MGM just posted its first Las Vegas revenue growth in three quarters and somehow still watched profits shrink. If you think that's just a Vegas problem, you haven't been paying attention to what's happening to operating margins across the entire industry.
MGM posted $4.5 billion in record quarterly revenue and the Las Vegas Strip finally grew again after 18 months. But Strip EBITDAR fell 8% while occupancy slipped and RevPAR declined, which means the machine is running hotter and earning less... and that pattern should sound familiar to anyone who's managed a hotel through a cost cycle.
IAC now owns 26% of MGM but just agreed to cap its voting power at 25.73%, which sounds like a minor governance tweak until you realize what it tells you about who's really running the show and who's getting comfortable being a passenger.
Resorts World and MGM are bundling rooms, meals, and entertainment into all-inclusive packages for the first time on the Strip. When two of the biggest operators in Las Vegas start pricing like Caribbean resorts, the question isn't whether it works... it's what the 7.5% visitor decline already cost them.
