We recently compiled a list of the 11 Best Las Vegas Stocks To Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) stands among the best Las Vegas stocks to buy now.
The gambling industry is growing throughout the globe, with the United States being one of the fastest-growing markets. According to the American Gaming Association, more American adults participated in some kind of gambling entertainment activities than ever during the past 12 months. The survey found that more than 55% of American adults participated in gambling, with 28% going to a physical casino while 21% placed sports bets.
One of the key findings of the report was regarding gambling becoming more acceptable within the American population. As per the association, 9 out of 10 adults found casino gambling acceptable for themselves and others as well. This is good news for the US economy and casino companies as they will generate substantial revenues from increased acceptability of gambling. The United States commercial gaming revenue increased 8.9% year-over-year to reach $17.63 billion during the quarter. Q2 2024, marked 14th consecutive quarter of growth and was driven by casino expansion in various states of the country, including Illinois, Virginia, and Nebraska.
Sports betting is one of the major contributors to the overall gambling industry. Let’s take a look at some of the recent trends in the sports betting industry.
What’s Happening in the Sports Betting Industry
It’s hard to think about sports without sports betting or gambling. The sports betting and gambling industry in the United States has exploded in the past 6 years since it became legalized in most states across the United States. Currently, 38 states have legalized gambling and the industry generated more than $120 billion in total bets and $11 billion in revenues for 2023 alone.
In one of the recent episodes of CNBC Boardroom’s Game Plan Sports Event, the executives of FanDuel, Fanatics, and Sportradar discussed the new state taxes and betting industry trends. All the executive members on the panel found that betters are more interested in placing wagers on individual players, along with placing real-time bets during the live sports event.
Moreover, the CEO of FanDuel overturned his decision to charge a gaming supertax from its customers after his competitors decided against charging any such tax. This came in a reaction after two US lawmakers introduced a bill to address sports betting at the federal level. In one of our recent articles on 10 Best Casino Stocks To Buy According to Analysts, we discussed how the upcoming taxes are expected to affect the market. Here’s an excerpt from the piece:
Illinois lawmakers are drafting a new budget that includes a sharp increase to the state tax on sports betting operators. On May 28, CNBC’s reporter Contessa Brewer mentioned that operators in Illinois have paid 15% on sports betting since it went live in June 2021. The new tax proposal is expected to increase the tax to a range of 20% to 40% depending on gross receipts, which means that the largest betting operators are expected to be attacked the highest with this increase.
The law is yet to be passed, but if it gets approved it will make Illinois’ highest tax rate the second highest behind New York and New Hampshire. For context, Illinois is the 4th largest state for sports betting and betters wagered more than $1.2 billion in March 2024 alone. Sports betting associations are not happy with the tax proposal. The CEO of one of the largest sports betting operators in the United States mentioned that the burden of this tax is going to shift to the consumers.
There is an upcoming tailwind which is expected to boost the industry further. The football season is back and the NFL is expected to spur a record $35 billion in legal sports betting. On September 3, CNBC reported that the United States will wage $35 billion this NFL season, marking a 30% increase since last year’s National Football League.
Much has changed since the last season. During the year states including Maine, North Carolina, and Vermont have allowed sports betting operations in their jurisdictions. Amidst the upcoming season, sports betting companies are feeling the heated competition and platforms are coming up with new strategies to capture more customers.
The president of FanDuel mentioned that the NFL season is one of the biggest acquisition periods of the year. The platform has partnered with YouTube and rolled out a “Sunday Ticket” offer, where players who bet at least $5 get a 3-week trial period to watch the NFL matches with Sunday Ticket. Moreover, as more than 95% of sports betting is happening online it presents an exciting opportunity for sports betting leaders to enhance their customer base and generate more revenues.
Our Methodology
To compile the list of 11 best Las Vegas Stocks to buy now we used the Finviz screener and ETFs. Using these two sources we first curated a list of 20 casino, gambling, and gaming stocks. Once we had the list, we then ranked these stocks based on the number of hedge funds holders during the second quarter. The list is ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds.
Why do we care about what hedge funds do? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
The bright and neon lights of a glitzy casino, revealing the company’s iCasino and gaming properties.
MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 44
MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) is an international holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the company operates as a global leader in the gaming and entertainment industry. It has three major segments, namely MGM Resorts, BET MGM, and MGM International Digital.
It is one of the best Lag Vegas stocks to buy now. MGM was held by 44 hedge funds during the second quarter, with total stakes worth $1.25 billion. Corvex Capital is the top shareholder of the company, with a position worth $260.4 million.
The MGM Resorts segment operates 18 properties in the United States and Macau, moreover, the company is also making its entry into Japan and has signed an implementation agreement for an integrated resort in the country. The BET MGM segment is an online betting and iGaming brand that has a presence in 28 American jurisdictions. Lastly, MGM International Digital is another online sports betting platform run by MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) operating in 10 jurisdictions in Europe and Canada.
As the global casino and gaming industry bounces back from the pandemic the company has positioned itself to further strengthen its market share in the industry. Its recent partnership with Marriott International highlights lucrative prospects of growth and improved market share.
MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) has been making significant strides since the start of the year. The first quarter net revenues came in at $4.4 billion, a 13% rise year-over-year on the back of a diverse portfolio of resorts, casinos, and online presence. The second quarter revenues also improved 10% year-over-year, assuring investors with a growth streak.
As an investor of MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) you should be eyeing its partnership with Marriott International. The MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy has 16 MGM properties and is enhancing booking capabilities. This partnership is expected to give the company significant visibility and higher recurring revenues per room.
Longleaf Partners Fund stated the following regarding MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) in its fourth quarter 2023 investor letter:
“MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) & Hyatt – Hospitality companies MGM Resorts and Hyatt were both strong performers in the fourth quarter and for the year, outperforming expectations that the post-COVID travel rebound would ease in 2023. Casino and online gaming company MGM saw double-digit revenue growth and strong 2023 bookings in Las Vegas in the first half, which moderated in the second half but remained solid. A cybersecurity attack negatively impacted 3Q results, but MGM does not expect the $100 million hit to have a material effect on its financial condition and operational results for the year. MGM bought back discounted shares at a 15% annualized rate and authorized another $2 billion buyback in 4Q, which represents another 15% of the company.”
Overall MGM ranks 4th on our list of the best Las Vegas stocks to buy now. While we acknowledge the potential of MGM as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for a promising AI stock that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure. None. This article was originally published on Insider Monkey.
