Bally Entertainment Corp. - Specimen Stock Certificate

Blue Specimen Stock Certificate printed by American Bank Note Company. Bally's Corporation is a gaming, betting, and interactive entertainment firm based in Providence, Rhode Island. The company operates 15 casinos across ten states, a horse racing track in Colorado, and online sports betting services in 14 states. Established in 2004 under the name BLB Investors, it later rebranded to Twin River Worldwide Holdings. In 2020, Bally's Corporation acquired the Bally's brand from Caesars Entertainment, leading to its current name. Initially, BLB Investors was created as a joint venture in 2004 among Starwood Capital Group, Kerzner International, and the Waterford Group, aimed at acquiring Wembley plc, a British operator of racetracks in both the UK and the US. Wembley’s key asset was Lincoln Park, a greyhound racing track and slot machine parlor located in Rhode Island. In February 2005, BLB reached an agreement to purchase Lincoln Park for $435 million, along with an additional $20 million for Wembley's other U.S. properties, which included a horse track (Arapahoe Park) and three greyhound tracks in Colorado. 

The acquisition was finalized in July 2005. Following the purchase, BLB invested $220 million to expand Lincoln Park, renaming it Twin River in 2007. However, by 2008, the global economic downturn severely impacted BLB's finances, leading to defaults on loans associated with the acquisition and renovation of Twin River. In June 2009, the company sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, implementing a prepackaged plan to transfer ownership to its creditors. It successfully emerged from bankruptcy in 2010, now under the ownership of a group of lenders, including Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Sankaty Advisors. In 2011, the company adopted the name Twin River Worldwide Holdings. By that same year, the company's three dog racing tracks in Colorado had closed due to declining interest in the sport, and all were sold off.