Stock Wars: Las Vegas Sands Vs. MGM Resorts

Las Vegas Sands Corp LVS and MGM Resorts International MGM are two of the world’s largest casino operators. Each has taken a different route and growth strategy for its business. Here's a look at how the two stack up in a battle we call Stock Wars.

About Las Vegas Sands: Las Vegas Sands started in 1990 with a single property. The company now operates across three main regions: Las Vegas, Macau and Singapore.

Las Vegas Sands is now the largest casino company in the world and has well-known brands like Venetian, Palazzo, Marina Bay and Sands.

About MGM Resorts: MGM operates through three main companies: MGM Resorts, MGM China and MGM Growth Properties MGP. The company has a presence in Las Vegas and also throughout other regions of the United States.

MGM Resorts operates over 31,000 rooms in Las Vegas. MGM Growth Properties was spun out in 2016 as a REIT and now owns 12 casinos and resorts that MGM operates.

Macau: Las Vegas Sands owns 70% of Sands China.

In Macau, Las Vegas Sands is the clear leader in the number of hotel rooms, with more than 12,000.

Las Vegas Sands has 49% of the four- and five-star hotel rooms in the region. The company heavily beat second-place company Galaxy Entertainment, which has 16% of the upper-end rooms. MGM Resorts has 6% of the total rooms. Las Vegas Sands also has the Cotai Arena, the largest in the region, with over 15,000 seats.

MGM Resorts owns more than 51% of MGM China Holdings, which owns the casinos MGM Macau and MGM Cotai. These casinos have nearly 2,000 rooms in the region.

Sports Betting, iGaming: One of the areas where Las Vegas Sands and MGM Resorts differ is their sports betting position.

Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson has been a vocal opponent against sports betting and internet gaming.

“I am willing to spend whatever it takes,” Adelson once said on fighting against legalization.

MGM Resorts operates BetMGM through a partnership with GVC Hodlings GMVHF. In its second-quarter presentation, MGM called its BetMGM segment its largest U.S. growth opportunity. MGM held a 19% market share of the iGaming market in New Jersey in the second quarter, which beat rivals BetFair's 16.6% and DraftKings Inc.'s DKNG 12.8%.

BetMGM has market access in 19 states and says it will be live in 11 states by the end of the year. BetMGM also has partnerships with professional sports leagues, Yahoo Sports and Buffalo Wild Wings.

BetMGM is on track for $130 million in net revenue this year, primarily from New Jersey.

Financials: Both casino companies have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as it has put a damper on travel and in-person entertainment. The two companies operate as casino and resort companies and also own convention centers.

In 2019, Las Vegas saw $5.39 billion in EBITDA, with 59% coming from Macau, 31% from Singapore and 10% from the United States.

Las Vegas Sands’ revenue has grown from $11.69 billion to $13.74 billion over the last five years. Net income has increased from $2.39 billion to $3.3 billion from fiscal 2015 to fiscal 2019.

MGM Resorts has seen revenue grow from $9.18 billion in fiscal 2015 to $12.9 billion in fiscal 2019.

Net income was negative $1 billion in fiscal 2015 and came in at $2.2 billion in fiscal 2019.

Stock Performance: Las Vegas Sands shares are up only 9% in the last five years. MGM Resorts shares are up 15% in the last five years.

Shares of Las Vegas Sands are down 26% in 2020. MGM Resorts shares are down 31% in 2020.

MGM Growth Properties shares are up around 30% since being spun out in 2016.

What’s Next: Las Vegas Sands is putting a large focus on growing through future development in Macau, Singapore and South Korea. The company is spending over $3 billion on an expansion in Singapore and over $1.5 billion on additional investments in Macau.

The U.S. sports betting market is expected to hit $8.5 billion by 2025, and MGM is focusing on becoming a major player to help with overall growth.

Photo by Someformofhuman via Wikimedia.