Slot machine-maker PlayAGS made its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange Friday, and CEO David Lopez sees opportunity for growth both in the U.S. and abroad.
“We’re actually entering the Philippines in the Latin bingo space right now,” he told Cheddar. “That’s about a 70,000-unit market...Then in Brazil...if a new law goes into effect you’ll see 500,000 or so video bingo machines come online.”
The company, which primarily serves the Native American Market, brought in revenues of $154 million in the first nine months of 2017 and swung to a profit of $13.6 million for that period.
And though the gaming industry has come under pressure from the rise of online and mobile gambling, Lopez says he’s not worried about his casino games getting poached.
“It’s a little bit of a training ground for brick and mortar...If you talk about millennials you think, ‘Hey, when are those millenials going to walk into those casinos and start gambling?’ Well some of it starts on their phone.”
PlayAGS, backed by private equity firm Apollo Investment, sold 10.3 million shares at $16 apiece in its IPO, valuing it at the low end of its expected range at about $550 million.
The stock, which trades under the ticker “AGS”, rose more than 15 percent in its first day of trading.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/playags-rings-nyse-opening-bell-to-celebrate-ipo).
With only a few days until Christmas, people are still scrambling to buy gifts for friends and family. Claudia Lombana, consumer and shopping expert, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on how to budget for those gifts.
With the New Year around the corner, it's time to start thinking about resolutions. Many folks begin to think about saving money or cutting down on bills. Caleb Silver, editor-in-chief of Investopedia, joined Cheddar News to provide some tips on tracking debt and staying organized.
Half of U.S. states are raising their minimum wage next year.
Sony's PlayStation 5 console has now passed 50 million units sold.
FedEx decreased its full-year revenue forecast after reporting lower-than-expected quarterly profits in its latest results.
Cora is among dozens of young kids across the U.S. poisoned by lead linked to tainted pouches of the cinnamon-and-fruit puree
The IRS said Tuesday it is going to waive penalty fees for people who failed to pay back taxes that total less than $100,000 per year for tax years 2020 and 2021.
Rite Aid has been banned from using facial recognition technology for five years over allegations that a surveillance system it used incorrectly identified potential shoplifters, especially Black, Latino, Asian or female shoppers.
The union representing Southwest Airlines pilots says it reached a new contract agreement in principle with the airline following three years of negotiations.
U.S. Bank has been hit with a $36 million fine for freezing debit cards that distributed unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
