Exhibit 99.1
FULL HOUSE RESORTS ANNOUNCES FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL-YEAR RESULTS
- Revenues Increased 66.4% to $60.0 Million in the Fourth Quarter of 2023;
Annual Revenues Grew 47.6%
- Chamonix Casino Hotel Began Its Phased Opening on December 27, 2023
- Approvals Received to Operate American Place in Its Temporary Configuration Until August 2027
Las Vegas – March 5, 2024 – Full House Resorts, Inc. (Nasdaq: FLL) today announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2023.
“After several years of construction, we are entering a new phase for our company,” said Daniel R. Lee, President and Chief Executive Officer of Full House Resorts. “We opened two new casinos during 2023: American Place in Waukegan, Illinois, and Chamonix, in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Our first new casino – American Place – celebrated its one-year anniversary a few weeks ago. As expected, it continues to ramp up its operations. In December 2023, American Place reached a new monthly gaming revenue record of $8.2 million, as reported by the Illinois Gaming Board. It subsequently set a new monthly all-time record for revenues in February 2024, despite it being a short month. We expect American Place’s gaming revenues to continue to grow in 2024, with the property’s high-end North Shore Steaks & Seafood now open and overall awareness continuing to improve. American Place is currently in a temporary facility, built in less than one year after being chosen by the Illinois Gaming Board to develop this newly-created license. We recently received the necessary approvals to operate the temporary facility until August 2027, providing us with meaningful additional time before the anticipated opening of the permanent American Place facility.
“On December 27, we welcomed guests to our newest casino, Chamonix Casino Hotel in Cripple Creek, Colorado, which is less than one hour from Colorado Springs and approximately two hours from Denver. By design, it was a soft opening, with the casino, meeting rooms, and approximately 40% of the property’s guest rooms initially open. Over the past few weeks, we have continued the rollout of the property’s amenities, including completion of the destination’s remaining hotel rooms and its parking garage. We are currently putting the finishing touches on 980 Prime, Chamonix’s high-end steakhouse led by famed chef Barry Dakake. We expect it to open in late March. Chamonix was designed to be the most beautiful casino in the state of Colorado, and we look forward to the completion of all of its amenities over the next few months.”
On a consolidated basis, revenues in the fourth quarter of 2023 were $60.0 million, a 66.4% increase from $36.1 million in the prior-year period. These results primarily reflect the February 2023 opening of American Place. Net loss for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $12.5 million, or $(0.36) per diluted common share, which includes $3.1 million of preopening and development costs, primarily related to the phased opening of our Chamonix project, and significant depreciation and amortization charges related to the temporary American Place facility. In the prior-year period, net loss was $7.0 million, or $(0.20) per diluted common share, reflecting $4.8 million of preopening and development costs. Adjusted EBITDA(a) rose 87.4% in the fourth quarter of 2023 to $7.3 million, compared to $3.9 million in the prior-year period.
For the full year, revenues in 2023 were $241.1 million, a 47.6% increase from $163.3 million in the prior year. These results reflect the February 2023 opening of American Place, as well as $5.8 million of accelerated revenue under two of our sports wagering agreements with third-party operators that ceased operations during the third quarter of 2023. Net loss in 2023 was $24.9 million, or $(0.72) per diluted common share, which includes $15.7 million of preopening and development costs, primarily related to our Chamonix construction project, and significant depreciation and amortization charges related to the temporary American Place facility. For 2022, net loss was $14.8 million, or $(0.43) per diluted common share, reflecting $9.8 million of preopening and development costs. Adjusted EBITDA was $48.6 million in 2023, rising 51.1% from $32.1 million in the prior-year period, reflecting the items mentioned above.
“Our Company recently reached an inflection point,” noted Mr. Lee. “In 2023, our total cash interest expense was approximately $38.4 million and Adjusted EBITDA, as noted, was $48.6 million, despite construction disruptions in Colorado and the gradual ramp-up of operations at American Place. Our debt during that period included substantially all of the funding for Chamonix, which did not open until year-end. While some construction continues at Chamonix, the bulk of our capital expenditures for these projects is behind us. This fact, along with expected future earnings from these new facilities, should result in the generation of significant free cash flow over the next few years. Also, recognize that we continue to have significant tax-loss carryforwards and we benefit, for tax purposes, from accelerated depreciation related to our new developments.”