New York, March 25, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service today downgraded Twin River Worldwide
Holdings, Inc.'s ("Twin River") Corporate
Family Rating ("CFR") to B2 from B1. Other rating actions
affecting the company are listed below. The outlook is negative.
Moody's also downgraded the Speculative Grade Liquidity rating to
SGL-2 from SGL-1.
The downgrade to a B2 CFR is in response to the disruption in casino visitation
resulting from efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus including
recommendations from federal, state and local governments to avoid
gatherings and avoid non-essential travel. These efforts
include mandates to close casinos on a temporary basis.
On March 13, Twin River announced that the government of Rhode Island
ordered all casino, hotel and f&b operations have been suspended
in the state to close for a 7-day period commencing on March 14,
2020. As a result, Twin River's Rhode Island properties,
Twin River Casino Hotel and Tiverton Casino Hotel, suspended all
operations as of such date. Although the suspension of operations
at present applies only to the company's Rhode Island operations,
it is possible that its other properties could also be disrupted in the
future as a result of the implementation of further efforts to mitigate
the spread of coronavirus.
The downgrade also reflects the negative effect on consumer income and
wealth stemming from job losses and asset price declines, which
will diminish discretionary resources to spend at casinos, including
Twin River, once this crisis subsides.
Downgrades:
..Issuer: Twin River Worldwide Holdings, Inc.
.... Corporate Family Rating, Downgraded
to B2 from B1
.... Probability of Default Rating,
Downgraded to B2-PD from B1-PD
.... Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating,
Downgraded to SGL-2 from SGL-1
....Senior Secured Bank Credit Facility,
Downgraded to Ba3 (LGD2) from Ba2 (LGD2)
....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture,
Downgraded to Caa1 (LGD5) from B3 (LGD5)
Outlook Actions:
..Issuer: Twin River Worldwide Holdings, Inc.
....Outlook, Changed To Negative From
Stable
RATINGS RATIONALE
Twin River's B2 CFR reflects the meaningful earnings decline over
the next few months expected from efforts to contain the coronavirus and
the potential for a slow recovery once properties reopen. Key credit
strengths include Twin River's positive free cash flow during periods
of normal operation and improved diversification resulting from its recent
acquisition of Dover Downs. However, Twin River remains a
relatively small regional gaming company in terms of revenue and will
still have heavy exposure to the heightened level of competition coming
from the increased gaming supply in Massachusetts.
Moody's downgraded the speculative-grade liquidity rating
to SGL-2 from SGL-1 because of the expected decline in earnings
and cash flow and increased risk of a covenant violation. As of
December 2019, Twin River had about $183 million of cash
prior to drawing down on the entire amount under its $250 million
revolver. The revolver was undrawn at December 31, 2019.
There are no material near-term debt maturities or significant
capital expenditure requirements above maintenance levels. As a
result, and despite the stress on financial resources that will
occur as a result of the coronavirus crisis, Twin River still has
the ability to generate and maintain an excess level of internal cash
resources after satisfying all scheduled debt service. The company's
next meaningful debt maturity is 2024.
The rapid and widening spread of the coronavirus outbreak, deteriorating
global economic outlook, falling oil prices, and asset price
declines are creating a severe and extensive credit shock across many
sectors, regions and markets. The combined credit effects
of these developments are unprecedented. The gaming sector will
be one of the sectors most significantly affected by the shock given the
non-essential nature of casino gaming and the sector's historically
high sensitivity to consumer demand and sentiment. More specifically,
Twin River's continued exposure to travel disruptions and discretionary
consumer spending, have left it vulnerable to shifts in market sentiment
in these unprecedented operating conditions makes it vulnerable to the
outbreak continuing to spread.
Moody's regards the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under
our ESG framework, given the substantial implications for public
health and safety. Today's action reflects the impact on
Twin River of the breadth and severity of the shock, and the broad
deterioration in credit quality it has triggered.
The negative outlook acknowledges that the coronavirus situation continues
to evolve, and a high degree of uncertainty remains regarding the
timing of facility re-openings and the pace at which consumer spending
at Twin River's casinos will recover. As a result,
the company's liquidity and leverage could deteriorate quickly over
the next few months.
Ratings could be downgraded if Moody's anticipates the Twin River's
earnings decline or liquidity deterioration will be deeper or more prolonged
because of actions to contain the spread of the virus or reductions in
discretionary consumer spending. A ratings upgrade is unlikely
given the weak operating environment and continuing uncertainty related
to the coronavirus. An upgrade would require a high degree of confidence
on Moody's part that the gaming sector has returned to a period
long-term stability, and that Twin River demonstrate the
ability to generate positive free cash flow, maintain good liquidity,
and operate at a debt/EBITDA level at 5.0x or lower.
Twin River owns and operates four casinos and one racetrack in four states
-- two casinos in Rhode Island, one casino in Mississippi,
one casino in Delaware, and one racetrack in Colorado. On
March 28th, 2019, Twin River completed its merger with Dover
Downs Gaming & Entertainment and also became a publicly-traded
gaming operator listed on the NYSE as TRWH. Additionally,
late last year, the company acquired a subsidiary of Affinity Gaming
that owns Golden Gates, Golden Gulch and Mardi Gras in Blackhawk,
Colorado. Consolidated net revenue for the fiscal year-ended
Dec. 31, 2019 was $523 million.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Gaming Industry published
in December 2017. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of this methodology.
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of
debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures
in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the
same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant
to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing
ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings
issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain
regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the
support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action
for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's
credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement
provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional
rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may
be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each
case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior
to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have
affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings
tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.
For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit
support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action,
and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action,
the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity.
Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures,
if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure
to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating
review.
Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to
the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued
the rating.
Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
Keith Foley
Senior Vice President
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
John E. Puchalla, CFA
Associate Managing Director
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376
Client Service: 1 212 553 1653