10:53 AM EST, 11/06/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Golden Entertainment ( GDEN ) shares were up nearly 40% in recent Thursday trading after the company said it agreed to sell its operating assets to Blake L. Sartini and affiliates and real estate of seven casino properties to VICI Properties ( VICI ) in a sale-leaseback transaction.

Golden shareholders will receive $2.75 in cash and 0.902 shares of VICI common stock for each Golden share held, the company said. Golden said the total $30.00 value at signing represents a 41% premium to its closing share price on Wednesday. An independent committee of the board approved the deal and recommended that shareholders vote in favor.

In a separate statement, VICI said it will acquire the seven-property Golden Portfolio for $1.16 billion, at a 7.5% going-in cap rate, and will assume and immediately retire about $426 million of Golden's outstanding debt in connection with the transaction. The companies expect the deal to close in mid-2026.

VICI will enter into a triple-net master lease with a newly formed entity controlled by Sartini, with initial annual rent of $87 million and an initial 30-year term, the company said.

Price: 30.27, Change: +0.09, Percent Change: +0.31