The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Bally's (NYSE:BALY) and the rest of the casino operator stocks fared in Q4.

Casino operators enjoy limited competition because gambling is a highly regulated industry. These companies can also enjoy healthy margins and profits. Have you ever heard the phrase ‘the house always wins’? Regulation cuts both ways, however, and casinos may face stroke-of-the-pen risk that suddenly limits what they can or can't do and where they can do it. Furthermore, digitization is changing the game, pun intended. Whether it’s online poker or sports betting on your smartphone, innovation is forcing these players to adapt to changing consumer preferences, such as being able to wager anywhere on demand.

The 9 casino operator stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.9%.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 10.2% since the latest earnings results.

Weakest Q4: Bally's (NYSE:BALY)

Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Bally's Corporation (NYSE:BALY) is a diversified global casino-entertainment company that owns and manages casinos, resorts, and online gaming platforms.

Bally's reported revenues of $580.4 million, down 5.1% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income and EPS estimates.

The stock is down 6.9% since reporting and currently trades at $12.11.

Read our full report on Bally's here, it’s free .

Best Q4: Monarch (NASDAQ:MCRI)

Established in 1993, Monarch (NASDAQ:MCRI) operates luxury casinos and resorts, offering high-end gaming, dining, and hospitality experiences.

Monarch reported revenues of $134.5 million, up 4.9% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.4%. The business had a very strong quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Monarch scored the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared to its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 5.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $80.87.

Is now the time to buy Monarch? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free .

PENN Entertainment (NASDAQ:PENN)

Established in 1982, PENN Entertainment (NASDAQ:PENN) is a diversified American operator of casinos, sports betting, and entertainment venues.