Full House Resorts Downgraded to Hold by Texas Capital on Debt Refinancing Concerns

Key Points

  • Texas Capital Securities downgraded Full House Resorts (NASDAQ: FLL) to "Hold" from "Buy," citing volatile high-yield debt markets and fluid credit negotiations
  • The downgrade comes as the battered casino stock continues its steep 2026 slide, prompting analyst David Bain to slash his price target from $3.50 to $1
  • Texas Capital notes Full House has likely secured permanent funding for its American Place project in Waukegan, Illinois, potentially utilizing a REIT sale-leaseback structure

The 2026 tale of woe for Full House Resorts (NASDAQ: FLL) continued Monday as the already battered casino stock dipped modestly after Texas Capital downgraded the shares.

Waukegan casino, Full House Resorts, Potawatomi, American Place, permanent casino
A digital rendering of the planned permanent American Place Casino in Waukegan. Full House Resorts stock was downgraded today. (Image: Full House Resorts)

In a new report to clients, analyst David Bain lowered his rating on the regional casino operator to “hold” from “buy” while paring his price target to $1 from $3.50. The revised forecast implies upside of 20.4% from current levels. The analyst cites “volatile high-yield market conditions and ongoing debt restructuring negotiations” as reasons for the downgrade.

“Despite structurally favorable equity risk/reward metrics following year-to-date compression, final term uncertainties surrounding a planned private debt offering and permanent casino funding (for American Place in Waukegan, Ill.) prompt a sideline stance,” notes Bain.

The analyst expects Full House to report third-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of $14.1 million, coming in below the consensus estimate of $15.8 million.

Full House May Have Funding for American Place

One of the drags on Full House stock has been the operator’s ability (or inability) to secure final financing for the permanent American Place Casino, but Bain believes the company has accomplished that objective.

“We believe FLL has likely secured permanent financing for American Place, potentially utilizing a REIT sale-leaseback structure,” says the analyst. “If executed, recent market transaction multiples for regional gaming operators (OpCos) suggest substantial equity valuation upside.”

While Bain did not speculate on which real estate investment trust (REIT) Full House may have struck a deal with—nor a potential sale price for the land—he cautioned that even if a transaction is finalized, Full House still faces headwinds in the broader credit market.

“However, refinancing discussions with existing credit facilities remain fluid and incomplete,” adds Bain. “Given a contraction in the broader high-yield market and a lack of near-term visibility on final credit terms, we prefer to wait for greater capital structure clarity despite potentially compelling asymmetric upside.”

Cutting Costs in Colorado

In addition to American Place, Full House’s other marquee venue is the Chamonix Casino Hotel in Cripple Creek, Colo. — a property that’s had some issues since opening in December 2023.

Full House is currently executing what Bain describes as aggressive cost cuts at the Colorado property. While those efforts may weigh slightly on immediate third-quarter operational figures, they are expected to position Chamonix for stronger margin performance heading into 2027.

“While these sweeping cost-mitigation efforts caused localized operational disruptions that may weigh on 3Q26 estimates, they effectively de-risk the expense baseline moving forward,” concludes the analyst. “Consequently, we expect the full run-rate benefit of these reductions to manifest more cleanly in 4Q26, establishing a leaner, more resilient margin profile heading into 2027E.”

Todd Shriber
Todd Shriber Financial Reporter

Todd Shriber is a senior news reporter covering gaming financials, casino business, stocks, and mergers and acquisitions for Casino.org.

Todd got his start in financial markets as a reporter with Bloomberg News. Later, he became a trader at a Southern California-based long/short hedge fund, where he specialized in the trading sector and international ETFs leading up to and during the financial crisis. He joined Casino.org in 2019.

Currently, Todd analyzes, researches, and writes on ETFs for various web-based publications and financial services firms. Shriber has been featured and quoted in Barron's, CNBC.com, and The Wall Street Journal. His work can also be found on Benzinga, ETF Daily News, ETF Trends, MarketWatch, Fox Business, and Nasdaq.com.

He currently resides in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golf and taking his black lab to the dog park. He's also an avid sports fan and likes to wager on college football and the NBA. You can also find him at the three-card poker and roulette table, even though he knows better.

Contact Todd at todd.shriber@casino.org.

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