Monarch Casino stocks perform well
Barry Jonas of Truist Securities, in a December 8 note, reported on a meeting with Monarch Casino & Resort CEO John Farahi.
Jonas wrote that MCRI, “has been one of the best performing stocks in our coverage (year-to-date +22% vs Standard & Poor’s +17%). Business themes are largely consistent since Q3 earnings/September meetings as: 1) MCRI’s consumer remains resilient; 2) its Black Hawk and Reno properties continue to outperform their respective markets; and 3) management remains on the hunt for M&A to help drive the next stage of growth. We reiterate our Buy rating on MCRI’s best-in-class assets, balance sheet and management team.”
Opportunity in the United Arab Emirates
Jefferies’ David Katz wrote in a December 7 note that for the United Arab Emirates, “the macroeconomic setup is accommodating, at a minimum, and looks increasingly favorable over time.
“The locals’ base is expanding and the inflow of high-net-worth individuals to the UAE is growing at 10X the pre-COVID average (9,800 in 2025). Rising wealth growth among the top-tier income levels is expected to continue through 2030. The continued inflow is driven by zero income tax, global safety leadership, long-term visa reforms, rapid infrastructure advancement, and wealth management. Within this growth, the striking cultural diversity suggests to us that further population growth and, ultimately, economic growth, should continue. Economist Intelligence estimates that real GDP should grow at 3.5-4.5% through 2030.
New York online sports betting returns are favorable
J. P. Morgan’s Dan Politzer examined online sports betting in a December 4 note.
“Based on online sports betting data released by the New York Gaming Commission for the week ending November 30, 2025, (NFL Week 13), GGR was +75% year-over-year and handle was +8% year-over-year, implying an 11.4% hold rate (+440 basis points vs. 7% in the 2024 comparable period). Results imply operator-friendly results, likely benefiting from favorites going 0-4 against the spread during the Thanksgiving and Black Friday games and 5-10 overall, with seven underdogs winning outright (data excludes the December 1 Monday Night game).
“For fourth quarter to date (through 11/30/25), OSB GGR is tracking +31% year-over-year and handle is tracking +13% year-over-year, with hold of 9.7% (+140 basis points year-over-year).”
Genius Sports outlook is positive
Josh Nichols of B Riley Securities on December 4 commented on the surge of shares for Genius Sports, noting a +12% increase after the company posted its first investor day in nearly four years.
“Management detailed the two primary growth engines supporting the framework,” Nichols wrote. “Betting scaling through BetVision’s 650+ sportsbook distribution with 130%+ net revenue retention, and media accelerating as FANHub channels increase ad spending with a growing portion of self-service revenue where gross margin contribution is nearly 100%.
“Turning to the prediction markets, management reaffirmed that the category represents a meaningful total addressable market expansion opportunity, not a competitive threat, and we believe Genius is extremely well-positioned to win across all regulatory scenarios. To summarize, we agree with CEO Mark Locke, who characterizes Genius’ outlook as “with multiple monetization engines built on one GeniusIQ platform infrastructure, Genius is a pure play investment in the growth of modern, digital sports consumption.”
