Century Casinos President Says Company May Exit Alberta After Strong Q2 Dented by Poland

Century Casinos posted a strong second quarter with record revenue and cash flow, but the company’s president signaled a major strategic shift may be on the horizon: a potential exit from Alberta. President Peter Hoetzinger floated the idea of selling the company’s Alberta properties during Century’s Q2 earnings call, even as North American operations carried the quarter.

Hoetzinger, joined by co-CEO Erwin Haitzmann and new U.S. operations vice president Lyle Randolph, painted a picture of a company thriving domestically while still working through complications in its Polish business. “Poland spoiled the party a bit,” Hoetzinger said, pointing to the absence of a Warsaw casino that closed in June 2025 and low table-game hold in Poland as the drag on an otherwise “strong solid quarter.”

North America Carries the Quarter

North American operations represented 90 percent of Century’s total results, according to Hoetzinger, who highlighted “tremendous performance” at the Sparks Nugget in Nevada along with strong showings in Missouri and Colorado. Cash flow accelerated faster than revenue, climbing 16 percent in the first half of 2026 compared to five percent revenue growth. Slot coin-in was up six percent, and hotel-room revenue jumped 36 percent, with room nights hitting a three-year high, including a 300 percent spike in corporate sales.

Century’s two Missouri casinos extended a streak of seven straight quarters of cash-flow growth, with revenues up eight percent. Century Caruthersville drew 15 percent more customers from beyond a 50-mile radius, posting the highest revenue growth among all 13 Missouri gaming venues. Meanwhile, Rocky Gap Resort in Maryland saw revenue dip one percent amid a “challenging customer environment,” though disciplined expense management helped offset the pressure.

West Virginia’s Mountaineer racino delivered the highest revenue of any Century property for the quarter, with sports betting, igaming, and horse racing revenue — up 40 percent — helping offset softness elsewhere as the track marked its 75th year of racing. In Colorado, Century’s Cripple Creek and Century City properties posted 11.5 percent revenue growth and 32 percent higher cash flow, with Randolph describing the newer Chamonix property as more of an opportunity than a competitive threat in a market he called “larger and more vibrant.”

Why Alberta Could Be on the Block

All four of Century’s Alberta casinos posted gains in the quarter, with one property setting new records, and Haitzmann called the Canadian performance “solid” at 2.2 percent revenue growth. Still, Hoetzinger raised the possibility of selling the Alberta properties, either as a full bundle or split into a pair of casinos and racinos, with a potential disclosure expected by the end of 2026.

The move comes even as Century builds out new sports bars in its Canadian venues, a concept designed to help the company lean into Alberta’s emerging igaming and online sports betting markets. Asked whether online gaming had cannibalized retail traffic in Alberta, Haitzmann said no — suggesting instead it might be “a natural fertilization” effect. On the question of online opportunities for Century itself in the province, Haitzmann was blunt: “I wouldn’t see anything.” Hoetzinger added that any upside there belongs to the company’s retail sportsbook rather than an online product.

Poland Still a Work in Progress

Century’s Polish business remains in what Haitzmann called “a period of significant transition.” The company’s new Wroclaw casino incurred anticipated start-up costs, but management believes the flagship location represents a meaningful long-term opportunity. Haitzmann noted the “challenging outlook” in Poland is “increasingly stable,” though the call made no mention of Century’s long-running efforts to sell its Polish casinos.

Hoetzinger struck an optimistic tone looking ahead. “This is a year of harvesting for us,” he said, adding that the company expects to end the year with debt down to six times cash flow and no debt maturities on the horizon for three years. Bettors following the North American casino and sportsbook landscape may want to keep an eye on how a potential Alberta sale could reshape one of the region’s more diversified operators, and fans tracking where sports betting is legal across North America will want to watch how any divestiture affects the province’s retail and igaming footprint.