Last year, the real estate sector languished as hotel and office real estate investment trusts (REITs) were punished at the hands of the coronavirus pandemic. Surprisingly, gaming landlords proved sturdy despite multi-month casino closures.
The three publicly traded casino REITs — Gaming & Leisure Properties (NASDAQ:GLPI), MGM Growth Properties (NYSE:MGP) and VICI Properties (NYSE:VICI) — offer a compelling business model and strong dividend yields at a time when interest rates are at historic lows.
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Unlike hotel REITs, casino REITs typically own properties under a long-term, triple-net master lease structure, leaving most of the financial and operational risk to their tenants — the casino operators,” according to Hoya Capital research. “Owing to this lease structure, rent collection and occupancy rates have remained essentially spotless throughout the pandemic.”
Owing to capital markets being open to gaming companies during the darkest days of the pandemic, GLPI, MGP and VICI encountered little difficulty in collecting rent. There were occasions when the real estate companies — thanks to their own sturdy positions — worked with clients on financing, but no foreclosures arrived.