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Boyd Gaming Reports Second-Quarter 2019 Results
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Boyd Gaming Corporation reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2019.
Keith Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boyd Gaming, said: “During the second quarter, our Company made continued progress executing against our strategic growth initiatives. Despite a few isolated challenges, we delivered revenue, Adjusted EBITDAR and operating margin growth in every segment of our business, as our operating teams identified and drove profitable revenue growth and enhanced efficiencies. We achieved strong growth at our newly acquired properties, significantly improving upon their solid standalone performances last year. And through ongoing marketing and operational initiatives, we are successfully growing visitation and expanding our customer base across the country. In all we are pleased with our progress, and remain confident we are well-positioned to capitalize on future growth opportunities.”
Boyd Gaming reported second-quarter revenues of $846.1 million, up 37.2% from $616.8 million in the second quarter of 2018. The Company reported net income of $48.5 million, or $0.43 per share, for the second quarter of 2019, compared to $38.9 million, or $0.34 per share, for the year-ago period.
Total Adjusted EBITDAR(1) was $232.6 million in the second quarter of 2019, rising 42.3% from $163.4 million in the second quarter of 2018. Adjusted Earnings(1) for the second quarter of 2019 were $52.5 million, or $0.46 per share, compared to Adjusted Earnings of $44.0 million, or $0.38 per share, for the same period in 2018.
Results for the second quarter of 2019 include $228.5 million in revenues and $66.8 million in Adjusted EBITDAR from Ameristar Kansas City, Ameristar St. Charles, Belterra Resort and Belterra Park, acquired on October 15, 2018; Valley Forge Casino Resort, acquired by the Company on September 17, 2018; and Lattner Entertainment, acquired on June 1, 2018.
(1) |
See footnotes at the end of the release for additional information relative to non-GAAP financial measures. |
Operations Review
Las Vegas Locals
In the Las Vegas Locals segment, second-quarter 2019 revenues were $220.9 million, up from $220.0 million in the year-ago quarter. Second-quarter 2019 Adjusted EBITDAR was $71.4 million, up from $70.2 million in the second quarter of 2018.
The Las Vegas Locals segment recorded its highest second-quarter Adjusted EBITDAR in 14 years. Despite challenging year-over-year comparisons and lower hold at The Orleans, the segment achieved continued growth in revenues, Adjusted EBITDAR and operating margins. Adjusted EBITDAR grew at every major property in the segment during the quarter, excluding The Orleans.
Downtown Las Vegas
In the Downtown Las Vegas segment, revenues were $64.5 million in the second quarter of 2019, up from $61.2 million in the year-ago period. Adjusted EBITDAR was a second-quarter record of $15.9 million in the current year, an increase of 17.4% from $13.5 million in the second quarter of 2018.
All three Downtown Las Vegas properties set Adjusted EBITDAR records for the second quarter. Segment results reflect strong gains in Hawaiian visitation and unrated play, as well as continued growth throughout the market.
Midwest & South
In the Midwest & South segment, revenues were $560.7 million, up from $335.6 million in the second quarter of 2018. Adjusted EBITDAR was $165.1 million, growing from $98.5 million in the year-ago period. Results for the segment include contributions from the Company’s newly acquired properties.
On a same-store basis, the Midwest & South segment posted its fifth consecutive quarter of improved revenues, Adjusted EBITDAR and operating margins, with Adjusted EBITDAR gains at a majority of the Company’s same-store regional properties. On a combined basis, the Company’s newly acquired properties delivered revenue growth and strong Adjusted EBITDAR and margin increases over their standalone results in the prior year.
Balance Sheet Statistics
As of June 30, 2019, Boyd Gaming had cash on hand of $239.4 million, and total debt of $3.95 billion.
Full-Year 2019 Guidance
For the full year 2019, Boyd Gaming reaffirms its previously provided guidance of total Adjusted EBITDAR of $885 millionto $910 million.
BOYD GAMING CORPORATION |
||||||||||||||||
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS |
||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited) |
||||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended |
Six Months Ended |
|||||||||||||||
June 30, |
June 30, |
|||||||||||||||
(In thousands, except per share data) |
2019 (a) |
2018 |
2019 (a) |
2018 |
||||||||||||
Revenues |
||||||||||||||||
Gaming |
$ |
633,659 |
$ |
447,788 |
$ |
1,253,912 |
$ |
888,251 |
||||||||
Food & beverage |
112,047 |
87,601 |
223,137 |
173,000 |
||||||||||||
Room |
61,097 |
49,434 |
118,341 |
97,346 |
||||||||||||
Other |
39,329 |
31,970 |
78,030 |
64,314 |
||||||||||||
Total revenues |
846,132 |
616,793 |
1,673,420 |
1,222,911 |
||||||||||||
Operating costs and expenses |
||||||||||||||||
Gaming |
282,593 |
193,991 |
559,209 |
383,026 |
||||||||||||
Food & beverage |
103,477 |
81,619 |
205,628 |
164,309 |
||||||||||||
Room |
27,799 |
21,654 |
54,681 |
42,587 |
||||||||||||
Other |
24,748 |
21,645 |
48,628 |
42,450 |
||||||||||||
Selling, general and administrative |
116,701 |
88,041 |
232,112 |
175,624 |
||||||||||||
Master lease rent expense (b) |
24,431 |
— |
48,393 |
— |
||||||||||||
Maintenance and utilities |
39,707 |
28,673 |
77,807 |
56,599 |
||||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
68,051 |
53,923 |
135,304 |
105,199 |
||||||||||||
Corporate expense |
26,913 |
24,063 |
58,090 |
49,920 |
||||||||||||
Project development, preopening and writedowns |
4,915 |
5,801 |
8,946 |
9,241 |
||||||||||||
Impairment of assets |
— |
993 |
— |
993 |
||||||||||||
Other operating items, net |
105 |
132 |
304 |
1,931 |
||||||||||||
Total operating costs and expenses |
719,440 |
520,535 |
1,429,102 |
1,031,879 |
||||||||||||
Operating income |
126,692 |
96,258 |
244,318 |
191,032 |
||||||||||||
Other expense (income) |
||||||||||||||||
Interest income |
(816) |
(522) |
(922) |
(979) |
||||||||||||
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized |
61,233 |
44,959 |
122,563 |
89,218 |
||||||||||||
Loss on early extinguishments and modifications of debt |
508 |
— |
508 |
61 |
||||||||||||
Other, net |
(455) |
(24) |
(340) |
(404) |
||||||||||||
Total other expense, net |
60,470 |
44,413 |
121,809 |
87,896 |
||||||||||||
Income before income taxes |
66,222 |
51,845 |
122,509 |
103,136 |
||||||||||||
Income tax provision |
(17,738) |
(13,247) |
(28,574) |
(23,139) |
||||||||||||
Income from continuing operations, net of tax |
48,484 |
38,598 |
93,935 |
79,997 |
||||||||||||
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax |
— |
347 |
— |
347 |
||||||||||||
Net income |
$ |
48,484 |
$ |
38,945 |
$ |
93,935 |
$ |
80,344 |
||||||||
Basic net income per common share |
||||||||||||||||
Continuing Operations |
$ |
0.43 |
$ |
0.34 |
$ |
0.83 |
$ |
0.70 |
||||||||
Discontinued Operations |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Basic net income per common share |
$ |
0.43 |
$ |
0.34 |
$ |
0.83 |
$ |
0.70 |
||||||||
Weighted average basic shares outstanding |
113,318 |
114,543 |
113,329 |
114,459 |
||||||||||||
Diluted net income per common share |
||||||||||||||||
Continuing Operations |
$ |
0.43 |
$ |
0.34 |
$ |
0.83 |
$ |
0.70 |
||||||||
Discontinued Operations |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Diluted net income per common share |
$ |
0.43 |
$ |
0.34 |
$ |
0.83 |
$ |
0.70 |
||||||||
Weighted average diluted shares outstanding |
113,795 |
115,218 |
113,832 |
115,186 |
__________________________________________ |
|
(a) |
Results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 include Lattner Entertainment, acquired on June 1, 2018, Valley Forge Casino Resort, acquired on September 17, 2018, and Ameristar Casino Kansas City, Ameristar Casino St. Charles, Belterra Resort and Belterra Park, acquired on October 15, 2018 (collectively, the “Acquired Businesses”). See Boyd Gaming’s Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2018, for further information regarding the Acquired Businesses. |
(b) |
Rent expense incurred by those properties subject to a master lease with a real estate investment trust. |
BOYD GAMING CORPORATION |
||||||||||||||||
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION |
||||||||||||||||
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income |
||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited) |
||||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended |
Six Months Ended |
|||||||||||||||
June 30, |
June 30, |
|||||||||||||||
(In thousands) |
2019 (a) |
2018 |
2019 (a) |
2018 |
||||||||||||
Total Revenues by Reportable Segment |
||||||||||||||||
Las Vegas Locals |
$ |
220,948 |
$ |
219,974 |
$ |
443,798 |
$ |
442,149 |
||||||||
Downtown Las Vegas |
64,466 |
61,202 |
127,492 |
121,670 |
||||||||||||
Midwest & South |
560,718 |
335,617 |
1,102,130 |
659,092 |
||||||||||||
Total revenues |
$ |
846,132 |
$ |
616,793 |
$ |
1,673,420 |
$ |
1,222,911 |
||||||||
Adjusted EBITDAR by Reportable Segment |
||||||||||||||||
Las Vegas Locals |
$ |
71,449 |
$ |
70,248 |
$ |
145,683 |
$ |
141,278 |
||||||||
Downtown Las Vegas |
15,902 |
13,543 |
30,927 |
26,761 |
||||||||||||
Midwest & South |
165,064 |
98,510 |
321,535 |
192,756 |
||||||||||||
Property Adjusted EBITDAR |
252,415 |
182,301 |
498,145 |
360,795 |
||||||||||||
Corporate expense, net of share-based compensation expense (b) |
(19,819) |
(18,878) |
(42,524) |
(36,900) |
||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDAR |
232,596 |
163,423 |
455,621 |
323,895 |
||||||||||||
Master lease rent expense (c) |
(24,431) |
— |
(48,393) |
— |
||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA |
208,165 |
163,423 |
407,228 |
323,895 |
||||||||||||
Other operating costs and expenses |
||||||||||||||||
Deferred rent |
244 |
294 |
489 |
550 |
||||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
68,051 |
53,923 |
135,304 |
105,199 |
||||||||||||
Share-based compensation expense |
8,158 |
6,022 |
17,867 |
14,949 |
||||||||||||
Project development, preopening and writedowns |
4,915 |
5,801 |
8,946 |
9,241 |
||||||||||||
Impairment of assets |
— |
993 |
— |
993 |
||||||||||||
Other operating items, net |
105 |
132 |
304 |
1,931 |
||||||||||||
Total other operating costs and expenses |
81,473 |
67,165 |
162,910 |
132,863 |
||||||||||||
Operating income |
126,692 |
96,258 |
244,318 |
191,032 |
||||||||||||
Other expense (income) |
||||||||||||||||
Interest income |
(816) |
(522) |
(922) |
(979) |
||||||||||||
Interest expense, net of amounts capitalized |
61,233 |
44,959 |
122,563 |
89,218 |
||||||||||||
Loss on early extinguishments and modifications of debt |
508 |
— |
508 |
61 |
||||||||||||
Other, net |
(455) |
(24) |
(340) |
(404) |
||||||||||||
Total other expense, net |
60,470 |
44,413 |
121,809 |
87,896 |
||||||||||||
Income before income taxes |
66,222 |
51,845 |
122,509 |
103,136 |
||||||||||||
Income tax provision |
(17,738) |
(13,247) |
(28,574) |
(23,139) |
||||||||||||
Income from continuing operations, net of tax |
48,484 |
38,598 |
93,935 |
79,997 |
||||||||||||
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax |
— |
347 |
— |
347 |
||||||||||||
Net income |
$ |
48,484 |
$ |
38,945 |
$ |
93,935 |
$ |
80,344 |
__________________________________________ |
|
(a) |
Results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 include the Acquired Businesses, which are included in the Midwest & South segment. |
(b) |
Reconciliation of corporate expense: |
Three Months Ended |
Six Months Ended |
|||||||||||||||
June 30, |
June 30, |
|||||||||||||||
(In thousands) |
2019 |
2018 |
2019 |
2018 |
||||||||||||
Corporate expense as reported on Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations |
$ |
26,913 |
$ |
24,063 |
$ |
58,090 |
$ |
49,920 |
||||||||
Corporate share-based compensation expense |
(7,094) |
(5,185) |
(15,566) |
(13,020) |
||||||||||||
Corporate expense, net, as reported on the above table |
$ |
19,819 |
$ |
18,878 |
$ |
42,524 |
$ |
36,900 |
(c) |
Rent expense incurred by those properties subject to a master lease with a real estate investment trust. |
BOYD GAMING CORPORATION |
||||||||||||||||
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION |
||||||||||||||||
Reconciliations of Net Income to Adjusted Earnings |
||||||||||||||||
and Net Income Per Share to Adjusted Earnings Per Share |
||||||||||||||||
(Unaudited) |
||||||||||||||||
Three Months Ended |
Six Months Ended |
|||||||||||||||
June 30, |
June 30, |
|||||||||||||||
(In thousands, except per share data) |
2019 (a) |
2018 |
2019 (a) |
2018 |
||||||||||||
Net income |
$ |
48,484 |
$ |
38,945 |
$ |
93,935 |
$ |
80,344 |
||||||||
Less: income from discontinued operations, net of tax |
— |
(347) |
— |
(347) |
||||||||||||
Income from continuing operations, net of tax |
48,484 |
38,598 |
93,935 |
79,997 |
||||||||||||
Pretax adjustments: |
||||||||||||||||
Project development, preopening and writedowns |
4,915 |
5,801 |
8,946 |
9,241 |
||||||||||||
Impairment of assets |
— |
993 |
— |
993 |
||||||||||||
Other operating items, net |
105 |
132 |
304 |
1,931 |
||||||||||||
Loss on early extinguishments and modifications of debt |
508 |
— |
508 |
61 |
||||||||||||
Other, net |
(455) |
(24) |
(340) |
(404) |
||||||||||||
Total adjustments |
5,073 |
6,902 |
9,418 |
11,822 |
||||||||||||
Income tax effect for above adjustments |
(1,057) |
(1,467) |
(1,990) |
(2,574) |
||||||||||||
Adjusted earnings |
$ |
52,500 |
$ |
44,033 |
$ |
101,363 |
$ |
89,245 |
||||||||
Net income per share, diluted |
$ |
0.43 |
$ |
0.34 |
$ |
0.83 |
$ |
0.70 |
||||||||
Less: income from discontinued operations per share |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Income from continuing operations per share |
0.43 |
0.34 |
0.83 |
0.70 |
||||||||||||
Pretax adjustments: |
||||||||||||||||
Project development, preopening and writedowns |
0.04 |
0.05 |
0.08 |
0.08 |
||||||||||||
Impairment of assets |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Other operating items, net |
— |
— |
— |
0.01 |
||||||||||||
Loss on early extinguishments and modifications of debt |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Other, net |
— |
— |
— |
— |
||||||||||||
Total adjustments |
0.04 |
0.05 |
0.08 |
0.09 |
||||||||||||
Income tax effect for above adjustments |
(0.01) |
(0.01) |
(0.02) |
(0.02) |
||||||||||||
Adjusted earnings per share, diluted |
$ |
0.46 |
$ |
0.38 |
$ |
0.89 |
$ |
0.77 |
||||||||
Weighted average diluted shares outstanding |
113,795 |
115,218 |
113,832 |
115,186 |
__________________________________________ |
|
(a) |
Results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 include the Acquired Businesses. |
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Regulation G, “Conditions for Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures,” prescribes the conditions for use of non-GAAP financial information in public disclosures. We believe that our presentations of the following non-GAAP financial measures are important supplemental measures of operating performance to investors: earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), Adjusted EBITDA, EBITDAR (EBITDA further adjusted for rent expense associated with a master lease), Adjusted EBITDAR, Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted Earnings Per Share (Adjusted EPS). The following discussion defines these terms and why we believe they are useful measures of our performance. We do not provide a reconciliation of forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the corresponding forward-looking GAAP measure due to our inability to project special charges and certain expenses.
EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, EBITDAR and Adjusted EBITDAR
EBITDA and EBITDAR are commonly used measures of performance in our industry that we believe, when considered with measures calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”), provide our investors a more complete understanding of our operating results before the impact of investing and financing transactions and income taxes and facilitates comparisons between us and our competitors. Management has historically adjusted EBITDA and EBITDAR when evaluating operating performance because we believe that the inclusion or exclusion of certain recurring and non-recurring items is necessary to provide a full understanding of our core operating results and as a means to evaluate period-to-period results. We refer to this measure as Adjusted EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDAR. We have chosen to provide this information to investors to enable them to perform comparisons of past, present and future operating results and as a means to evaluate the results of core on-going operations. We have historically reported these measures to our investors and believe that the continued inclusion of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAR provides consistency in our financial reporting. We use Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAR in this press release because we believe this information is useful to investors in allowing greater transparency related to significant measures used by our management in their financial and operational decision-making. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAR are among the more significant factors in management’s internal evaluation of total company and individual property performance and in the evaluation of incentive compensation related to property management. Management also uses Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAR as measures in the evaluation of potential acquisitions and dispositions. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAR are also used by management in the annual budget process. Externally, we believe these measures continue to be used by investors in their assessment of our operating performance and the valuation of our company. Adjusted EBITDA reflects EBITDA adjusted for deferred rent, share-based compensation expense, project development, preopening and writedown expenses, impairments of assets, loss on early extinguishments and modifications of debt and other operating items, net. Adjusted EBITDAR reflects Adjusted EBITDA further adjusted for rent expense associated with a master lease with a real estate investment trust.
Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted EPS
Adjusted Earnings is net income before project development, preopening and writedown expenses, impairments of assets, other items, net, gain or loss on early extinguishments and modifications of debt, other non-recurring adjustments, net, and income from discontinued operations, net of tax. Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted EPS are presented solely as supplemental disclosures because management believes that they are widely used measures of performance in the gaming industry.
Limitations on the Use of Non-GAAP Measures
The use of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, EBITDAR, Adjusted EBITDAR, Adjusted Earnings, Adjusted EPS and certain other non-GAAP financial measures has certain limitations. Our presentation of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, EBITDAR, Adjusted EBITDAR, Adjusted Earnings, Adjusted EPS or certain other non-GAAP financial measures may be different from the presentation used by other companies and therefore comparability may be limited. Depreciation and amortization expense, interest expense, income taxes and other items have been and will be incurred and are not reflected in the presentation of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, EBITDAR and Adjusted EBITDAR. Each of these items should also be considered in the overall evaluation of our results. Additionally, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, EBITDAR and Adjusted EBITDAR do not consider capital expenditures and other investing activities and should not be considered as a measure of our liquidity. We compensate for these limitations by providing the relevant disclosure of our depreciation and amortization, interest and income taxes, capital expenditures and other items both in our reconciliations to the historical GAAP financial measures and in our consolidated financial statements, all of which should be considered when evaluating our performance.
EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, EBITDAR, Adjusted EBITDAR, Adjusted Earnings, Adjusted EPS and certain other non-GAAP financial measures are used in addition to and in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, EBITDAR, Adjusted EBITDAR, Adjusted Earnings, Adjusted EPS and certain other non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as an alternative to net income, operating income, or any other operating performance measure prescribed by GAAP, nor should these measures be relied upon to the exclusion of GAAP financial measures. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, EBITDAR, Adjusted EBITDAR, Adjusted Earnings, Adjusted EPS and certain other non-GAAP financial measures reflect additional ways of viewing our operations that we believe, when viewed with our GAAP results and the reconciliations to the corresponding historical GAAP financial measures, provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business than could be obtained absent this disclosure. Management strongly encourages investors to review our financial information in its entirety and not to rely on a single financial measure.
Forward-looking Statements and Company Information
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements contain words such as “may,” “will,” “might,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “could,” “would,” “estimate,” “continue,” “pursue,” or the negative thereof or comparable terminology, and may include (without limitation) information regarding the Company’s expectations, goals or intentions regarding future performance. In addition, forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding: the Company’s continued progress executing against its strategic growth initiatives, that the Company is successfully growing visitation and expanding its customer base across the country, that the Company is well-positioned to capitalize on future growth opportunities, and all of the statements under the heading “Full-Year 2019 Guidance.” Forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those discussed in any such statement. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in the Company’s operating results; the results of operations of its properties in various markets; the political climate and its effects on consumer spending and its impact on the travel industry; the state of the economy and its effect on consumer spending and the Company’s results of operations; the impact and effects of the local economies in the markets where the Company has operations; the receipt of legislative, and other state, federal and local approvals for the Company’s development projects; whether online gaming will become legalized in various states, the Company’s ability to operate online gaming profitably, or otherwise; consumer reaction to fluctuations in the stock market and economic factors; the fact that the Company’s expansion, development and renovation projects (including enhancements to improve property performance) are subject to many risks inherent in expansion, development or construction of a new or existing project; the effects of events adversely impacting the economy or the regions from which the Company draws a significant percentage of its customers; competition; litigation; financial community and rating agency perceptions of the Company and its subsidiaries; changes in laws and regulations, including increased taxes; the availability and price of energy, weather, regulation, economic, credit and capital market conditions; and the effects of war, terrorist or similar activity. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ are discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” and in other sections of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and in the Company’s other current and periodic reports filed from time to time with the SEC. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof, based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.
About Boyd Gaming:
Founded in 1975, Boyd Gaming Corporation is a leading geographically diversified operator of 29 gaming entertainment properties in 10 states. The Company currently operates 1.77 million square feet of casino space, more than 38,000 gaming machines, 815 table games, more than 11,000 hotel rooms, and 320 food and beverage outlets. With one of the most experienced leadership teams in the casino industry, Boyd Gaming prides itself on offering its guests an outstanding entertainment experience, delivered with unwavering attention to customer service.
Source: Boyd Gaming Corporation
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Why Gamification Is Reshaping Online Poker
Online poker’s not the sleepy mix of static cash tables and rinse-repeat tourney grids it used to be. Business Wire predicts that by 2030, the market will hit $11.4 billion, fuelled by cross-platform play and new competitive formats. But here’s the catch: growth brings noise. And in 2025, grabbing attention is only half the game — keeping it has become just as critical. And we all know that retention is the table you can’t afford to fold.
Over the recent years, gamification has turned into one of poker’s strongest retention plays. When it’s done right, it keeps players around, sparks repeat visits, and forges loyalty. They come back tomorrow, next week, next month — and your competitors can’t pry them away. The idea sounds simple enough — weave in game-style mechanics to make poker richer and more engaging, without killing the skill game underneath.
EvenBet Gaming’s research breaks it into three targets:
- Give players more reasons to return.
- Make onboarding smooth and rewarding.
- Build loyalty with experiences that feel personal, competitive, and worth bragging about.
Churn burns profit. Gamification done right is an infrastructure that breeds loyalty. Done wrong? You’re just another site with flashing badges that no one cares about.
Gamification, Not Gamblification
Before diving into mechanics, it is important to set one thing straight. Gamification boosts engagement — leaderboards that show you who’s climbing, missions that push you to try new formats, achievement badges you actually want to unlock. It challenges players, rewards skill, and deepens the game. “Gamblification” is where it all turns sour. That’s when mechanics push for profit at the expense of player wellbeing — pressure-loop rewards, unclear payout systems, anything designed to keep people clicking long after the fun’s gone. These tactics can backfire, invite regulatory attention, and eat away at players’ trust.
Gamification should make the player-platform bond stronger. It’s open, skill-focused, and it stays within responsible-gaming boundaries. Otherwise, you’re just playing short-term roulette with your long-term survival.
Core Gamification Mechanics in Poker
Here’s the thing — gamification works best when it’s layered, not just thrown on top of the existing game. You’ve still got poker at the centre, but now there’s more to play for. EvenBet Gaming’s toolkit has a bit of everything, with a mix of proven features that operators need to keep players active and returning.
Leaderboards
People like to see where they stand, and a good leaderboard hits that primal “beat the other guy” instinct. Doesn’t matter if it’s hands played, rake pulled, or weird challenges only five people care about. Timeframes can be daily, weekly, or monthly, ensuring fresh challenges and preventing leaderboard fatigue. Players stick around to climb, rivals get personal, and your community gets tighter.
To avoid burnout and excessive gamblification, EvenBet’s customer success department doesn’t recommend creating only leaderboards based on pure game volume. As a flexible tool, leaderboards have a better use for boosting attention to specific game or tournament types (for example, hands played in 5-card Omaha), creating targeted demand.
Missions, Quests, and Challenges
Give a player a target and they’ll chase it. Win with pocket sevens, log 50 games, or try that Sunday knockout tourney — whatever keeps them moving. Segment it: beginners get gentle ramps; grinders chase big targets. Toss in tickets, cash, or even just brag-worthy status bumps — and suddenly, casual play has a storyline. This meta-layer adds structure to casual play, nudging players into consistent engagement.
“Different mission types work specifically on various segments of a poker room audience”, explains Nikita Golodaev, Business Account Manager at EvenBet Gaming. “For example, guided missions targeted to explore poker room features and game types keep new players on the platform and decrease early churn. Soft streaks (3-5 days) encourage regular sessions without burnout”.
Achievements and Badges
First win, first deep run, first time they actually fold kings preflop — badges give players proof they’re climbing. Badges make progress visible, they’re milestones and conversation starters. This visual recognition encourages players to develop their skills and makes long-term goals more tangible.
Progressive Systems
Experience points (XP) and rakeback have always been staples in poker loyalty systems. They’re poker loyalty basics. EvenBet’s Progressive Rakeback with a tiered, time-limited structure turns the game into a race — 6 tiers from Aluminium all the way up to Platinum. Every tier gives you a little more, but fall behind — and you drop. The gamified progression adds urgency, encouraging regular play to maintain or advance the level.
According to Nikita Golodaev, clear and balanced progressive systems work best for projects with an existing core of regular mid-core players: they are already investing significant time into the game and are still tempted by rewards provided in the progressive tracks, unlike VIP and high-stakes players who are more interested in recognition of their status.
Put it together, and you’ve got a cycle: play, check your rank, tick missions, unlock the badge, check the board, eye the next tier. And then do it again tomorrow. It’s sustained engagement without sacrificing poker’s competitive core.
Advanced Applications — Tournaments and Hybrid Formats
Think of tournaments not as one-off events, but as frameworks. They aren’t just a product — they’re an engagement machine. You can hang all sorts of engagement hooks on them — the kind that keep players checking in and keep them motivated from registration to the final hand. Layer in gamification, and you have a retention funnel operators dream about.
Formats with a Twist
EvenBet’s flexible setup allows operators to launch virtually any format: high-GTD marathons, Spin&Go sprints with random multipliers, quick-fire Sit & Gos for casuals, and velvet-rope VIP tables for the whales. Add Mystery Bounty, Progressive Knockout, or Multi-flight qualifiers, and you’ve got unpredictability on tap. Which means the game always stays interesting.
Linking Tournaments to Gamification Layers
Hybrid play is where tournaments meet missions, leaderboards, and badges:
- “Climb the Ladder” challenges that pay points for each event played.
- Leaderboards stretching over weeks and sparking long grinds.
- Achievements for milestones like “Final Table Three Times in a Week” or “Knock Out 10 Players in a PKO.”
This crossover keeps casual players chasing goals and competitive players grinding for prestige — all while strengthening retention loops. When you nail it, tournaments become recurring, gamified events that handle acquisition, retention, and loyalty in one package.
Why It Works for Operators
Gamification in online poker is not just a UX add-on — it moves numbers if done properly.
- Retention and monetisation: longer sessions, more logins, bigger rake, and better LTV. Plus, new players convert faster when there’s a mission to chase.
- Skill development: challenges teach strategy, confidence, and adaptability without feeling like homework.
- Audience segmentation: freerolls for newbies, high-stakes bounties for veterans. You serve each player just the right challenge without losing focus.
Risks and Implementation Challenges
Gamification’s upside is clear — but mess it up, and it quickly becomes a liability. When these risks are managed, gamification pays off big time. Treat it with respect and care like a strategy, not a shortcut or gimmick.
Over-Gamification
Stack too many overlapping mechanics, and the gaming experience turns into a mess. Players get overwhelmed, quit the game altogether, or even fall into unhealthy patterns. The balance is in adding enough variety to motivate, without creating constant pressure to act. It’s a fine line between motivation and overload.
Regulatory Compliance
Operating inside responsible gaming guidelines is a must. Rewards should be transparent, achievable, and not designed to exploit compulsive tendencies. As noted by Dmitry Starostenkov, regulators are increasingly wary of features that blur the lines between skill-building and pushing players too hard.
Technical Complexity
Integration has to be smooth. If missions lag, leaderboards glitch, progression breaks, or interfere with core poker gameplay, this erodes trust. EvenBet’s modular system gives control, but operators still need rigorous testing, UX tweaks, and performance checks.
Building Gamification That Lasts
When done right, gamification in online poker isn’t just bells and whistles. It’s a full-on retention driver. Mix leaderboards, missions, badges, and tiered rewards right into the core game, and you create a cycle that hooks players, grows skill, and boosts revenue.
The winning formula is balance: enough variety to keep things fresh. Clarity so players aren’t guessing. Responsibility so the game stays ethical. Data-driven personalisation ensures that every segment — from first-timers to VIP grinders — finds a reason to return.
Our research at EvenBet Gaming is clear: sustainable gamification is a long game. Set measurable goals and transparent rewards, enhance the poker spirit — never overshadow it. Attention is the rarest currency these days. Platforms that get this balance don’t just hold players — they win the loyalty battle.
The post Why Gamification Is Reshaping Online Poker appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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SlotMatrix ignites the reels of West Virginia with Wild Extravaganza launch
SlotMatrix, the world’s largest casino content aggregator, has expanded Wild Extravaganza’s reach in the U.S launching in West Virginia, alongside existing markets, New Jersey and Michigan.
Wild Extravaganza is a high-energy 5×3 video slot that packs vibrant visuals, dynamic gameplay, and huge win potential in a 10-payline experience. The game pays left to right, right to left, and even from the middle, offering players multiple chances to win on every spin.
The core feature of Wild Extravaganza is its multiplying wilds, which can stack on three of the five reels and can reveal a 2x, 3x, or 7x win multiplier.
Wild Extravaganza is fully supported by EveryMatrix’s suite of advanced engagement tools, including free spins, leaderboards, and tournaments, helping operators drive acquisition and retention in regulated U.S markets.
This U.S release is part of a recent surge of SlotMatrix exclusive games entering the market, including 3 Coin Treasures, Lara Jones Treasures of Egypt 2, and Glorious Diamonds.
EveryMatrix holds licences in key North American markets, including West Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Ontario, and powers more than 300 customers globally.
Stephen Orchard, Head of Commercial Operations, SlotMatrix, said: “Wild Extravaganza is all about giving players thrilling, fast-paced action and the chance to land some seriously big wins. We’re excited to bring this experience to West Virginia as we continue our expansion across the U.S.”
The post SlotMatrix ignites the reels of West Virginia with Wild Extravaganza launch appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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DATA.BET Secures Spot at SBC Summit 2025
The company strengthens its market position with the recent launch of sports betting
DATA.BET, a trusted sportsbook solution supplier, will present its expanded portfolio at SBC Summit 2025 in Lisbon, stand D160. The company now offers a unified solution covering sports, esports, and virtual sports.
From September 16 to 18, the company’s representatives will unveil the updated product suite. Building on its established presence in esports and virtual sports betting, DATA.BET has expanded into traditional sports betting, covering over 50,000 sports events per month across 63+ pre-match and 38 live sports disciplines. The company’s 24/7 in-house trading team maintains 93% market uptime while delivering 1000+ betting markets backed by official data partnerships.
Each betting vertical, as well as individual sports and leagues within them, can be activated separately or combined based on market needs. Operators can instantly launch the complete sportsbook solution through a ready-to-use Single Page Application (iFrame), while those with an existing betting platform can integrate directly via the Odds Feed API.
At SBC Summit, visitors will explore DATA.BET’s core products: Risk Management system, Odds Feed, Widgets, Streams, SPA (iFrame), and Bet Builder available for all three verticals. The latest features joined our comprehensive suite include Hot Bundles for express betting optimization and Timeline Widget for enhanced game process tracking.
“This marks our first offline presentation of the complete sportsbook solution we launched in May with our full product range and latest features for betting,” said Natalie Loshatynska, Head of PR & Marketing at DATA.BET. “We look forward to showing SBC Summit participants how our technology empowers operators and platform providers to offer their clients a more dynamic and engaging betting experience.”
Discover DATA.BET’s betting technology solution at stand D160. Connect with the team at [email protected] to schedule a meeting.
The post DATA.BET Secures Spot at SBC Summit 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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