Golden Gaming aims to go private
Shareholders of Golden Entertainment Inc. last week approved a previously announced agreement that will take the Las Vegas-based casino and tavern operator private through a deal with company founder Blake Sartini and real estate investment trust Vici Properties Inc.
The vote, finalized at a special shareholder meeting, clears a major hurdle toward completing the transaction first announced in February. The company said closing is expected in the second quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approvals and other customary conditions. Once completed, Golden will be delisted from Nasdaq and no longer publicly traded.
Under terms outlined this year, Sartini will acquire the company’s operating business, while Vici will purchase the real estate underlying several Golden properties, including The Strat, two Arizona Charlie’s casinos, the Aquarius and Edgewater in Laughlin, and the Pahrump Nugget, in a deal valued at roughly $1.16 billion.
Vici will lease those properties back to Sartini’s operating company through a long-term, triple-net agreement. According to previously disclosed details, Sartini will lease those properties from Vici under an initial rent payment totaling $87 million per year, based on the terms of a 30-year master lease. Rent will increase 2 percent annually beginning in the third year of the lease agreement.
Golden also operates more than 70 PT’s-branded taverns across the Las Vegas Valley, the largest distributed-gaming tavern network in Nevada.
In an announcement Wednesday, the company emphasized that the deal remains subject to review by Nevada gaming regulators. It also warned of risks typical for transactions of this size, including potential delays, litigation, operating disruptions or termination fees if the agreement is not completed.
If the sale closes, Golden’s public shareholders will no longer hold equity in the company or participate in future earnings, according to the filing.
According to the Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, investors voted 20,430,245 to 208,131, with 20,158 abstentions, to adopt the master transaction agreement outlining the sale. No broker non-votes were recorded. The tally represents nearly 78 percent of the company’s outstanding shares, easily surpassing the approval threshold.
Contact David Danzis at ddanzis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0378. Follow @AC2Vegas_Danzis on X.
