We recently published a list of 10 Largest Gambling Stocks of 2024. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) stands against the other largest gambling stocks.
According to The Business Research Company, the global gambling market is expected to grow from $540.3 billion in 2023 to $744.8 billion in 2028, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6%. Some major catalysts influencing the gambling industry include the legalization of gambling, rapid urbanization, increasing use of social media, and increasing involvement in sports betting applications. Factors that can hurt the growth are growing taxation on casinos and strict government oversight of the gambling industry.
READ ALSO: 8 Best Communication Stocks To Buy According to Analysts and 8 Best Augmented Reality Stocks Under $5 to Buy
Two of the Leading Markets in the Gambling Industry
The gambling industry is evolving with more and more companies advancing in the sports betting arena. By the end of 2023, the gambling and casino industry had started showing signs of growth as strong gambling activity was experienced in Macau. According to the Statistics and Census Service, the tourist count crossed 28 million in Macau in 2023, increasing by 394.9% from 2022. In the U.S., Las Vegas continues to evolve and remain the largest gambling city in the country. According to Condé Nast Traveler, Las Vegas was the sixth most visited city for international visitors to the U.S. in 2023.
According to the hospitality consulting firm HVS, the Las Vegas Casino and Hotel Market hosted nearly 40.8 million visitors in 2023, surpassing the 40 million threshold for the first time since 2019. Between 2015 and 2019, over 42 million visitors traveled to Las Vegas each year before dropping to just over 19 million in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The deep effects of the pandemic are far behind now and tourism is back to normal in Las Vegas. In 2023, the gaming revenue for Clark County was around $13.5 billion, setting a market record for the second straight year. With new avenues and casino hotels, the gambling market is expected to continue its growth momentum.
Americans’ Support for Gambling
The majority of U.S. adults support casino gambling and sports betting. According to the American Gaming Association Survey, over 55% of U.S. citizens participated in some form of gambling in 2023, while more than 28% gambled at a physical casino. In addition, nearly 21% of people took part in sports betting. With increasing acceptance of gambling, 9-in-10 Americans find casino gambling to be acceptable for themselves or others. The gambling confidence among Americans is higher than ever before. Nearly 65% of Americans believe that the gambling industry is committed to supporting responsible gambling and overcoming problem gambling.
The gambling industry continues to thrive and the bullish sentiment remains strong among the investors. Over the 1 year, three of the largest gambling and sports betting ETFs have gained an average of over 27%, as of November 4. Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF (NYSEARCA:BETZ), Global X Video Games & Esports ETF (NASDAQGM:HERO), and VanEck Video Gaming and eSports ETF (NASDAQGM: ESPO) have soared over 16%, 24%, and 41%, respectively.
Our Methodology
To compile our list of the largest gambling stocks, we simply made a list of the ten most valuable gambling firms in terms of market capitalization that are traded on U.S. stock exchanges, as of November 4. We also mentioned the number of hedge funds that had invested in the stocks during Q2 2024, and the data for hedge fund investors was obtained from Insider Monkey’s database.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS)
Market Capitalization: $37.23 Billion
No. of Hedge Fund Investors: 40
Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) is an American company that operates casinos and resorts in Las Vegas, Macau, and Singapore. However, the company’s primary geographic locations are Macau and Singapore. In Macau, the company manages operations through its Chinese subsidiary, Sands China Ltd. In Singapore, it owns Marina Bay Sands.
The company’s integrated resorts feature accommodations, gaming, entertainment, and retail malls, convention and exhibition facilities, celebrity chef restaurants, and other amenities. Las Vegas Sands Corp.’s properties also serve high-end players by providing them with luxury amenities and premium service levels. Other major amenities include invitation-only clubs and private gaming salons.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) has the objective to capture high-value, high-margin tourism over the long term. Macau remains the hot market for the company as it continues to grow. During Q3 2024, the company’s Macau market revenue increased 13% year-over-year, while the Masking revenue grew 14% from a year ago. The company suffered major disruption at the Londoner, which the company aims to overcome through its Londoner Grand renovation program.
The company expects the Chinese economy to grow, as China makes economic developments. The Macau market has growth potential and the company expects its Macau market gross gaming revenues to exceed $30 million in 2025.
The company has missed earnings estimates in the last two quarters, however, it expects to improve its earnings in the long term.
Overall, LVS ranks 2nd on our list of largest gambling companies in 2024. While we acknowledge the potential of LVS as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LVS but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.