Vici Properties Inc. is a real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in casino and entertainment properties, based in New York City. It was formed in 2017 as a spin-off from Caesars Entertainment Corporation as part of its bankruptcy reorganization. It owns 54 casinos, hotels, and racetracks, four golf courses, and 38 bowling alleys around the United States and Canada.
History
Vici Properties was formed as part of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization of Caesars Entertainment Operating Company (CEOC), the largest division of Caesars Entertainment. After placing CEOC into bankruptcy in January 2015, Caesars proposed splitting CEOC into two companies: a REIT, which would own the company's casinos, and an operating company, which would manage them.[4] The plan was designed to maximize value for CEOC's creditors by taking advantage of favorable tax treatment for REITs.[5] Several members of Congress opposed the plan, calling it an abuse of the REIT laws.[6] They asked the Internal Revenue Service to deny tax-free status to the spin-off, but their protest went unheeded.[6][7]
The spin-off of Vici to CEOC's creditors was completed on October 6, 2017, the day that CEOC emerged from bankruptcy.[8][9][10] Vici began with a portfolio of nineteen casinos and racetracks, all leased to Caesars at a total initial annual rent of $630 million, and four golf courses.[8][11] The company's name was adopted from the phrase "Veni, vidi, vici," commonly attributed to Julius Caesar; vici in Latin means "I conquered".[12]
The company moved its headquarters to New York City from the Las Vegas area in mid-2018.[18][19]
Vici completed two transactions with Caesars in 2018, purchasing the Octavius Tower at Caesars Palace for $508 million and Harrah's Philadelphia for $242 million, and leasing them back to Caesars for $35 million and $21 million per year, respectively.[20]
In 2019, Vici made two purchases in conjunction with Penn National Gaming. Vici bought the real estate of the Margaritaville Resort Casino in Louisiana and Greektown Casino–Hotel in Detroit for $261 million and $700 million, respectively, while Penn bought both properties' operating businesses and leased them from Vici for annual rent of $23 million and $56 million, respectively.[21][22][23] Vici bought a second casino from Greektown seller Jack Entertainment, Jack Cincinnati Casino, in September 2019, paying $558 million for the real estate; Hard Rock International leased the property for $43 million per year.[24][25]
In July 2020, Eldorado Resorts acquired Caesars Entertainment, becoming Vici's primary tenant, and renamed itself to Caesars Entertainment.[29] In connection with this acquisition, Vici bought three properties (Harrah's Atlantic City, Harrah's Laughlin, and Harrah's New Orleans) from Caesars for a total of $1.8 billion, and leased them back to the new Caesars for $154 million per year.[30]
Starting in 2020, Vici expanded beyond the gaming sector, largely by providing construction loans for hospitality and entertainment properties, often with an option to purchase the property after completion.[31][32][33] By 2023, Vici had announced financing arrangements for Canyon Ranch spas, Great Wolf Resorts water parks, a Kalahari Resorts water park, Cabot golf resorts, and BigShots Golf driving ranges.[33][34] It also acquired the Chelsea Piers entertainment complex in Manhattan and 38 Bowlero bowling alleys.[35][36]
Vici more than doubled its size in 2022 by acquiring MGM Growth Properties and the Venetian complex on the Las Vegas Strip. Vici purchased the real estate of the Venetian complex from Las Vegas Sands in February 2022 for $4 billion.[37][38] The acquisition included the Venetian and Palazzo casino hotels and the Sands Expo convention center.[38]Apollo Global Management bought the operating business and leased the property from Vici for $250 million per year.[37]
In April 2022, Vici acquired MGM Growth Properties for $17.2 billion (including $5.7 billion in assumed debt).[39][40][41] The purchase added full ownership of thirteen properties to Vici's portfolio, and half ownership of the MGM Grand Las Vegas and Mandalay Bay resorts, and increased Vici's annual revenue by $1 billion,[42] along with making it the largest land owner on the Las Vegas Strip, with over 660 acres.[43] Vici bought out the other half of interest in the MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay from Blackstone for $1.27 billion plus $1.5 billion in assumed debt in January 2023.[44][45]
Several smaller acquisitions were made in 2022 and 2023. Vici expanded to Canada, acquiring eight casinos in Alberta from Pure Canadian Gaming and Century Casinos for a total of US$363 million.[46][47] It also added Foundation Gaming as a tenant, purchasing two casinos in Mississippi for $293 million, and acquired the Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Maryland for $204 million, in conjunction with Century.[48][49]
