iii) in the third lease year, increase annual land base rent and annual building base rent, (iv) provide fixed escalation percentages that delay the escalation of building base rent until the commencement of the fifth lease year with building base rent increasing annually by 1.25% in the fifth and sixth lease years, 1.75% in the seventh and eighth lease years and 2% in the ninth lease year and each lease year thereafter, (v) subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, permit Caesars to elect to replace the Bally's Evansville and/or Trop Casino Greenville properties under the Amended and Restated Caesars Master Lease with one or more of Caesars Gaming Scioto Downs, The Row in Reno, Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park, Isle Casino Hotel – Black Hawk, Lady Luck Casino – Black Hawk, Isle Casino Waterloo ("Waterloo"), Isle Casino Bettendorf ("Bettendorf") or Isle of Capri Casino Boonville, provided that the aggregate value of such new property, individually or collectively, was at least equal to the value of Bally's Evansville or Trop Casino Greenville, as applicable, (vi) permit Caesars to elect to sell its interest in The Belle and sever it from the Amended and Restated Caesars Master Lease (with no change to the rent obligation to the Company), subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, and (vii) provide certain relief under the operating, capital expenditure and financial covenants thereunder in the event of facility closures due to pandemics, governmental restrictions and certain other instances of unavoidable delay. The effectiveness of the Amended and Restated Caesars Master Lease was subject to the review and approval of certain gaming regulatory agencies and the expiration of applicable gaming regulatory advance notice periods which conditions were satisfied on July 23, 2020.
On December 18, 2020, the Company and Caesars amended and restated the Amended and Restated Caesars Master Lease (as amended and restated, the "Second Amended and Restated Caesars Master Lease") in connection with the completion of an Exchange Agreement (the "Exchange Agreement") with subsidiaries of Caesars in which Caesars transferred to the Company the real estate assets of Waterloo and Bettendorf in exchange for the transfer by the Company to Caesars of the real property assets of Bally's Evansville, plus a cash payment of $5.7 million. In connection with the Exchange Agreement, the annual building base rent and the annual land base rent were increased.
5
Table of Contents
On November 13, 2023, the Company and Caesars amended and restated the Second Amended and Restated Caesars Master Lease (as amended and restated, the "Third Amended and Restated Caesars Master Lease") in connection with Caesars selling its interest in The Belle to Casino Queen with no change in rent obligation to the Company.
Horseshoe St. Louis Lease
On October 1, 2018, the Company entered into a loan agreement with Caesars in connection with Caesars acquisition of Lumière Place Casino, now known as Horseshoe St. Louis, whereby the Company loaned Caesars $246.0 million (the "CZR loan"). The CZR loan bore interest at a rate equal to (i) 9.09% until October 1, 2019 and (ii) 9.27% until its maturity. On the one-year anniversary of the CZR loan, the mortgage evidenced by a deed of trust on the Horseshoe St. Louis property terminated and the loan became unsecured. On June 24, 2020, the Company received approval from the Missouri Gaming Commission to own the real estate assets of the Horseshoe St. Louis property in satisfaction of the CZR loan. On September 29, 2020, the transaction closed and the Company entered into a new single property triple net lease with an affiliate of Caesars (the "Horseshoe St. Louis Lease") the initial term of which expires on October 31, 2033, with four separate renewal options of five years each, exercisable at the tenant's option. The Horseshoe St. Louis Lease was amended on December 1, 2021 to adjust the rent terms to fix the annual escalator at 1.25% for the second through fifth lease years, increasing to 1.75% for the sixth and seventh lease years and thereafter increasing by 2.0% for the remainder of the lease.
Bally's Master Lease, Bally's Chicago Land Lease and Bally's Master Lease II and the Third Amended and Restated Casino Queen Master Lease
On June 3, 2021, the Company completed its previously announced transaction pursuant to which a subsidiary of Bally's acquired 100% of the equity interests in the Caesars subsidiary that operated Bally's Evansville and the Company reacquired the real property assets of Bally's Evansville from Caesars for a cash purchase price of approximately $340.0 million. In addition, the Company purchased the real estate assets of Dover Downs Hotel & Casino (now Bally's Dover Casino Resort) from Bally's for a cash purchase price of approximately $144.0 million. The real estate assets of these two facilities were added to a new triple net master lease (the "Bally's Master Lease") the annual rent of which is subject to contractual escalations based on the Consumer Price Index ("CPI") with a 1% floor and a 2% ceiling, subject to the CPI meeting a 0.5% threshold. The Bally's Master Lease has an initial term of 15 years, with no purchase option, followed by four 5 year renewal options (exercisable by the tenant) on the same terms and conditions.
The Company completed the acquisitions of the real estate assets of Bally's Casino Black Hawk ("Bally's Black Hawk") and Bally's Quad Cities on April 1, 2022 and Bally's Biloxi and Bally's Tiverton on January 3, 2023. The Bally's Master Lease was amended to add these properties with annual rent increases that are subject to the escalation clauses described above.
In connection with GLPI’s commitment to consummate the Bally’s Biloxi and Bally's Tiverton acquisitions, the Company also agreed to pre-fund, at Bally’s election, a deposit of up to $200.0 million, which was funded in September 2022. This amount was credited to the Company along with a $9.0 million transaction fee payable at closing which occurred on January 3, 2023. The Company continues to have the option, subject to receipt by Bally's of required consents, to acquire the real property assets of Bally's Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort ("Bally's Lincoln") prior to December 31, 2026 for a purchase price of $735.0 million and additional rent of $58.8 million. The Company has also been granted a call right to acquire the property, subject only to regulatory approval, beginning on October 1, 2026 at the same terms.
On July 12, 2024, the Company announced that it entered into a binding term sheet with Bally’s pursuant to which the Company would acquire the real property assets of Bally’s Kansas City and Bally’s Shreveport as well as the land under Bally’s planned permanent Chicago casino site, and fund the construction of certain real property improvements of the Bally’s Chicago Casino Resort (“Bally’s Chicago”) for aggregate consideration of approximately $1.585 billion. The term sheet represents a binding agreement between the Company and Bally's unless or until superseded by long-form definitive documents reflecting mutually agreed transaction terms and conditions in further detail.
The Company intends to fund construction hard costs of up to $940.0 million for Bally's Chicago, with the remainder to be funded by Bally’s with the sale leaseback proceeds related to Bally’s Kansas City and Bally’s Shreveport along with other funding sources such as Bally’s Chicago’s planned initial public offering and cash flows from operations. Funding is expected to occur through December 2026. The Company will own all funded improvements, which will be leased to Bally’s with rent commencing as advances are made. As of December 31, 2024, no construction hard costs have been funded by the Company. The contemplated transactions are subject to several conditions as well as certain third-party consents and regulatory approvals.
6
Table of Contents
On September 11, 2024, the Company acquired the land for $250 million, subject to an existing ground lease with Bally's. The ground lease was amended at closing to provide for initial annual rent of $20 million (the "Bally's Chicago Land Lease"). The Bally's Chicago Land Lease is cross-defaulted with the construction development funding agreement. The parties anticipate entering into a new Bally's Chicago land lease to reflect the lease terms agreed upon between the Company and Bally's in the binding term sheet. Upon completion of the improvements, the Company expects to own substantially all of the real estate land and improvements related to the Chicago casino and hotel for a total investment of $1.19 billion. Rental income on the land and development funding is being deferred until the project is substantially completed and ready for its intended use.
On December 16, 2024, the Company completed the purchase of the real property assets of both Bally’s Kansas City and Bally’s Shreveport for total consideration of approximately $395 million, which consisted of 137,309 OP units valued at $6.8 million and $388.6 million of cash, of which $332.5 million was funded on the Company's revolving credit facility with the remainder paid with cash on hand. The two properties are in a new triple net master lease that is cross-defaulted with the existing Bally’s Master Lease with the initial annual cash rent pursuant to the agreement for the two new properties of $32.2 million (the "Bally's Master Lease II"). The annual rent is subject to contractual escalations based on CPI with a 1% floor and a 2% ceiling, subject to CPI meeting a 0.5% threshold. Bally's Master Lease II has an initial term of 15 years with no purchase option, followed by four 5 year renewal options (exercisable by the tenant) on the same terms and conditions.
On February 7, 2025, Bally's completed its merger transactions with Standard General and its affiliates, and pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, Casino Queen is now a subsidiary of Bally's.
On November 25, 2020, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to sell the operations of its Hollywood Casino Baton Rougeto Casino Queen for $28.2 million (the "HCBR transaction"). The HCBR transaction closed on December 17, 2021. The Company retained ownership of all real estate assets at Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge and simultaneously entered into the Second Amended and Restated Casino Queen Master Lease. The lease has an initial term of 15 years with four 5 year renewal options exercisable by the tenant on the same terms and conditions. See Note 12 for a discussion regarding such renewal options. Annual rent increases by 0.5% for the first six years. Beginning with the seventh lease year through the remainder of the lease term, if the CPI increases by at least 0.25% for any lease year then annual rent shall be increased by 1.25%, and if the CPI increase is less than 0.25% then rent will remain unchanged for such lease year. Additionally, the Company's landside development project at Casino Queen Baton Rouge was completed in late August 2023 and the rent under the Second Amended and Restated Casino Queen Master Lease was adjusted upon opening to reflect a yield of 8.25% on GLPI's project costs of $77 million. The Company then entered into an amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Casino Queen Master Lease in connection with the acquisition of the land and certain improvements at Casino Queen Marquette for $32.72 million on September 6, 2023. The annual rent on the Second Amended and Restated Casino Queen Master Lease was increased by $2.7 million for this acquisition. Additionally, the Company anticipates funding certain construction costs of a landside development project at Casino Queen Marquette for an amount not to exceed $16.5 million. The rent will be adjusted to reflect a yield of 8.25% for the funded project costs. The Company entered into the Third Amended and Restated Casino Queen Master Lease on November 13, 2023.
On June 3, 2024, the Company announced that it agreed to fund and oversee a landside move and hotel renovation of The Belle for Casino Queen. GLPI committed to provide up to approximately $111 million of funding for the project (of which $35.1 million has been funded as of December 31, 2024, which is expected to be completed by September 2025. The casino will continue to operate during the construction period except while gaming equipment is being moved to the new facility. GLPI will own the new facility and Casino Queen will pay an incremental rental yield of 9% on the development funding beginning a year from the initial disbursement of funds, which occurred on May 30, 2024 and rent will be deferred until the facility is ready for its intended use.
Tropicana Las Vegas Lease
On April 16, 2020, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries closed on its previously announced transaction to acquire the real property associated with the former Tropicana Las Vegas from PENN in exchange for $307.5 million of rent credits which were applied against future rent obligations due under the parties' existing leases during 2020.
On September 26, 2022, Bally’s acquired both the Company’s building assets and PENN's outstanding equity interests in Tropicana Las Vegas for an aggregate cash acquisition price, net of fees and expenses, of approximately $145 million, which resulted in a pre-tax gain of $67.4 million, $52.8 million after-tax. GLPI retained ownership of the land and concurrently entered into a ground lease for an initial term of 50 years (with a maximum term of 99 years inclusive of tenant renewal options). All rent is subject to contractual escalations based on the CPI, with a 1% floor and 2% ceiling, subject to the CPI
7
Table of Contents
meeting a 0.5% threshold. The ground lease is supported by a Bally’s corporate guarantee and cross-defaulted with the Bally's Master Lease (the "Tropicana Las Vegas Lease").
On May 13, 2023 the Company, Tropicana Las Vegas, Inc., a Nevada corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Bally’s, and Athletics Holdings LLC (“Athletics”), which owns the Major League Baseball team currently known as the Oakland Athletics (the “Team”), entered into a binding letter of intent (the “LOI”) setting forth the terms for developing a stadium that would serve as the home venue for the Team (the “Stadium”). The Stadium is expected to complement the potential casino resort redevelopment envisioned at our 35-acre property in Clark County, Nevada (the “Tropicana Site”), owned indirectly by GLPI through its indirect subsidiary, Tropicana Land LLC, a Nevada limited liability company and leased by the Company to Bally’s pursuant to the Tropicana Las Vegas Lease. The LOI allows for Athletics to be granted fee ownership by GLPI of approximately 9 acres of the Tropicana Site for construction of the Stadium. The LOI provides that following the Stadium site transfer, there will be no reduction in the rent obligations of Bally’s on the remaining portion of the Tropicana Site or other modifications to the Tropicana Las Vegas Lease, and that to the extent the Company has any consent or approval rights under the Tropicana Las Vegas Lease, such rights shall remain enforceable unless expressly modified in writing in the definitive documents. Bally's and the Company agreed to provide the Stadium site transfer in exchange for the benefits that the Stadium is expected to bring to the Tropicana Site. The LOI provides that Athletics shall pay all the costs associated with the design, development, and construction of the Stadium and Bally’s shall pay all costs for the redevelopment of the casino and hotel resort amenities. The Company is expected to commit to up to $175.0 million of funding for hard construction costs, such as demolition and site preparation and build out of minimum public spaces needed for utilization of the Stadium. The LOI provides that during the development period, rent will be due at 8.5% of what has been funded, provided that the first $15.0 million advanced for the costs of construction of the food, beverage and retail entrance plaza shall not be subject to increased rent. The Company may have the opportunity to fund additional amounts of the construction under certain circumstances. In addition, the LOI provides that the transaction will be subject to customary approvals and other conditions, including, without limitation, approval of a master plan for the site and certain approvals by the Nevada Gaming Control Board and Nevada Gaming Commission.
In late August 2024, the Company funded $48.5 million to Bally's to pay for the demolition costs of the Tropicana Las Vegas as part of the development plans for the Stadium and annual rent was increased by $4.1 million as a result. The change in rent terms resulted in a lease reconsideration event. The lease is now classified as a sales type lease which resulted in a $3.8 million gain that was recorded in gains from dispositions of property on the Consolidated Statement of Operations during the year ended December 31, 2024.
Morgantown Lease
On October 1, 2020, the Company and PENN closed on their previously announced transaction whereby GLPI acquired the land under PENN's gaming facility under construction in Morgantown, Pennsylvania in exchange for $30.0 million in rent credits that were utilized by PENN in the fourth quarter of 2020. The Company is leasing the land back to an affiliate of PENN for an initial term of 20 years, followed by six 5-year renewal options exercisable by the tenant. On the opening date of the gaming facility and on each anniversary thereafter for each of the following three lease years rent increased by 1.5% annually (on a prorated basis for the remainder of the lease year in which the gaming facility opened) for each of the following three lease years and commencing on the fourth anniversary of the opening date and for each anniversary thereafter, (i) if the CPI increase is at least 0.5% for any lease year, the rent for such lease year shall increase by 1.25% of rent as of the immediately preceding lease year, and (ii) if the CPI increase is less than 0.5% for such lease year, then the rent shall not increase for such lease year (the "Morgantown Lease"). Hollywood Casino Morgantown opened on December 22, 2021.
Maryland Live! Lease and Pennsylvania Live! Master Lease
On December 6, 2021, the Company announced that it agreed to acquire the real property assets of Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, and Live! Casino Pittsburgh, including applicable long-term ground leases, from affiliates of Cordish for aggregate consideration of approximately $1.81 billion, excluding transaction costs at deal announcement. The transaction also includes a binding partnership on future Cordish casino developments, as well as potential financing partnerships between the Company and Cordish in other areas of Cordish's portfolio of real estate and operating businesses. On December 29, 2021, the Company completed its acquisition of the real property assets of Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland and entered into a single asset triple net lease for Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland (the "Maryland Live! Lease"). On March 1, 2022, the Company completed its acquisition of the real estate assets of Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia and Live! Casino Pittsburgh for $689 million and leased back the real estate to Cordish pursuant to a new triple net master lease with Cordish (as amended from time to time, the "Pennsylvania Live! Master Lease"). The Pennsylvania Live! Master Lease and the Maryland Live! Lease each have initial lease terms of 39 years, with a maximum term of 60 years inclusive of tenant renewal
8
Table of Contents
options. The annual rent for both leases has a 1.75% fixed yearly escalator on the entirety of rent commencing on the leases' second anniversary.
Rockford Lease and Rockford Loan
On August 29, 2023, the Company acquired the land associated with a casino development project in Rockford, Illinois from an affiliate of 815 Entertainment, LLC ("815 Entertainment") for $100.0 million. The casino opened in August 2024 and is managed by a subsidiary of Hard Rock. Simultaneously with the land acquisition, an affiliate of GLPI entered into a ground lease with 815 Entertainment for a 99-year term (the "Rockford Lease"). The initial annual rent for the ground lease is $8.0 million, subject to fixed 2% annual escalation beginning with the lease's first anniversary and for the entirety of its term.
In addition to the Rockford Lease, the Company also committed to provide up to $150 million of development funding via a senior secured delayed draw term loan (the "Rockford Loan"). Borrowings under the Rockford Loan are subject to an interest rate of 10%. The Rockford Loan has a maximum outstanding period of up to 6 years (5-year initial term with a 1-year extension). The Rockford Loan is prepayable without penalty following the opening of the Hard Rock Casino in Rockford, IL ("Hard Rock Casino Rockford") which occurred in late August 2024. As of December 31, 2024, $150 million was advanced and outstanding under the Rockford Loan. Additionally, the Company also received a right of first refusal on the building improvements of the Hard Rock Casino Rockford if there is a future decision to sell them. On January 1, 2025, the Company amended the terms of the Rockford Loan to reduce the interest rate to 8% with a maturity date of June 30, 2026, subject to a 6-month extension. The Company has a right of first refusal on the building improvements of the Hard Rock Casino Rockford if there is a future decision to sell them.
Tioga Downs Lease
On February 6, 2024, the Company acquired the real estate assets of Tioga Downs in Nichols, NY from American Racing for $175.0 million. Simultaneous with the acquisition, an affiliate of GLPI and American Racing entered into a triple-net lease agreement for an initial 30 year term followed by two renewal options of 10 years each and a third renewal option of approximately 12 years and ten months (exercisable by the tenant) (the "Tioga Downs Lease"). The initial annual rent is $14.5 million and is subject to annual fixed escalations of 1.75% beginning with the first anniversary which increases to 2% beginning in year fifteen of the lease through the remainder of its initial term.
Strategic Gaming Leases
On May 16, 2024, the Company acquired the real estate assets of Silverado Franklin Hotel & Gaming Complex ("Silverado"), the Deadwood Mountain Grand ("DMG") casino, and Baldini's Casino ("Baldini's") from Strategic for $105 million, plus an additional $5 million that was funded at closing for reimbursement for capital improvements. Simultaneous with the acquisition, GLPI Capital and affiliates of Strategic entered into two cross-defaulted triple-net lease agreements, each for an initial 25-year term with two ten-year renewal periods (exercisable by the tenant) (the "Strategic Gaming Leases"). The initial aggregate annual cash rent is $9.2 million and is subject to a fixed 2.0% annual escalation beginning in year three of the lease and a CPI-based annual escalation beginning in year 11 of the lease, at the greater of 2% or CPI capped at 2.5%.
As part of the transaction, the Company also secured a right of first refusal on the real estate related to future acquisitions until Strategic's adjusted EBITDAR related to GLPI's owned assets reaches $40 million annualized.
Ione Loan
In September 2024, the Company entered into a $110 million delayed draw term loan facility with the Ione Band of Miwok Indians ("Ione") (the "Ione Loan") to provide the tribe funding on a new casino development near Sacramento, California. Ione has an option at the end of the Ione Loan term to satisfy the loan obligation by converting the outstanding principal into a long-term triple net lease with an initial term of twenty five years and a maximum term of forty five years. These agreements were entered into subsequent to receiving a declination letter from the National Indian Gaming Commission approving the transaction documents, including the long-term lease. As of December 31, 2024, $15.1 million was advanced and outstanding under the Ione Loan which has a 5-year term and an interest rate of 11%.
9
Table of Contents
Guarantees
The obligations under the Amended Penn Master Lease, PENN 2023 Master Lease, Amended Pinnacle Master Lease, and the Morgantown Lease, are guaranteed by PENN and, with respect to each lease, jointly and severally by PENN's subsidiaries that occupy and operate the facilities covered by such lease. Similarly, the obligations under the Third Amended and Restated Caesars Master Lease, the Horseshoe St. Louis Lease, the Third Amended and Restated Casino Queen Master Lease, the Bally's Master Lease, the Bally's Master Lease II, the Strategic Gaming Leases and the Tioga Downs Lease are jointly and severally guaranteed by the applicable parent company and the parent's subsidiaries that occupy and operate the facilities leased under these respective leases. The obligations under the Tropicana Las Vegas Lease are guaranteed by Bally's. The obligations under the Boyd Master Lease are jointly and severally guaranteed by Boyd's subsidiaries that occupy and operate the facilities leased under the Boyd Master Lease. Similarly, the obligations under the Maryland Live! Lease and Pennsylvania Live! Master Lease are jointly and severally guaranteed by the Cordish subsidiaries that occupy and operate the facilities leased under the respective leases and the obligations under the Rockford Lease are jointly and severally guaranteed by the subsidiaries of 815 Entertainment, LLC that occupy and operate the facility under the Rockford Lease.
Rent
The rent structure under the Amended PENN Master Lease includes a fixed component, a portion of which is subject to an annual escalator of up to 2% if certain rent coverage ratio thresholds are met, and a component that is based on the performance of the facilities, which is prospectively adjusted, subject to certain floors (namely the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course property due to PENN's opening of a competing facility) (i) every five years to an amount equal to 4% of the average net revenues of all facilities under the Amended PENN Master Lease during the preceding five years in excess of a contractual baseline.
Similar to the Amended PENN Master Lease, the Amended Pinnacle Master Lease also includes a fixed component, a portion of which is subject to an annual escalator of up to 2% if certain rent coverage ratio thresholds are met and a component that is based on the performance of the facilities, which is prospectively adjusted, subject to certain floors (namely the Bossier City Boomtown property due to PENN's acquisition of a competing facility, Margaritaville Resort Casino), every two years to an amount equal to 4% of the average net revenues of all facilities under the Amended Pinnacle Master Lease during the preceding two years in excess of a contractual baseline.
The PENN 2023 Master Lease that became effective on January 1, 2023 has annual rent which is fixed and subject to annual escalation of 1.50%, with the first escalation for the lease year beginning on November 1, 2023. In addition to the fixed escalations, a one-time annualized increase of $1.4 million is scheduled to occur on November 1, 2027. The prepaid rent and deferred revenue from the Perryville Lease and Meadows Lease (which were terminated effective January 1, 2023 and whose underlying real estate was added to the PENN 2023 Master Lease) along with an allocation of the deferred revenue from the Original PENN Master Lease, as well as the guaranteed fixed escalations and the one-time annual base rent increase, are being recognized on a straight-line basis over the initial lease term, which expires on October 31, 2033.
The Third Amended and Restated Caesars Master Lease building base rent escalates at 1.25% during the fifth and sixth lease years. In the seventh and eighth lease years it escalates at 1.75% and then escalates at 2% in the ninth lease year and each lease year thereafter.
The Boyd Master Lease includes a fixed component, a portion of which is subject to an annual escalator of up to 2% if certain rent coverage ratio thresholds are met, and a component that is based on the performance of the facilities, which is adjusted every two years to an amount equal to 4% of the average annual net revenues of all facilities under the Boyd Master Lease during the preceding two years in excess of a contractual baseline.
In May 2020, the Company acquired the real estate of Belterra Park in satisfaction of the Belterra Park Loan, subject to the Belterra Park Lease with a Boyd affiliate operating the property. The Belterra Park Lease rent terms are consistent with the Boyd Master Lease. The annual rent is comprised of a fixed component, part of which is subject to an annual escalator of up to 2% if certain rent coverage ratio thresholds are met and a component that is based on the performance of the facilities which is adjusted, subject to certain floors, every two years to an amount equal to 4% of the average annual net revenues of Belterra Park during the preceding two years in excess of a contractual baseline.
On September 29, 2020, the Company acquired the real estate of Horseshoe St. Louis in satisfaction of the CZR loan, subject to the Horseshoe St. Louis Lease, the initial term of which expires on October 31, 2033, with 4 separate renewal options of five years each, exercisable at the tenant's option. The Horseshoe St. Louis Lease's rent is subject to an annual escalator of 1.25% for the second through fifth lease years, increasing to 1.75% for the sixth and seventh lease years and thereafter
10
Table of Contents
increasing by 2.0% for the remainder of the lease.
The Morgantown Lease became effective on October 1, 2020 whereby the Company is leasing the land under PENN's gaming facility and the rent for lease year two and three was increased by 1.5% annually (and on a prorated basis for the remainder of the lease year in which the gaming facility opened) and (ii) commencing on the fourth anniversary of the opening date and for each anniversary thereafter, (a) if the CPI increase is at least 0.5% for any lease year, the rent for such lease year shall increase by 1.25% of rent as of the immediately preceding lease year, and (b) if the CPI increase is less than 0.5% for such lease year, then the rent shall not increase for such lease year. Hollywood Casino Morgantown opened on December 22, 2021.
Rent under the Third Amended and Restated Casino Queen Master Lease increases annually by 0.5% for lease years two through six. Beginning with the seventh lease year through the remainder of the lease term, if the CPI increases by at least 0.25% for any lease year, then annual rent shall be increased by 1.25%, and if the CPI increase is less than 0.25%, rent will remain unchanged for such lease year. Additionally, the Company's landside development project at Casino Queen Baton Rouge was completed in late August 2023 and rent was adjusted to reflect a yield of 8.25% on GLPI's project costs of $77 million. The Company also acquired the land and certain improvements at Casino Queen Marquette for $32.72 million as of September 6, 2023. The annual rent was increased by $2.7 million for this acquisition. Finally, the Company anticipates funding up to $111 million for a landside move and hotel renovation of the Belle for Casino Queen, of which $35.1 million has been funded as of December 31, 2024 as well as certain construction costs for an amount not to exceed $16.5 million, for a landside development project at Casino Queen Marquette.
The Bally's Master Lease became effective on June 3, 2021 and rent is subject to contractual escalations based on the CPI, with a 1% floor and a 2% ceiling, subject to the CPI meeting a 0.5% threshold. The Company completed the acquisitions of the real estate assets of Bally's Biloxi and Bally's Tiverton on January 3, 2023 and Bally's Black Hawk and Bally's Quad Cities on April 1, 2022. The existing Bally's Master Lease was amended to add these properties with annual rent increases subject to the escalation clauses described above.
As previously discussed the Company assumed a ground lease in connection with the acquisition of the Chicago land for approximately $250 million and at closing amended the ground lease subject to the Bally's Chicago Land Lease. Rental income on the land and development funding is being deferred until the project is substantially complete and ready for its intended use. Income deferred on the project is recorded in deferred rental revenue and totaled $6.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024.
On December 29, 2021, the Maryland Live! Lease with Cordish became effective, with annual rent increasing by 1.75% upon the second anniversary of the lease commencement. The Pennsylvania Live! Master Lease with Cordish became effective March 1, 2022 with annual rent increasing by 1.75% upon the second anniversary of the lease commencement. These leases were accounted for as an Investment in leases, financing receivables.
On September 26, 2022, the Tropicana Las Vegas Lease became effective. Commencing on the first anniversary and on each anniversary thereafter, if the CPI increase is at least 0.5% for any lease year, the rent shall increase by the greater of 1% of the rent in effect for the preceding lease year and the CPI increase, capped at 2%. If the CPI increase is less than 0.5% for such lease year, then the rent shall not increase for such lease year. In late August 2024, the Tropicana Las Vegas Lease was reconsidered due to a change in rent terms which resulted in the lease being accounted for as a sales type lease.
On August 29, 2023, the Company acquired the land associated with a development project in Rockford, IL. Simultaneously with the land acquisition, the Company entered into the Rockford Lease which has a 99-year term and initial annual rent subject to fixed 2% annual escalation beginning with the lease's first anniversary and for the entirety of its term.
On February 6, 2024, the Company announced it had acquired the real estate assets of Tioga Downs. Simultaneously with the acquisition, the Company entered into the Tioga Downs Lease which has an initial lease term of 30 years and initial annual rent that is subject to annual fixed escalations of 1.75% beginning with the first anniversary which increases to 2% beginning in year fifteen of the lease through the remainder of its initial term.
On May 16, 2024, the Company acquired the real estate assets of Silverado, DMG, and Baldini's. Simultaneous with the acquisition, the Company and affiliates of Strategic entered into the Strategic Gaming Leases. The rent is subject to a fixed 2.0% annual escalation beginning in year three of the lease and a CPI-based annual escalation beginning in year 11 of the lease, at the greater of 2% or CPI capped at 2.5%.
11
Table of Contents
On December 16, 2024, Bally's Master Lease II became effective and the initial annual rent is subject to contractual escalations based on the CPI, with a 1% floor and a 2% ceiling, subject to the CPI meeting a 0.5% threshold.
The Company's leases with percentage rent provide for a floor on such percentage rent described above, should the Company's tenants acquire or commence operating a competing facility within a restricted area (typically 60 miles from a property under the existing lease with such tenant). These clauses provide landlord protections by basing the percentage rent floor for any affected facility on the net revenues of such facility for the calendar year immediately preceding the year in which the competing facility is acquired or first operated by the tenant. A percentage rent floor on the Amended Pinnacle Master Lease was triggered on the Bossier City Boomtown property due to PENN's acquisition of Margaritaville Resort Casino. Additionally, a percentage rent floor on the Amended Penn Master Lease was triggered on the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in connection with PENN opening a facility in York, Pennsylvania, which went into effect on November 1, 2023 reset.
Costs
In addition to rent, as triple-net lessees, all of the Company's tenants are required to pay the following executory costs: (1) all facility maintenance, (2) all insurance required in connection with the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties, including coverage of the landlord's interests, (3) taxes and other impositions levied on or with respect to the leased properties (other than taxes on the income of the lessor), and (4) all utilities and other services necessary or appropriate for the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties.
Termination of Leases
Our tenants do not have the ability to terminate their obligations under our long-term tenant leases prior to the expiration of the initial term without the Company's consent. If our long-term tenant leases are terminated prior to their initial expiration other than with our consent, our tenants may be liable for damages and incur charges such as continued payment of rent through the end of the lease term and maintenance costs for the leased property. All of our tenant leases contain a limited number of renewal options which may be exercised at our tenants' option.
12
Table of Contents
Property Features
The following table summarizes certain features of our properties as of December 31, 2024. These facilities, including our corporate headquarters building, are geographically diversified across 20 states and we own over 5,400 acres and lease approximately 1,000 acres. As of December 31, 2024, the Company's properties were 100% occupied.
Location Tenant/Lease Agreement
Tenant Occupied Properties
Argosy Casino Alton Alton, IL PENN/Amended PENN Master Lease
Hollywood Casino Bangor Bangor, ME PENN/Amended PENN Master Lease
Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast Bay St. Louis, MS PENN/Amended PENN Master Lease
Boomtown Biloxi Biloxi, MS PENN/Amended PENN Master Lease
Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races Charles Town, WV PENN/Amended PENN Master Lease
Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway Dayton, OH PENN/Amended PENN Master Lease
Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course Grantville, PA PENN/Amended PENN Master Lease
Zia Park Casino Hobbs, NM PENN/Amended PENN Master Lease
Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg Lawrenceburg, IN PENN/Amended PENN Master Lease
Hollywood Casino St. Louis Maryland Heights, MO PENN/Amended PENN Master Lease
Argosy Casino Riverside Riverside, MO PENN/Amended PENN Master Lease
1st Jackpot Casino Tunica, MS PENN/Amended PENN Master Lease
Hollywood Casino Tunica Tunica, MS PENN/Amended PENN Master Lease
Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course Youngstown, OH PENN/Amended PENN Master Lease
Hollywood Casino Aurora Aurora, IL PENN/PENN Master Lease - New
Hollywood Casino Columbus Columbus, OH PENN/PENN Master Lease - New
M Resort Henderson, NV PENN/PENN Master Lease - New
Hollywood Casino Joliet Joliet, IL PENN/PENN Master Lease - New
Hollywood Casino Perryville Perryville, MD PENN/PENN Master Lease - New
Hollywood Casino Toledo Toledo, OH PENN/PENN Master Lease - New
The Meadows Racetrack and Casino Washington, PA PENN/PENN Master Lease - New
L'Auberge Baton Rouge Baton Rouge, LA PENN/Amended Pinnacle Master Lease
Ameristar Black Hawk Black Hawk, CO PENN/Amended Pinnacle Master Lease
Boomtown Bossier City Bossier City, LA PENN/Amended Pinnacle Master Lease
Ameristar Council Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA PENN/Amended Pinnacle Master Lease
Ameristar East Chicago East Chicago, IN PENN/Amended Pinnacle Master Lease
Jackpot Properties Jackpot, NV PENN/Amended Pinnacle Master Lease
L'Auberge Lake Charles Lake Charles, LA PENN/Amended Pinnacle Master Lease
Boomtown New Orleans New Orleans, LA PENN/Amended Pinnacle Master Lease
Plainridge Park Casino Plainville, MA PENN/Amended Pinnacle Master Lease
River City Casino and Hotel St. Louis, MO PENN/Amended Pinnacle Master Lease
Ameristar Vicksburg Vicksburg, MS PENN/Amended Pinnacle Master Lease
Hollywood Casino Morgantown Morgantown, PA PENN/Morgantown Lease
Draft Kings at Casino Queen East St. Louis, IL Bally's/Amended Casino Queen Master Lease
The Queen Baton Rouge Baton Rouge, LA Bally's/Amended Casino Queen Master Lease
Casino Queen Marquette Marquette, IA Bally's/Amended Casino Queen Master Lease
Belle of Baton Rouge Baton Rouge, LA Bally's/Amended Casino Queen Master Lease
Belterra Park Gaming & Entertainment Center Cincinnati, OH Boyd/Belterra Park Lease
Belterra Casino Resort Florence, IN Boyd/Boyd Master Lease
Ameristar Kansas City Kansas City, MO Boyd/Boyd Master Lease
Ameristar St. Charles St. Charles, MO Boyd/Boyd Master Lease
13
Table of Contents
Tropicana Atlantic City Atlantic City, NJ Caesars/Amended Caesars Master Lease
Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf Bettendorf, IA Caesars/Amended Caesars Master Lease
Trop Casino Greenville Greenville, MS Caesars/Amended Caesars Master Lease
Tropicana Laughlin Laughlin, NV Caesars/Amended Caesars Master Lease
Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo Waterloo, IA Caesars/Amended Caesars Master Lease
Horseshoe St. Louis St. Louis, MO Caesars/Horseshoe St. Louis Lease
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi Biloxi, MS Bally's Master Lease
Bally's Black Hawk
Black Hawk, CO Bally's Master Lease
Bally's Dover Casino Resort Dover, DE Bally's Master Lease
Bally's Evansville Evansville, IN Bally's Master Lease
Bally's Quad Cities Casino & Hotel Rock Island, IL Bally's Master Lease
Bally's Tiverton Hotel & Casino Tiverton, RI Bally's Master Lease
Tropicana Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV Bally's/ Tropicana Las Vegas Lease
Bally's Chicago Chicago, IL Bally's Chicago Lease
Bally's Kansas City Kansas City, MO Bally's Master Lease II
Bally's Shreveport Shreveport, LA Bally's Master Lease II
Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland Hanover, MD Cordish / Maryland Live! Lease
Live! Casino Pittsburgh
Greensburg, PA Cordish/Pennsylvania Live! Master Lease
Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA Cordish/Pennsylvania Live! Master Lease
Hard Rock Casino Rockford Rockford, IL 815 Entertainment/Rockford Lease
Tioga Downs Casino Resort Nichols, NY ARE, LLC/Tioga Lease
Silverado Franklin Hotel & Casino Deadwood, SD Strategic Gaming Mgmt. Master Lease
Deadwood Mountain Grand Deadwood, SD Strategic Gaming Mgmt. Master Lease
Baldini's Casino Sparks, NV Strategic Gaming Mgmt. Master Lease
Competition
We compete for additional real property investments with other REITs, including a publicly traded gaming focused REIT, VICI Properties Inc., investment companies, private equity and hedge fund investors, sovereign funds, lenders, gaming companies and other investors. Some of our competitors are significantly larger, have greater financial resources and lower costs of capital than we have, making it more challenging for us to identify and successfully capitalize on acquisition opportunities that meet our investment objectives.
In addition, percentage rent revenues that apply to certain of our leases are dependent on the ability of our gaming tenants to compete with other gaming operators. The gaming industry is characterized by an increasingly high degree of competition among a large number of participants, including traditional casino properties, video lottery, sweepstakes and poker machines not located in casinos, Native American casinos, emerging varieties of internet gaming, sports betting and other forms of gaming in the U.S. In a broader sense, our gaming tenants and operators face competition from all manner of leisure and entertainment activities, including: shopping, athletic events, television and movies, concerts and travel. Legalized gaming is currently permitted in various forms throughout the U.S., in several Canadian provinces and on various lands taken into trust for the benefit of certain Native Americans in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, established gaming jurisdictions could award additional gaming licenses or permit the expansion or relocation of existing gaming operations. New, relocated or expanded gaming operations may increase competition for our gaming tenants and could have a material adverse impact on our gaming tenants and us as landlord. Finally, the imposition of smoking bans and/or higher gaming tax rates have a significant impact on our gaming tenants' ability to compete with facilities in nearby jurisdictions.
Segments
The Company's operations consist solely of investments in real estate for which all such real estate properties are similar to one another in that they consist of destination and leisure properties and related offerings, whose tenants offer casino gaming, hotel, convention, dining, entertainment and retail amenities, have similar economic characteristics and are governed by triple-net operating leases. The operating results of the Company's real estate investments are reviewed in the aggregate, by the chief operating decision maker (as such term is defined in ASC 280 - Segment Reporting). As such, the Company has one reportable segment. See Note 18 in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
14
Table of Contents
Information about our Executive Officers
Name Age Position
Peter M. Carlino 78 Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Brandon J. Moore 50 President, Chief Operating Officer, and Secretary
Desiree A. Burke 59 Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Matthew R. Demchyk 43 Senior Vice President, Chief Investment Officer
Steven L. Ladany 44 Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer
Peter M. Carlino. Mr. Carlino has been the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since the Company's inception in November 2013. Mr. Carlino was the founder of PENN and served as its Chief Executive Officer from 1994 through October 2013. Mr. Carlino also served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of PENN from April 1994 through May 28, 2019. Mr. Carlino continues to serve as Chairman Emeritus on PENN's Board of Directors and has served in such position since June 2019. Mr. Carlino has served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and as Chief Executive Officer for PENN, and now the Company, collectively for over 25 years.
Brandon J. Moore. Mr. Moore is our President, Chief Operating Officer and Secretary. Mr. Moore was promoted to President in September 2024 after being promoted to Chief Operating Officer in October 2022. Mr. Moore joined the Company in January 2014 as Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Previously, he served as PENN's Vice President, Senior Corporate Counsel from March 2010 where he was a member of the legal team responsible for a variety of transactional, regulatory and general legal matters. Prior to joining PENN, Mr. Moore was with Ballard Spahr LLP, where he provided advanced legal counsel to clients on matters including merger and acquisition transactions, debt and equity financings, and various other matters.
Desiree A. Burke. Ms. Burke is our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. She was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in October 2022 and joined the Company in April 2014 as our Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. Previously, Ms. Burke served as PENN's Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer from November 2009. Additionally, she served as PENN's Vice President and Corporate Controller from November 2005 to October 2009. Prior to her time at PENN, Ms. Burke was the Executive Vice President/Director of Financial Reporting and Control for MBNA America Bank, N.A. She joined MBNA in 1994 and held positions of ascending responsibility in the finance department during her tenure. Ms. Burke is a CPA.
Matthew R. Demchyk. Mr. Demchyk became our Senior Vice President, Chief Investment Officer in January 2021 in which he leads the Company's investment strategy and is responsible for capital allocation. Mr. Demchyk joined the Company in February 2019 as our Senior Vice President of Investments. Previously, he served as Portfolio Manager of Real Estate Securities at Millennium Partners for nine years. Prior to joining Millennium Partners, he managed a portfolio of REIT equity securities at Carlson Capital and served as Assistant Portfolio Manager at CenterSquare Investment Management, a leading REIT dedicated asset manager. Mr. Demchyk is a CFA Charterholder.
Steven L. Ladany. Mr. Ladany became our Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer in January 2021 and leads the Company's ongoing merger, acquisition and development efforts. Mr. Ladany joined the Company in September 2014 as Vice President, Finance and served in that role until March 2019, when he was promoted to Senior Vice President, Finance. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Ladany served as a Vice President at Revel Casino Hotel, a regional gaming property currently known as Ocean Casino Resort, and as a Vice President at J.P. Morgan in the Syndicated and Leveraged Finance group within the firm's investment banking division.
15
Table of Contents
Tax Considerations
We intend to continue to be organized and to operate in a manner that will permit us to qualify as a REIT. Qualification and taxation as a REIT depends on our ability to meet on a continuing basis, through actual operating results, distribution levels, and diversity of stock ownership, various qualification requirements imposed upon REITs by the Code. Our ability to qualify to be taxed as a REIT also requires that we satisfy certain tests, some of which depend upon the fair market values of assets that we own directly or indirectly. The material qualification requirements are summarized below. Such values may not be susceptible to a precise determination. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the actual results of our operations for any taxable year will satisfy such requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT. Additionally, while we intend to operate so that we continue to qualify to be taxed as a REIT, no assurance can be given that the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") will not challenge our qualification, or that we will be able to operate in accordance with the REIT requirements in the future.
Taxation of REITs in General
As a REIT, generally we will be entitled to a deduction for dividends that we pay and therefore will not be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on our net REIT taxable income that is currently distributed to our shareholders. This treatment substantially eliminates the "double taxation" at the corporate and shareholder levels that generally results from an investment in a C corporation. A "C corporation" is a corporation that generally is required to pay tax at the corporate level. Double taxation means taxation once at the corporate level when income is earned and once again at the shareholder level when the net earnings and profits are distributed as dividends. In general, the income that we generate is taxed only at the shareholder level upon a distribution of dividends to our shareholders. We will nonetheless be subject to U.S. federal tax in the following circumstances:
• We will be taxed at regular corporate rates on any undistributed net taxable income, including undistributed net capital gains.
• If we have net income from prohibited transactions, which are, in general, sales or other dispositions of inventory or property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, other than foreclosure property, such income will be subject to a 100% tax.
• If we elect to treat property that we acquire in connection with a foreclosure of a mortgage loan or certain leasehold terminations as "foreclosure property," we may thereby avoid the 100% tax on gain from a resale of that property (if the sale would otherwise constitute a prohibited transaction), but the income from the sale or operation of the property may be subject to corporate income tax at the highest applicable rate (currently 21%).
• If we fail to satisfy the 75% gross income test and/or the 95% gross income test, as discussed below, but nonetheless maintain our qualification as a REIT because we satisfy other requirements, we will be subject to a 100% tax on an amount based on the magnitude of the failure, as adjusted to reflect the profit margin associated with our gross income.
• If we violate the asset tests (other than certain de minimis violations) or other requirements applicable to REITs, as described below, and yet maintain our qualification as a REIT because there is reasonable cause for the failure and other applicable requirements are met, we may be subject to a penalty tax. In that case, the amount of the penalty tax will be at least $50,000 per failure, and, in the case of certain asset test failures, will be determined as the amount of net income generated by the nonqualifying assets in question multiplied by the highest corporate tax rate (currently 21%) if that amount exceeds $50,000 per failure.
• If we fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of (i) 85% of our ordinary income for such year, (ii) 95% of our capital gain net income for such year and (iii) any undistributed net taxable income from prior periods, we will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the excess of the required distribution over the sum of (a) the amounts that we actually distributed and (b) the amounts we retained and upon which we paid income tax at the corporate level.
• We may be required to pay monetary penalties to the IRS in certain circumstances, including if we fail to meet record-keeping requirements intended to monitor our compliance with rules relating to the composition of a REIT's shareholders.
• A 100% tax may be imposed on transactions between us and a TRS that do not reflect arm's-length terms.
16
Table of Contents
• If we acquire appreciated assets from a corporation that is not a REIT (i.e., a corporation taxable under subchapter C of the Code) in a transaction in which the adjusted tax basis of the assets in our hands is determined by reference to the adjusted tax basis of the assets in the hands of the subchapter C corporation, we may be subject to tax on such appreciation at the highest corporate income tax rate then applicable if we subsequently recognize gain on a disposition of any such assets during the five-year period following their acquisition from the subchapter C corporation.
• The earnings of our TRS will generally be subject to U.S. federal, state and corporate income tax, and we will be required to include, any dividends received from the TRS in our distribution tests.
In addition, we and our subsidiaries may be subject to a variety of taxes, including payroll taxes and state, local, and foreign income, property, gross receipts and other taxes on our assets and operations. We could also be subject to tax in situations and on transactions not presently contemplated.
Requirements for Qualification—General
The Code defines a REIT as a corporation, trust or association:
(1) that is managed by one or more trustees or directors;
(2) the beneficial ownership of which is evidenced by transferable shares, or by transferable certificates of
beneficial interest;
(3) that would be taxable as a domestic corporation but for its election to be subject to tax as a REIT;
(4) that is neither a financial institution nor an insurance company subject to specific provisions of the Code;
(5) the beneficial ownership of which is held by 100 or more persons;
(6) in which, during the last half of each taxable year, not more than 50% in value of the outstanding stock is
owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer "individuals" (as defined in the Code to include specified tax-
exempt entities); and
(7) that meets other tests described below, including with respect to the nature of its income and assets.
The Code provides that conditions (1) through (4) must be met during the entire taxable year, and that condition (5) must be met during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months, or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable year. Conditions (5) and (6) need not be met during a corporation's initial tax year as a REIT (which, in our case, was 2014). Our charter provides restrictions regarding the ownership and transfers of our stock, which are intended to assist us in satisfying the stock ownership requirements described in conditions (5) and (6) above. These restrictions, however, may not ensure that we will, in all cases, be able to satisfy the share ownership requirements described in conditions (5) and (6) above. If we fail to satisfy these share ownership requirements, except as provided in the next sentence, our status as a REIT will terminate. If, however, we comply with the rules contained in the applicable Treasury regulations that require us to ascertain the actual ownership of our shares and we do not know, or would not have known through the exercise of reasonable diligence, that we failed to meet the requirements described in condition (6) above, we will be treated as having met this requirement.
To monitor compliance with the stock ownership requirements, we generally are required to maintain records regarding the actual ownership of our stock. To do so, we must demand written statements each year from the record holders of significant percentages of our stock pursuant to which the record holders must disclose the actual owners of the stock (i.e., the persons required to include our dividends in their gross income). We must maintain a list of those persons failing or refusing to comply with this demand as part of our records. We could be subject to monetary penalties if we fail to comply with these record-keeping requirements. If, upon request by the Company, a shareholder fails or refuses to comply with the demands, such holder will be required by Treasury regulations to submit a statement with his, her or its tax return disclosing the actual ownership of our stock and other information.
Qualified REIT Subsidiaries
The Code provides that a corporation that is a "qualified REIT subsidiary" shall not be treated as a separate corporation, and all assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of a "qualified REIT subsidiary" shall be treated as assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of the REIT. A "qualified REIT subsidiary" is a corporation, all of the capital stock of which is owned by the REIT, that has not elected to be a "taxable REIT subsidiary" (discussed below). In applying the requirements described herein, all of our "qualified REIT subsidiaries" will be ignored, and all assets, liabilities
17
Table of Contents
and items of income, deduction and credit of such subsidiaries will be treated as our assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit. These subsidiaries, therefore, will not be subject to federal corporate income taxation, although they may be subject to state and local taxation. During 2021, we had one qualified REIT subsidiary for most of the year, which elected to become a TRS in December 2021.
Taxable REIT Subsidiaries
In general, we may jointly elect with a subsidiary corporation, whether or not wholly-owned, to treat such subsidiary corporation as a TRS. We generally may not own more than 10% of the securities of a taxable corporation, as measured by voting power or value, unless we and such corporation elect to treat such corporation as a TRS. The separate existence of a TRS is not ignored for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, a TRS generally is subject to corporate income tax on its earnings, which may reduce the cash flow that we and our subsidiaries generate in the aggregate and may reduce our ability to make distributions to our shareholders.
We are not treated as holding the assets of a TRS or as receiving any income that the TRS earns. Rather, the stock issued by the TRS to us is an asset in our hands, and we treat the dividends paid to us, if any, as income. This treatment can affect our income and asset test calculations, as described below. Because we do not include the assets and income of TRSs on a look-through basis in determining our compliance with the REIT requirements, we may use such entities to undertake indirectly activities that the REIT rules might otherwise preclude us from doing directly or through pass-through subsidiaries. For example, we may use a TRS to perform services or conduct activities that give rise to certain categories of income or to conduct activities that, if conducted by us directly, would be treated in our hands as prohibited transactions.
The TRS rules impose a 100% excise tax on transactions between a TRS and its parent REIT or the REIT's tenants that are not conducted on an arm's-length basis. We intend that all of our transactions with our TRS, if any, will be conducted on an arm's-length basis.
Ownership of Partnership Interests by a REIT
A REIT that is a partner in a partnership is deemed to own its proportionate share of the assets of the partnership and is deemed to receive the income of the partnership attributable to such share. In addition, the character of the assets and gross income of the partnership retains the same character in the hands of the REIT (except that, for purposes of the 10% of value asset test described below, our proportionate share of the partnership’s assets is based on our proportionate interest in the equity and certain debt securities issued by the partnership, as described in the Code). Accordingly, our proportionate share of the assets, liabilities and items of income of the OP, as defined below, are treated as assets, liabilities and items of income of ours for purposes of applying the requirements described herein. We have control over the OP and intend to operate it in a manner that is consistent with the requirements for qualification of GLPI as a REIT.
Income Tests
As a REIT, we must satisfy two gross income requirements on an annual basis. First, at least 75% of our gross income for each taxable year, excluding gross income from sales of inventory or dealer property in "prohibited transactions," discharge of indebtedness and certain hedging transactions, generally must be derived from "rents from real property," gains from the sale of real estate assets (but not including certain debt instruments of publicly offered REITs that are not secured by mortgages on real property), interest income derived from mortgage loans secured by real property (including certain types of mortgage-backed securities), dividends received from other REITs, and specified income from temporary investments. Second, at least 95% of our gross income in each taxable year, excluding gross income from prohibited transactions, discharge of indebtedness and certain hedging transactions, must be derived from some combination of income that qualifies under the 75% gross income test described above, as well as other dividends, interest, and gain from the sale or disposition of stock or securities, which need not have any relation to real property. Income and gain from certain hedging transactions will be excluded from both the numerator and the denominator for purposes of both the 75% and 95% gross income tests.
Rents received by a REIT will qualify as "rents from real property" in satisfying the gross income requirements described above only if several conditions are met.
• The amount of rent must not be based in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person. However, an amount received or accrued generally will not be excluded from the term "rents from real property" solely by reason of being based on a fixed percentage or percentages of gross receipts or sales.
• Rents received from a tenant will not qualify as "rents from real property" in satisfying the gross income tests if the REIT, or a direct or indirect owner of 10% or more of the REIT, directly or constructively, owns 10% or more of such tenant (a "Related Party Tenant"). However, rental payments from a TRS will qualify as rents from real property even
18
Table of Contents
if we own more than 10% of the total value or combined voting power of the TRS if (i) at least 90% of the property is leased to unrelated tenants and the rent paid by the TRS is substantially comparable to the rent paid by the unrelated tenants for comparable space or (ii) the property leased is a "qualified lodging facility," as defined in Section 856(d)(9)(D) of the Code, or a "qualified health care property," as defined in Section 856(e)(6)(D)(i) of the Code, and certain other conditions are satisfied.
• Rent attributable to personal property leased in connection with a lease of real property will not qualify as "rents from real property" if such rent exceeds 15% of the total rent received under the lease.
• The REIT generally must not operate or manage the property or furnish or render services to tenants, except through an "independent contractor" who is adequately compensated and from whom the REIT derives no income, or through a TRS. The "independent contractor" requirement, however, does not apply to the extent the services provided by the REIT are "usually or customarily rendered" in connection with the rental of space for occupancy only, and are not otherwise considered "rendered to the occupant." In addition, a de minimis rule applies with respect to non-customary services. Specifically, if the value of the non-customary service income with respect to a property (valued at no less than 150% of the direct costs of performing such services) is 1% or less of the total income derived from the property, then all rental income except the non-customary service income will qualify as "rents from real property." A TRS may provide services (including noncustomary services) to a REIT’s tenants without "tainting" any of the rental income received by the REIT, and will be able to manage or operate properties for third parties and generally engage in other activities unrelated to real estate.
We do not anticipate receiving rent that is based in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person (except by reason of being based on a fixed percentage or percentages of gross receipts or sales consistent with the rules described above). Our former parent, PENN, received a private letter ruling from the IRS prior to the Spin-Off that concluded certain rental formulas under the Amended PENN Master Lease will not cause any amounts received under the Amended PENN Master Lease to be treated as other than rents from real property. While we do not expect to seek similar rulings for additional leases we enter into that have substantially similar terms as the Amended PENN Master Lease, we intend to treat amounts received under those leases consistent with the conclusions in the ruling, though there can be no assurance that the IRS will not challenge such treatment. We also do not anticipate receiving more than a de minimis amount of rents from any Related Party Tenant or rents attributable to personal property leased in connection with real property that will exceed 15% of the total rents received with respect to such real property. We may receive certain types of income that will not qualify under the 75% or 95% gross income tests. In particular, dividends received from a TRS will not qualify under the 75% test. We believe, however, that the aggregate amount of such items and other non-qualifying income in any taxable year will not cause GLPI to exceed the limits on non-qualifying income under either the 75% or 95% gross income tests.
We may directly or indirectly receive distributions from TRSs or other corporations that are not REITs or qualified REIT subsidiaries. These distributions generally are treated as dividend income to the extent of the earnings and profits of the distributing corporation. Such distributions will generally constitute qualifying income for purposes of the 95% gross income test, but not for purposes of the 75% gross income test. Any dividends that we receive from another REIT or qualified REIT subsidiary, however, will be qualifying income for purposes of both the 95% and 75% gross income tests.
We believe that we have and will continue to be in compliance with these gross income tests. If we fail to satisfy one or both of the 75% or 95% gross income tests for any taxable year, we may still qualify to be taxed as a REIT for such year if we are entitled to relief under applicable provisions of the Code. These relief provisions will be generally available if (i) our failure to meet these tests was due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect and (ii) following our identification of the failure to meet the 75% or 95% gross income test for any taxable year, we file a schedule with the IRS setting forth each item of our gross income for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income test for such taxable year in accordance with Treasury regulations. It is not possible to state whether we would be entitled to the benefit of these relief provisions in all circumstances. If these relief provisions are inapplicable to a particular set of circumstances, we will not qualify to be taxed as a REIT. Even if these relief provisions apply, and we retain our status as a REIT, the Code imposes a tax based upon the amount by which we fail to satisfy the particular gross income test.
Asset Tests
At the close of each calendar quarter, we must also satisfy five tests relating to the nature of our assets. First, at least 75% of the value of our total assets must be represented by some combination of "real estate assets," cash, cash items, U.S. government securities, and, under some circumstances, stock or debt instruments purchased with new capital. For this purpose, real estate assets include interests in real property (such as land, buildings, leasehold interest in real property and, for taxable years that began on or after January 1, 2016, personal property leased with real property if the rents attributable to the personal property would be rents from real property under the income tests discussed above), interests in mortgages on real property or
19
Table of Contents
on interests in real property, shares in other qualifying REITs, and stock or debt instruments held for less than one year purchased with the proceeds from an offering of shares of our stock or certain debt and, for tax years that began on or after January 1, 2016, debt instruments issued by publicly offered REITs. Assets that do not qualify for purposes of the 75% asset test are subject to the additional asset tests described below.
Second, the value of any one issuer's securities that we own may not exceed 5% of the value of our total assets.
Third, we may not own more than 10% of any one issuer's outstanding securities, as measured by either voting power or value. The 5% and 10% asset tests do not apply to securities of TRSs and qualified REIT subsidiaries and the 10% asset test does not apply to "straight debt" having specified characteristics and to certain other securities described below. Solely for purposes of the 10% asset test, the determination of our interest in the assets of a partnership or limited liability company in which we own an interest will be based on our proportionate interest in any securities issued by the partnership or limited liability company, excluding for this purpose, certain securities described in the Code. The safe harbor under which certain types of securities are disregarded for purposes of the 10% value limitation includes (1) straight debt securities (including straight debt securities that provide for certain contingent payments); (2) any loan to an individual or an estate; (3) any rental agreement described in Section 467 of the Code, other than with a "related person"; (4) any obligation to pay rents from real property; (5) certain securities issued by a State or any political subdivision thereof, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; (6) any security issued by a REIT; and (7) any other arrangement that, as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, is excepted from the definition of a security. In addition, for purposes of applying the 10% value limitation, (a) a REIT’s interest as a partner in a partnership is not considered a security; (b) any debt instrument issued by a partnership is not treated as a security if at least 75% of the partnership’s gross income is from sources that would qualify for the 75% REIT gross income test; and (c) any debt instrument issued by a partnership is not treated as a security to the extent of the REIT’s interest as a partner in the partnership.
Fourth, the aggregate value of all securities of TRSs that we hold, together with other non-qualified assets (such as furniture and equipment or other tangible personal property, or non-real estate securities) may not, in the aggregate, exceed 20% of the value of our total assets.
Fifth, not more than 25% of the value of our gross assets may be represented by debt instruments of publicly offered REITs that are not secured by mortgages on real property or interests in real property.
However, certain relief provisions are available to allow REITs to satisfy the asset requirements or to maintain REIT qualification notwithstanding certain violations of the asset and other requirements. For example, if we should fail to satisfy the asset tests at the end of a calendar quarter, such a failure would not cause us to lose our REIT qualification if we (i) satisfied the asset tests at the close of the preceding calendar quarter and (ii) the discrepancy between the value of our assets and the asset requirements was not wholly or partly caused by an acquisition of non-qualifying assets, but instead arose from changes in the relative market values of our assets. If the condition described in (ii) was not satisfied, we still could avoid disqualification by eliminating any discrepancy within 30 days after the close of the calendar quarter in which it arose or by making use of the relief provisions described above.
In the case of de minimis violations of the 10% and 5% asset tests, a REIT may maintain its qualification despite a violation of such requirements if (i) the value of the assets causing the violation does not exceed the lesser of 1% of the REIT's total assets and $10,000,000 and (ii) the REIT either disposes of the assets causing the failure within six months after the last day of the quarter in which it identifies the failure, or the relevant tests are otherwise satisfied within that time frame.
Even if we did not qualify for the foregoing relief provisions, one additional provision allows a REIT which fails one or more of the asset requirements to nevertheless maintain its REIT qualification if (i) the REIT provides the IRS with a description of each asset causing the failure, (ii) the failure is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, (iii) the REIT pays a tax equal to the greater of (a) $50,000 per failure and (b) the product of the net income generated by the assets that caused the failure multiplied by the highest applicable corporate tax rate (currently 21%) and (iv) the REIT either disposes of the assets causing the failure within six months after the last day of the quarter in which it identifies the failure, or otherwise satisfies the relevant asset tests within that time frame.
We believe that we have been and will continue to be in compliance with the asset tests described above.
Annual Distribution Requirements
In order to qualify to be taxed as a REIT, we are required to distribute dividends, other than capital gain dividends, to our shareholders in an amount at least equal to:
(i) the sum of
20
Table of Contents
(a) 90% of our REIT taxable income, computed without regard to our net capital gains and the deduction for dividends paid; and
(b) 90% of our after tax net income, if any, from foreclosure property (as described below); minus
(ii) the excess of the sum of specified items of non-cash income over 5% of our REIT taxable income, computed without regard to our net capital gain and the deduction for dividends paid.
We generally must make these distributions in the taxable year to which they relate, or in the following taxable year if declared before we timely file our tax return for the year and if paid with or before the first regular dividend payment after such declaration. These distributions will be treated as received by our shareholders in the year in which paid. In order for distributions to be counted as satisfying the annual distribution requirements for REITs, and to provide us with a REIT-level tax deduction, the distributions must not be "preferential dividends." A dividend is not a preferential dividend if the distribution is (i) pro rata among all outstanding shares of stock within a particular class and (ii) in accordance with any preferences among different classes of stock as set forth in our organizational documents. Given our status as a "publicly offered REIT" (within the meaning of the Code), the preferential dividend rules do not apply to us for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2014.
To the extent that we distribute at least 90%, but less than 100%, of our REIT taxable income, as adjusted, we will be subject to tax at ordinary corporate tax rates on the retained portion. We may elect to retain, rather than distribute, some or all of our net long-term capital gains and pay tax on such gains. In this case, we could elect for our shareholders to include their proportionate shares of such undistributed long-term capital gains in income, and to receive a corresponding credit for their share of the tax that we paid. Our shareholders would then increase the adjusted basis of their stock by the difference between (i) the amounts of capital gain dividends that we designated and that they include in their taxable income, minus (ii) the tax that we paid on their behalf with respect to that income.
To the extent that in the future we may have available net operating losses carried forward from prior tax years, such losses may reduce the amount of distributions that we must make in order to comply with the REIT distribution requirements.
If we fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of (i) 85% of our ordinary income for such year, (ii) 95% of our capital gain net income for such year and (iii) any undistributed net taxable income from prior periods, we will be subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax on the excess of such required distribution over the sum of (a) the amounts actually distributed, plus (b) the amounts of income we retained and on which we have paid corporate income tax.
We expect that our REIT taxable income will be less than our cash flow because of depreciation and other non-cash charges included in computing REIT taxable income. Accordingly, we anticipate that we generally will have sufficient cash or liquid assets to enable us to satisfy the distribution requirements described above. However, from time to time, we may not have sufficient cash or other liquid assets to meet these distribution requirements due to timing differences between the actual receipt of income and actual payment of deductible expenses, and the inclusion of income and deduction of expenses in determining our taxable income. In addition, we may decide to retain our cash, rather than distribute it, in order to repay debt, acquire assets, or for other reasons. If these timing differences occur, we may borrow funds to pay dividends or pay dividends through the distribution of other property (including shares of our stock) in order to meet the distribution requirements, while preserving our cash.
If our taxable income for a particular year is subsequently determined to have been understated, we may be able to rectify a resultant failure to meet the distribution requirements for a year by paying "deficiency dividends" to shareholders in a later year, which may be included in our deduction for dividends paid for the earlier year. In this case, we may be able to avoid losing REIT qualification or being taxed on amounts distributed as deficiency dividends, subject to the 4% excise tax described above. We will be required to pay interest based on the amount of any deduction taken for deficiency dividends.
For purposes of the 90% distribution requirement and excise tax described above, any distribution must be paid in the taxable year to which they relate, or in the following taxable year if such distributions are declared in October, November or December of the taxable year, are payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in any such month, and are actually paid before the end of January of the following year. Such distributions are treated as both paid by us and received by our shareholders on December 31 of the year in which they are declared.
In addition, at our election, a distribution for a taxable year may be declared before we timely file our tax return for the year, provided we pay such distribution with or before our first regular dividend payment after such declaration, and such payment is made during the 12-month period following the close of such taxable year. Such distributions are taxable to our shareholders in the year in which paid, even though the distributions relate to our prior taxable year for purposes of the 90% distribution requirement.
21
Table of Contents
We believe that we have satisfied the annual distribution requirements for the year ended December 31, 2024. Although we intend to satisfy the annual distribution requirements to continue to qualify as a REIT for the year ending December 31, 2025 and thereafter, economic, market, legal, tax or other considerations could limit our ability to meet those requirements.
Failure to Qualify
If we fail to satisfy one or more requirements for REIT qualification other than the income or asset tests, we could avoid disqualification as a REIT if our failure is due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect and we pay a penalty of $50,000 for each such failure. Relief provisions are also available for failures of the income tests and asset tests, as described above in " Income Tests " and " Asset Tests ."
If we fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT in any taxable year, and the relief provisions described above do not apply, we would be subject to tax, including any applicable alternative minimum tax, on our taxable income at regular corporate rates. We cannot deduct distributions to shareholders in any year in which we are not a REIT, nor would we be required to make distributions in such a year. In this situation, to the extent of current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes), distributions to shareholders would be taxable as regular corporate dividends. Such dividends paid to U.S. shareholders that are individuals, trusts and estates may be taxable at the preferential income tax rates (i.e., currently the 20% maximum U.S. federal rate) for qualified dividends. In addition, subject to the limitations of the Code, corporate distributees may be eligible for the dividends received deduction. Unless we are entitled to relief under specific statutory provisions, we would also be disqualified from re-electing to be taxed as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which we lost our qualification. It is not possible to state whether, in all circumstances, we would be entitled to this statutory relief.
2021 UPREIT Transaction
On December 29, 2021, we completed a transaction with Cordish whereby they contributed certain real property assets into GLP Capital (our operating partnership, or the “OP”) in exchange for newly issued partnership interests in the OP. As a result of the contribution, the UPREIT Transaction was consummated. Prior to the UPREIT Transaction, the OP was owned by the REIT and another entity wholly owned by the REIT and disregarded for income tax purposes, making the OP disregarded as separate from the REIT. The structure of the transaction is intended to allow the REIT to still receive rents from real property on a passthrough basis from the OP, and it will continue to own an interest in real property through its ownership of the OP partnership interests as its sole asset, as discussed below. Based on this, we believe that the UPREIT Transaction will not impact our ability to meet the requirements of the REIT asset, income, and distribution tests described above.
Tax Aspects of Investment in the Operating Partnership
We may hold investments through entities that are classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, including our interest in the OP. In general, partnerships are passthrough entities that are not subject to U.S. federal income tax. Rather, partners are allocated their proportionate shares of the items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit of a partnership, and are subject to tax on these items without regard to whether the partners receive a distribution from the partnership. We will include in our income our proportionate share of these partnership items of the OP for purposes of the various REIT income tests and in the computation of our REIT taxable income. Moreover, for purposes of the REIT asset tests, we will include our proportionate share of assets held by the OP.
The investment by us in the OP involves special tax considerations, including the possibility of a challenge by the IRS to the status of the OP as a partnership, as opposed to an association taxable as a corporation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the OP were treated as an association for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it would be taxable as a corporation and, therefore, could be subject to an entity-level tax on its income.
Treasury regulations provide that a domestic business entity not otherwise organized as a corporation may elect to be treated as a partnership or disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Generally, an entity will be classified as a partnership or disregarded entity (depending on its number of owners) for U.S. federal income tax purposes unless it elects otherwise. The OP intends to be classified as a partnership under these Treasury regulations. We have not requested and do not intend to request a ruling from the IRS that the OP will be classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
To be a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the OP generally must not be a “publicly traded partnership”. A publicly traded partnership is a partnership whose interests are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market (or a substantial equivalent). A publicly traded partnership is generally treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, but will not be so treated if, for each taxable year beginning after December 31, 1987 in which it was classified as a publicly traded partnership, at least 90% of the partnership’s gross income consisted of specified passive income, including real property rents (which includes rents that would be qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross
22
Table of Contents
income test, with certain modifications that make it easier for the rents to qualify for the 90% passive income exception), gains from the sale or other disposition of real property, interest, and dividends (the “90% passive income exception”).
Treasury regulations provide limited safe harbors from treatment as a publicly traded partnership. We expect that the OP will fall within one of the “safe harbors” for the partnership to avoid being classified as a publicly traded partnership. However, no assurance can be given regarding the OP's ability to satisfy the requirements of some of these safe harbors and accordingly no assurance can be given that the OP would not be treated as a publicly traded partnership. Even if the OP failed to meet one of the safe harbors, it generally will not be treated as a corporation if it qualifies for the 90% passive income exception discussed immediately above.
Partnership Allocations
Although a partnership agreement generally will determine the allocation of income and losses among partners, such allocations will be disregarded for tax purposes if they do not comply with the provisions of Section 704(b) of the Code and the Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, which require that partnership allocations respect the economic arrangement of the partners. If an allocation is not recognized for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the item subject to the allocation will be reallocated in accordance with the partners’ interests in the partnership, which will be determined considering all of the facts and circumstances relating to the economic arrangement of the partners with respect to such item. The OP’s allocations of taxable income and loss are intended to comply with the requirements of Section 704(b) of the Code and the Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder.
Pursuant to Section 704(c) of the Code, items of income, gain, loss, and deduction attributable to appreciated or depreciated property that is contributed to a partnership in exchange for an interest in the partnership must be allocated for U.S. federal income tax purposes in a manner such that the contributor is charged with or benefits from the unrealized gain or unrealized loss associated with the property at the time of the contribution. The amount of such unrealized gain or unrealized loss is generally equal to the difference between the fair market value of the contributed property at the time of contribution and the adjusted tax basis of such property at the time of contribution. Such allocations are solely for U.S. federal income tax purposes and do not affect other economic or legal arrangements among the partners.
Our OP has entered into transactions involving the contribution to the OP of appreciated property, and the OP may enter into such transactions in the future. The partnership agreement of the OP requires allocations of income, gain, loss, and deduction attributable to contributed property to be made in a manner that is consistent with Section 704(c) of the Code. Treasury regulations issued under Section 704(c) give partnerships a choice of several methods of allocating taxable income with respect to contributed properties (and the tax protection agreements entered into in connection with the contributions of properties to the OP require that a certain method be used). Depending upon the method used, (1) our tax depreciation deductions attributable to those properties may be lower than they would have been if our OP had acquired those properties for cash and (2) in the event of a sale of such properties, we could be allocated gain in excess of our corresponding economic or book gain. These allocations may cause us to recognize taxable income in excess of cash proceeds received by us, which might adversely affect our ability to comply with the REIT distribution requirements or result in our shareholders recognizing additional dividend income without an increase in distributions.
Assets contributed to a partnership in a tax-free transaction generally retain the same depreciation method and recovery period as they had in the hands of the partner who contributed them to the partnership. Accordingly, a substantial amount of the OP’s depreciation deductions for its real property are based on the historic tax depreciation schedules for the properties prior to their contribution to the OP.
Basis in OP Interest
Our adjusted tax basis in a partnership in which we have an interest (including the OP) generally (1) will be equal to the amount of cash and the basis of any other property contributed to such partnership by us, (2) will be increased by (a) our allocable share of such partnership’s income and (b) our allocable share of any indebtedness of such partnership, and (3) will be reduced, but not below zero, by our allocable share of (a) such partnership’s loss and (b) the amount of cash and the tax basis of any property distributed to us and by constructive distributions resulting from a reduction in our share of indebtedness of such partnership.
If our allocable share of the loss (or portion thereof) of any partnership in which we have an interest would reduce the adjusted tax basis of our partnership interest in such partnership below zero, the recognition of such loss will be deferred until
23
Table of Contents
such time as the recognition of such loss (or portion thereof) would not reduce our adjusted tax basis below zero. To the extent that distributions to us from a partnership, or any decrease in our share of the nonrecourse indebtedness of a partnership (each such decrease being considered a constructive cash distribution to the partners), would reduce our adjusted tax basis below zero, such distributions (including such constructive distributions) would constitute taxable income to us. Such distributions and constructive distributions normally would be characterized as long-term capital gain if our interest in such partnership has been held for longer than the long-term capital gain holding period (currently 12 months).
Sale of Partnership Property
Generally, any gain realized by a partnership on the sale of property held by the partnership for more than 12 months will be long-term capital gain, except for any portion of such gain that is treated as depreciation or cost recovery recapture. However, under requirements applicable to REITs under the Code, our share as a partner of any gain realized by the OP on the sale of any property held as inventory or other property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business will be treated as income from a prohibited transaction that is subject to a 100% penalty tax.
Legislative or Other Actions Affecting REITs and Partnerships
The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of REITs may be modified, possibly with retroactive effect, by legislative, judicial or administrative action at any time. The REIT rules are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the IRS and the Treasury which may result in statutory changes as well as revisions to regulations and interpretations. Changes to the U.S. federal tax laws and interpretations thereof could adversely affect an investment in our common stock.
On December 22, 2017, H.R. 1, known as the Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 (the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act") was signed into law. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made significant changes to the U.S. federal income taxation of individuals and corporations, generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. In addition to reducing corporate and individual income tax rates, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminates or restricts various deductions that, along with other provisions, may change the way that we calculate our REIT taxable income and our TRS's taxable income. Significant provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that investors should be aware of include provisions that: (i) lower the corporate income tax rate to 21%, (ii) provide noncorporate taxpayers with a deduction of up to 20% of certain income earned through partnerships and REITs, (iii) limit the net operating loss deduction to 80% of taxable income, where taxable income is determined without regard to the net operating loss deduction itself, generally eliminates net operating loss carry backs and allow unused net operating losses to be carried forward indefinitely, (iv) expand the ability of businesses to deduct the cost of certain property investments in the year in which the property is purchased, and (v) generally lower tax rates for individuals and other noncorporate taxpayers, while limiting deductions such as miscellaneous itemized deductions and state and local tax deductions. In addition, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act limits the deduction for net interest expense incurred by a business to 30% of the "adjusted taxable income" of the taxpayer. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability Act increased the limitation to 50% of “adjusted taxable income” for tax years beginning in 2019 and 2020. The limitation on the interest expense deduction does not apply to certain small-business taxpayers or electing real property trades or businesses, such as any real property development, redevelopment, construction, reconstruction, acquisition, conversion, rental, operation, management, leasing, or brokerage trade or business. Making the election to be treated as a real property trade or business requires the electing real property trade or business to depreciate non-residential real property, residential rental property, and qualified improvement property over a longer period using the alternative depreciation system. We have not yet elected out of the new interest expense limitation.
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (the “BBA”) revised the rules applicable to federal income tax audits of partnerships (such as the OP) and the collection of any tax resulting from any such audits or other tax proceedings, generally for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Under the applicable rules, a partnership itself may be liable for a tax computed by reference to the hypothetical increase in partner-level taxes (including interest and penalties) resulting from an adjustment of partnership tax items on audit, regardless of changes in the composition of the partners (or their relative ownership) between the year under audit and the year of the adjustment. The rules also include an elective alternative method under which the additional taxes resulting from the adjustment are assessed against the affected partners, subject to a higher rate of interest than otherwise would apply. Although it is uncertain how these rules will be implemented, it is possible that they could result in partnerships in which we directly or indirectly invest being required to pay additional taxes, interest and penalties as a result of an audit adjustment, and we, as a direct or indirect partner of those partnerships could be required to bear the economic burden of those taxes, interest and penalties even though we, as a REIT, may not otherwise have been required to pay additional corporate-level taxes as a result of the related audit adjustment. The changes created by these rules are sweeping and, in some respects, dependent on the promulgation of future regulations or other guidance by the U.S. Treasury.
24
Table of Contents
Shareholders are urged to consult with their own tax advisors with respect to the impact that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the BBA, and other legislation may have on their investment and the status of legislative, regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on their investment in our shares.
Supplemental U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
The following discussion supplements and updates the disclosures under “Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the prospectus dated August 12, 2022, contained in our Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC on August 12, 2022. Capitalized terms herein that are not otherwise defined shall have the same meaning as when used in such disclosures (as supplemented).
On December 29, 2022, the Internal Revenue Service promulgated final Treasury Regulations under Sections 897, 1441, 1445, and 1446 of the Code that were, in part, intended to coordinate various withholding regimes for non-U.S. stockholders. The new Treasury Regulations provide guidance regarding qualified foreign pension funds and are in large part consistent with the previously issued proposed Treasury Regulations.
Accordingly, the last two sentences of the first paragraph under the heading “ Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations—Taxation of Stockholders and Potential Tax Consequences of Their Investment in Shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock—Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders—Qualified Foreign Pension Funds ” are hereby deleted and replaced with the following:
Under Treasury Regulations, subject to the discussion below regarding “qualified holders,” a “qualified controlled entity” also is not generally treated as a foreign person for purposes of FIRPTA. A qualified controlled entity generally includes a trust or corporation organized under the laws of a foreign country all of the interests of which are held by one or more qualified foreign pension funds either directly or indirectly through one or more qualified controlled entities.
Additionally, the following two paragraphs are added after the first paragraph under the heading “ Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations—Taxation of Stockholders and Potential Tax Consequences of Their Investment in Shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock—Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders—Qualified Foreign Pension Funds ”:
Treasury Regulations further require that a qualified foreign pension fund or qualified controlled entity will not be exempt from FIRPTA with respect to dispositions of U.S. real property interests or REIT distributions attributable to the same unless the qualified foreign pension fund or qualified controlled entity is a “qualified holder.” To be a qualified holder, a qualified foreign pension fund or qualified controlled entity must satisfy one of two alternative tests at the time of the disposition of the U.S. real property interest or the REIT distribution. Under the first test, a qualified foreign pension fund or qualified controlled entity is a qualified holder if it owned no U.S. real property interests as of the earliest date during an uninterrupted period ending on the date of the disposition or distribution during which it qualified as a qualified foreign pension fund or qualified controlled entity. Alternatively, if a qualified foreign pension fund or qualified controlled entity held U.S. real property interests as of the earliest date during the period described in the preceding sentence, it can be a qualified holder only if it satisfies certain testing period requirements.
Treasury Regulations also provide that a foreign partnership all of the interests of which are held by qualified holders, including through one or more partnerships, may certify its status as such and will not be treated as a foreign person for purposes of withholding under FIRPTA.
Regulation
The ownership, operation, and management of, and provision of certain products and services to, gaming and racing facilities are subject to pervasive regulation. Gaming laws are generally based upon declarations of public policy designed to protect gaming consumers and the viability and integrity of the gaming industry. Gaming laws may also be designed to protect and maximize state and local revenues derived through taxes and licensing fees imposed on gaming industry participants as well as to enhance economic development and tourism. To accomplish these public policy goals, gaming laws establish procedures to ensure that participants in the gaming industry, including the owners of real estate associated with gaming and racing facilities and other suppliers of products and services to gaming operators, meet certain standards of character and suitability to hold a gaming license. In addition, gaming laws require gaming industry participants to:
• ensure that unsuitable individuals and organizations have no role in asset ownership and/or the operations of gaming assets, and in those jurisdictions that require landowner licensure, ownership of the real property;
25
Table of Contents
• ensure transparency through periodic reporting around certain events, including levels of ownership and control, and licensure for those deemed necessary by the regulators;
• establish procedures designed to prevent cheating and fraudulent practices;
• establish and maintain responsible accounting practices and procedures;
• maintain effective controls over their financial practices, including establishment of minimum procedures for internal fiscal affairs and the safeguarding of assets and revenues;
• maintain systems for reliable record keeping;
• ensure that contracts and financial transactions are commercially reasonable, reflect fair market value and are arms-length transactions; and
• establish programs to promote responsible gaming.
These regulations impact our business insomuch as the gaming and racing regulatory agencies in certain jurisdictions in which we own real estate and our gaming tenants operate require GLPI and its affiliates to maintain a finding of suitability or license as a property owner, key business entity, buyer-lessor of gaming facility assets, principal affiliate, business entity, qualifier, vendor, operator or supplier because of its ownership of the real estate associated with those gaming and racing facilities. We are presently licensed by gaming and racing regulatory agencies in the following jurisdictions: Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Pennsylvania.
Our business and those operated by our tenants are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations including gaming regulations. These laws and regulations include, but are not limited to, restrictions and conditions concerning the sale of alcoholic beverages, environmental matters, employees, health care, currency transactions, taxation, zoning and building codes, marketing, and advertising. Such laws and regulations could change or could be interpreted differently in the future, or new laws and regulations could be enacted. New laws or regulations, or material changes to existing law and/or regulations, or material differences in interpretations by courts or governmental authorities could adversely affect our operating results.
Insurance
We maintain comprehensive general liability, commercial property, fiduciary, directors and officers liability, and business interruption insurance covering our business. In regards to our properties subject to triple-net leases, those lease agreements require our tenants to procure and maintain their own comprehensive general liability, commercial property and business interruption coverage, including all insurance mandated by law, as well as insurance coverage to protect our insurable interests as owner and lessor of such real estate.
Environmental Matters
Our properties are subject to U.S. federal, state and local environmental laws governing and regulating, among other things, air emissions, wastewater discharges and the handling and disposal of wastes and required actions and response efforts. Certain of the properties we own utilize or have utilized above or underground storage tanks to store oil and certain fuels for use at the properties. Other properties were built during the time that asbestos-containing building materials were routinely installed in residential and commercial structures. Certain of the real estate assets owned by GLPI were developed and constructed on remediated former commercial and industrial sites. In connection with the ownership of our real property assets, we could be found legally responsible for environmental liabilities or costs relating to a release of hazardous substances or other regulated materials at or emanating from such property.
Pursuant to applicable environmental laws and regulations, a current or previous owner or operator of real property may be required to investigate, remove and/or remediate a release of hazardous substances or other regulated materials at, or emanating from, such property. Further, under certain circumstances, such owners or operators of real property may be held liable for property damage, personal injury and/or natural resource damage resulting from or arising in connection with such releases. Certain of these laws have been interpreted to provide for joint and several liability unless the harm is divisible and there is a reasonable basis for allocation of responsibility. We also may be liable under certain of these laws for damage that occurred prior to our ownership of a property or at a site where we or our tenants sent wastes for disposal.
26
Table of Contents
For most triple-net leases to which we are a party, environmental liabilities arising from the business operations are retained by our tenants, and the tenants are required to indemnify GLPI (and its subsidiaries, directors, officers, employees, agents and certain other related parties) against any claims, losses, orders or fines arising from or relating to such environmental liabilities. Further, our triple-net leases obligate our tenants thereunder to comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations. We expect that future leases with new parties and renewals with existing tenants will include the same provisions. A tenant’s failure to comply could result in fines and penalties or the requirement to undertake corrective actions which could result in significant costs to the tenant which could potentially adversely affect their ability to meet their obligations to us.
As part of the Company's due diligence process prior to acquiring real estate assets we routinely commission environmental assessments to assess the potential for such liability. We are not aware of any environmental issues, potential litigation or recognized environmental conditions that are expected to have a material impact on the operations of any of our properties or that would materially impact our ownership of those real estate assets including such real estate presently under development.
Corporate Responsibility
We believe that corporate responsibility, including environmental and community stewardship, is an integral component of being a responsible corporate citizen. With this in mind, we continue to integrate and implement environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, strategies and initiatives into our overall business strategies intended to contribute to long-term value creation for our shareholders, employees and other stakeholders.
ESG opportunities, risks and strategy are developed and managed by the Company’s management team collaboratively with the Company's cross-functional ESG Steering Committee. The Company’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees Company matters relating to ESG, including oversight of the Company’s policies and strategies relating to human capital management, corporate culture, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, which are discussed thoughtfully by the Committee and reported to our Board of Directors. The ESG Steering Committee meets regularly and reports to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee on a quarterly basis and more frequently, as needed.
Environmental Sustainability
We are committed to conducting our business in an environmentally conscious manner. With that in mind, we continue to assess the materiality of environmental risks to the organization. We promote sustainable practices and environmental stewardship throughout the organization, with a particular emphasis on energy efficiency, recycling, indoor environmental quality, and environmental awareness.
With the exception of our corporate headquarters, our properties are leased to gaming operators pursuant to triple-net lease agreements, meaning each operator is responsible for business operations, maintenance, insurance, taxes, utilities, and other property-related expenses, including with respect to all sustainability strategies. The oversight and control of all energy and water usage and consumption and operations-related sustainability strategies related thereto is the sole responsibility of our tenants. Consequently, fostering a strong channel of communication with our tenants is an important component in the evolution of the environmental sustainability of our properties and establishing long-term, successful relationships is critical to the success of our business. Through our formalized Tenant Partnership Program, we discussed the importance of collecting and sharing utility data. To reinforce our level of commitment and support to our tenants in these areas, we provided them with accessibility and use, at no charge, to a third-party platform to aid in the aggregation and compilation and reporting of utility data to encourage enhanced transparency and to aid in determining greenhouse gas emissions at our properties. As of December 31, 2024, we had 100% agreement from our tenants to provide utility data for those properties. We are committed to offering continued support to our tenants in the area of data sharing and sustainability. We also implemented certain green lease provisions, which include data collection obligations in many of our leases.
We are evaluating climate-related risks and opportunities to include in our near and long-term environmental strategies. We published our inaugural Sustainability Report in 2024.
The growth of our business often involves the acquisition of real estate assets from third parties. In furtherance of our commitment to environmental sustainability, we routinely engage nationally recognized and certified environmental engineers
27
Table of Contents
to perform Phase I Environmental Site Assessments as part of our acquisition process and require future tenants to ensure compliance with all environmental laws, including any necessary testing, remediation and/or monitoring.
Recognizing that sustainability is a journey, we are committed to continuous improvement and will endeavor to engage and communicate with our key stakeholders regarding our environmental stewardship. Further, we are committed to developing initiatives to address and mitigate those environmental risks within our control and supporting our tenants to do the same. In 2023, we completed portfolio-wide inspections of all real estate owned by the Company, which also included a comprehensive ESG and climate assessment component.
Human Capital Management
As of December 31, 2024, we had 19 full-time employees. We strive to maintain a corporate environment that fosters a sense of community and well-being and that encourages our employees to focus on their long-term success along with the long term success of the Company. Our employees are a valued asset and integral to the success of the Company. We strive to prioritize our employees’ education, development, growth, and well-being. We are passionate about developing our talent. We provide tuition reimbursement, professional development reimbursement, and performance appraisals. We are committed to continuing to develop strategies focused on employee growth, development and well-being.
Senior management holds employee meetings and social events at a regular cadence to create an open forum for learning and to foster feedback.
Every employee receives an annual grant of GLPI equity that vests over a three-year period. This program was proposed and instituted by our Chairman and CEO as a way to attract and retain talent across all levels of the organization and to ensure that every employee has a stake in the Company’s continued growth and success.
We offer competitive and balanced benefits, including a flexible work policy designed to ensure a healthy work-life balance as well as flexible summer hours. Our array of other well-being and benefits packages includes a 401(k) plan with employer match, family leave, a health and fitness facility at the corporate campus and an employee assistance plan (EAP), among other non-salary benefits. The Company also offers paid time off for volunteering and community involvement.
Our view of human capital management extends beyond our employees to our vendors and other third parties with whom we do business. Our adoption of our Vendor Code of Conduct was designed to ensure that we engage individuals and businesses that are committed to the health and well-being of their employees as well.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
GLPI is focused on cultivating a diverse and inclusive culture where our employees can freely bring diverse perspectives and varied experiences to the workplace. We value diverse representation, backgrounds and viewpoints and believe that they serve to strengthen our business proposition for the long-term horizon.
Within our hiring and recruitment processes, we adhere to equal employment policies, and we are committed to actively considering diversity in the expansion of our Board of Directors or the filling of any vacancy. We abide by our Inclusive Workplace Policy and require all employees, including our Board of Directors, to complete training on diversity and inclusion, alongside other trainings for various GLPI policies, including our Code of Business Conduct.
As of December 31, 2024, 47% of our employees identify as female. In addition, 25% of the Board of Directors is comprised of directors who identify as female and includes a member that is racially diverse.
Tenant Engagement
Since the formalization of our Tenant Partnership Program, we have continued to engage with our tenants, at least annually, but more frequently as deemed necessary, to address and discuss sustainability and social matters such as environmental data collection, sustainability strategies and community engagement opportunities. We are proud to report 100% tenant participation in response to our engagement efforts again in 2024. We continue to foster these relationships and identify community engagement partnership opportunities. We believe that aligning, sharing and committing to similar sustainability
28
Table of Contents
goals will continue to allow our Company and our tenant stakeholders to make a greater collective impact, while fostering long-term, successful relationships in the communities in which we own real estate and conduct business.
Community Engagement
We take an active role in supporting our communities by partnering with local and national organizations to administer charitable contributions, provide community service, and organize the donation of goods to assist those in need. We endeavor to broaden our local and national outreach and maximize our impact year over year. Our employees regularly volunteer at food banks and participate in other charitable events. In 2024, we completed our third Annual Day of Service to support the Berks County branch of Helping Harvest in fighting hunger and made a monetary donation for kitchen equipment needed at Helping Harvest's Community Kitchen which will significantly increase its impact by providing meals to individuals, particularly seniors, faced with hunger and food insecurity as well as serve as a culinary skills training center for those leaving incarceration or rehabilitation centers or those otherwise in need of job training. The Company also contributed to the construction of a women's and children's shelter in Berks County, Pennsylvania and committed to a multi-year donation. In 2024, the Company partnered with Restoring Hope of Berks County, who retrofitted the home of a deserving family whose mother was left paralyzed by a motor vehicle accident. The Company also raised over $100,000 for Reading Hospital Foundation's Street Medicine which provides healthcare services for individuals in the Reading, Pennsylvania area who are experiencing homelessness and require medical care. We also partnered with One Tree Planted, a non-profit organization, focused on reforestation. The Company's monetary donation was earmarked for the donation of trees to reforest areas of Colorado affected by wildfires. Other notable partnerships and community outreach and involvement include Angel Tree, Trees for Troops, Salvation Army, Junior League of Reading, SafeBR, and Habitat for Humanity.
Available Information
For more information about us, visit our website at www.glpropinc.com. The contents of our website are not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our electronic filings with the SEC (including all annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to these reports), including the exhibits, are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file them with or furnish them to the SEC.