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Note 7 - Stockholders' Equity and Stock Incentive Plans
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2025
Notes to Financial Statements  
Shareholders' Equity and Share-Based Payments [Text Block]

NOTE 7.    STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY AND STOCK INCENTIVE PLANS

Share Repurchase Program
On October 21, 2021, our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program of $300.0 million (the "Share Repurchase Program"). In addition, our Board of Directors authorized increases to the Share Repurchase Program of  $500.0 million on each of June 1, 2022, May 4, 2023, May 9, 2024,  December 5, 2024 and July 17, 2025. As of  September 30, 2025,  $547.4 million remains available under the Share Repurchase Program. Under the Share Repurchase Program, the Company may repurchase shares of its common stock from time to time on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. Repurchases of common stock may also be made under Rule 10b5- 1 plans, which would permit common stock to be repurchased when the Company might otherwise be precluded from doing so under insider trading laws. We are not obligated to repurchase any shares under this program. The timing, volume and nature of share repurchases will be at the sole discretion of management, dependent on market conditions, applicable securities laws and other factors, and may be suspended or discontinued at any time.
 
The following table provides information regarding share repurchases during the referenced periods  (1).
 
  

Three Months Ended

  

Nine Months Ended

 
  

September 30,

  

September 30,

 

(In thousands, except per share data)

 

2025

  

2024

  

2025

  

2024

 

Shares repurchased (2)

  1,904   3,461   7,837   8,264 

Total cost, including brokerage fees (3)

 $160,007  $202,032  $593,004  $483,218 

Average repurchase price per share (4)

 $84.05  $58.37  $75.67  $58.48 

 

(1) Shares repurchased reflect repurchases settled during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024. These amounts exclude repurchases, if any, traded but not yet settled on or before September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

(2All shares repurchased have been retired and constitute authorized but unissued shares.

(3) Costs exclude 1% excise tax on corporate stock buybacks.

(4) Amounts in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Average repurchase price per share is calculated based on unrounded numbers and excludes the 1% excise tax.

 

Dividends

The dividends declared by the Board of Directors and reflected in the periods presented are:

 

Declaration date

 

Record date

 

Payment date

 

Amount per share

 

December 7, 2023

 

December 22, 2023

 

January 15, 2024

 $0.16 

February 28, 2024

 

March 15, 2024

 

April 15, 2024

  0.17 

May 9, 2024

 

June 15, 2024

 

July 15, 2024

  0.17 

August 20, 2024

 

September 15, 2024

 

October 15, 2024

  0.17 

December 5, 2024

 

December 16, 2024

 

January 15, 2025

  0.17 

February 20, 2025

 

March 17, 2025

 

April 15, 2025

  0.18 

May 8, 2025

 

June 16, 2025

 

July 15, 2025

  0.18 

August 12, 2025

 

September 15, 2025

 

October 15, 2025

  0.18 

  

Share-Based Compensation

We account for share-based awards exchanged for employee services in accordance with the authoritative accounting guidance for share-based payments. Under the guidance, share-based compensation expense is measured at the grant date, based on the estimated fair value of the award, and is recognized as expense, net of estimated forfeitures, over the employee's requisite service period.

 

The following table provides classification detail of the total costs related to our share-based employee compensation plans reported in our condensed consolidated statements of operations.

 

  

Three Months Ended

  

Nine Months Ended

 
  

September 30,

  

September 30,

 

(In thousands)

 

2025

  

2024

  

2025

  

2024

 

Gaming

 $266  $254  $791  $778 

Food & beverage

  51   49   151   149 

Room

  24   22   72   70 

Selling, general and administrative

  1,348   1,295   4,021   3,958 

Corporate expense

  6,845   5,920   24,496   19,810 

Total share-based compensation expense

 $8,534  $7,540  $29,531  $24,765 

 

Restricted Stock Units

Our 2020 Plan provides for the grant of Restricted Stock Units ("RSU"). A RSU is an award that may be earned in whole, or in part, upon the passage of time, and that may be settled for cash, shares, other securities or a combination thereof. The RSUs do not contain voting rights and are not entitled to dividends. The RSUs are subject to the terms and conditions contained in the applicable award agreement and the 2020 Plan. Share-based compensation costs related to RSU awards are calculated based on the market price on the date of the grant. We grant RSUs to certain members of management of the Company, which represents a contingent right to receive one share of our common stock upon vesting. Prior to the first quarter 2025 grant, a RSU generally vested on the third anniversary of its issuance date. Beginning with the first quarter 2025 grant, a RSU generally vests in annual installments of one-third of the original number of units granted with the full award fully vested on the third anniversary of its issuance date. Share-based compensation expense is amortized to expense over the requisite service period. In addition, annually we award RSUs to certain members of our Board of Directors and the shares are issued to the director when the RSU is granted. As these RSUs are issued for past service, they are expensed on the date of issuance.

 

Performance Shares

Our stock incentive plan provides for the issuance of Performance Share Units ("PSU") grants which may be earned, in whole or in part, upon the passage of time and the attainment of performance criteria. We periodically review our estimates of performance against the defined criteria to assess the expected payout of each outstanding PSU grant and adjust our stock compensation expense accordingly.

 

The PSU grants awarded in first quarter 2022 and third quarter 2021 fully vested during the first quarter of 2025 and 2024, respectively. Common shares under the 2022 grant were issued based on determination by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors ("Compensation Committee") of our actual achievement of Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization and Rent under master leases ("Adjusted EBITDAR"), Adjusted EBITDAR margin and return on invested capital for the three-year performance period from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2024. Common shares under the 2021 grant were issued based on the determination by the Compensation Committee of our actual achievement of Adjusted EBITDAR and return on invested capital for the two-year performance period from July 2021 to June 2023. As provided under the provisions of our stock incentive plan, certain of the participants elected to surrender a portion of the shares to be received to pay the withholding and other payroll taxes payable on the compensation resulting from the vesting of the PSUs.

 

The PSU grant awarded in February 2022 resulted in a total of 147,970 shares being issued during the first quarter of 2025, representing approximately 1.22 shares per PSU. Of the 147,970 shares issued, a total of 55,433 were surrendered by the participants for payroll taxes, resulting in a net issuance of 92,537 shares due to the vesting of the 2022 grant. The actual achievement level under the award metrics equaled the estimated performance as of the year-end 2024; therefore, the vesting of the PSUs did not impact compensation costs in our 2025 condensed consolidated statement of operations.

 

The PSU grant awarded in July 2021 resulted in a total of 241,277 shares being issued during the first quarter of 2024, representing approximately 1.94 shares per PSU. Of the 241,277 shares issued, a total of 94,862 were surrendered by the participants for payroll taxes, resulting in a net issuance of 146,415 shares due to the vesting of the 2021 grant. The actual achievement level under the award metrics approximated the estimated performance as of the year-end 2023; therefore, the vesting of the PSUs had minimal impact to compensation costs of $0.8 million in our 2024 condensed consolidated statement of operations.

 

Unamortized Stock Compensation Expense and Recognition Period

As of September 30, 2025, there was approximately $12.2 million, $3.0 million and $1.6 million of total unrecognized share-based compensation costs related to unvested RSUs, PSUs and career shares, respectively. As of September 30, 2025, the unrecognized share-based compensation costs related to our RSUs, PSUs and career shares are expected to be recognized over approximately 1.3 years, 1.9 years and 3.2 years, respectively.