Blackstone Rumored to Be Suitor for Star Sydney Sale-Leaseback Deal

Posted on: October 11, 2021, 11:58h. 

Last updated on: October 11, 2021, 01:31h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

Private equity behemoth Blackstone (NYSE:BX) is rumored to be mulling a sale-leaseback transaction involving Star Entertainment Group’s the Star Sydney integrated resort.

Star Blackstone
Star Entertainment’s Star Sydney. Blackstone is rumored to be considering a sale-leaseback of the venue. (Image: News.Com.Au)

That rumor surfaced prior to today’s tumble in shares of the Australian casino operator amid allegations that it facilitated money laundering at its Sydney and Gold Coast. The slide in Star Entertainment stock led to $740 million in evaporated market capitalization.

Regarding the Star Sydney, the operator sees an avenue to create value for shareholders by potentially selling a majority stake in the $1.68 billion venue and leasing back the remainder. The company could be looking to sell a 51 percent interest in the property while retaining 49 percent.

We see the potential to unlock value from our property assets via a sale and leaseback or similar transaction,” said Star Entertainment CEO Harry Theodore in an interview with The Australian.

Credit Suisse is working on sale-leaseback leads for the gaming company. Sale-leaseback deals, or SLBs, are commonplace in the industry, and often viewed as win-wins for casino operators and real estate companies. Through these agreements, a gaming company can monetize land assets, often garnering large, upfront sums of cash to use for anything, including more acquisitions, shareholder rewards, such as buybacks and dividends, or to reduce debt.

Likewise, the real estate firm that leases the land back to the operator gets the benefit of long-term tenant agreements that often include gradually increasing rates without having to be financially responsible for building enhancements.

Blackstone Logical Partner for Star

For now, Blackstone’s possible involvement in a sale-leaseback for Star Sydney remains a point of speculation, not confirmation. However, the private equity firm has an established track record of involvement in gaming SLBs.

In 2019, Blackstone acquired the property assets of the Bellagio on the Las Vegas Strip and leased that venue back to MGM Resorts International. A few months later, it took a minority stake in a deal with MGM Growth Properties in the real estate of the MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay. In July, the private equity giant announced the purchase of Aria and Vdara on the Strip, and that those venues are being leased back to MGM.

Even with the recently announced sale of the Cosmopolitan to MGM, Blackstone remains one of the largest landlords on the Strip.

Another Reason Blackstone/Star Partnership Makes Sense

There’s another angle to a possible Blackstone/Star collaboration. The latter was previously a suitor for rival Crown Resorts, which also landed in hot regulatory waters. However, Star withdrew its $6.64 billion takeover offer in July.

Blackstone owns about 10 percent of Crown shares, and Star left the door open to making another bid for its rival. One thing is for certain, Star’s new regulatory controversy notwithstanding, analysts like the idea of the company monetizing its Sydney integrated resort.

“We estimate the sale and leaseback of the Sydney casino could generate $1.25 a share of incremental value, assuming a 5 per cent cap rate, a premium to US REITs given the market position of Australian casinos,” according to a note from E&P Financial Group cited by The Australian.