Vici Properties (VICI) Q2 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Vici Properties (VICI -0.28%)
Q2 2023 Earnings Call
Jul 27, 2023, 10:00 a.m. ET

Contents:

• Prepared Remarks
• Questions and Answers
• Call Participants

Prepared Remarks:

Operator

Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and thanks for standing by. Welcome to the VICI Properties second quarter 2023 earnings conference call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. Please note that this call is being recorded today, July 27, 2023. I'll now turn the call over to Samantha Gallagher, general counsel with VICI Properties.

Samantha Gallagher -- Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary

Thank you, operator and good morning. Everyone should have access to the company's second quarter 2023 earnings release and supplemental information. The release and supplemental information can be found in the Investors section of the VICI Properties website at www.viciproperties.com. Some of our comments today will be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements, which are usually identified by use of words such as will, believe, expect, should, guidance, intend, outlook, projects, or other similar phrases, are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what we expect.

Therefore, you should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on them. I refer you to the company's SEC filings for a more detailed discussion of the risks that could impact future operating results and financial conditions. During the call, we will discuss certain non-GAAP measures, which we believe can be useful in evaluating the company's operating performance. These measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for our financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of these measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure is available on our website and our second quarter 2023 earnings release, our supplemental information, and our filings with the SEC.

For additional information with respect to non-GAAP measures of certain tenants and or counterparties discussed on this call, please refer to the respective company's public filings with the SEC. Hosting the call today, we have Ed Pitoniak, chief executive officer; John Payne, president and chief operating officer; David Kieske, chief financial officer; Gabe Wasserman, chief accounting officer; and Moira McCloskey, senior vice president of Capital Markets. Ed and team will provide some opening remarks, and then we will open the call to questions. With that, I'll turn the call over to Ed.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Samantha, and good morning, everyone. We're excited to talk this morning about our Q2 2023 results featuring a year over year AFFO per share growth of 11.9%, which we believe will be among the higher growth rates for S&P 500 REITs for Q2 2023, and yet at one of the lowest price to earnings growth ratios, peg or peg plus yield ratios among the S&P 500 REITs. Over the course of the call, John will share with you what we're doing strategically to continue our growth and David will give you details on our liquidity position, our Q2 2023 results, and our updated earnings outlook to year end. I will now spend a few minutes on the exciting news we shared last night with the announcement of our significantly expanded growth partnership with Canyon Ranch, a legendary and leading brand in the place-based wellness sector.

Indeed, I'm excited to say that the VG team is conducting this call from Canyon Ranch Lenox in the beautiful Berkshires in Massachusetts. The key elements of our expanded Canyon Ranch partnership are making and up to $150 million preferred equity investment in the Canyon Ranch operating company to support the expansion of the Canyon Ranch operating and digital platforms as well as enhancements to the Tucson and Lenox assets. VICI also intends to provide approximately $150 million of mortgage financing secured by Canyon Ranch Tucson and Canyon Ranch Lenox to refinance Canyon ranch's existing CMBS debt with this refinancing serving as a bridge to enhancing VICI's embedded growth pipeline by specifically allowing for VICI's conversion of its existing purchase options on Canyon Ranch Tucson and Canyon Ranch Lenox, which are converting to call REITs whereby VICI can elect to acquire the real estate assets of Canyon Ranch Tucson and Canyon Ranch Lenox in the coming years, subject to certain conditions with Canyon Ranch continuing to operate the assets under long-term triple net leases. This also includes VICI's previously announced commitment to provide up to $200 million of development funding for Canyon Ranch Austin, which is scheduled to open between 2025 and 2026 with a call write to own the real estate upon stabilization.

And finally, the joint development of a strategy of identifying and potentially acquiring conventional resorts that have conversion potential to New Canyon Ranch resorts with Canyon Ranch operating the resorts and VICI owning the resort real estate under a long-term triple net lease. Canyon Ranch has nearly 45 years of operating history. It serves a highly affluent clientele that invests vigorously through all cycles in medical and holistic life enhancement experiences and services. With only two established destination resort locations, we believe Canyon Ranch is positioned to significantly expand its clientele and its geography domestically and internationally.

We are investing in Canyon Ranch to help fund and energize that expansion, gaining through our partnership, the opportunity to fund the acquisition and integration of New Canyon Ranch resorts. Under the leadership of CEO, Jeff Custer, the Canyon Ranch team is poised to grow its brand reach and network breadth, both programmatically and geographically. And of all the elements of our expanded partnership with Canyon Ranch, John Goff, Canyon Ranch owner and I are most excited about network expansion in the years ahead. Both John Goff and I believe that the conventional resort sector could see elements of distress in the next few years, less to do with operating performance and more to do with refinancing construction.

As we have pointed out in our transaction deck, which can be found at what www.viciproperties.com, more than $37 billion of resort and hotel CMBS financing will come due from 2024 through 2028. And I should point out that that's only a fraction of the overall mortgage financing on US hotels and resorts during this period. We believe that within those billions of dollars, our resorts that could meet canyon ranches conversion criteria, the conversion of a conventional resort to a Canyon ranch resort has the potential to be transformative. Thanks to the capital and operating dynamics of the Canyon Ranch economic model.

The Canyon Ranch model centers on maximizing the guest experience of space indoors and out and maximizing the guest experience of time through canyon ranches, holistic wellness, and life-enhancement offerings. This maximization of experiences leads to a revenue intensity within the Canyon Ranch model that surpasses the economic intensity of a conventional resort, potentially giving Canyon Ranch and VICI competitive advantage in acquiring and realizing value out of resort locations, meeting our criteria. I believe our growth opportunity with Canyon Ranch is a generational opportunity in multiple senses of generational. Wellness is a secular growth trend that is multi-generational in its consumer profile, and generational in terms of its secular outlook and growth opportunity, and Canyon Ranch resorts are real estate built to last for generations.

At VICI, we invest in partnerships and real estate assets that will preserve and grow value for many generations to come. As you look across the spectrum of S&P 500 REITs, ask yourself, is the real estate of high quality and generational durability. And does the real estate enjoy the benefit of cultural and demographic tailwinds that will sustain and grow the value of the real estate for generations to come. With VICI I believe you get high quality enduring real estate occupied by operators serving multiple generations of customers for generations to come.

We believe our expanded partnership with Canyon Ranch is a superb example of this value proposition. With that, over to you John Payne.

John Payne -- President and Chief Operating Officer

Thanks, Ed. Good morning, everyone. Ed makes an excellent point on the quality, enduring aspects of VICI's portfolio. Our tenants continue to prove their operational excellence and their ability to innovate and evolve their business, and importantly for VICI, their assets as well.

The results that continue to come out of Las Vegas speak to our tenants operational quality and the operating credit, which we believe accrues to the value of our real estate. I will touch on Las Vegas in the gaming sector shortly, but I wanted to emphasize the type of portfolio we have built and that the team continues to build at VICI. These characteristics are a core focus of our strategy as we meet potential partners. In gaming and non-gaming experiential sectors, both domestically and internationally.

To recap our second quarter and subsequent activity, VICI continued its international expansion into Canada with our announcement of the acquisition of four gaming assets from Century casino in Alberta. We also closed on the acquisition of the Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Maryland this week again with Century casinos. Our partnership with Century is a great example of the type of operators we look for as the relationship is a win win for both businesses as we grow together. Canyon Ranch also exemplifies the type of growth minded partner with operational excellence in play place-based wellness.

As described earlier, we're very excited to deepen and expand the relationship into the future. Growing with our partners as they look to enhance and expand their businesses is a core component of our strategy as we develop and deepen our relationships across gaming and the non-gaming sectors. This approach helps VICI continue to grow a more visible pipeline into our future with operators we value and we trust. It also allows VICI to build a portfolio of assets with each partner that we believe can meaningfully impact VICI's growth over time.

In the gaming sector, we continue to be impressed by our tenants. They exemplify the operational excellence we seek to find as we expand into other sectors. In what other sector right now can you find a headline that reads, quote, another all-time record result but in line with consensus, end of quote. Las Vegas has remained at or near all-time highs in terms of margins and results and is continuing to see record traffic.

Regional casinos are performing well as the high value consumer segment remains quite healthy. We continue to see many domestic real estate opportunities in gaming, including in markets where we do not currently own assets and as the industry expands its footprint into new areas of the United States. We also remain focused on international opportunities with the team traveling the globe this year meeting new potential partners. As VICI's brand has ascended, the funnel of opportunities has expanded in both gaming and non-gaming.

We've added resources to meet the expanded funnel of opportunities, and as always, we work closely with our advisors and those in the VICI network to help force multiply our ability to create and evaluate opportunities. For non-gaming, we are intensely studying various sectors at a category level and operating level and at an asset level. Notably in the family entertainment and sports categories, we're moving past the evaluation stage and into constructive discussions on how VICI's capital can fit best with our growing relationships. As you know, our relationships at VICI are at the heart of our success and they take time to cultivate as we aim to find the best solutions that meet the goals of both sides, especially in an ever evolving economic and capital markets environment.

We're excited about how these relationships are developing. The VICI team has been hard at work this year building relationships and opportunities for a pipeline of growth across multiple sectors and geographies in the years to come. We are focused on partnering with best-in-class growth minded operators with whom VICI can continue to grow our high quality and generational real estate portfolio. We work tirelessly to deliver results to our shareholders evidenced by the last five and a half years.

Now I will turn the call over to David who will discuss our financial results. David?

David Kieske -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Thanks, John. I'll keep my remarks brief as we want to leave as much time for everyone's questions, but I do want to touch on liquidity and our updated full year guidance. We are constantly focusing and at times obsessing on the balance sheet as we work to bring our leverage back down to our target range of five to five and a half times while ensuring we have the dry powder to continue to fund accretive growth for our shareholders. We are diligently working with the agencies to improve our credit ratings over time, lower our cost of capital while balancing the right leverage for the company.

At quarter end, we had approximately $4 billion in total liquidity comprised of approximately 740 million in cash, 870 million of net proceeds available under our forward sale agreements and 2.4 billion of availability under the revolving credit facility. Subsequent to quarter end, we settled approximately 190 million in shares under our forward sale agreements to fund the closing of rocky gap. In terms of leverage, net debt to annualized Q2 adjusted EBITDA is approximately 5.6 times. We have a weighted average interest rate of 4.34%.

Taking into account our hedge portfolio and a weighted average 6.4 years to maturity. Turning to the income statement, AFFO per share was $0.54 for the quarter, an increase of nearly 12% compared to $0.48 for the quarter ended June 30th, 2022. Our results once again highlight our highly efficient triple net model given the increase in adjusted EBITDA. As a proportion of the corresponding increase in revenue, our margins continue to run strong in the high 90 % range when eliminating non-cash items.

Our G&A was $15million for the quarter and as a percentage of total revenues was only 1.7% in line with our full year expectations and one of the lowest ratios in the triple net sector. Turning to guidance, we are updating AFFO guidance for 2023 in both absolute dollars as well as on a per share basis. AFFO for the year ending December 31, 2023 is now expected to be between $2.13 billion and 2.16 billion or between $2.11 and $2.14 per diluted common share. Just to reiterate, based on the midpoint of our updated guidance, VICI expects to deliver year over year FFO per share growth of 10%, one of the highest growth rates across REIT lands.

And as a reminder, our guidance does not include the impact on operating results from any announced but unclosed transactions, interest income from any loans that do not yet have final draw structures, possible future acquisitions or dispositions, capital markets activity or other non-recurring transactions or items. And as we've discussed with you in the past, we reported non-cash CECL allowance on a quarterly basis, which due to its inherent unpredictability leaves us unable to forecast net income and FFO with accuracy. Accordingly, our guidance is AFFO focused and as we believe AFFO represents the best way of measuring the productivity of our equity investments -- excuse me, in evaluating our financial performance and ability to pay dividends. With that, operator, please open the line for questions.

Questions & Answers:

Operator

[Operator instructions] First question comes from Anthony Paolone with JPMorgan. Your line is open.

Tony Paolone -- JPMorgan Chase and Company -- Analyst

Thank you, and congratulations on Canyon Ranch. But my first question is actually on Bellagio and news around that that that was out around the quarter. Can you just maybe give us your view on how you would think about a transaction like that or the appetite to do something of that nature?

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Yeah, Tony. I'll start, and John and David can chime in as they wish. I want to answer that question at the level of general principles. We take great care in how we acquire and that care manifests itself in us not attempting to buy what we can't or creatively pay for.

And so we evaluate every situation on the basis of can we create value for our investors straight out of the gate. Our net lease model is a model in which the yield we get at the outset is the yield we're going to live with. I mean, we'll obviously -- we can obviously get rent escalation over time and increasing yields based on that. But we are not a category where we can go in and accept a dilutive yield going in on the basis of having an underwriting thesis of asset management that somehow going to magically transform a dilutive yield into an accretive yield.

So we are very careful and very humble in understanding what we can and can't do and that guides our investment decision making.

Tony Paolone -- JPMorgan Chase and Company -- Analyst

OK. Thanks. Then just one question on Canyon Ranch and the pref into the operating platform. Is that something that you know is currently going to make money either from a cash flow basis or even from an earnings point of view? And then just also how you thought about making an investment into one of your partners operating platform as we think about, could that happen going forward and more frequency?

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Yes, so I'll take the second part of your question and then first and then David can answer the first part of your question. In terms of will we be doing a lot more of this? I would say generally, no. I wouldn't rule it out, but I think there's idiosyncrasies, beneficial idiosyncrasies to the Canyon Ranch situation, Tony, that gave us high conviction. This was the right thing to do in this situation investing in the Canyon Ranch operating platform.

Insofar as we look across experiential sectors, we're particularly intrigued with the degree to which wellness is a globally magnificent business in terms of its economics and its scale. As we pointed out in our transaction deck, McKinsey estimates that wellness as manifested in the Canyon Ranch model is a $1.5 trillion global industry. And yet we think it's one of the least consolidated experiential sectors, especially in relation to its magnitude globally. And so we believe Canyon Ranch has a growth opportunity, a unique growth opportunity that deserved a unique solution in terms of providing growth capital into the operating platform.

In this particular situation? And then David, do you want to take the first part?

David Kieske -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Yes, Tony, I mean, it goes to Ed's comments around it's a holistic solution where we obviously provided the pref and then we'll fund a loan here in the not-too-distant future. But it all goes to the opportunity that Ed and John talked about on CNBC last night that this is a much greater opportunity than just the pref. The pref itself is, is accretive to us. It does make money.

We fund -- we funded $90 million yesterday and we will have a delayed draw funding schedule that will happen over the next three or four quarters. So it's a phenomenal tool to be partners with the organization and grow together.

Tony Paolone -- JPMorgan Chase and Company -- Analyst

OK. Thank you.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Tony.

Operator

Our next question comes from Jim Kammert with Evercore. Your line is open.

Jim Kammert -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst

Hi. Good morning. Thank you. A small technical question.

David, what is implicit CPI in your guidance for the balance of the year? What are you assuming on the lease escalations, I guess on a blended basis?

David Kieske -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Yeah, Jim, we just assume the base rates, we don't -- we -- if we had a crystal ball, we would predict CPI, but we don't have a crystal ball. So for Caesars, it's 2%. Some of the regionals, it's obviously 1.5%, but it's just the base rates in guidance.

Jim Kammert -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst

Great, I didn't know what you do with that. Thank you. And then perhaps just for John quickly, you mentioned obviously you're adding resources, you said to study new verticals. And I mean could you just elaborate a little further on that? Is that you know, people or new, what does that mean I guess and what's the cost of that potentially?

John Payne -- President and Chief Operating Officer

Yes, we've been adding -- it's a great question. We've been adding, I think you know, we brought on a new chief investment officer a little over a year ago and we've been adding staff under David and Aaron's team to dig a little deeper in the segments that we've been studying and it's important to do that. There's only so many places I could be in so many things that a few of us could study. We realized we needed to bring on some resources to be more, more productive.

Jim Kammert -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst

Terrific. Thank you.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Jim.

Operator

Our next question comes from David Katz with Jefferies. Your line is open.

David Katz -- Jefferies -- Analyst

Hi. Morning, everyone. Thanks for taking my question. As we think about this growth beyond gaming and in vehicles that are not the same kind of lease structures you have, right, loans, etc.

Obviously the risk profile on those a bit different, but you're getting paid for that risk. If you could just update us or talk through how you think about that, that risk and the payment for that risk be helpful.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Yes, so I think when it comes to beaches, credit activities, we do as you suggested, Dave, we take great care in the underwriting. I think one of the key elements of our underwriting is that when it comes to absolute bottom line risk, it would be an asset. We would be very happy to own if we ended up needing to own it. OK? We don't want to lend against stuff.

We would never want to own that. That for us is absolutely existential. And obviously, we want to make sure we're putting money behind not only a really good asset, but a really good operator and whose credit we can be confident whether they are developing or operating. So in this particular time, I would also say that it is a very accretive deployment of our capital insofar as the overall real estate transaction market continues to be really depressed in terms of activity.

I believe the last month that was reported on it was down about 60%, 70% year over year. So credit does give us an opportunity to deploy capital to creatively in a period in which the transaction market is still somewhat stalled, especially based upon would be sellers and would be buyers not having high conviction around what assets, how assets should be valued.

John Payne -- President and Chief Operating Officer

Ed, can I add something to that too. David, just just because we've been talking a lot about non-gaming, I think we'll probably continue -- it shouldn't be lost that we continue to travel the world in studying gaming assets. You shouldn't take a lot of the conversation is about these great new partnerships that we've formed in the experiential sectors that somehow we've lost sight of how great the casino business is. We are continuing to do that and and put resources to studying unique opportunities all over the United States and the world.

David Katz -- Jefferies -- Analyst

Perfect. Thank you.

Operator

We now turn to Smedes Rose with Citi. Your line is open.

Smedes Rose -- Citi -- Analyst

Hi. Thanks. I just wanted to ask, it looks like the Venetian palazzo is going to unionize and I'm just wondering, I know it probably doesn't change your rents, but do you think it meaningfully changes the tenants coverage ratios as they move to that more structured workforce?

John Payne -- President and Chief Operating Officer

Look, it's hard for us to quantitate that. That's the -- that's probably a question for the operator. But I will remind you and you know this well and you've heard me say this many a time, you know whether the business is up 5%, 10% of the business is down 5% and it's five and a half years is collected. 100% of its rent from all of its operators.

So this is an operator decision that the polity made and and I think they feel very good about about the workforce there.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

And, Smedes, let me just add, well, generally we do not for very good reasons disclose asset level for wall rent coverage or EBITDA, EBITDA before rent. The Venetian did go before the Nevada gaming board back in November and did disclose at that time what they expected to achieve for 2022 EBITDA at the resort. And they disclosed they were on track for 650 million of EBITDA before rent and you know that in our first year we were collecting 250 million on rent. So there is a lot of coverage at the Venetian.

Smedes Rose -- Citi -- Analyst

Yes. OK. Yes. Fair enough.

And then you just mentioned that the -- it sounds like there's a little more clarity on the family entertainment and sports area that you're exploring. I mean, is that something where you would be -- you would hope to have an announcement in that arena sometime over the course of this year? Or you just just wondering if you could just follow up a little bit on those comments?

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

John?

John Payne -- President and Chief Operating Officer

Smedes, I clearly -- I can't predict when we're going to make announcements. I think it's two sectors that were kind of past A are we interested in and that we're in the evaluation stage and then how can we structured or be constructive in using our capital to help family entertainment companies or sports category companies grow their business. I really can't tell you exactly when there will be a deal or if there'll be a deal. I just wanted to reiterate that we're digging a little bit deeper in those two sectors right now.

Smedes Rose -- Citi -- Analyst

All right. Thank you.

Operator

Our next question comes from Todd Thomas with KeyBanc Capital Markets. Your line is open.

Todd Thomas -- KeyBanc Capital Markets -- Analyst

Hi. Thanks. First question, Ed, your comments in response to a previous question, you know the company's very focused on AFFO growth and investing on an accretive basis relative to your cost of capital. But how do you weigh, you know, asset quality relative to the initial yield and AFFO accretion that an investment may generate? And is there a situation you know, where you could justify making an investment that commands a lower initial yield, but you know, maybe meaningfully improves portfolio quality and is relatively nav neutral, but you know again may weigh on the company's AFFO growth initially?

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Yes, it's a really good question to ask, Todd. And the way we think about it is that we absolutely do recognize the value of quality. And we can find ourselves in situations where we're willing to accept a lower yield on the highest quality real estate. We still want it to be an accretive yield.

We can't accept a dilutive yield in the name of quality, but at the end of the day, we are solving for a blended yield across our investment activity. And so if we can buy great real estate at a thinner but still accretive yield and match that with an investment in good real estate at higher yields and end up with a blended yield that creates real value for our shareholders. That's how we are and that's how we will run the business.

Todd Thomas -- KeyBanc Capital Markets -- Analyst

OK. And then are you able to -- apologize if I miss this, but are you able to disclose a little bit of detail around the pricing for the preferred equity investment and the mortgage financing Um announced with regards to the Canyon Ranch?

David Kieske -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Yes, Todd. David. Good to talk to you. We are giving out specific deals similar to how we've going to operate in the past around this, the competitive nature of capital out there and the relationship nature of this capital.

It's -- as I just talked about, it's all guiding toward a blended yield that's accretive to our cost of capital. So we feel good about the investments.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

We do. And, Todd, this is a great way of elaborating on the first question you asked. I mean we are sitting here in a mansion in the Berkshires. It is the definition of high-quality real estate built to last for generations.

And you can be confident that when you put all this together, we are achieving accretion for our shareholders.

Todd Thomas -- KeyBanc Capital Markets -- Analyst

OK. All right. Thank you.

Operator

Our next question comes from Barry Jonas with Truist. Your line is open.

Barry Jonas -- Truist Securities -- Analyst

Hey, guys, congrats on the deal with Canyon Ranch, maybe this is for Ed, but longer term, what would you like to see is a mix of rent between gaming and non-gaming tenants?

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Yes, very -- I wish we had a really -- well, actually, I don't know if I wish that we had a really exact answer. The truth is we don't have a highly exact answer. It will very much obviously depend on what we're able to source globally in gaming and non-gaming. I do think the math is such that you can be confident gaming will still be the lion's share of our rent roll given the magnitude of economics that come out of gaming assets domestically and internationally.

And we would not put an arbitrary line across our rent roll to say OK, this much needs to be gaming. This much needs to be non-gaming. We -- we're not going to manage in terms of those kinds of numbers we're going to manage in terms of achieving accretion and value and quality growth.

Barry Jonas -- Truist Securities -- Analyst

Understood, and then just as a follow up, as I guess we think about the pipeline of gaming opportunities, you could kind of put it in two buckets or probably more. But you know for for one there operators that you've worked with out there and have good relationships to and opportunities for follow up deals. But then there's also a number of large operators who really haven't done much sale leaseback or any. I'm curious to get your thoughts on the path or the catalyst from here to get some of those players over the fence.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

John?

John Payne -- President and Chief Operating Officer

Yes. I mean we are following the same plans that we have since we started. The company is continuing to build relationships like you said, with our existing operators and meeting the operators that we've not been fortunate yet to do business with, educating them on how our capital can work, how we can help them grow once we're partners, how we can use a property growth fund to help them grow traveling not only domestically as we started the company, but now as you can see we've been in Canada and acquired some real estate in Canada and we're traveling the world to find other unique opportunities that are out there. So it's just about building relationships and letting them know that should there be a time they want to monetize their real estate or they want to acquire another company or an asset that we're there to be a good partner.

Barry Jonas -- Truist Securities -- Analyst

Great. Thanks so much, guys.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Barry.

Operator

We now turn to Wes Golladay with Baird. Your line is open.

Wes Golladay -- Robert W. Baird and Company -- Analyst

Hey, good morning, everyone. I just want to go back to the Canyon Ranch opportunity. You did mention there's a lot of room for growth both domestically and internationally. I guess maybe looking at maybe the next five to 10 years, how big can this get.

And what do you think is an average acquisition volume price? Would 100 million a unit be a good estimate?

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

I don't think you'd be far off Wes. You'd be in the ballpark. There's an optimal size for canyon ranches. Generally, I think John Gough and Jeff Custer and the team would tell you generally between 100 and 150 rooms.

And obviously the room count is only part of the equation. Obviously, the facilities that go around the rooms are what really differentiates Canyon Ranch. But you did hear John Goff on CNBC last night expressing his ambition that this be a $2 billion relationship in a -- within the coming years. And you know we -- we're very happy to hear him say that.

And I do think when you look at this as a $1.5 trillion global industry, that McKinsey estimates is going to grow at a compound rate of 5 to 10% a year for the years to come. We do think, again, that the Canyon Ranch brand has growth opportunities not only in North America but internationally as well. And the other thing I just wanted to say, Wes, is that you know we -- and it goes back to the question Barry asked -- the second question Barry asked that John answered and that is the way in which we we initiate partnerships. We don't initiate transactions so much as we initiate partnerships.

There's no question that if Canyon Ranch had wanted to sell the real estate to a conventional hotel REIT, they would have gotten amazing pricing, amazingly low cap rates for real estate of this prestige and quality. But the reason we're doing the deal we did is because we took a holistic approach from day one at understanding Canyon Ranch's business and its overall capital needs and ended up coming up with solutions that go way beyond your standard real estate transaction.

Wes Golladay -- Robert W. Baird and Company -- Analyst

Got it. And then maybe one for the balance sheet, did notice you settled some shares and you're just carrying the cash balance. What are you thinking there?

David Kieske -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Now as we settled 6 million shares by $180 million to fund the rocky Gap transaction that closed two days ago.

Wes Golladay -- Robert W. Baird and Company -- Analyst

OK. You still have about 700 million, I guess you want to carry a larger cash balance over the near term?

David Kieske -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

The cash balance specifically, right, that's the result. Remember, we got repaid on the Caesars Forum Convention Mortgage back on April 1st, so that elevated the cash balance a little bit, but so obviously gives us additional liquidity and dry powder to continue to grow.

Wes Golladay -- Robert W. Baird and Company -- Analyst

Got it. Thanks a lot.

Operator

Our next question comes from Ronald Kamdem with Morgan Stanley. Your line is open.

Ronald Kamdem -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst

Hey, just quick ones. So it's all the leverage at the end of the quarter at five, six came down nicely. Where does that trend to at the end of the year? And sort of the corollary to that is maybe what's the updated thoughts on the Hoosier Park and Horseshoe in Indianapolis, what are some of the things you're looking at to potentially move on that next? Thanks.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

David will take the first part, Ron, and John will take the second.

David Kieske -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Yes, Ronald, I appreciate you noticing that. I mean it'll continue to trend down to the tune of the five to five and a half range, maybe just slightly north of that. But as I stated in my remarks, we're very focused on getting sub five and a half and continuing to improve our credit profile. John?

John Payne -- President and Chief Operating Officer

And, Ronald, as it pertains to the two wonderful assets in Indianapolis, are the owner of the assets and the operator. Caesars continues to do a fabulous job adding capital to the facilities, implementing the table games that the law passed a couple of years ago and growing that business. We continue to monitor that -- those two assets with them. We do have a put call agreement with Caesars that lasts until the end of December of 24 and we continue to evaluate that opportunity.

Ronald Kamdem -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst

Right. My second one is just, I think with 26, 27 million of of student loans payments starting when you talk to the operators and so forth, is that something that they're thinking about as a potential headwind or -- and so forth. Thanks.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Ron, yes. You start John, and then I got an added point I wanted to make.

John Payne -- President and Chief Operating Officer

No go ahead. Go ahead and then I'll jump in.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Yes, Ron, Moira and I were talking yesterday or the day before about the magnitude of infrastructure spend that's going on right now in the US more, I don't know if you have a figure handy, but there is so much economic growth and so much job growth, really good job growth associated with the magnitude of infrastructure investment that's going on in the US right now that I would definitely look at the impact of student loan repayments being perhaps even more than offset by the economic vitality that's coming out of the Infrastructure spending that's going on right now and especially among a workforce that does have a higher propensity to gain. So I think on a net net basis, we'd be pretty optimistic as to what the economic vitality of the US over the coming year or two or more could mean for experiential broadly in gaming in particular. John, if you want to add to that?

John Payne -- President and Chief Operating Officer

No, Ronald, Ed, I was just going to add about Las Vegas. I mean we continue to get a large percentage of our rent coming out of the operators in the buildings in Las Vegas every day. I seem to open up an article and read this morning. I don't know if you saw this Ronald, but all-time record June at the airport in Las Vegas, 48% growth in international business.

So the industry in Las Vegas in the regionals continues to see solid consumer acceptance and growth in and many of these locations.

Ronald Kamdem -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst

Great. Thanks so much.

Operator

Our next question comes from John DeCree with CBRE. Your line is open.

John DeCree -- CBRE Group -- Analyst

Good morning, everyone. Thanks for taking my questions. Maybe big picture, Ed or John, you kind of addressed part of this a little earlier in some of the talent that you've hired recently. But as you push into new verticals and expand your tenant base, new categories, what are some of the challenges that you face or are facing as you grow in this direction? I kind of ask in the context of some of the early day challenges you've had in the casino space with educating investors or even just educating operators into using your source of financing.

So curious kind of what you're facing now as you keep pushing?

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

John?

John Payne -- President and Chief Operating Officer

Yes, John, nice to talk to you. I actually wouldn't describe them as challenges. I'd describe them as being quite fun, particularly in the experiential sector where there hasn't been a lot of companies like ours taking the time to explain how our capital can help these experiential companies grow. And it is for me having resources and folks around me that were out again traveling the world and spending time with these very unique and interesting operators, whether that's in health and fitness, whether that's in the events business or the many of the other things that we continue to explore.

It has been really gratifying to explain how our company and our capital can help them grow. So I wouldn't say describe it as a challenge. I just describe it as a way of we're helping them understand the different ways we can become partners.

John DeCree -- CBRE Group -- Analyst

Great. Thanks. Thanks, John. And maybe you know a little easier of a question going just back to the Bellagio potential opportunity as an example, how do you consider owning whole or part of an asset? I think there was some discussion in the media that maybe it would only be a partial sale or minority stake.

Is that -- would that be a consideration or how that factor into a decision for an investment from Vichy, whether it's the Bellagio or any any asset that you'd make in the future?

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Well, John, one of the strategic motivators for doing the deal we did back in late November, early December was to consolidate what had been a joint venture with MGM Grand Mandalay Bay. So generally speaking, while we do not rule out joint ventures, generally speaking, we are obviously going to prefer complete ownership of our assets both in gaming and non-gaming. Again, we're not absolutely dogmatic, but it is our preference and I think there is significance and meaning in the fact that our most recent deal in Las Vegas was the consolidation of what had been a joint venture, not the creation of a new joint venture.

John DeCree -- CBRE Group -- Analyst

Makes sense. Thanks, Ed. Thanks, John. Appreciate you guys taking all the questions.

Operator

Our next question comes from Greg McGinnis with Scotiabank. Your line is open.

Greg McGinnis -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Hey, good morning. Hey, John, I appreciate your commentary on the fact that you're kind of globe trotting here trying to educate and find new investment opportunities. Are you able to provide any context in terms of maybe what the investable global gaming market is? So meaning like the total number of assets that you'd even be willing to buy globally? Because I know you've talked specifically about certain countries you're willing to invest in, but just curious in terms of potential investable dollars?

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

John?

John Payne -- President and Chief Operating Officer

Yes, I don't have the specific numbers right now, Greg. We continue to work on that and look across as you mentioned all the different countries where we potentially could place investments, but I don't have a specific number for you right now.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Greg, I'll just -- and given that you're a representative of Scotiabank, I'll give you a little Canadian data and that is that the absolute size is not always as important and meaningful as the per cap size. And so as an example, the GGR in Canada, the commercial GGR in Canada is about 12 billion a year and that compares to combined Las Vegas and regional commercial GGR in the US have, I believe, 70 to 80 million. So on a per capita basis with Canada having about a 10th of the population of the US, obviously Canadians show a higher propensity to game. And so that's one of the real characteristics we look at as we evaluate gaming globally is not only the absolute size of the market, but the propensity to game and the degree to which gaming is woven into the consumer economy in those countries.

Greg McGinnis -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

OK. Thanks. And then I guess just on domestically. What are your thoughts on downtown Las Vegas? Are owners there just thus far resistant to sell or at least back financing or is there just no need there?

John Payne -- President and Chief Operating Officer

I wouldn't say that, Greg, I wouldn't say that at all. I would say that as you've heard me say a couple of times on this call, we're continuing to build relationships. We're continuing to educate our capital can work. I think you're asking about is that a market that we would have interest in owning real estate? There's some fabulous operators in the downtown market of Las Vegas that we are not currently partners with that we'd love to be partners with not only on the assets that they have in downtown Las Vegas, but also is there a way that we could grow with them all over the United States or even the world.

We are also not in the regional market of Las Vegas where we'd like to own a real estate over time. So some of these, as you've seen in our first five years, some of these happened quickly. Some of these deals move fast and others. It's we take the long game here.

We get to know the owners, we get to know the operators, and and hopefully over time, a deal will come our way.

Greg McGinnis -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Thanks. And just a final one for me, just given the house view on the health and wellness sector, should we expect to see investments with other operators outside of Canyon Ranch?

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

I would say that we're very much focused on Canyon Ranch given their market leadership and their -- their growth opportunity, Greg. I mean, we obviously wouldn't rule out other investments along the broader wellness spectrum. I mean, in a way you somewhat see that already with Great Wolf. As I think, John, you've put it, Great Wolf is kind of like Canyon Ranch for kids.

Greg McGinnis -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Yes. OK. Well, thank you so much.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Thanks, Greg.

Operator

We now turn to Nate Crossett with BNP Paribas. Your line is open.

Nate Crossett -- Exane BNP Paribas -- Analyst

Hey, thanks for taking my question. The slide in the deck that showed the CMS maturities over the next few years and your potential to partner with Canyon Ranch to reposition. How many locations have you kind of identified that are real candidates for this? Have you guys gone through that process already? Just trying to get a sense of the sizing.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Yes. So, Nate, we've really just begun that process, but I would point out that for Jon Goff, he feels like he's getting to do again what he did so successfully with Richard Rainwater in the early 90s when they built crescent real estate to a great degree out of the hole Resolution Trust wind up and created an incredibly compelling resort portfolio within Crescent real estate. By capitalizing on the distress in the market at that time. So we've -- David has done some really good work already at beginning to develop inventories.

I would say though that the filtering process with which we're going through really starts with what regions of North America is Canyon Ranch not in that it could really benefit from being in. And then from there, we look for resorts that would meet the criteria of Canyon Ranch within those geographies, regional geographies.

Nate Crossett -- Exane BNP Paribas -- Analyst

OK. That's helpful. And I know you mentioned it's a creative. I just -- what can you say -- how creative -- is it in line with your average spreads that you've been doing over cost of capital historically? I mean, I know it's sensitive, but is there any guidance there?

David Kieske -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Yes, They could have talked to you, I mean directionally that's accurate. Again it's 150 million. We funded a little bit 90 million this week and to draw a schedule that will or future funding that they will pull down as they invest in the organization. So it's directionally that's in line.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

And what I will tell you, Nate, is that our blended yield for real estate of this quality is very compelling.

Nate Crossett -- Exane BNP Paribas -- Analyst

OK. That's helpful. I mean, is there anything other than the 300 million that you've disclosed that we should kind of expect in terms of capital deployment from this partnership this year? I know there's a lot of puts and takes, but just trying to get a sense of.

David Kieske -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Right and then they -- last October we announced the $200 million with Canyon Ranch to help them build Austin. So that's -- that's getting going and is mentioned in his comments that open in 2526 at some point. And so I mean we had dinner with the Canyon Ranch team last night and they're extremely excited to embark on this journey of mapping and finding these assets. So nothing specific at this moment, but very much hope there's more to come in the near term.

Nate Crossett -- Exane BNP Paribas -- Analyst

OK. That's it for me. Thank you.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Nate.

Operator

We now turn to Chris Darling with Green Street. Your line is open.

Chris Darling -- Green Street Advisors -- Analyst

Thank you, good morning. Related to Canyon Ranch. Can you give us a sense of the historic cyclicality of the business there maybe relative to traditional resorts or maybe the overall hospitality business? And then assuming you do exercise some of the call options there over time, what do you think is the right level of rent coverage relative to maybe your gaming portfolio?

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Yes. So Chris Canyon Ranch has been in operation for just about 45 years and what they have shown through all cycles is a resilience that is far stronger than conventional luxury resorts. And so much of that has to do with Canyon Ranch being for so much of its clientele, a ritual, not even just necessarily an annual ritual, but in some cases a quarterly ritual. So the commitment to the -- to Canyon Ranch on the part of the consumer is stronger than the purely discretionary commitment that you get in most luxury resorts, which I know you cover.

And so based on that, we do not feel we need inordinately high coverage. And yet what is very, very comforting is the fact that the economic intensity of these properties does create economic headroom above the rent. That gives us very, very great comfort in the level of coverage.

Chris Darling -- Green Street Advisors -- Analyst

That's really helpful color. I appreciate it. And then maybe switching gears for my second question. When you announced Rocky Gap last year, rent coverage was pretty skinny at the time, I think it was about 1.7 times some right.

I recognize that property's been folded into the broader master lease of century now, but would still be curious to understand what current coverage levels look like? Assuming you're willing to share?

David Kieske -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Yes, Chris, it's David. Good to talk to you and we did set the coverage lower on Rocky Gap because it was going into a very healthy masterpiece century as a phenomenal operator goes into these assets and improves coverage from where they were, which they did on the three pack. That we originally bought with them back in 2019 so that we can't give out as a little coverage because they don't give out level coverage. But it's very, very healthy coverage coming out of those assets and I'm excited to add that as well as the Alberta assets into that masterpiece.

Chris Darling -- Green Street Advisors -- Analyst

Fair enough. Thanks for the time.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Chris.

Operator

Our final question today comes from Dan Guglielmo with Capital One Securities. Your line is open.

Dan Guglielmo -- Capital One Securities -- Analyst

Hi, everyone. Thanks for taking my question. Just one for me, in February you mentioned that the dead environment back then could result in the greatest advantages to some of the biggest streets with access to capital. I know a lot's happened since then, but is that advantage playing out the way that you thought and you still see that as an advantage continuing for the next few years? Thank you.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Yes, I very much think so, Dan. I think you think that could be true in both gaming and non-gaming. As I think I might have mentioned on that call, Dan, you know, we look on a weekly basis and what the yields to worst are on gaming and other leisure credits. And you're still seeing yields to worst even with the recent tightening of spreads that make sale leaseback a very compelling alternative when it comes to refinancing the debt that will come due in the coming years in both gaming and non-gaming.

Dan Guglielmo -- Capital One Securities -- Analyst

OK. Thank you.

Operator

This concludes our Q&A. I'll hand back to Ed Pitoniak, CEO, for closing remarks.

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

Yes, I just want to thank everybody on the call today, both the analysts who asked very good questions and all of your investors who are also on the line. We thank you for your time and we're excited to talk to you again in a few months. Bye for now.

Operator

[Operator signoff]

Duration: 0 minutes

Call participants:

Samantha Gallagher -- Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary

Ed Pitoniak -- Chief Executive Officer

John Payne -- President and Chief Operating Officer

David Kieske -- Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Tony Paolone -- JPMorgan Chase and Company -- Analyst

Jim Kammert -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst

David Katz -- Jefferies -- Analyst

Smedes Rose -- Citi -- Analyst

Todd Thomas -- KeyBanc Capital Markets -- Analyst

Barry Jonas -- Truist Securities -- Analyst

Wes Golladay -- Robert W. Baird and Company -- Analyst

Ronald Kamdem -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst

John DeCree -- CBRE Group -- Analyst

Greg McGinnis -- Scotiabank -- Analyst

Nate Crossett -- Exane BNP Paribas -- Analyst

Chris Darling -- Green Street Advisors -- Analyst

Dan Guglielmo -- Capital One Securities -- Analyst

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