Peninsula Pacific Entertainment

Last updated
Peninsula Pacific Entertainment
TypePrivate
Industry Gaming
Headquarters
Key people
  • Brent Stevens (Chairman & co-founder)
  • Jonathan Swain (President)
Website p2e.com

Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) is a casino gaming company based in Los Angeles. It began operations in 1999, doing business through a subsidiary, Peninsula Gaming. Its holdings grew to five properties, until 2012, when Peninsula Gaming was sold to Boyd Gaming for $1.45 billion. Afterward, P2E continued to acquire and develop gaming properties. In 2022, it sold the bulk of its assets to Churchill Downs, Inc. for $2.8 billion.

Contents

History

Peninsula Gaming (1999–2012)

Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque, Iowa Diamond Jo Casino - panoramio (1).jpg
Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque, Iowa

In January 1999, Los Angeles-based AB Capital agreed to purchase the Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque, Iowa for $77 million. [1] The company's major shareholders were Los Angeles investment banker Brent Stevens and Las Vegas gaming developer Michael Luzich. [2] The purchase was completed in July 1999, [3] by which time the company had changed its name to Peninsula Gaming. [4]

In February 2002, Peninsula bought a fifty percent interest in the Evangeline Downs racetrack in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana from B. I. Moody for $15 million. [5] They bought the remaining half several months later from William Trotter for another $15 million, plus 0.5% of slot revenues for the first ten years. [6] After Lafayette voters had rejected slot machines at the track, Evangeline Downs had planned a move to St. Landry Parish, which Peninsula carried out. The casino at the new site opened in late 2003, [7] with races following in 2005. [8]

In 2004, Peninsula announced a proposed sister casino to the Diamond Jo, to be built in Worth County, Iowa at a cost of $40 million. [9] The project was awarded a gaming license in May 2005, [10] and the Diamond Jo Worth opened in April 2006. [11]

In 2009, Peninsula proposed building a $150-million racetrack casino in Des Moines, Iowa that would be a sister property to the Prairie Meadows racino. [12] Prairie Meadows ultimately rejected the plan. [13]

In June 2009, Peninsula agreed to buy the Amelia Belle riverboat casino in Amelia, Louisiana from Columbia Sussex for $106.5 million. [14] The purchase closed in October 2009. [15]

In November 2009, the company partnered with a group of local investors in a proposal to build a casino in Fort Dodge, Iowa. [16] The application for Diamond Jo Fort Dodge [17] was ultimately rejected by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, over concerns that the casino would draw too much business from the Wild Rose Casino in Emmetsburg. [18] Criminal charges were later filed against Peninsula and two of its executives (Brent Stevens and Jonathan Swain), [19] alleging that they improperly funneled $25,000 in campaign contributions to Governor Chet Culver through three of the Fort Dodge investors. [20] The case was ultimately settled, with the criminal charges being dismissed and Peninsula agreeing to pay the costs of the investigation plus a $4,000 civil penalty. [21] In the settlement agreement, the company and its executives denied that they intended to violate the law. [22]

In 2010, Peninsula held discussions with the city of Davenport, Iowa about redeveloping or replacing the Rhythm City Casino, but the company withdrew to focus on its proposed Kansas casino. [23]

In July 2010, Peninsula submitted a bid for the sole available casino license in south central Kansas, proposing to build the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane. [24] The proposal was selected as the winner, [25] and Peninsula opened the casino in a temporary facility in December 2011, [26] [27] moving to a permanent facility in December 2012. [28]

In May 2012, Boyd Gaming agreed to buy Peninsula Gaming for $1.45 billion. [29] Boyd executives particularly emphasized their interest in the high growth potential of the Kansas Star Casino. [30] The acquisition was completed on November 20, 2012. [31]

Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (2013–present)

Following the sale to Boyd, the holding company that had owned Peninsula Gaming continued to do business as Peninsula Pacific Entertainment. [32]

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City, Iowa Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Down Town.jpg
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Sioux City, Iowa

In January 2013, P2E partnered with Warner Gaming in developing the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City, becoming 50% owners of the property when it opened the next year. [33] [34] P2E bought out Warner's stake in the property in 2020. [34]

The company joined with local investors in July 2013 to propose a casino in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. [35] The plan for the Cedar Crossing Casino was rejected by state gaming regulators in 2014 and again in 2017. [36] [37] P2E said in 2022 that it would submit a new proposal to regulators in 2024, after expiration of a two-year state moratorium on new casinos. [38]

In 2014, the company joined with Wilmorite in a proposal for a casino resort in Tyre, New York. [39] The Del Lago Resort and Casino opened in 2017. [40] P2E agreed in 2019 to buy out Wilmorite's stake, becoming the sole owner of the property. [41]

P2E bought the DiamondJacks Casino in Bossier City, Louisiana in 2016. [42] The casino closed in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. [43] P2E proposed to use the casino license for a new property, the Camellia Bay Resort and Casino, to be built in Slidell, Louisiana, but it was rejected by parish voters. [44] [45] Faced with the threat of revocation of the casino license, P2E agreed in 2022 to sell DiamondJacks to Foundation Gaming. [46]

P2E partnered with other investors in 2018 to purchase Colonial Downs, a defunct horse racing track in Virginia. [47] P2E later bought out its partners' stake in the property. [48] The track reopened in 2019, and P2E opened several satellite facilities with historical racing machines and off-track betting around the state under the Rosie's brand. [49]

In February 2022, P2E agreed to sell the bulk of its assets to Churchill Downs, Inc. for $2.49 billion. [50] [51] The sale would not include DiamondJacks or the Cedar Crossing project. [51] The transaction was completed in November 2022, for a final price of $2.75 billion. [52]

Properties

Former properties

Del Lago Resort and Casino in Tyre, New York Del Lago Main Entrance.jpg
Del Lago Resort and Casino in Tyre, New York

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