MGM Resorts (MGM) Risk Analysis

Our ownership and operation of gaming operations is subject to extensive regulation by the countries, states and provinces in which we operate. These laws, regulations and ordinances vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but generally concern the responsibility, financial stability and character of the owners and managers of gaming operations as well as persons financially interested or involved in gaming operations. As such, our gaming regulators can require us to disassociate ourselves from suppliers or business partners found unsuitable by the regulators or, alternatively, cease operations in that jurisdiction. In addition, unsuitable activity on our part or on the part of our domestic or foreign unconsolidated affiliates or subsidiaries in any jurisdiction could have a negative effect on our ability to continue operating in other jurisdictions. The regulatory environment in any particular jurisdiction may change in the future and any such change could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Furthermore, our iGaming and online sports betting initiatives may be particularly subject to risks related to potential changes in the regulatory and enforcement environment as a result of the continued development of regulatory schemes in this industry in the U.S. and internationally. The regulation and legality of iGaming and online sports betting and approaches to enforcement vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction (from open licensing regimes to regimes that impose sanctions or prohibitions) and is subject to uncertainties. In certain jurisdictions, there is no legislation which is directly applicable to our business, or the legality of the supply of iGaming and online sports betting is not clear or is open to interpretation. In many jurisdictions, there are conflicting laws and/or regulations, conflicting interpretations, divergent approaches by enforcement agencies and/or inconsistent enforcement policies and, therefore, some or all forms of iGaming and online sports betting could be determined to be illegal in some of these jurisdictions, either when operated within the jurisdiction and/or when accessed by persons located in that jurisdiction. Moreover, the legality of iGaming and online sports betting is subject to uncertainties arising from differing approaches among jurisdictions as to the determination of where iGaming and online sports betting activities take place and which authorities have jurisdiction over such activities and/or those who participate in or facilitate them. In addition, there is a risk that regulators or prosecutors in jurisdictions where we provide online sports betting or iGaming services to customers without a local license or pursuant to a multi-jurisdictional license, may take legal action in respect of our operations in that jurisdiction and any defense we raise to such actions may not be successful. Actions that may be taken may include criminal sanctions and penalties, as well as civil and administrative enforcement actions, fines, excessive taxation, funds and asset seizures, authorities seeking to seize funds generated from the allegedly illegal activity, as well as payment blocks and ISP blacklisting. Even if such claims could be successfully defended, the process may result in a loss of reputation, potential loss of revenue and diversion of management resources and time. There is a significant risk that our determination to permit customers in any given jurisdiction to access any one or more of our products or engage in various types of marketing activity and customer contact may not always accurately predict the likelihood of one or more jurisdictions taking enforcement or other adverse action against us, our customers or our third-party suppliers, which could lead to fines, criminal sanctions and/or the termination of our operations in such jurisdiction or jurisdictions, and, ultimately, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For a summary of gaming and other regulations that affect our business, see "Regulation and Licensing" and Exhibit 99.1 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Further, our directors, officers, key employees and investors in our properties and iGaming and online sports betting initiatives must meet approval standards of certain state and foreign regulatory authorities. If such regulatory authorities were to find such a person or investor unsuitable, we would be required to sever our relationship with that person or the investor may be required to dispose of his, her or its interest. Regulatory authorities may also conduct investigations into the conduct or associations of our directors, officers, key employees or investors to ensure compliance with applicable standards. Certain public and private issuances of securities, borrowings under credit agreements, guarantees of indebtedness and other transactions also require the approval of certain regulatory authorities. Macau laws and regulations concerning gaming and gaming concessions are complex, and a court or administrative or regulatory body may in the future render an interpretation of these laws and regulations, or issue new or modified regulations, that differ from MGM China's interpretation, which could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, MGM Grand Paradise's activities in Macau are subject to administrative review and approval by various government agencies. We cannot assure you that MGM Grand Paradise will be able to obtain all necessary approvals, and any such failure to do so may materially affect its long-term business strategy and operations. Macau laws permit redress to the courts with respect to administrative actions; however, to date such redress is largely untested in relation to gaming issues. In addition to gaming regulations, we are also subject to various federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations affecting businesses in general. These laws and regulations include, but are not limited to, restrictions and conditions concerning alcoholic beverages, environmental matters, smoking, employees, currency transactions, taxation, zoning and building codes, and marketing and advertising. For instance, we are subject to certain federal, state and local environmental laws, regulations and ordinances, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation Recovery Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the Energy Policy Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, Renewable Portfolio Standards, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, and many others. Under various federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations, an owner or operator of real property may be held liable for the costs of removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances or wastes located on its property, regardless of whether or not the present owner or operator knows of, or is responsible for, the presence of such substances or wastes. Such laws and regulations could change or could be interpreted differently in the future, or new laws and regulations could be enacted. There has been increasing focus from international, national, and state regulators on reporting and reducing GHG emissions and other climate change-related topics. These regulations could impose stricter standards on operations and reporting which could be costly and difficult to implement. In addition, effective since January 1, 2019, smoking in casinos in Macau, including MGM Macau and MGM Cotai, is only permitted inside specially ventilated smoking rooms, rather than outside smoking areas or VIP areas. The likelihood or outcome of similar legislation in other jurisdictions and referendums in the future cannot be predicted, though any smoking ban would be expected to negatively impact our financial performance. We also deal with significant amounts of cash in our operations and are subject to recordkeeping and reporting obligations as required by various anti-money laundering laws and regulations. For instance, in the United States, we are subject to regulation under the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, commonly known as the "Bank Secrecy Act", which, among other things, requires us to report to the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") any currency transactions in excess of $10,000 that occur within a 24-hour gaming day, including identification of the individual(s) involved in the currency transaction. We are also required to report suspicious activity where we know, suspect or have reason to suspect transactions, among other things, involve funds from illegal activity or are intended to evade federal regulations or avoid reporting requirements or have no business or lawful purpose. In addition, under the Bank Secrecy Act and similar laws in other jurisdictions, we are subject to various other rules and regulations involving reporting, recordkeeping and retention. Our compliance with anti-money laundering regulations, including the Bank Secrecy Act, is subject to periodic examinations by the relevant regulatory agencies in each jurisdiction where we operate. Any such laws and regulations could change or could be interpreted differently in the future, or new laws and regulations could be enacted. Any violations of the anti-money laundering laws, including the Bank Secrecy Act, or regulations by any of our properties, businesses, customers, or employees could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Federal, state and local authorities domestically and internationally raise a significant amount of revenue through taxes and fees, including taxes and fees on gaming activities. From time to time, legislators and government officials have proposed changes in tax laws, or in the administration of such laws, affecting the gaming industry. Periods of economic downturn or uncertainty and budget deficits may intensify such efforts to raise revenues through increases in taxes, the imposition of new taxes or changes to tax laws that result in higher taxes than would be incurred under existing tax law or interpretation. In addition, tax law changes adopted to align with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD") Global Anti-Base Erosion Model Rules ("Pillar Two") framework, which establishes a global minimum tax, could increase tax uncertainty. If the jurisdictions in which we operate were to increase taxes, impose new taxes or change existing tax laws, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

We are a large consumer of electricity and other energy and, therefore, higher energy prices may have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Accordingly, increases in energy costs may have a negative impact on our operating results. Additionally, higher electricity and gasoline prices that affect our customers may result in reduced visitation to our properties and a reduction in our revenues.

Our business is particularly sensitive to reductions in discretionary consumer spending and corporate spending on conventions, trade shows and business development. Adverse macroeconomic conditions, including inflation, economic contraction, economic uncertainty, geopolitical uncertainty, or the perception by our customers of weak or weakening economic conditions may cause a decline in demand for hotels, casino resorts, trade shows and conventions, and for the type of luxury amenities we offer. In addition, changes in discretionary consumer spending or consumer preferences could be driven by factors such as the increased cost of travel, an unstable job market, perceived or actual disposable consumer income and wealth, outbreaks of contagious diseases or fears of war and acts of terrorism or other acts of violence. Consumer preferences also evolve over time due to a variety of factors, including demographic changes, which, for instance, have resulted in recent growth in consumer demand for non-gaming offerings. Our success depends in part on our ability to anticipate the preferences of consumers and timely react to these trends, and any failure to do so may negatively impact our results of operations. In particular, Aria, Bellagio, MGM Grand Las Vegas, and The Cosmopolitan may be affected by economic conditions in the Far East, and all of our Nevada resorts are affected by economic conditions in the United States, and California in particular. A recession, economic slowdown or any other significant economic condition, including continued or increased inflationary pressures, affecting consumers, corporations, or the supply chain, generally is likely to cause a reduction in visitation to our properties, which would adversely affect our operating results. Likewise, increased trade tension between the United States and other countries, including as a result of the imposition of tariffs, could lead to a decrease in cross border-travel, result in us paying higher prices for imported goods at our properties and result in countries adopting protectionist legislation that could impair our international operations. In addition, adverse market conditions may impact the labor market and cause disruptions to the global supply chain. If we are unable to hire and retain sufficient employees to operate our properties or procure necessary supplies, our business, results of operations and reputation could be negatively impacted. Finally, we are a parent company with limited business operations of our own. We conduct most of our business operations through our direct and indirect subsidiaries. Accordingly, we receive cash from royalties, dividends and distributions that are derived from the earnings and cash flow generated by our subsidiaries. Our subsidiaries' payments to us will be contingent upon their earnings and upon other business considerations, which may be impacted by various factors, including compliance with certain local statutes, the laws and regulations currently and in the future applicable to our subsidiaries and restrictions in connection with their contractual arrangements. For instance, while currently there are no foreign exchange or capital control restrictions applicable to intercompany transactions between us and MGM China, we cannot assure you that this will continue to be the case in the future and that our ability to convert large amounts of Hong Kong dollars into U.S. dollars over a relatively short period will not be limited. If, in the future, foreign exchange or capital control restrictions or other restrictions on MGM China's ability to pay dividends were to be imposed and become applicable to us, such restrictions could potentially reduce or eliminate the amounts that we would be able to receive from MGM China, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. In addition, since we expect a significant number of customers to come to MGM Macau and MGM Cotai (and, to a lesser extent, our domestic properties) from mainland China, general economic, regulatory, geopolitical and market conditions in China could impact our financial prospects. Any slowdown in economic growth or changes to China's current restrictions on currency conversion or movements, including market impacts resulting from China's anti-corruption campaign and related tightening of liquidity provided by non-bank lending entities and cross-border currency monitoring (including increased restrictions on Union Pay withdrawals and other ATM limits on the withdrawal of cash and facial recognition technology on ATM machines in Macau to strictly enforce the "know your customer" regulations for mainland Chinese bank cardholders), could disrupt the number of visitors from mainland China and/or the amounts they are willing to spend at our properties. In addition, any potential policy changes which may affect cross-border travel, similar to the previous travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, could have an adverse impact on visitation from mainland China. Furthermore, the enactment of new laws in Macau, including the new illegal gaming law, which criminalizes activities such as unlicensed currency exchange for gaming purposes and unauthorized grant of credit for gaming purpose, may also adversely impact the amounts visitors are willing to spend at our properties. It is unclear whether these and other measures will continue to be in effect, become more restrictive, or be readopted in the future. These developments have had, and any future policy developments that may be implemented may have, the effect of reducing the number of visitors to Macau from mainland China, which could adversely impact tourism and the gaming industry in Macau. Furthermore, our operations in Macau may be impacted by competition for limited labor resources and our ability to retain and hire employees. We compete with a large number of casino properties for a limited number of employees and we anticipate that such competition, which significantly increased following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in early 2023, will continue in Macau. While we seek employees from outside of Macau to adequately staff our properties, certain Macau government policies limit our ability to import labor in certain job classifications (for instance, the Macau government requires that we only hire Macau residents as dealers in our casinos) and any future government policies that freeze or cancel our ability to import labor could cause labor costs to increase. Finally, because additional gaming or non-gaming projects have commenced operations and other projects are under construction, the existing transportation infrastructure may need to be expanded to accommodate increased visitation to Macau. If transportation facilities to and from Macau are inadequate to meet the demands of an increased volume of customers visiting Macau, the desirability of Macau as a travel destination, as well as the results of operations at our developments in Macau, could be negatively impacted.

Extreme weather conditions, potentially exacerbated by climate change, may cause property damage or interrupt business, which could harm our business and results of operations. Certain of our properties are located in areas that may be subject to extreme weather conditions, including, but not limited to, hurricanes, floods, tornados, wildfires, and winter storms in the United States and severe typhoons in Macau. Such extreme weather conditions may interrupt our operations or the operations of critical suppliers, damage our properties, and reduce the number of customers who visit our facilities in such areas. In addition, our operations or the operations of critical suppliers could be adversely impacted by a drought or other cause of water stress or shortage. A severe drought of extensive duration experienced in Las Vegas or in the other regions in which we operate or source critical supplies could adversely affect our business. Although we maintain both property and business interruption insurance coverage for certain extreme weather conditions, such coverage is subject to deductibles and limits on maximum benefits, including limitation on the coverage period for business interruption, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to fully insure such losses or fully collect, if at all, on claims resulting from such extreme weather conditions. Furthermore, such extreme weather conditions may result in reduced availability or increased price volatility of certain critical supplies, may interrupt or impede access to our affected properties, and may cause visits to our affected properties to decrease for an indefinite period. Additionally, many states and municipalities have begun to adopt laws and policies on climate change and emission reduction targets. For example, in 2024, the SEC adopted expansive new reporting requirements, requiring registrants to detail the impact of their operations on the environment. While this regulation has been voluntarily stayed by the SEC pending judicial review, there can be no assurance that we will not be subject to this regulation, or other climate regulation promulgated by another federal agency, in the future. Similar federal, state, local, and international legislation and regulation based on concerns about climate change could result in increased regulatory costs, which may include capital expenditures on our existing properties to ensure compliance with any new or updated regulations, which may potentially adversely affect our operations. There can be no assurance that the potential impacts of climate change and severe weather will not have a material adverse effect on our properties, results of operations, cash flows or business.