WYNN RESORTS LTD (WYNN) FY 2022 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified in its entirety by, the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Discussion of 2020 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2021 and 2020 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II, Item 7 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
Overview
We are a designer, developer, and operator of integrated resorts featuring luxury hotel rooms, high-end retail space, an array of dining and entertainment options, meeting and convention facilities, and gaming, all supported by an unparalleled focus on our guests, our people, and our community. Through our approximately 72% ownership of Wynn Macau, Limited ("WML"), our concessionaire Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A. ("Wynn Macau SA") operates two integrated resorts in the Macau Special Administrative Region ("Macau") of the People's Republic of China ("PRC"), Wynn Palace and Wynn Macau (collectively, our "Macau Operations"). In Las Vegas, Nevada, we operate and, with the exception of certain retail space, own 100% of Wynn Las Vegas. Additionally, we are a 50.1% owner and managing member of a joint venture that owns and leases certain retail space at Wynn Las Vegas (the "Retail Joint Venture"). We refer to Wynn Las Vegas, Encore, an expansion at Wynn Las Vegas, and the Retail Joint Venture as our Las Vegas Operations. In Everett, Massachusetts, we operate Encore Boston Harbor, an integrated resort. We also hold an approximately 97% interest in, and consolidate, Wynn Interactive Ltd. ("Wynn Interactive"), through which we operate WynnBet, our digital sports betting and casino gaming business.
On December 1, 2022, we closed on our sale-leaseback arrangement with respect to certain real estate assets related to Encore Boston Harbor (the "EBH Transaction"). Upon closing of the related transactions, we received cash proceeds of approximately $1.70 billion in exchange for the sale of such real estate assets, and concurrently entered into a lease agreement for the purpose of continuing to operate the Encore Boston Harbor integrated resort. The lease agreement provides for an initial annual minimum base rent of $100.0 million for an initial term of 30 years, subject to certain annual rent escalations and renewal provisions, and obligates the Company to continue paying certain payments in lieu of property taxes. We expect to use the proceeds from the EBH Transaction in accordance with the reinvestment and asset sale provisions of our senior secured credit facilities.
Recent Developments
COVID-19 Update
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, visitation to Macau has fallen significantly, driven by the strong deterrent effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel and social activities, quarantine measures put in place in Macau and elsewhere, travel and entry restrictions and conditions in Macau, the PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan involving COVID-19 testing and mandatory quarantine, among other things, periods of mandatory closure of certain businesses and facilities, including gaming operations, and the suspension or reduced accessibility of transportation to and from Macau. Over the course of December 2022 and January 2023, Macau authorities relaxed or eliminated most COVID-19 related protective measures, and as of February 27, 2023, there are no remaining entry restrictions or mandatory quarantine requirements in place for travelers to Macau, and testing requirements for inbound travelers from the PRC, Hong Kong, and Taiwan have been discontinued. Nevertheless, given the inherent uncertainty around the likelihood, extent, and timing of a potential reimposition of restrictions on the general public, travel, or certain activities, management is unable to reasonably predict whether such restrictions would impact our properties in the future, or the extent such restrictions, if reimposed, would impact our results of operations, cash flows, or financial condition.
35
Table of Contents
Key Operating Measures
Certain key operating measures specific to the gaming industry are included in our discussion of our operational performance for the periods for which the Consolidated Statements of Operations are presented. These key operating measures are presented as supplemental disclosures because management and/or certain investors use these measures to better understand period-over-period fluctuations in our casino and hotel operating revenues. These key operating measures are defined below:
•Table drop in mass market for our Macau Operations is the amount of cash that is deposited in a gaming table's drop box plus cash chips purchased at the casino cage.
•Table drop for our Las Vegas Operations is the amount of cash and net markers issued that are deposited in a gaming table's drop box.
•Table drop for Encore Boston Harbor is the amount of cash and gross markers issued that are deposited in a gaming table's drop box.
•Rolling chips are non-negotiable identifiable chips that are used to track turnover for purposes of calculating incentives within our Macau Operations' VIP program.
•Turnover is the sum of all losing rolling chip wagers within our Macau Operations' VIP program.
•Table games win is the amount of table drop or turnover that is retained and recorded as casino revenues. Table games win is before discounts, commissions and the allocation of casino revenues to rooms, food and beverage and other revenues for services provided to casino customers on a complimentary basis. Table games win does not include poker rake.
•Slot machine win is the amount of handle (representing the total amount wagered) that is retained by us and is recorded as casino revenues. Slot machine win is after adjustment for progressive accruals and free play, but before discounts and the allocation of casino revenues to rooms, food and beverage and other revenues for services provided to casino customers on a complimentary basis.
•Poker rake is the portion of cash wagered by patrons in our poker rooms that is retained by the casino as a service fee, after adjustment for progressive accruals, but before the allocation of casino revenues to rooms, food and beverage and other revenues for services provided to casino customers on a complimentary basis. Poker tables are not included in our measure of average number of table games.
•Average daily rate ("ADR") is calculated by dividing total room revenues, including complimentaries (less service charges, if any), by total rooms occupied.
•Revenue per available room ("REVPAR") is calculated by dividing total room revenues, including complimentaries (less service charges, if any), by total rooms available.
•Occupancy is calculated by dividing total occupied rooms, including complimentary rooms, by the total rooms available.
Below is a discussion of the methodologies used to calculate win percentages at our resorts.
In our VIP operations in Macau, customers primarily purchase rolling chips from the casino cage and can only use them to make wagers. Winning wagers are paid in cash chips. The loss of the rolling chips in the VIP operations is recorded as turnover and provides a base for calculating VIP win percentage. It is customary in Macau to measure VIP play using this rolling chip method. We typically expect our win as a percentage of turnover from these operations to be within the range of 3.1% to 3.4%; however, reduced gaming volumes as a result of COVID-19 containment measures implemented in Macau may cause volatility in our Macau Operations’ VIP win percentages.
In our mass market operations in Macau, customers may purchase cash chips at either the gaming tables or at the casino cage. The measurements from our VIP and mass market operations are not comparable as the measurement method used in our mass market operations tracks the initial purchase of chips at the table and at the casino cage, while the measurement method from our VIP operations tracks the sum of all losing wagers. Accordingly, the base measurement from the VIP operations is much larger than the base measurement from the mass market operations. As a result, the expected win percentage with the same amount of gaming win is lower in the VIP operations when compared to the mass market operations.
In Las Vegas, customers purchase chips at the gaming tables in exchange for cash and markers. Customers may then redeem markers at the gaming tables or at the casino cage. The cash and markers, net of redemptions, used to purchase chips are deposited in the gaming table's drop box. This is the base of measurement that we use for calculating win percentage. Each type of table game has its own theoretical win percentage. Our expected table games win percentage is 22% to 26%.
36
Table of Contents
At Encore Boston Harbor, customers purchase chips at the gaming tables in exchange for cash and markers. Customers may then redeem markers only at the casino cage. The cash and gross markers used to purchase chips are deposited in the gaming table's drop box. This is the base of measurement that we use for calculating win percentage. Each type of table game has its own theoretical win percentage. Our expected table games win percentage is 18% to 22%.
Results of Operations
Summary annual results
The following table summarizes our financial results for the periods presented (dollars in thousands, except per share data):
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Increase/ (Decrease) | Percent Change | ||||||||||
| Operating revenues | $ | 3,756,825 | $ | 3,763,664 | $ | (6,839) | (0.2) | ||||||
| Net loss attributable to Wynn Resorts, Limited | (423,856) | (755,786) | (331,930) | (43.9) | |||||||||
| Diluted net loss per share | (3.73) | (6.64) | (2.91) | (43.8) |
The decrease in operating revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily driven by decreases of $472.7 million and $314.8 million at Wynn Palace and Wynn Macau, respectively, resulting from decreased gaming volumes due to certain travel-related restrictions and conditions, including COVID-19 testing and other procedures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decrease in operating revenues was partially offset by increases in operating revenues of $628.5 million and $139.6 million from our Las Vegas Operations and Encore Boston Harbor, respectively, as a result of increased gaming volumes as well as increases in hotel occupancy and covers at restaurants.
The decrease in net loss attributable to Wynn Resorts, Limited for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily related to a gain recognized upon closing of the EBH Transaction and decreased marketing costs at Wynn Interactive.
Financial results for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021.
Operating revenues
The following table presents our operating revenues (dollars in thousands):
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Increase/ (Decrease) | Percent Change | ||||||||||
| Operating revenues | |||||||||||||
| Macau Operations: | |||||||||||||
| Wynn Palace | $ | 410,289 | $ | 883,007 | $ | (472,718) | (53.5) | ||||||
| Wynn Macau | 311,249 | 626,015 | (314,766) | (50.3) | |||||||||
| Total Macau Operations | 721,538 | 1,509,022 | (787,484) | (52.2) | |||||||||
| Las Vegas Operations | 2,132,136 | 1,503,681 | 628,455 | 41.8 | |||||||||
| Encore Boston Harbor | 831,073 | 691,523 | 139,550 | 20.2 | |||||||||
| Wynn Interactive | 72,078 | 59,438 | 12,640 | 21.3 | |||||||||
| $ | 3,756,825 | $ | 3,763,664 | $ | (6,839) | (0.2) |
37
Table of Contents
The following table presents our casino and non-casino operating revenues (dollars in thousands):
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Increase/ (Decrease) | Percent Change | ||||||||||
| Operating revenues | |||||||||||||
| Casino revenues | $ | 1,632,541 | $ | 2,133,420 | $ | (500,879) | (23.5) | ||||||
| Non-casino revenues: | |||||||||||||
| Rooms | 802,138 | 592,571 | 209,567 | 35.4 | |||||||||
| Food and beverage | 846,214 | 633,911 | 212,303 | 33.5 | |||||||||
| Entertainment, retail and other | 475,932 | 403,762 | 72,170 | 17.9 | |||||||||
| Total non-casino revenues | 2,124,284 | 1,630,244 | 494,040 | 30.3 | |||||||||
| $ | 3,756,825 | $ | 3,763,664 | $ | (6,839) | (0.2) |
Casino revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 were 43.5% of operating revenues, compared to 56.7% for the same period of 2021. Non-casino revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 were 56.5% of operating revenues, compared to 43.3% for the year ended December 31, 2021.
38
Table of Contents
Casino revenues
Casino revenues decreased as a result of lower gaming volumes at our Macau Operations due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, offset by higher gaming volumes at our Las Vegas Operations and Encore Boston Harbor. The table below sets forth our casino revenues and associated key operating measures (dollars in thousands, except for win per unit per day):
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Increase/ (Decrease) | Percent Change | ||||||||||
| Macau Operations (1): | |||||||||||||
| Wynn Palace: | |||||||||||||
| Total casino revenues | $ | 255,886 | $ | 677,917 | $ | (422,031) | (62.3) | ||||||
| VIP: | |||||||||||||
| Average number of table games | 53 | 93 | (40) | (43.0) | |||||||||
| VIP turnover | $ | 2,641,321 | $ | 6,435,947 | $ | (3,794,626) | (59.0) | ||||||
| VIP table games win | $ | 23,471 | $ | 253,767 | $ | (230,296) | (90.8) | ||||||
| VIP win as a % of turnover | 0.89 | % | 3.94 | % | (3.05) | ||||||||
| Table games win per unit per day | $ | 1,259 | $ | 7,443 | $ | (6,184) | (83.1) | ||||||
| Mass market: | |||||||||||||
| Average number of table games | 229 | 229 | — | — | |||||||||
| Table drop | $ | 1,312,786 | $ | 2,415,841 | $ | (1,103,055) | (45.7) | ||||||
| Table games win | $ | 282,138 | $ | 540,234 | $ | (258,096) | (47.8) | ||||||
| Table games win % | 21.5 | % | 22.4 | % | (0.9) | ||||||||
| Table games win per unit per day | $ | 3,489 | $ | 6,463 | $ | (2,974) | (46.0) | ||||||
| Average number of slot machines | 623 | 710 | (87) | (12.3) | |||||||||
| Slot machine handle | $ | 732,197 | $ | 1,454,577 | $ | (722,380) | (49.7) | ||||||
| Slot machine win | $ | 31,295 | $ | 58,152 | $ | (26,857) | (46.2) | ||||||
| Slot machine win per unit per day | $ | 142 | $ | 224 | $ | (82) | (36.6) | ||||||
| Wynn Macau: | |||||||||||||
| Total casino revenues | $ | 216,639 | $ | 476,999 | $ | (260,360) | (54.6) | ||||||
| VIP: | |||||||||||||
| Average number of table games | 41 | 81 | (40) | (49.4) | |||||||||
| VIP turnover | $ | 1,771,143 | $ | 5,488,118 | $ | (3,716,975) | (67.7) | ||||||
| VIP table games win | $ | 55,999 | $ | 155,064 | $ | (99,065) | (63.9) | ||||||
| VIP win as a % of turnover | 3.16 | % | 2.83 | % | 0.33 | ||||||||
| Table games win per unit per day | $ | 3,828 | $ | 5,250 | $ | (1,422) | (27.1) | ||||||
| Mass market: | |||||||||||||
| Average number of table games | 235 | 240 | (5) | (2.1) | |||||||||
| Table drop | $ | 1,170,633 | $ | 2,230,348 | $ | (1,059,715) | (47.5) | ||||||
| Table games win | $ | 189,769 | $ | 412,753 | $ | (222,984) | (54.0) | ||||||
| Table games win % | 16.2 | % | 18.5 | % | (2.3) | ||||||||
| Table games win per unit per day | $ | 2,284 | $ | 4,720 | $ | (2,436) | (51.6) | ||||||
| Average number of slot machines | 646 | 587 | 59 | 10.1 | |||||||||
| Slot machine handle | $ | 895,466 | $ | 1,057,303 | $ | (161,837) | (15.3) | ||||||
| Slot machine win | $ | 31,768 | $ | 35,483 | $ | (3,715) | (10.5) | ||||||
| Slot machine win per unit per day | $ | 139 | $ | 166 | $ | (27) | (16.3) |
39
Table of Contents
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Increase/ (Decrease) | Percent Change | ||||||||||
| Las Vegas Operations: | |||||||||||||
| Total casino revenues | $ | 535,279 | $ | 426,440 | $ | 108,839 | 25.5 | ||||||
| Average number of table games | 234 | 210 | 24 | 11.4 | |||||||||
| Table drop | $ | 2,274,010 | $ | 1,842,792 | $ | 431,218 | 23.4 | ||||||
| Table games win | $ | 511,746 | $ | 407,195 | $ | 104,551 | 25.7 | ||||||
| Table games win % | 22.5 | % | 22.1 | % | 0.4 | ||||||||
| Table games win per unit per day | $ | 5,990 | $ | 5,323 | $ | 667 | 12.5 | ||||||
| Average number of slot machines | 1,703 | 1,688 | 15 | 0.9 | |||||||||
| Slot machine handle | $ | 5,617,775 | $ | 4,379,421 | $ | 1,238,354 | 28.3 | ||||||
| Slot machine win | $ | 394,052 | $ | 297,548 | $ | 96,504 | 32.4 | ||||||
| Slot machine win per unit per day | $ | 634 | $ | 483 | $ | 151 | 31.3 | ||||||
| Poker rake | $ | 19,680 | $ | 14,552 | $ | 5,128 | 35.2 | ||||||
| Encore Boston Harbor (2): | |||||||||||||
| Total casino revenues | $ | 624,738 | $ | 552,064 | $ | 72,674 | 13.2 | ||||||
| Average number of table games | 187 | 189 | (2) | (1.1) | |||||||||
| Table drop | $ | 1,447,851 | $ | 1,267,908 | $ | 179,943 | 14.2 | ||||||
| Table games win | $ | 315,057 | $ | 273,174 | $ | 41,883 | 15.3 | ||||||
| Table games win % | 21.8 | % | 21.5 | % | 0.3 | ||||||||
| Table games win per unit per day | $ | 4,604 | $ | 3,959 | $ | 645 | 16.3 | ||||||
| Average number of slot machines | 2,716 | 2,387 | 329 | 13.8 | |||||||||
| Slot machine handle | $ | 5,007,772 | $ | 4,377,181 | $ | 630,591 | 14.4 | ||||||
| Slot machine win | $ | 402,688 | $ | 358,827 | $ | 43,861 | 12.2 | ||||||
| Slot machine win per unit per day | $ | 406 | $ | 412 | $ | (6) | (1.5) | ||||||
| Poker rake | $ | 9,476 | $ | — | $ | 9,476 | NM |
NM - Not meaningful.
(1) The results of our Macau Operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were negatively impacted by the closure of our casino operations in Macau for a 12-day period in July 2022 and certain travel-related restrictions and conditions, including COVID-19 testing and other mitigation procedures, related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2) On January 25, 2021, Encore Boston Harbor restored 24-hour casino operations and reopened its hotel tower on a Thursday through Sunday weekly schedule. The property reopened its hotel tower to seven days per week as of September 1, 2021.
40
Table of Contents
Non-casino revenues
The table below sets forth our room revenues and associated key operating measures:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Increase/ (Decrease) | Percent Change | ||||||||||
| Macau Operations: | |||||||||||||
| Wynn Palace: | |||||||||||||
| Total room revenues (dollars in thousands) | $ | 40,079 | $ | 69,022 | $ | (28,943) | (41.9) | ||||||
| Occupancy | 38.4 | % | 58.5 | % | (20.1) | ||||||||
| ADR | $ | 156 | $ | 182 | $ | (26) | (14.3) | ||||||
| REVPAR | $ | 60 | $ | 107 | $ | (47) | (43.9) | ||||||
| Wynn Macau: | |||||||||||||
| Total room revenues (dollars in thousands) | $ | 25,691 | $ | 50,492 | $ | (24,801) | (49.1) | ||||||
| Occupancy | 41.1 | % | 58.8 | % | (17.7) | ||||||||
| ADR | $ | 154 | $ | 213 | $ | (59) | (27.7) | ||||||
| REVPAR | $ | 63 | $ | 125 | $ | (62) | (49.6) | ||||||
| Las Vegas Operations: | |||||||||||||
| Total room revenues (dollars in thousands) | $ | 651,291 | $ | 425,777 | $ | 225,514 | 53.0 | ||||||
| Occupancy | 86.7 | % | 69.5 | % | 17.2 | ||||||||
| ADR | $ | 454 | $ | 386 | $ | 68 | 17.6 | ||||||
| REVPAR | $ | 393 | $ | 268 | $ | 125 | 46.6 | ||||||
| Encore Boston Harbor (1): | |||||||||||||
| Total room revenues (dollars in thousands) | $ | 85,078 | $ | 47,280 | $ | 37,798 | 79.9 | ||||||
| Occupancy | 91.4 | % | 85.2 | % | 6.2 | ||||||||
| ADR | $ | 382 | $ | 328 | $ | 54 | 16.5 | ||||||
| REVPAR | $ | 349 | $ | 279 | $ | 70 | 25.1 |
(1) Encore Boston Harbor room statistics have been computed based on 250 days of operation in the year ended December 31, 2021, representing the number of nights hotel rooms were offered for sale to the public. The property reopened its hotel tower to seven days per week as of September 1, 2021.
Room revenues increased $209.6 million, primarily due to higher occupancy and ADR at our Las Vegas Operations and Encore Boston Harbor.
Food and beverage revenues increased $212.3 million, primarily due to increased restaurant covers and nightlife revenues at our Las Vegas Operations.
Entertainment, retail and other revenues increased $72.2 million, primarily due to increased convention sales, retail revenues from our owned and leased outlets, and entertainment venue sales, including tickets sales for the exclusive production Awakening which premiered in November 2022, all at our Las Vegas Operations.
41
Table of Contents
Operating expenses
The table below presents operating expenses (dollars in thousands):
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Increase/ (Decrease) | Percent Change | ||||||||||
| Operating expenses: | |||||||||||||
| Casino | $ | 1,099,801 | $ | 1,394,098 | $ | (294,297) | (21.1) | ||||||
| Rooms | 261,343 | 197,734 | 63,609 | 32.2 | |||||||||
| Food and beverage | 700,549 | 516,391 | 184,158 | 35.7 | |||||||||
| Entertainment, retail and other | 328,529 | 450,358 | (121,829) | (27.1) | |||||||||
| General and administrative | 830,450 | 796,592 | 33,858 | 4.3 | |||||||||
| Provision for credit losses | (7,295) | 29,487 | (36,782) | (124.7) | |||||||||
| Pre-opening | 20,643 | 6,821 | 13,822 | 202.6 | |||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 692,318 | 715,962 | (23,644) | (3.3) | |||||||||
| Gain on EBH Transaction, net | (181,989) | — | (181,989) | NM | |||||||||
| Property charges and other | 113,152 | 50,762 | 62,390 | 122.9 | |||||||||
| Total operating expenses | $ | 3,857,501 | $ | 4,158,205 | $ | (300,704) | (7.2) |
NM - Not meaningful.
Total operating expenses decreased $300.7 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, due to decreased casino expenses and the gain recorded in connection with the EBH Transaction.
Casino expenses decreased $231.9 million and $150.8 million at Wynn Palace and Wynn Macau, respectively. These decreases were primarily due to reductions in gaming tax expense driven by the declines in casino revenues at each of Wynn Palace and Wynn Macau, resulting from pandemic-related travel restrictions, partially offset by increased casino expenses of $45.5 million and $42.9 million at our Las Vegas Operations and Encore Boston Harbor, respectively, primarily due to increased operating costs, including gaming tax expense, driven by the increase in casino revenues.
Room expenses increased $49.4 million and $19.2 million at our Las Vegas Operations and Encore Boston Harbor, respectively. These increases were primarily a result of higher operating costs related to the increase in occupancy.
Food and beverage expenses increased $173.9 million and $19.8 million at our Las Vegas Operations and Encore Boston Harbor, respectively. These increases were primarily a result of higher operating costs related to the increase in food and beverage revenues as well as higher nightlife entertainment costs associated with increased business volumes at our Las Vegas Operations' nightlife venues.
Entertainment, retail and other expenses decreased $165.6 million at Wynn Interactive, primarily due to decreased marketing costs, partially offset by an increase of $48.3 million at our Las Vegas operations, primarily due to higher operating costs associated with increased levels of business.
General and administrative expenses increased primarily due to increases of $44.5 million and $30.4 million at our Las Vegas Operations and Encore Boston Harbor, respectively. These increases were attributable to increased payroll and operating costs resulting from higher business volumes, partially offset by decreased general and administrative expenses of $19.1 million and $17.3 million at Wynn Palace and Wynn Macau, respectively, due to decreased payroll and operating costs attributable to lower business volumes.
The provision for credit losses decreased $17.3 million, $14.0 million, and $5.9 million at Wynn Palace, Wynn Macau, and our Las Vegas Operations, respectively. The decreases were primarily due to the impact of historical collection patterns and expectations of current and future collection trends, as well as the specific review of customer accounts, on our estimated credit loss for the respective periods.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, pre-opening expenses totaled $20.6 million, which primarily related to reconfiguring the theater space at Wynn Las Vegas to host an all-new, exclusive theatrical production, Awakening, which
42
Table of Contents
premiered in November 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2021, pre-opening expenses totaled $6.8 million, which primarily related to restaurant remodels at our Las Vegas Operations.
Depreciation and amortization decreased $37.8 million at Wynn Palace, primarily due to certain furniture, fixture and equipment assets reaching the end of their useful lives in the first quarter of 2022.
We recorded a gain of $182.0 million related to the closing of the EBH Transaction in December 2022.
Property charges and other expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 consisted primarily of restructuring costs incurred by Wynn Interactive, including contract termination costs of $32.8 million and impairment of goodwill and other finite-lived intangible assets of $37.8 million and $10.3 million, respectively. In addition, we incurred asset abandonments of $3.3 million, $22.6 million, and $1.3 million at our Las Vegas Operations, Wynn Palace, and Wynn Macau, respectively.
Our property charges and other expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 consisted primarily of advocacy-related expenses of $12.5 million and impairment of goodwill of $10.3 million at Wynn Interactive, asset abandonments of $9.7 million, $4.2 million, $2.3 million, and $1.8 million at our Las Vegas Operations, Wynn Palace, Encore Boston Harbor, and Wynn Macau, respectively, and other contingency expenses of $8.7 million at Wynn Macau.
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest
The following table summarizes information related to interest expense (dollars in thousands):
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Increase/ (Decrease) | Percent Change | ||||||||||
| Interest expense | |||||||||||||
| Interest cost, including amortization of debt issuance costs and original issue discount and premium | $ | 650,885 | $ | 605,562 | $ | 45,323 | 7.5 | ||||||
| Weighted average total debt balance | $ | 12,135,627 | $ | 12,195,881 | |||||||||
| Weighted average interest rate | 5.36 | % | 4.96 | % |
Interest costs increased primarily due to an increase in the weighted average interest rate.
Other non-operating income and expenses
We incurred a foreign currency remeasurement gain of $5.8 million and a loss of $23.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The impact of the exchange rate fluctuation of the Macau pataca, in relation to the U.S. dollar, on the remeasurements of U.S. dollar denominated debt and other obligations from our Macau-related entities drove the variability between periods.
We recorded a gain of $16.0 million and $11.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, from change in derivatives fair value.
We recorded a $2.1 million loss on extinguishment of debt for the year ended December 31, 2021 related to full prepayments of the Wynn Macau Credit Facilities.
Income Taxes
For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we recorded an income tax expense of $9.3 million and $0.5 million, respectively. The 2022 income tax expense primarily relates to U.S. profitability and changes in U.S. deferred taxes. The 2021 income tax expense primarily relates to the Macau dividend tax agreement that provides for an annual payment of MOP 12.8 million (approximately $1.6 million) as complementary tax otherwise due by stockholders of Wynn Macau SA partially offset by a decrease in foreign deferred tax liabilities related to intangibles.
43
Table of Contents
In March 2021, the Company received an extension of its Macau dividend tax agreement, providing for a payment of MOP 12.8 million (approximately $1.6 million) for 2021 and MOP 6.3 million (approximately $0.8 million) for the period ending June 26, 2022. In December 2022, the Company applied for an extension of this agreement from June 27, 2022 through December 31, 2022 , the date Concession Extension Agreement expired. The extension is subject to approval.
In April 2020, Wynn Macau SA received an extension of the exemption from Macau's 12% Complementary Tax on casino gaming profits earned from January 1, 2021 to June 26, 2022. In September 2022, Wynn Macau SA received an extension of the exemption from the Complementary Tax on casino gaming profits through December 31, 2022. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we did not have any casino gaming profits exempt from the Macau Complementary Tax. Our non-gaming profits remain subject to the Macau Complementary Tax and casino winnings remain subject to the Macau special gaming tax and other levies together totaling 39% in accordance with our concession agreement.
In December 2022, the Company applied for an exemption from Complementary Tax on casino gaming profits commencing January 1, 2023. The application is subject to approval.
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests was $285.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to net loss of $256.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. These amounts are primarily related to the noncontrolling interests' share of net loss from WML.
Segment Information
As further described in Item 8—"Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," Note 19, "Segment Information," we use Adjusted Property EBITDAR to manage the operating results of our segments. Adjusted Property EBITDAR is net income (loss) before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, pre-opening expenses, gain on EBH Transaction, net, property charges and other, triple-net operating lease rent expense related to Encore Boston Harbor, management and license fees, corporate expenses and other (including intercompany golf course, meeting and convention, and water rights leases), stock-based compensation, change in derivatives fair value, loss on extinguishment of debt, and other non-operating income and expenses. Adjusted Property EBITDAR is presented exclusively as a supplemental disclosure because management believes that it is widely used to measure the performance, and as a basis for valuation, of gaming companies. Management uses Adjusted Property EBITDAR as a measure of the operating performance of its segments and to compare the operating performance of its properties with those of its competitors, as well as a basis for determining certain incentive compensation. We also present Adjusted Property EBITDAR because it is used by some investors to measure a company's ability to incur and service debt, make capital expenditures and meet working capital requirements. Gaming companies have historically reported EBITDAR as a supplement to GAAP. In order to view the operations of their casinos on a more stand-alone basis, gaming companies, including us, have historically excluded from their EBITDAR calculations preopening expenses, property charges, corporate expenses and stock-based compensation, that do not relate to the management of specific casino properties. However, Adjusted Property EBITDAR should not be considered as an alternative to operating income (loss) as an indicator of our performance, as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities as a measure of liquidity, or as an alternative to any other measure determined in accordance with GAAP. Unlike net income (loss), Adjusted Property EBITDAR does not include depreciation or interest expense and therefore does not reflect current or future capital expenditures or the cost of capital. We have significant uses of cash flows, including capital expenditures, triple-net operating lease rent expense related to Encore Boston Harbor, interest payments, debt principal repayments, income taxes and other non-recurring charges, which are not reflected in Adjusted Property EBITDAR. Also, our calculation of Adjusted Property EBITDAR may be different from the calculation methods used by other companies and, therefore, comparability may be limited.
44
Table of Contents
The following table summarizes Adjusted Property EBITDAR (in thousands) for Wynn Palace, Wynn Macau, Las Vegas Operations, and Encore Boston Harbor as reviewed by management and summarized in Item 8—"Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," Note 19, "Segment Information." That footnote also presents a reconciliation of Adjusted Property EBITDAR to net loss attributable to Wynn Resorts, Limited.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Increase/ (Decrease) | ||||||||
| Wynn Palace | $ | (96,557) | $ | 91,646 | $ | (188,203) | ||||
| Wynn Macau | (124,047) | 4,209 | (128,256) | |||||||
| Las Vegas Operations | 801,095 | 530,878 | 270,217 | |||||||
| Encore Boston Harbor | 243,386 | 210,068 | 33,318 | |||||||
| Wynn Interactive | (98,490) | (267,360) | 168,870 |
Adjusted Property EBITDAR at Wynn Palace and Wynn Macau decreased $188.2 million and $128.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, respectively, primarily due to a decrease in operating revenues, partially offset by a decrease in operating expenses. Our Macau Operations for the year ended December 31, 2022 continued to be negatively impacted by certain travel-related restrictions and conditions, including COVID-19 testing and other procedures related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adjusted Property EBITDAR at our Las Vegas Operations increased $270.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to an increase in revenues from hotel and food and beverage operations.
Adjusted Property EBITDAR at Encore Boston Harbor increased $33.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to an increase in revenues from casino and hotel operations, partially offset by increased operating expenses.
Adjusted Property EBITDAR at Wynn Interactive increased $168.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to decreased marketing and promotional expenses.
Refer to the discussions above regarding the specific details of our results of operations.
45
Table of Contents
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our cash flows were as follows (in thousands):
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Flows - Summary | 2022 | 2021 | ||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | $ | (71,272) | $ | (222,591) | ||
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities: | ||||||
| Capital expenditures, net of construction payables and retention | (300,127) | (290,657) | ||||
| Purchase of intangible and other assets | (52,377) | (56,034) | ||||
| Proceeds from EBH Transaction | 1,700,000 | — | ||||
| Proceeds from sale of assets and other | 1,471 | 4,268 | ||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | 1,348,967 | (342,423) | ||||
| Net cash used in financing activities: | ||||||
| Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt | 211,435 | 1,340,281 | ||||
| Repayments of long-term debt | (50,000) | (2,488,401) | ||||
| Proceeds from issuance of Wynn Resorts, Limited common stock | — | 841,896 | ||||
| Repurchase of common stock | (187,499) | (13,842) | ||||
| Proceeds from issuance of subsidiary common stock | 2,895 | 4,662 | ||||
| Proceeds from sale of noncontrolling interest in subsidiary | 50,033 | — | ||||
| Payments to acquire ownership interest in subsidiary | — | (5,433) | ||||
| Distribution to noncontrolling interest | (27,744) | (18,761) | ||||
| Dividends paid | (1,445) | (1,553) | ||||
| Finance lease payments | (18,188) | (15,658) | ||||
| Payments for financing costs | (3,165) | (31,193) | ||||
| Net cash used in financing activities | (23,678) | (388,002) | ||||
| Effect of exchange rate on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | (2,094) | (2,301) | ||||
| Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | $ | 1,251,923 | $ | (955,317) |
Operating Activities
Our operating cash flows primarily consist of operating income (excluding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash charges), interest paid and earned, and changes in working capital accounts such as receivables, inventories, prepaid expenses, and payables. Our table games play is a mix of cash play and credit play, while our slot machine play is conducted primarily on a cash basis. A significant portion of our table games revenue is attributable to the play of a limited number of premium customers who gamble on credit. The ability to collect these gaming receivables may impact our operating cash flow for the period. Our rooms, food and beverage, and entertainment, retail and other revenue is conducted on a cash and credit basis. Accordingly, operating cash flows will be impacted by changes in operating income and accounts receivable, net.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the decrease in net cash used in operating activities was primarily due to a decrease in marketing expenses related to Wynn Interactive and an increase in customer deposits.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the decrease in net cash used in operating activities was primarily due to increased operating revenues, partially offset by an increase in operating expenses and changes in working capital accounts, including a decrease in customer deposits primarily due to withdrawals by gaming promoters.
46
Table of Contents
Investing Activities
Our investing activities primarily consist of project capital expenditures and maintenance capital expenditures associated with maintaining and continually refining our world-class integrated resort properties.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we incurred capital expenditures of $226.4 million at our Las Vegas Operations primarily related to the Wynn Las Vegas room remodel and theater reconfiguration, and $20.2 million at Encore Boston Harbor, $31.9 million at Wynn Palace, and $13.0 million at Wynn Macau primarily related to maintenance capital expenditures. We also received $1.70 billion in cash proceeds upon closing of the EBH Transaction. In addition, we made a $40.2 million investment in an unconsolidated affiliate.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, we incurred capital expenditures of $168.8 million at our Las Vegas Operations primarily related to the Wynn Las Vegas room remodel, and $38.7 million at Encore Boston Harbor, $37.2 million at Wynn Palace, and $25.2 million at Wynn Macau primarily related to maintenance capital expenditures.
Financing Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we repurchased 2,956,331 shares of our common stock for approximately $171.3 million under our equity repurchase program. We also borrowed $211.4 million under the WM Cayman II Revolver and made quarterly amortization payments under the WRF Term Loan totaling $50.0 million. In addition, we received a $50.0 million contribution from a noncontrolling interest holder in exchange for a 49.9% interest in certain retail space contributed by the Company to the Retail Joint Venture and used cash of $27.7 million for distributions to noncontrolling interest holders of the Retail Joint Venture.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, we received proceeds of $841.9 million from our February 2021 equity offering and used $716.0 million of the proceeds from the equity offering to repay the outstanding borrowings under the WRF Revolver. We also paid $464.7 million of outstanding principal owed under the Wynn Macau Term Loan and prepaid the outstanding $1.26 billion of borrowings under the Wynn Macau Credit Facilities along with related financing costs, using proceeds from the borrowing of $1.09 billion under the WM Cayman II Revolver along with $200.0 million of cash. In addition, we borrowed $200.4 million under the WM Cayman II Revolver, and made quarterly amortization payments under the WRF Term Loan totaling $50.0 million.
Capital Resources
The COVID-19 pandemic has materially impacted and may continue to materially impact our Macau Operations' business, financial condition, and results of operations. While as of February 27, 2023, there are no remaining entry restrictions or mandatory quarantine requirements in place for travelers to Macau or elsewhere that directly impact visitation to our other properties, and we believe our unrestricted cash, cash flows from operations and revolver borrowing capacity will enable us to fund our current obligations for the next twelve months and beyond. Nevertheless, given the inherent uncertainty around the likelihood, extent, and timing of a potential reimposition of restrictions on the general public, travel, or certain activities, management is unable to reasonably predict whether such restrictions would impact our properties in the future, or the extent such restrictions, if reimposed, would impact our results of operations, cash flows, or financial condition and our ability to access capital.
Refer to Item 8—"Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," Note 7, "Long-Term Debt" in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for more information regarding each of the Company's debt agreements. The following table summarizes our unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and available revolver borrowing capacity, excluding capacity under intercompany loan agreements, presented by significant financing entity as of December 31, 2022 (in thousands):
| Total Cash and Cash Equivalents | Revolver Borrowing Capacity | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wynn Macau, Limited and subsidiaries | $ | 951,901 | $ | — | ||
| Wynn Resorts Finance, LLC (1) | 2,303,420 | 836,985 | ||||
| Wynn Resorts, Limited and other | 395,119 | — | ||||
| Total | $ | 3,650,440 | $ | 836,985 |
(1) Excluding Wynn Macau, Limited and subsidiaries.
47
Table of Contents
Wynn Macau, Limited and subsidiaries. WML generates cash from our Macau Operations and may utilize proceeds from the WM Cayman II Revolver and its intercompany revolving loan facility with Wynn Resorts, Limited to fund working capital requirements as needed. We expect to use this cash to fund working capital and capital expenditure requirements at WML and our Macau Operations, and to service our WML Senior Notes and WM Cayman II Revolver. WML paid no dividends during 2022 or 2021.
The borrowings under the WM Cayman II Revolver bear interest at LIBOR or HIBOR plus a margin of 2.625% per annum until June 30, 2022, the date from which the margin will be 1.875% to 2.875% per annum based on WM Cayman II’s leverage ratio on a consolidated basis, subject to a floor on the interest rate margin of 2.625% per annum through June 30, 2023. The final maturity of all outstanding loans under the Revolving Facility is September 16, 2025.
On May 5, 2022, WM Cayman II and its lenders agreed to waive certain financial covenants in the facility agreement under the WM Cayman II Revolver in respect of the relevant periods ending on the following applicable test dates: (a) June 30, 2022; (b) September 30, 2022; (c) December 31, 2022; and (d) March 31, 2023; and to provide for a floor on the interest rate margin of 2.625% per annum through June 30, 2023. WML, as guarantor, may be subject to certain restrictions on payments of dividends or distributions to its shareholders, unless certain financial criteria have been satisfied through the facility agreement.
If our portion of our cash and cash equivalents were repatriated to the U.S. on December 31, 2022, it would be subject to minimal U.S. taxes in the year of repatriation.
Wynn Resorts Finance, LLC and subsidiaries. Wynn Resorts Finance, LLC ("WRF" or "Wynn Resorts Finance") generates cash from distributions from its subsidiaries, which include our Macau Operations, Wynn Las Vegas, and Encore Boston Harbor, and capital contributions from Wynn Resorts, as required. In addition, WRF may utilize its available revolving borrowing capacity as needed. We expect to use this cash to service our WRF Credit Facilities, the WRF Senior Notes and the Wynn Las Vegas Senior Notes, and to fund working capital and capital expenditure requirements as needed.
WRF is a holding company and, as a result, its ability to pay dividends to Wynn Resorts is dependent on WRF receiving distributions from its subsidiaries, which include WML, Wynn Las Vegas, LLC, and Wynn MA. The WRF Credit Agreement contains customary negative and financial covenants, including, but not limited to, covenants that restrict WRF's ability to pay dividends or distributions and incur additional indebtedness.
In June 2022, Wynn Las Vegas completed its hotel room remodel for total project costs of approximately $215 million.
In October 2022, Wynn Las Vegas completed its theater reconfiguration for total project costs of approximately $110 million. The specially redesigned theater was custom designed to host an all-new, exclusive theatrical production, Awakening, which premiered in November 2022.
Upon closing of the EBH Transaction in December 2022, we received cash proceeds of approximately $1.70 billion in exchange for the sale of certain real estate assets related to Encore Boston Harbor, and concurrently entered into a lease agreement for the purpose of continuing to operate the Encore Boston Harbor integrated resort. The triple-net lease agreement provides for an initial annual minimum base rent of $100.0 million for an initial term of 30 years, subject to certain annual rent escalations and renewal provisions, and obligates the Company to continue paying certain payments in lieu of property taxes. We expect to use the proceeds from the EBH Transaction in accordance with the reinvestment and asset sale provisions of our senior secured credit facilities.
On February 16, 2023, WRF issued $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of 7 1/8% Senior Notes due 2031 (the "2031 WRF Senior Notes") in a private offering. The 2031 WRF Senior Notes were issued at par, for proceeds of $596.2 million, net of $3.8 million of related fees and expenses. Also on February 16, 2023, WRF completed a cash tender offer for any and all of the outstanding principal amount of the 2025 WRF Senior Notes, and accepted for purchase valid tenders with respect to $506.4 million and paid a tender premium of $12.4 million. We used a portion of the net proceeds from the offering of the 2031 WRF Senior Notes to purchase such tendered 2025 WRF Senior Notes and to pay related fees and expenses, and intend to use the remaining net proceeds for general corporate purposes. We intend to redeem the remaining outstanding 2025 WRF Senior Notes using cash held by WRF on or after April 15, 2023, when such senior notes are redeemable at a price equal to 101.938% of the principal amount plus accrued interest under the terms of their indenture.
48
Table of Contents
We intend to repurchase or redeem all of the outstanding Wynn Las Vegas 4.25% Senior Notes due 2023 using cash held by WRF during or after March 2023, when such senior notes are redeemable at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount plus accrued interest under the terms of their indenture.
Wynn Resorts, Limited and other subsidiaries. Wynn Resorts, Limited is a holding company and, as a result, our ability to pay dividends is dependent on our ability to obtain funds and our subsidiaries' ability to provide funds to us. Wynn Resorts, Limited and other primarily generates cash from royalty (including intellectual property license) and management agreements with our resorts, dividends and distributions from our subsidiaries, and the operations of the Retail Joint Venture of which we own 50.1%. Fees payable by Wynn Macau SA to Wynn Resorts, Limited under its intellectual property license agreement are capped at $75.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. We expect to use cash held by Wynn Resorts, Limited and other to service our Retail Term Loan, to fund working capital needs of our subsidiaries, and for general corporate purposes.
Other Factors Affecting Liquidity
We may refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before maturity. We cannot assure you that we will be able to refinance any of the indebtedness on acceptable terms or at all.
Legal proceedings in which we are involved also may impact our liquidity. No assurance can be provided as to the outcome of such proceedings. In addition, litigation inherently involves significant costs. For information regarding legal proceedings, see Item 8—"Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," Note 17, "Commitments and Contingencies."
In April 2016, our Board of Directors has authorized an equity repurchase program of up to $1.00 billion. Under the equity repurchase program, we may repurchase the Company's outstanding shares from time to time through open market purchases, in privately negotiated transactions, and under plans complying with Rules 10b5-1 and 10b-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). We repurchased 2,956,331 shares of our common stock at an average price of $57.95 per share, for an aggregate cost of $171.3 million under this equity repurchase program during the year ended December 31, 2022. As of December 31, 2022, we had $628.8 million in repurchase authority remaining under the program.
We have in the past repurchased, and in the future, we may periodically consider repurchasing our outstanding notes for cash. The amount of any shares and/or notes to be repurchased, as well as the timing of any repurchases, will be based on business, market and other conditions and factors, including price, contractual requirements or consents, and capital availability.
New business developments or other unforeseen events may occur, resulting in the need to raise additional funds. We continue to explore opportunities to develop additional gaming or related businesses in domestic and international markets. There can be no assurances regarding the business prospects with respect to any other opportunity. Any new development may require us to obtain additional financing. We may decide to conduct any such development through Wynn Resorts, Limited or through subsidiaries separate from the Las Vegas, Boston or Macau-related entities.
49
Table of Contents
Contractual Commitments
The following table summarizes our scheduled contractual commitments as of December 31, 2022 (in thousands):
| Payments Due By Period | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less Than 1 Year | 1 to 3 Years | 4 to 5 Years | After 5 Years | Total | ||||||||||||||
| Long-term debt obligations | $ | 550,000 | $ | 5,882,973 | $ | 2,630,000 | $ | 3,100,000 | $ | 12,162,973 | ||||||||
| Fixed interest payments | 490,579 | 812,367 | 469,254 | 217,411 | 1,989,611 | |||||||||||||
| Estimated variable interest payments (1) | 195,657 | 277,175 | — | — | 472,832 | |||||||||||||
| Macau gaming premium (2) | 13,199 | 26,398 | 26,398 | 65,997 | 131,992 | |||||||||||||
| Macau Property Transfer Agreement payments (3) | 6,612 | 13,225 | 44,082 | 110,206 | 174,125 | |||||||||||||
| Construction contracts and commitments | 126,289 | 19,547 | — | — | 145,836 | |||||||||||||
| Operating leases | 136,924 | 272,700 | 275,637 | 3,946,778 | 4,632,039 | |||||||||||||
| Finance leases | 19,913 | 14,293 | 2,589 | 62,784 | 99,579 | |||||||||||||
| Employment agreements (4) | 77,595 | 71,538 | 3,827 | 3,903 | 156,863 | |||||||||||||
| Massachusetts surrounding community payments (5) | 14,695 | 30,312 | 31,612 | 93,600 | 170,219 | |||||||||||||
| Other (6) | 203,299 | 96,620 | 40,435 | 68,246 | 408,600 | |||||||||||||
| Total contractual commitments | $ | 1,834,762 | $ | 7,517,148 | $ | 3,523,834 | $ | 7,668,925 | $ | 20,544,669 |
(1) Amounts for all periods represent our estimated future interest payments on our debt facilities based upon amounts outstanding and LIBOR or HIBOR rates as of December 31, 2022. Actual rates will vary.
(2) Represents the fixed and minimum variable gaming premium amounts payable under the Gaming Concession Contract, based on the number and type of gaming tables and machines we operate.
(3) Represents amounts payable under the Property Transfer Agreements (as defined in Item 8—"Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," Note 5, "Property and Equipment, net").
(4) Represents payments to executive officers, other members of management and certain key employees. Employment agreements generally have three to five year terms and typically indicate a base salary and often contain provisions for discretionary bonuses. Certain of the executives are also entitled to a separation payment if terminated without "cause" or upon voluntary termination of employment for "good reason" following a "change of control" (as these terms are defined in the employment contracts).
(5) Represents payments to certain communities surrounding Encore Boston Harbor, required as a condition of the gaming license awarded to Wynn MA, LLC.
(6) Other includes open purchase orders, future charitable contributions, performance contracts and other contracts. As further discussed in Item 8—"Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," Note 13, "Income Taxes," we had $136.0 million of unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2022. Due to the inherent uncertainty of the underlying tax positions, it is not practicable to assign this liability to any particular year and therefore it is not included in the table above as of December 31, 2022.
On December 16, 2022, Wynn Macau SA entered into a definitive gaming concession contract (the "Gaming Concession Contract") with the government of Macau, pursuant to which Wynn Macau SA was granted a 10-year gaming concession commencing on January 1, 2023 and expiring on December 31, 2032, to operate games of chance at Wynn Palace and Wynn Macau.
In addition to the Macau gaming premium and Property Transfer Agreements payment commitments included in the table above, Wynn Macau SA committed to pay a gaming tax assessed at the rate of 35% of gross gaming revenues, plus additional special levies equal to 5% of gross gaming revenues, throughout the term of the Gaming Concession Contract. Wynn Macau SA also committed to make certain non-gaming and gaming investments in the amount of MOP17.73 billion (approximately $2.21 billion) over the course of the ten-year term of the Gaming Concession Contract. MOP16.50 billion (approximately $2.05 billion) of the committed investment will be used for non-gaming capital projects and event programming in connection with, among others, attraction of foreign tourists, conventions and exhibitions, entertainment performances, sports events, culture and art, health and wellness, themed amusement, gastronomy, community tourism and maritime tourism. Wynn Macau SA will be required to increase its investment in non-gaming projects by 20% in the following year if market-wide gross gaming revenues increase to MOP180.00 billion (approximately $22.41 billion) in any one year (the "Trigger Event"). The required increase will be reduced to 16%, 12%, 8%, 4% or 0%, respectively, if the Trigger Event occurs during the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth or tenth year of the concession period, respectively.
See Item 8—"Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," Note 17, "Commitments and Contingencies," for additional information regarding the amounts owed under the Gaming Concession Contract and Macau gaming law.
50
Table of Contents
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP involves the use of estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements. Certain of our accounting policies require management to apply significant judgment in defining the appropriate assumptions integral to financial estimates and on an ongoing basis, management evaluates those estimates. Judgments are based on historical experience, terms of existing contracts, industry trends and information available from outside sources, as appropriate. However, by their nature, judgments are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty, and therefore actual results could differ from our estimates.
Sale-leaseback Transaction
On December 1, 2022, the Company closed on a sale-leaseback arrangement with respect to certain real estate assets related to Encore Boston Harbor (the "EBH Transaction"). Upon closing of the EBH Transaction, the Company received cash proceeds of approximately $1.70 billion in exchange for the sale of such real estate assets, recognizing a gain on sale of $182.0 million, and concurrently entered into a lease agreement with respect to the sold assets for the purpose of continuing to operate the Encore Boston Harbor integrated resort. Upon entering into the lease agreement, the Company recognized an operating lease asset and a corresponding operating lease liability of $1.51 billion.
Accounting for sale-leaseback transactions requires significant management judgement and estimates, including with respect to the determination of whether the transaction qualifies as a sale as defined within GAAP, operating versus finance lease classification, and inputs into the measurement of lease assets and liabilities.
In determining whether the transaction qualifies as a sale, we are required to assess whether a contract exists and if so, whether control has passed to the counterparty in the contract. Control indicators include, but are not limited to, whether the entity has a present right to payment for the asset, whether the customer has legal title to the asset, whether the entity has transferred physical possession of the asset, whether the customer has significant risks and rewards of ownership of the asset, and whether the customer has accepted the asset. Concluding whether a sale has occurred requires significant judgement in determining whether the rights and obligations created by the sale agreement convey control to the counterparty in the transaction.
In a sale-leaseback arrangement, we are required to determine whether the lease is classified as an operating lease or a finance lease. A finance lease would preclude sale accounting. A lessee is required to classify a lease as a finance lease if, among other factors, (1) the term is for the major part of the remaining economic life of the underlying asset or 2) the present value of the sum of the lease payments equals or exceeds substantially all of the fair value of the underlying asset. Lease terms include options to extend the lease when it is reasonably certain that such option will be exercised. The Company’s operating lease related to Encore Boston Harbor contains an initial term of 30 years from December 2022 to November 2052 with one thirty-year renewal period at the Company’s option, which, in management judgement, is not considered to be reasonably certain of being exercised. The determination of whether the present value of the sum of the lease payments equals or exceeds substantially all of the fair value of the underlying asset requires the use of estimates, in both determining the discount rate to measure the present value of the sum of the lease payments and in determining the fair value of the underlying assets. As the interest rate implicit in our leases is not readily determinable, we use our incremental borrowing rate, which is defined by GAAP as the "rate of interest that a lessee would have to pay to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment," to determine the present value of lease payments. Inputs into our selected incremental borrowing rate which require management's judgement include quantifying our entity-specific credit risk and risks associated with the economic environment specific to the leased assets. In determining the fair value of the underlying assets, we use a combination of the income, market, and cost approaches, which include inputs such as estimated future cash flows, the selection of recently sold comparable properties, and estimated cost to construct a comparable asset.
51
Table of Contents
Allowance for Credit Losses
A substantial portion of our outstanding receivables relates to casino credit play. Credit play, through the issuance of markers, represents a significant portion of the table games volume. Our goal is to maintain strict controls over the issuance of credit and aggressively pursue collection from those customers who fail to pay their balances in a timely fashion. These collection efforts may include the mailing of statements and delinquency notices, personal contacts, the use of outside collection agencies, and litigation. Markers issued at our Las Vegas Operations and Encore Boston Harbor are generally legally enforceable instruments in the United States, and United States assets of foreign customers may be used to satisfy judgments entered in the United States.
The enforceability of markers and other forms of credit related to gaming debt outside of the United States varies from country to country. Some foreign countries do not recognize the enforceability of gaming related debt, or make enforcement burdensome. We closely consider the likelihood and difficulty of enforceability, among other factors, when issuing credit to customers who are not residents of the United States. In addition to our internal credit and collection departments, we have a network of legal, accounting and collection professionals to assist us in our determinations regarding enforceability and our overall collection efforts.
We regularly evaluate our reserve for credit losses based on a specific review of customer accounts and outstanding gaming promoter accounts, taking into consideration the amount owed, the age of the account, the customer's financial condition, management's experience with historical and current collection trends, current economic and business conditions, and management's expectations of future economic and business conditions and forecasts. Accounts are written off when management deems them to be uncollectible. Recoveries of accounts previously written off are recorded when received.
The following table presents key statistics related to our casino accounts receivable (dollars in thousands):
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| Casino accounts receivable | $ | 171,893 | $ | 199,030 | ||
| Allowance for casino credit losses | $ | 74,207 | $ | 106,958 | ||
| Allowance as a percentage of casino accounts receivable | 43.2 | % | 53.7 | % |
The decrease in allowance for casino credit losses as shown in the table above is primarily due to the impact of historical collection patterns and expectations of current and future collection trends, as well as the specific review of customer accounts. Although the Company believes that its allowance is adequate, it is possible the estimated amounts of cash collections with respect to receivables could change. Our allowance for credit losses is based on our estimates of amounts collectible and depends on the risk assessments and judgments by management regarding realizability, the current and expected future state of the economy and our credit policy. Our reserve methodology is applied similarly to credit extended at each of our resorts. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, 34.3% and 42.9%, respectively, of our outstanding casino accounts receivable balance originated at our Macau Operations.
As of December 31, 2022, a 100 basis point change in the allowance for credit losses as a percentage of casino accounts receivable would change the provision for credit losses by approximately $1.7 million.
As our customer payment experience evolves, we will continue to refine our estimated allowance for credit losses. Accordingly, the associated provision for credit losses may fluctuate. Because individual customer account balances can be significant, the reserve and the provision can change significantly between periods as we become aware of additional information about a customer or changes occur in a region's economy or legal system.
Impairment of Long-lived Assets, Intangible assets, and Goodwill
We evaluate our property and equipment and other long-lived assets for impairment in accordance with applicable accounting standards. For assets to be disposed of we recognize the asset at the lower of carrying value or fair market value less costs of disposal, as estimated based on comparable asset sales, solicited offers, or a discounted cash flow model. For assets to be held and used, we review for impairment whenever indicators of impairment exist. In reviewing for impairment, we compare the estimated future cash flows of the asset, on an undiscounted basis, to the carrying value of the asset. If the undiscounted cash flows exceed the carrying value, no impairment is indicated. If the undiscounted cash flows do not exceed the carrying value, an impairment is recorded based on the fair value of the asset, typically measured using a discounted cash flow model. If
52
Table of Contents
an asset is still under development, future cash flows include remaining construction costs. All recognized impairment losses, whether for assets to be disposed of or assets to be held and used, are recorded as operating expenses.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, Wynn Palace and Wynn Macau continued to experience disruptions to their respective businesses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as noted in Note 1, "Organization and Business." As a result, we concluded that a triggering event occurred at each of these asset groups. We tested our asset groups for recoverability as of December 31, 2022, and concluded no impairment existed at that date as the estimated undiscounted future cash flows exceeded the net carrying amount for each of the asset groups. The tests for recoverability include estimates of future cash flows and the useful lives of our primary assets. These estimates are subjective and may change should the COVID-19 pandemic, including travel restrictions and operating capacity limitations, persist longer than expected. Unfavorable changes in the Company's estimates could require an impairment charge in the future.
The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that this asset may be impaired. The Company’s test of goodwill impairment starts with a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is necessary to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test. If qualitative factors indicate that the fair value of the reporting unit is more likely than not less than its carrying amount, then a quantitative goodwill impairment test is performed. For the quantitative analysis, the Company compares the fair value of its reporting unit to its carrying value. If the estimated fair value exceeds its carrying value, goodwill is considered not to be impaired and no additional steps are necessary. However, if the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, goodwill impairment is recorded equal to the difference between the carrying amount of the reporting unit and its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. Most of the Company’s goodwill balance as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 was the result of an acquisition during the fourth quarter of 2020.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, as a result of changes in forecasts and other industry-specific factors and management's decision to cease the operations of Betbull Limited ("BetBull"), a subsidiary of Wynn Interactive, the Company recognized impairment of goodwill and other finite-lived intangible assets of $37.8 million and $10.3 million, respectively. On November 12, 2021, Wynn Resorts announced the termination of a previously announced agreement and plan of merger which contemplated the combination of Wynn Interactive and a special purpose acquisition company. The Company concluded that the termination of the agreement constituted a potential indicator of impairment, and as a result of revisiting its estimated fair value of the reporting units comprising Wynn Interactive based on a combination of the income and market approaches, recognized goodwill impairment of $10.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2021.
Litigation and Contingency Estimates
We are subject to various claims, legal actions and other contingencies, and we accrue for these matters when they are both probable and estimable. For matters that arose on or prior to the balance sheet date, we estimate any accruals based on the relevant facts and circumstances available through the date of issuance of the financial statements. We include the accruals associated with any contingent matters in other accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.