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Shares at Penn Entertainment, parent company of ESPN Bet, were down 3 percent in pre-market trading Thursday as the company missed its first quarter estimates.
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The casino and sports betting operator posted adjusted earnings per share of -$0.25, missing the consensus estimate of -$0.19. Revenue came in at $1.67 billion, below Wall Street’s forecast of $1.71 billion.
Though the online sports betting iCasino entities generated record revenue in the first quarter, this was offset by the company's weaker retail casino business.
Jay Snowden, Chief Executive Officer and President, said: “PENN’s properties demonstrated strong resilience in the quarter following severe weather challenges earlier in the year, as gaming volumes rebounded in March and remained consistent through April and early May. In our Interactive segment we generated record gaming revenue and significant year-over-year improvements in both revenue and Adjusted EBITDA despite industry-wide unfavorable sports betting hold. Our corporate overhead costs were higher by approximately $8 million in the quarter due to legal and advisory expenses. Through May 7, 2025 we have repurchased $35 million of shares and remain committed to our previously stated goal to repurchase at least $350 million of shares this year."
The company cited unfavorable sports betting hold negatively impacted Adjusted EBITDA by approximately $10 million in the quarter. Corporate overhead costs were also $8 million higher due to legal and advisory expenses.
“Our Interactive segment generated significant top and bottom-line year-over-year growth, highlighting the improved flow through we are seeing in the business. These results are despite customer-friendly sports betting outcomes that negatively impacted Adjusted EBITDA by approximately $10 million in the quarter. Importantly, ESPN BET and theScore BET continue to provide a strong top of funnel for our online casino platforms, which achieved record gaming revenue in the quarter and are contributing meaningfully to our results. Our online casino momentum is bolstered by the compelling early results of our standalone iCasino app in Pennsylvania and Michigan, which recently expanded into New Jersey and Ontario. Additionally, since the year began, we have rolled out several ESPN BET product enhancements and new features leveraging account linking, including adding ESPN favorites to the app homepage and creating a new rewards program. Throughout the year we plan to continue executing our strategy to provide a differentiated, personalized digital offering while also working to deliver on our performance goals,” Snowden said.
Weather impacted their retail operations as well.
“Portfolio-wide weather events in January and February negatively impacted Adjusted EBITDAR by at least $10 million,” said Mr. Snowden. “Core business trends were otherwise stable, particularly in markets not impacted by the continued growth of new supply. Our industry leading customer loyalty program, PENN Play™, combined with our investments in hospitality and entertainment offerings, contributed to strong engagement with our VIP and mid-worth customer segments. We are also seeing the benefits of our differentiated omni-channel strategy, as those pre-existing customers in Pennsylvania and Michigan who have engaged with our standalone Hollywood iCasino app have increased their spend meaningfully across both retail and online channels."
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