Item 1A. Risk Factors
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
We refer you to our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023 for a discussion of the risk factors that affect our business and financial results. There have been no material changes to those risk factors, except as discussed below.
Collective bargaining activity and strikes could disrupt our operations, increase our labor costs, and interfere with the ability of our management to focus on executing our business strategies.
A significant number of team members at our properties are currently covered by collective bargaining agreements. Numerous collective bargaining agreements are typically subject to negotiation each year, and our ability in the past to resolve such negotiations does not mean that we will be able to resolve future negotiations without strikes, disruptions, or on terms that we consider reasonable. If relationships with our organized associates or the unions that represent them become adverse, then the properties we operate could experience labor disruptions such as strikes, lockouts, boycotts, and public demonstrations. Labor disputes and disruptions have in the past, and could in the future, result in adverse publicity and negatively affect operations and revenues at affected properties. For example, our collective bargaining agreement with the Detroit Casino Council expired on October 16, 2023 and, in mid-October 2023, members of our staff represented by the Detroit Casino Council went on strike at our Hollywood Casino at Greektown after negotiations with the Detroit Casino Council failed to yield a new contract. Labor disputes and disruptions, such as the Detroit Casino Council strike, and further strikes or work stoppages could harm our relationship with our team members, result in increased regulatory inquiries and enforcement by governmental authorities, harm our relationships with our guests and customers, divert management attention, and reduce customer demand for our services, all of which could have an adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition, or results of operations.
In addition, labor regulation and the negotiation of new or existing collective bargaining agreements could lead to higher wage and benefit costs, changes in work rules that raise operating expenses and legal costs, and could impose limitations on our ability or the ability of our third-party property owners to take cost saving measures during economic downturns.
Given the large number of employees, labor unions are making a concerted effort to recruit more employees in the gaming industry, and, we have experienced attempts by labor organizations to organize certain of our non-union employees. These efforts have achieved some success to date. We cannot provide any assurance that we will not experience additional and successful union activity in the future. The impact of this union activity is undetermined and could negatively impact our results of operations. Increased unionization of our workforce, new labor legislation or changes in regulations could disrupt our operations, reduce our profitability or interfere with the ability of our management to focus on executing our business strategies.
We lease facilities that are located in areas that experience extreme weather conditions, which may increase in frequency and severity as a result of climate change and adversely affect our business.
We have been and may continue to be adversely impacted by increases in the frequency, duration, and severity of extreme weather events and changes in precipitation and temperature which may be increasing consequences of climate change. Extreme weather conditions may interrupt our operations and reduce the number of customers who visit our facilities in the affected areas. Our properties in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are at risk of experiencing extreme weather conditions, including snowstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes and/or flooding.
In the past, adverse weather conditions, potentially exacerbated by climate change, have interrupted our operations, damaged property, and reduced the number of customers who visit our facilities in an affected area. For example, we have experienced interrupted operations and property damage due to hurricanes in the areas around the Gulf of Mexico and due to certain snowstorms in the Midwest and Northeast. If any of our properties are damaged or there is a prolonged disruption at any of our properties due to natural disasters or other catastrophic weather events, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
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Although a majority of our repair, clean-up, and lost business expenses have been covered by insurance in the past, there is no assurance that, given the increasing burdens on insurance companies from extreme weather events, we will be able to continue to obtain adequate insurance against these types of losses, or that our insurers will in the future be in a position to satisfy our claims. In addition, the costs of insurance against these types of events have increased in recent years. For example, the Company’s cost of insurance premiums on an annual basis was approximately $25.0 million in 2022 as compared to $21.0 million in 2021.
Additionally, our retail casino gaming, sports betting, and online gaming operations rely heavily on technology services and an uninterrupted supply of electrical power. Any unscheduled disruption in our technology services or interruption in the supply of electrical power as a result of extreme weather, or otherwise, could result in an immediate, and possibly substantial, loss of revenues due to a shutdown of our retail casino gaming (including slot machines and security systems), sports betting, and online gaming operations.
Climate change regulations and greenhouse gas effects may adversely impact our operations.
There is a growing consensus that greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions continue to alter the composition of the global atmosphere in ways that are affecting, and are expected to continue affecting, the global climate. We may become subject to legislation and regulation regarding climate change, and compliance with any new rules could be difficult, burdensome and costly. Concerned parties, such as legislators and regulators, stockholders, and nongovernmental organizations, as well as companies in many business sectors, are considering ways to reduce GHG emissions. Many states have announced or adopted programs to stabilize and reduce GHG emissions and, in the past, federal legislation has been proposed in Congress. If such legislation is enacted, we could incur increased energy, environmental and other costs, and capital expenditures to comply with the limitations. Unless and until legislation is enacted and its terms are known, we cannot reasonably or reliably estimate its impact on our financial condition, results of operations, or ability to compete. Further, regulation of GHG emissions may limit our customers’ ability to travel to our properties (e.g. as a result of increased fuel costs or restrictions on transport-related emissions).
Investors’ and other stakeholders’ expectations of our performance relating to environmental, social and governance factors may impose additional costs and expose us to new risks.
There is an increasing focus from certain investors, customers, partners, employees, other stakeholders, and regulators concerning environmental, social, and governance matters (“ESG”). Some investors may use these non-financial performance factors to guide their investment strategies and, in some cases, may choose not to invest in us if they believe our policies and actions relating to ESG are inadequate. We may face reputational damage in the event that we do not meet the ESG standards set by various constituencies.
As ESG best practices and reporting standards continue to develop, we may incur increasing costs related to ESG monitoring and reporting and compliance with ESG initiatives. We publish an annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report, which highlights, among other things, our climate change mitigation activities and how we are supporting our workforce, including our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts. Our disclosures on these matters, or a failure to meet evolving stakeholder expectations for ESG practices and reporting, may potentially harm our reputation and customer relationships.
Furthermore, if our competitors’ ESG performance is perceived to be better than ours, potential or current investors may elect to invest with our competitors instead. In addition, in the event that we communicate certain initiatives or goals regarding ESG matters, we could fail, or be perceived to fail, in our achievement of such initiatives or goals, or we could be criticized for the scope of such initiatives or goals. If we fail to satisfy the expectations of investors, customers, employees, and other stakeholders, or our initiatives are not executed as planned, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects could be adversely affected.