It’s Boyd Gaming vs. Penn National Gaming (PNG) in a Q3 battle of US regional casino operators!

First up is Boyd, whose numbers are hopelessly skewed by a couple major factors, including the sale of Boyd’s 50% stake in Atlantic City’s market-leading Borgata casino to former partner MGM Resorts. The sale, which was completed on August 1, added $181.7m to Boyd’s Q3 bottom line.

Boyd’s revenue in the three months ending September 30 was $531.9m, down from $546.3m in the same period last year. Earnings were down $3.1m to $121.9m but net income jumped from $25.4m last year to $342.6m, aided by the Borgata sale as well as $190.4m of noncash income tax benefits.

Boyd’s Las Vegas Locals market reported flat revenue of $149m but earnings rose 12% to $36.2m thanks to continued cost-cutting and improved marketing. Boyd expects this number to jump in Q4 thanks to a full quarter’s contribution from the Aliante property it purchased this spring.