cnty-20231231x10k
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
þANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
OR
̈TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from ___________ to ___________
Commission file number 0-22900
CENTURY CASINOS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation (I.R.S. Employer
or organization) Identification No.)
455 E. Pikes Peak Ave, Suite 210, Colorado Springs, Colorado80903
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(719) 527-8300
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.01 Per Share Par Value CNTY Nasdaq Capital Market, Inc.
Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ̈ No þ
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Yes ̈ No þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No ̈
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).Yes þ No ̈
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ̈ Accelerated filer þ
Non-accelerated filer ̈ Smaller reporting company þ
Emerging growth company ̈
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ̈
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. þ
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ̈
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant's executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ̈
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ̈ No þ
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2023, based upon the closing price of $7.10 for the Common Stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on that date, was $185,126,316. For purposes of this calculation only, executive officers and directors of the registrant are considered affiliates.
As of March 8, 2024, the registrant had 30,359,931 shares of Common Stock outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: Part III incorporates by reference the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for its 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after December 31, 2023.
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INDEX
Part I Page
Item 1. Business. 3
Item 1A. Risk Factors. 10
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments. 21
Item 1C. Cybersecurity 21
Item 2. Properties. 22
Item 3. Legal Proceedings. 24
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures. 24
Information About our Executive Officers 24
Part II
Item 6. Removed and Reserved. 25
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk. 47
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. 47
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures. 48
Item 9B. Other Information. 50
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 50
Part III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance. 50
Item 11. Executive Compensation. 50
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services. 51
Part IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules. 52
Signatures 56
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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This Annual Report on Form 10-K and certain information incorporated herein by reference contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, as such, may involve risks and uncertainties. All statements included or incorporated by reference in this report, other than statements that are purely historical, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “potential,” “continue” or similar terminology. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of the management of the Company based on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements included or incorporated by reference in this report are subject to additional risks and uncertainties further discussed under Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and are based on information available to us on the filing date of this report. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and we cannot predict those events or how they may affect us. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
PART I
Item 1. Business.
As used in this report, the terms “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us” refer to Century Casinos, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, taken as a whole, unless the context otherwise requires.
This report includes amounts translated into US dollars from certain foreign currencies. For a description of the currency conversion methodology and exchange rates used for certain transactions, see Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report. The following information should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report.
Overview
Century Casinos, Inc., a Delaware corporation founded in 1992, is a casino entertainment company that develops and operates gaming establishments as well as related lodging, restaurant, horse racing (including off-track betting) and entertainment facilities primarily in North America. Our main goal is to grow our business by actively pursuing the development or acquisition of new gaming opportunities and growing and reinvesting in our existing operations.
We began operating casinos in 1996 with the acquisition of our casino in Cripple Creek, Colorado. In 2006, we opened casinos in Central City, Colorado and Alberta, Canada. In 2007, we purchased a 33.3% ownership interest in Casinos Poland, Ltd. (“CPL”), the owner and operator of casinos throughout Poland, and in 2013 we purchased an additional 33.3% ownership interest in CPL, resulting in a majority 66.6% ownership interest. Between 2015 and 2019, we acquired an additional casino and developed two racing and entertainment centers (“RECs”) in Alberta, Canada. In December 2019, we added three properties to our United States (“US”) portfolio, two in Missouri and one in West Virginia (the “2019 Acquisition”). In connection with this acquisition, we entered into a triple net lease agreement (the “Master Lease”) with subsidiaries of VICI Properties Inc. (“VICI PropCo”). In 2022, we acquired 50% of Smooth Bourbon LLC (“Smooth Bourbon”), which leases the land and building for the Nugget Casino Resort (“Nugget”) in Reno-Sparks, Nevada. In 2023, we acquired the operations of the Nugget and Rocky Gap Casino, Resort & Golf (“Rocky Gap”) in Flintstone, Maryland. See “Business Developments – Nugget Casino Resort” and “– Rocky Gap Casino Resort” below.
Operations
We view each region in which we operate as a separate operating segment and each casino or other operation within those markets as a reporting unit. We aggregate all operating segments into three reportable segments based on the geographical locations in which our casinos operate: United States, Canada and Poland. We have additional business activities including certain other corporate and management operations that we report as Corporate and Other.
The general characteristics of our properties, including machine and table counts and the number of hotel rooms at our casinos, are provided in Part I, Item 2. “Properties”.
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United States
East –
Mountaineer Casino, Resort & Races – New Cumberland, West Virginia (“MTR” or “Mountaineer”). Mountaineer is located on the Ohio River at the northern tip of West Virginia’s northwestern panhandle approximately 30 miles from Pittsburgh International Airport and a one hour drive from downtown Pittsburgh. In addition to the casino and hotel, Mountaineer has a golf course and a racetrack that holds live thoroughbred races from April to December. The facility also has on-site pari-mutuel wagering, a sports book, five dining venues, a bar and 5,248 surface parking spaces neighboring the casino. Sports betting and online gaming (“iGaming”) are also available through mobile apps.
Rocky Gap Casino, Resort & Golf – Flintstone, Maryland (“ROK” or “Rocky Gap”). Rocky Gap is located in Rocky Gap State Park. In addition to the casino and hotel, the facility has five food and beverage venues, an 18-hole golf course, a 5,000 square foot events center, several meeting spaces, a spa, several outdoor activities and approximately 750 surface parking spaces neighboring the casino.
Midwest –
Century Casino Caruthersville – Caruthersville, Missouri (“CCV” or “Caruthersville”). Caruthersville and our neighboring hotel, The Farmstead, are located in southeast Missouri along the Mississippi River approximately 95 miles north of Memphis, Tennessee. In December 2022, we relocated the casino from a riverboat into a 40,000 square foot land-based pavilion following record low water levels in the Mississippi River that made access to the riverboat difficult. Caruthersville also has a food and beverage venue, 27 space RV park and 1,343 surface parking spaces neighboring the casino. We are currently building a new land-based casino with a small hotel near the pavilion site. See “Business Developments – Caruthersville Land-Based Casino and Hotel” below.
Century Casino Cape Girardeau – Cape Girardeau, Missouri (“CCG” or “Cape Girardeau”). Cape Girardeau is located along the Mississippi River three and a half miles from Interstate 55 in southeast Missouri, approximately 120 miles south of St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to the casino, the facility has two dining venues, a conference and entertainment center and 1,058 surface parking spaces neighboring the casino. We are currently building a hotel connected to the casino. See “Business Developments – Cape Girardeau Hotel” below.
Century Casino & Hotel – Central City, Colorado (“CTL” or “Central City”). Central City is located approximately 35 miles west of Denver. CTL is located at the end of the Central City Parkway, an eight mile four-lane highway that connects I-70, the main east/west interstate highway in Colorado, to Central City. In addition to the casino and hotel, the facility has a bar, two restaurants and a 500-space on-site covered parking garage. Sports betting is available through a mobile sports betting app.
Century Casino & Hotel – Cripple Creek, Colorado (“CRC” or “Cripple Creek”). The town of Cripple Creek is located approximately 45 miles southwest of Colorado Springs, the second largest city in the state of Colorado. In addition to the casino and hotel, the facility has two bars, a restaurant and 271 surface parking spaces neighboring the casino. Sports betting is available through two mobile sports betting apps.
West –
Nugget Casino Resort – Reno-Sparks, Nevada (“NUG” or “Nugget”). Nugget is located in Reno-Sparks, Nevada on Interstate 80 approximately three miles from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. In addition to the casino and hotel, the full-service resort includes 110,000 square feet of convention space, an 8,555 seat outdoor amphitheater, seven food and beverage venues, a 5-story 1,200 space parking garage and 1,272 additional parking spaces. Sports betting is available in the casino’s sports book.
Canada
Century Casino & Hotel – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (“CRA” or “Edmonton”). CRA is located in Edmonton, Alberta. In addition to the casino and hotel, the facility has an off-track betting parlor, a 10,700 square foot showroom that can seat approximately 500 customers, a 3,000 square foot showroom that can seat approximately 200 customers where we host Yuk Yuks Comedy Club comedic performances, two restaurants, a sports bar and lounge and two additional bars, 600 surface parking spaces and a complimentary underground heated parking garage with 300 additional spaces.
Century Casino St. Albert – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (“CSA” or “St. Albert”). CSA is located in St. Albert, Alberta northwest of Edmonton. In addition to the casino, the facility has an off-track betting parlor, a restaurant, a bar, a lounge, a banquet facility and 585 surface parking spaces.
Century Mile Racetrack and Casino – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (“CMR” or “Century Mile”). CMR is located on Edmonton International Airport land close to the city of Leduc, south of Edmonton. CMR is a multi-level REC with a one mile horse racetrack. In addition to the casino, the REC has two restaurants, two bars and an off-track betting parlor. CMR operates the majority of the Alberta pari-mutuel network under which CMR provides pari-mutuel content and live video to 25 off-track
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betting parlors throughout Alberta and has agreements with over 90 racetracks world-wide to broadcast races through the off-track betting network. Through August 2021, we operated the southern Alberta pari-mutuel off-track betting network through Century Bets! Inc. (“CBS” or “Century Bets”). In September 2021, we transferred these contracts to Century Mile.
Century Downs Racetrack and Casino – Calgary, Alberta, Canada (“CDR” or “Century Downs”). CDR is located in Calgary, Alberta, seven miles from the Calgary International Airport. Our subsidiary Century Resorts Management GmbH (“CRM”) owns 75% of United Horsemen of Alberta Inc. dba Century Downs Racetrack and Casino, which in turn owns and operates a REC and horse racetrack. In addition to the casino and racetrack, the REC has a bar, a lounge, a restaurant facility, an off-track betting parlor, an entertainment area and 700 surface parking spaces. We have a 75% ownership interest in CDR and consolidate CDR as a majority-owned subsidiary for which we have a controlling financial interest.
Poland
Casinos Poland – Poland (“CPL” or “Casinos Poland”). CPL has been in operation since 1989 and currently has eight casino licenses throughout Poland. Our subsidiary CRM owns 66.6% of Casinos Poland and we consolidate CPL as a majority-owned subsidiary for which we have a controlling financial interest. See Part II, Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Poland” for more information about the casinos operated by CPL.
Corporate and Other
Cruise Ship. We decreased our operation of ship-based casinos on cruise ships over the past few years, and mutually agreed with cruise lines with which we had concession agreements not to extend certain agreements at their termination dates.Our final concession agreements to operate ship-based casinos ended in the second quarter of 2023. We no longer operate onboard ship-based casinos.
Business Developments
Nugget Casino Resort in Reno-Sparks, Nevada
In February 2022, we entered into a definitive agreement with Marnell Gaming, LLC (“Marnell”), pursuant to which we agreed to purchase from Marnell (i) 50% of the membership interests in Smooth Bourbon, LLC (“Smooth Bourbon”), and (ii) 100% of the membership interests in Nugget. Nugget owns and operates the Nugget Casino Resort in Reno-Sparks, Nevada, and Smooth Bourbon owns the real property on which the casino is located.
We purchased 50% of the membership interests in Smooth Bourbon for approximately $95.0 million at the first closing on April 1, 2022 (the “First Closing”). We purchased 100% of the membership interests in Nugget (the “Nugget Acquisition”) for approximately $104.7 million (subject to certain adjustments) at the second closing (the “Second Closing”) on April 3, 2023. In August 2023, we paid from cash on hand an additional $0.8 million related to working capital adjustments. Following the Second Closing, we own the Nugget Casino Resort and 50% of the membership interests in Smooth Bourbon. We also have a five-year option through April 1, 2027 to acquire the remaining 50% of the membership interests in Smooth Bourbon for $105.0 million plus 2% per annum. At the First Closing, Smooth Bourbon entered into a lease with Nugget for an annual rent of $15.0 million plus an annual escalator.
Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Flintstone, Maryland
In August 2022, we entered into a definitive agreement with Golden Entertainment, Inc. (“Golden”), Lakes Maryland Development LLC, a subsidiary of Golden, and VICI PropCo, pursuant to which we agreed to acquire the operations of Rocky Gap. Pursuant to a real estate purchase agreement dated August 24, 2022, by and between Evitts Resort, LLC, a subsidiary of Golden and an affiliate of VICI PropCo (“VICI PropCo Buyer”), VICI PropCo Buyer agreed to acquire a related interest in the land and building associated with Rocky Gap.
On July 25, 2023, we acquired the operations of Rocky Gap (the “Rocky Gap Acquisition”) for approximately $59.1 million (subject to certain adjustments), and VICI PropCo Buyer purchased a related interest in the land and building associated with Rocky Gap for approximately $203.9 million. In December 2023, we paid an additional $0.1 million related to working capital adjustments. In connection with the closing of this transaction, one of our subsidiaries and a subsidiary of VICI PropCo entered into an amendment to the Master Lease. See Part I, Item 2. “Properties – Master Lease” for a discussion of the Master Lease as amended to date.
Canada Real Estate Sale
On May 16, 2023, we entered into definitive agreements for subsidiaries of VICI PropCo to acquire the real estate assets of Century Casino & Hotel Edmonton in Edmonton, Alberta, Century Casino St. Albert in Edmonton, Alberta, Century Mile Racetrack and Casino in Edmonton, Alberta and Century Downs Racetrack and Casino in Calgary, Alberta (collectively, the “Century Canadian Portfolio”). The sale was completed on September 6, 2023 for an aggregate purchase price of CAD 221.7 million ($162.6 million based on the exchange rate on September 6, 2023). Additional information about the expected funds retained from the sale and uses of the funds is in Part I, Item 7 “Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital Resources”. The CDR land lease ended on September 6, 2023 in conjunction with the Canada Real Estate Sale.
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Simultaneous with the closing of the transaction, our existing Master Lease was amended. See Part I, Item 2. “Properties – Master Lease” for a discussion of the Master Lease as amended to date. We recorded a loss on debt extinguishment related to the CDR land lease of CAD 9.9 million ($7.3 million based on the exchange rate on September 6, 2023) in interest expense in our consolidated statements of (loss) earnings for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Recent Developments Related to Century Casino Caruthersville
The Caruthersville casino had been operating on a riverboat and barge since 1994. On October 13, 2022, the riverboat had to be closed as it was no longer accessible from the barge because of the record low water levels in the Mississippi River. On October 26, 2022, the Missouri Gaming Commission (“MGC”) approved the relocation of the casino at Century Casino Caruthersville from the riverboat and barge to a land-based pavilion until the new land-based casino and hotel (discussed below) are completed. The pavilion building will not be affected by water levels, is protected by a flood wall and provides for easier access to the casino for customers than the riverboat. Although we are operating fewer slot machines from the pavilion than we were from the riverboat, we have not experienced a negative impact on results following the move to the pavilion and have had a positive reaction from customers. The riverboat and barge were removed in February 2023.
Caruthersville Land-Based Casino and Hotel
We are building a new land-based casino with a 38 room hotel in Caruthersville adjacent to and connected with the existing casino pavilion building. We estimate the project will cost $51.9 million. Construction started in December 2022 with completion expected in the fourth quarter of 2024. We are funding this project through financing provided by VICI PropCo. Following completion, VICI PropCo will own the real estate improvements associated with the Caruthersville project, which will become part of the Master Lease. See Part I, Item 2. “Properties – Master Lease” for a discussion of the Master Lease as amended to date. As of December 31, 2023, we have received $40.1 million from VICI PropCo and have spent approximately $20.7 million of those funds on this project. As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $19.4 million of cash on hand that was previously funded by VICI PropCo but has not yet been spent on the project on our consolidated balance sheet.
Cape Girardeau Hotel
We are building a 69 room hotel at our Cape Girardeau location called The Riverview. The Riverview is planned as a six-story building with 68,000 square feet that will be adjacent to and connected with the existing casino building. Construction on this project began in September 2022 and is expected to be completed in April 2024. We estimate the project will cost $30.5 million, and we are financing the project with cash on hand. As of December 31, 2023, we have spent approximately $22.8 million on this project. We expect the remaining $7.7 million will be spent in the first half of 2024.
Additional Projects
We continue to explore additional potential gaming projects and acquisition opportunities. Along with the capital needs of potential projects or acquisitions, there are various other risks which, if they materialize, could affect our ability to complete a proposed project or acquisition or could eliminate its feasibility altogether. For more information on these and other risks related to our business, see Item 1A, “Risk Factors” below.
Terminated Projects
Cruise Ship Concession Agreements
We previously operated several ship-based casinos. Our last concession agreement to operate ship-based casinos ended on April 16, 2023. The table below illustrates the ships operating during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.
Ship Operated From Operated To
Century Casino Calgary and Century Sports
We owned land and a building in Calgary in which we operated Century Sports, a sports bar, bowling and entertainment facility. We had previously sold the casino operations at this location in December 2020 and entered into a lease agreement with the purchaser for annual net rent of CAD 0.5 million ($0.4 million based on the exchange rate on December 31, 2023). On February 10, 2022, we sold the land and building in Calgary for CAD 8.0 million ($6.3 million based on the exchange rate on February 10, 2022) at which time we transferred the lease agreement for the casino premises to the buyer and ceased operating Century Sports.
The definitive agreement to sell the casino operations of Century Casino Calgary provided for a three year quarterly earn out that ended on August 4, 2023. We received earn out payments of CAD 2.2 million ($1.7 million based on the exchange rate on December 31, 2023) and CAD 0.1 million ($0.1 million based on the exchange rate on December 31, 2021) for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2021, respectively, that are recorded to gain on sale of casino operations in our consolidated statement of (loss) earnings. There were no earn out payments in 2022.
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Mendoza Central Entretenimientos S.A. (“MCE”)
In November 2021, our subsidiary CRM sold its ownership of 7.5% of MCE for nominal consideration. In addition, the consulting services agreement between CRM and MCE, under which CRM provided advice on casino matters and received a service fee from MCE, was terminated.
Bermuda
In August 2017, we announced that we had entered into a long-term casino management agreement with the owner of the Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club in Hamilton, Bermuda. We would also provide a $5.0 million loan for the purchase of casino equipment if the gaming license was awarded. In January 2023, the management and funding agreements were mutually terminated because the project was not going forward.
Marketing and Competition
We face intense competition from other casinos within the jurisdictions in which we operate. Many of our competitors are larger and have substantially greater name recognition and financial and marketing resources than we do. We seek to compete through promotion of our players’ clubs, enhancement of social networking initiativesand other marketing efforts. In addition to our players’ clubs, we also have various cash and prize promotions. Our marketing focuses on competition and other facts and circumstances of each market area in which we operate. All visitors to our properties are offered the opportunity to join our players’ club. We maintain a proprietary database that consists primarily of slot machine customers that allows us to create effective targeted marketing and promotional programs, point incentives, cash and merchandise giveaways, coupons, downloadable promotional credits, preferred parking, food, lodging, game tournaments and other special events. In the United States, our players’ club cards allow us to update our database and track member gaming preferences, including, but not limited to, maximum, minimum, and total amounts wagered and frequency of visits. We have designed reward programs based on total amount wagered and frequency of visits to reward customer loyalty and attract new customers to our properties. Those who qualify for VIP status receive additional benefits compared to regular club membership, such as invitations to exclusive VIP events.
United States
East –
Mountaineer has four competitors within 50 miles, two in Pennsylvania, one in West Virginia and one in Ohio. Sports betting in Ohio also impacts Mountaineer. Mountaineer is the area’s only full-service casino resort located on the Ohio River in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. We market this casino as a destination for year-round entertainment. Mountaineer primarily attracts customers from neighboring Ohio and from the greater Pittsburgh area. Mountaineer also hosts the annual West Virginia Derby horse racing event. We have partnered with two sports betting operators and two iGaming partners in West Virginia.
Rocky Gap has five competitors within 80 miles; four in Pennsylvania and one in West Virginia. Rocky Gap is the only AAA 4-Diamond Award® casino resort in western Maryland and operates the only Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in the state of Maryland. Rocky Gap attracts customers from southwest Pennsylvania including Pittsburgh, Maryland including Baltimore, eastern West Virginia, and northern Virginia.
Midwest –
Cape Girardeau and Caruthersville have competitors in Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois. The distance between our Cape Girardeau and Caruthersville properties is 85 miles. While our two properties share a small portion of our customer database, we do not believe that our properties compete against one another for customers in any material way. The closest competitor to Cape Girardeau is located approximately 56 miles away in southern Illinois. This new competitor opened in August 2023. While we saw a small decline in revenue and customer visits in the first few weeks of the competitor’s operations, we believe that our marketing efforts have been effective in offsetting this competition to date. The majority of Caruthersville’s customers reside in Tennessee. The closest competitor to Caruthersville is located in Arkansas and is 90 miles away. We believe that our expansion projects at both Missouri locations will allow us to continue to compete for individuals or groups that desire a multi-day visit to Cape Girardeau or Caruthersville.
There is a proposal to build a casino near Lake of the Ozarks, which requires approval by the US Department of the Interior; however, that project is not expected to directly compete with our casinos because it is over 200 miles from our properties.
Cripple Creek and Central City are located in historic mining towns each about an hour from a major metropolitan city. CRC has 11 competitors located within a half mile of the casino. CTL has 21 competitors within a mile of the casino, including competitors in Black Hawk that have larger hotels, upscale dining, performance centers and spa facilities. There are competitors in each city that offer covered parking and more hotel rooms, which may negatively impact our Colorado casinos, particularly during inclement weather and the peak tourist season. In addition, some of our competitors may offer larger betting limits or certain games not offered by us, which could attract customers to those competitors. We have partnered with sports betting operators that conduct sports wagering under each of the three Colorado master licenses for sports wagering held by our Colorado subsidiaries.
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In Cripple Creek, a casino across the street from ours completed an expansion at the end of 2023. The expanded property could have a negative effect on CRC unless it stimulates increased revenue in the Cripple Creek market. There are two potential competing casinos that may open in the Central City, Colorado market in 2024. An increase in competitors could lead to a decrease in visitors at our casino and have a negative impact on our results of operations in Central City.
West –
Nugget is located in the Reno-Sparks area of Nevada. There are eight other casinos within four miles of the Nugget. We market the casino through its amenities such as its high-end steak house and popular oyster bar. The property has over 1,300 hotel rooms for casino guests as well as convention customers. In addition, the property has an outdoor arena that holds concerts, an annual Rib Cook-Off and other events, such as Hot August Nights.
Canada
Our casinos in the Edmonton market have five competitors. Our casinos within the Edmonton market are within 30 miles of each other; however, we do not believe that our properties compete against one another for customers. CRA is one of two casinos in the city of Edmonton that have both a hotel and showrooms and the only casino in the market to offer a heated and complimentary parking garage. Unique to CMR is its horse racetrack. CRA and CSA each have a competitor approximately five miles away, and CMR’s closest competitor is located approximately 17 miles away. CDR is located in the Calgary market and has seven competitors (two of which have a combination of hotel and casino). Unique to this property is its horse racetrack, and it is one of two casinos in the market with an off-track betting parlor. A casino recently relocated approximately eight miles from CDR, and the increased competition has had a negative impact on financial results at this location. In January 2022, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (“AGLC”) removed its moratorium on approving additional gaming facilities. Additional gaming facilities under consideration will be subject to market analysis done by the AGLC and, if approved by the AGLC, could increase competition with our properties.
Our main marketing activities for these properties focus on casino branding, promoting the racetracks, the player’s club program and promotions made through various marketing channels. Our casinos in Alberta participate in the Winner’s Edge, an Alberta-wide casino loyalty program implemented by the AGLC. Players who sign up for the program can earn points that can be redeemed for free play, take part in monthly contests and receive discounts on food in casino restaurants. Our casinos offer Winner’s Edge in addition to our own loyalty program. Beginning in April 2024, Alberta casinos will be sharing in an AGLC Winner’s Edge Marketing Fund based on Winner’s Edge player card usage. In October 2020, the AGLC launched an online gaming website, “Play Alberta” offering online slot and table games. In September 2021, the AGLC added online sports wagering, including single event sports wagering, to its “Play Alberta” website. The website competes primarily with unregulated online gaming websites that are currently available to Alberta residents. We have not experienced a negative impact to our results of operations in Canada from online gaming; however, increased competition from online gaming could occur and adversely affect our results of operations in Alberta in the future.
CMR operates the majority of the Alberta pari-mutuel network and is the exclusive operator for its home market area covering Edmonton, Calgary and their respective surrounding areas. In addition to permitting customers to place wagers at off-track betting locations, the network offers advance deposit wagering for online wagering.
Poland
There are 51 casino licenses available throughout Poland. The Polish government generally forbids the marketing of gaming activities outside of a casino, but the marketing of entertainment is permissible. CPL relies on the locations of its casinos, which are primarily in hotels in major cities throughout Poland, to attract customers. The Polish government issues casino licenses in Poland by district, and there are additional casinos in each district in which CPL operates. For example, five other casinos in the Warsaw district compete with our three casinos operating in Warsaw. The Polish Minister of Finance does not disclose individual casino data. Poland also has slot arcades and online gaming that operate through a state-run company. We have not experienced a negative impact to our results of operations in Poland from slot arcades or online gaming; however, increased competition from slot arcades that are located in the cities in which our casinos are located as well as online gaming could occur and adversely affect our results of operations in the future.
Seasonality
United States –Our casinos in Colorado attract more customers during the warmer months from May through September. In West Virginia, we attract more customers from March to August during the racing season. Our casinos in Missouri attract customers throughout the year with the highest business volumes in February and March. In Nevada, we attract more customers in the summer months because of outdoor concerts and events that take place in immediate proximity to the casino. In Maryland, we also attract more customers in the summer months due to the golf course and the location of the casino adjacent to Lake Habeeb and the outdoor activities surrounding it. At all of our United States properties, winter weather conditions may have an adverse impact on daily business levels.
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Canada – Canada generally attracts a steady influx of customers throughout the calendar year. However, both Century Downs and Century Mile attract additional customers during the summer months of the racing season as Alberta residents partake in more outdoor activities. Our off-track betting parlors attract more customers during the peak racing season from May through August.
Poland – CPL generally attracts more customers from October through March because domestic customers generally vacation during the summer months.
Governmental Regulation and Licensing
The ownership and operation of casino gaming facilities are subject to extensive state, local, foreign, provincial or federal regulations. We are required to obtain and maintain gaming licenses in each of the jurisdictions in which we conduct gaming operations. The limitation, conditioning, suspension, revocation or non-renewal of gaming licenses, or the failure to reauthorize gaming in certain jurisdictions, would materially adversely affect our gaming operations in that jurisdiction. In addition, changes in laws that restrict, prohibit or permit gaming operations in any jurisdiction, including the removal of the AGLC’s moratorium on approving additional gaming facilities, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. On February 28, 2023, the AGLC approved a temporary increase from 15% of slot machines net sales retained by casinos to 17% effective from April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2025. The increase in the slot machine net sales percentage had a positive impact on net operating revenue and results of operations at our Canadian properties.
Statutes and regulations can require us to meet various standards relating to, among other matters, business licenses, registration of employees, floor plans, background investigations of licensees and employees, historic preservation, building, fire and accessibility requirements, payment of gaming taxes, and regulations concerning equipment, machines, chips, gaming participants, and ownership interests. Civil and criminal penalties, including shutdowns or the loss of our ability to operate gaming facilities in a particular jurisdiction, can be assessed against us and/or our officers to the extent of their individual participation in, or association with, a violation of any of the state or local gaming statutes or regulations. Such laws and regulations apply in all jurisdictions in which we may do business. Management believes that we are in compliance with all applicable gaming and non-gaming regulations. A detailed description of the regulations to which we are subject is contained in Exhibit 99.1 to this report, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Other Regulations
We are subject to certain foreign, federal, state, provincial and local safety and health, employment and environmental laws, regulations and ordinances that apply to our non-gaming operations. We have not made, and do not anticipate making, material expenditures with respect to these laws, regulations and ordinances. However, the coverage of, and attendant compliance costs associated with, such laws, regulations and ordinances may result in future additional costs to our operations.
Rules and regulations regarding the service of alcoholic beverages are strict. The loss or suspension of a liquor license could significantly impair our operations. Local building, parking and fire codes and similar regulations also could impact our operations and any proposed development of our properties.
We also deal with significant amounts of cash in our operations and are subject to various reporting and anti-money laundering laws and regulations. Any violations of anti-money laundering laws or regulations by any of our properties could have an adverse effect on our business.
Employees and Human Capital
Employees – As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 3,243 full-time employees and 910 part-time employees. During busier months, a casino may supplement its permanent staff with seasonal employees. We have experienced difficulties attracting and retaining staff at some locations in the US and Canada. As a result, we have had to adjust hours of some food and beverage outlets, the number of table games open and the number of rooms available at some of our hotels. We consider our current staffing levels as normal. Approximately 252 employees at our CPL casinos in Poland, 42 employees at Mountaineer and 217 employees at Rocky Gap belong to trade unions. The trade unions in Poland do not currently have any collective bargaining agreements with CPL, but changes in pay of union employees at CPL require approval of the unions. The trade unions at Mountaineer and Rocky Gap have collective bargaining agreements with each casino.
Human Capital – Our company is led by two gaming industry professionals with a combined industry experience of more than 75 years. Due to extensive industry experience, the team’s diversity of experience gives us the ability to tailor our gaming-based entertainment developments and operations to the unique needs and circumstances of each specific location. We are aware that much of our success is based on our employees’ combined talents, skills and ideas. As an international casino entertainment company, we cater to different markets with different customer expectations. In order to meet these expectations, we strive to build a workforce that is as diversified as our customers. As of December 31, 2023, 49% of our workforce and 41% of our leadership roles were held by women.
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Focusing on employee development and creating a positive work environment is one of our main priorities. We have training and development programs to provide our employees with the opportunity to succeed and thrive at our company. We seek to provide upward and lateral movement to employees at all locations. In Missouri, for example, we have an Upward Mobility Program to provide front-line employees with information on how they can develop their leadership skills and be prepared to step into a leadership role. This program makes training and educational opportunities available to enhance qualification and permit progress into other career fields through mentorships.
As a company, we strive to be community leaders and to add value through our products, services, social responsibility and sharing of our financial and human resources to achieve a positive impact on our employees, their families and our fellow citizens. We have committed to supporting the local communities with their requests and needs in an effort to improve the lives of people in these communities. We seek to disburse contributions fairly among several charitable and non-profit organizations. Our management is confident that through working with charitable and non-profit organizations we are able to make a positive difference to the lives of people living in the communities in which we have operations. Our initiatives include donation boxes on the casino floors, volunteer events, fundraising drives, event sponsorships and charity events. Unique to Alberta, Canada is the charitable gaming model in which charitable organizations are licensed to conduct and manage casino events at our casinos.
Available Information
Our internet address is www.cnty.com. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are made available free of charge on our website at www.cnty.com/investor/financials/sec-filings as soon as reasonably practicable after such report has been filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. None of the information posted to our website is incorporated by reference into this report.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Our short and long-term success is subject to many factors beyond our control. If any of the following risks, or any risks described elsewhere in or incorporated by reference in this report, actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could suffer. Additional risks not presently known to us or which we currently consider immaterial may also adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Business Environment and Competition Risks
We are particularly sensitive to general economic conditions, downturns or recessions as well as other issues affecting discretionary consumer spending, including geopolitical tensions, pandemics or other public health emergencies, any of which may have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Our success depends to a large extent on discretionary consumer spending, which is heavily influenced by general economic conditions and the availability of discretionary income. Adverse macroeconomic conditions, including inflation, economic contraction, economic uncertainty or the perception by our customers of weak or weakening economic conditions may cause a decline in demand for casino resorts and other amenities we offer. Changes in discretionary consumer spending or consumer preferences could be driven by factors such as an unstable job market, perceived or actual disposable consumer income and wealth, increased cost of travel, outbreaks of contagious diseases or fears or war and acts of terrorism or other acts of violence. Difficult economic conditions and recessionary periods may have an adverse impact on our business and our financial condition. Negative economic conditions, coupled with high volatility and uncertainty as to the future economic landscape, have at times had a negative effect on consumers’ discretionary income and consumer confidence, and similar impacts can be expected should such conditions recur. A decrease in discretionary spending due to decreases in consumer confidence in the economy or us, or a continued economic slowdown or deterioration in the economy, could adversely affect the frequency with which customers choose to visit our properties and the amount that our customers spend when they visit. The actual or perceived weakness in the economy could also lead to decreased spending by our customers. Both customer visits and customer spending at our casinos are key drivers of our revenue and profitability, and reductions in either could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We face significant competition, and if we are not able to compete successfully, our results of operations will be harmed.
We face intense competition from other casinos in jurisdictions in which we operate and from casinos in neighboring jurisdictions. Many of our competitors are larger and have substantially greater name recognition and financial and marketing resources than we do. We seek to compete through promotion of our players’ clubs and other marketing efforts. For example, for CRA, we emphasize the casino’s showroom, complimentary heated parking, players’ club program, and superior service. These marketing efforts may not be successful, which could hurt our competitive position.
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The markets in which we operate generally rely on a local customer base as well as tourists during peak seasons. The number of casinos in some of our markets may exceed demand, which could make it difficult for us to sustain profitability. We are particularly vulnerable to competition in our markets due to the large number of competitors in those markets. New or expanded operations by other entities in any of the markets in which we operate will increase competition for our gaming operations and could have a material adverse impact on us. For example, there are new casinos and expansions of existing casinos that could increase competition for our Central City and Cripple Creek properties. In January 2022, the AGLC removed the moratorium on gaming facilities. Consideration for additional gaming facilities will be based on a market analysis done by the AGLC. We anticipate the AGLC may award gaming facility licenses in underserved rural areas outside of the urban Calgary and Edmonton markets in which we are located, but any additional competition could adversely impact our results of operations in Alberta.
Changes to gaming laws in countries or states in which we have operations and in states near our operations could increase competition and could adversely affect our operations. For example, we have seen a decrease in gaming revenue in West Virginia, particularly in table games, since sports betting in Ohio began at the beginning of 2023. Any such expansion of legalized gaming could adversely impact our properties.
There have been several bills filed in Missouri to legalize sports betting in the state by gaming licensees and for daily fantasy sports licensees to conduct sports wagering including on mobile devices as long as such devices are located within the state. There have also been several bills filed in Missouri to allow the state lottery to operate video gaming terminals. Similar bills introduced in the past have not passed the state legislature. In addition to these legislative efforts, a coalition of six major sports teams and two online sports wagering companies have launched an initiative petition campaign to put sports wagering on the 2024 ballot. If the petition drive is successful, voters across the state would then determine whether to amend the state constitution to allow sports wagering. Under the proposed constitutional amendment, each of the six sports franchises that play in arenas that seat 11,500 or more would be eligible for a license to receive bets on games, player performance and other elements of a contest with a variable outcome. Companies that operate Missouri’s 13 casinos, including us, would also be eligible for a license, along with two online platforms with no physical presence in the state. It is unclear what impact these changes would have on our casinos in Missouri if enacted, but they could be material.
Capital expenditures, such as those for new gaming equipment, room refurbishments and amenity upgrades may be necessary from time to time to preserve the competitiveness of our properties. If we are unable to make these improvements due to capital constraints or other factors, our facilities may be less attractive to our visitors than those of our competitors, which could have a negative impact on our business.
We may experience construction delays and increased costs during our expansion or development projects, including the development and construction costs associated with the projects in Missouri, which could adversely affect our operations.
From time to time we may commence construction projects at our properties. Construction on the projects in Missouri began in 2022 and is expected to be completed in mid to late 2024. We may engage in additional construction projects in the future. Construction projects entail significant risks, which can substantially increase costs or delay completion of a project. Most of these factors are beyond our control.
Our current and future projects could also experience:
failure to obtain necessary licenses, permits, entitlements or other governmental approvals;
changes to plans and specifications, some of which may require the approval of regulatory agencies;
delays and significant cost increases;
shortages of materials;
shortages of skilled labor, labor disputes, or work stoppages for contractors and subcontractors;
disputes with and defaults by contractors and subcontractors;
health and safety incidents and site accidents;
engineering problems, including defective plans and specifications;
poor performance or nonperformance by our partners or other third parties on whom we place reliance;
changes in laws and regulations, or in the interpretation and enforcement of laws and regulations, applicable to gaming and other facilities, real estate development or construction projects;
unforeseen construction scheduling, engineering, environmental, permitting, construction or geological problems;
environmental issues, including the discovery of unknown environmental contamination;
weather interference, floods, fires or other casualty losses; and
other unanticipated circumstances or cost increases.
The occurrence of any of these development and construction risks could increase the total costs of our construction projects or delay or prevent the construction or opening or otherwise affect the design and features of our construction projects. This could
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materially adversely affect our plan of operations, financial condition and ability to satisfy our debt obligations. In addition, construction at our operating casinos may disrupt our customers’ experience and cause a decline in our revenue.
Actual costs and construction periods for any of our projects can differ significantly from initial expectations. We can provide no assurance that we will complete any project on time, if at all, or within established budgets, or that any project will result in increased earnings to us. If our initial budgets are not accurate, we may need to pursue additional financing to complete a proposed project, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all. Cost overruns on any construction projects we undertake may adversely impact our results of operations.
We may seek to expand through investments in other businesses and properties or through alliances or acquisitions, and we may also seek to divest some of our properties and other assets, any of which may be unsuccessful.
As part of our business strategy, we regularly evaluate opportunities for growth and expansion through development of gaming operations in existing or new markets, through acquiring other gaming facilities, through redeveloping our existing gaming facilities, and through joint ventures in new markets. We cannot be sure that we will be able to identify attractive acquisition opportunities or that we will experience the return on investment that we expect. New developments may not generate revenue that will be sufficient to pay related expenses, or, even if such revenue is sufficient to pay related expenses, the acquisitions and new developments may not yield an adequate return or any return on our significant investments. In addition, generating returns on acquisitions and new investments may take significantly longer than we expect and may negatively impact our operating results and financial condition. Furthermore, we may pursue any of these opportunities in alliance with third parties.
We may not be successful in obtaining the rights to develop new casino properties, and as a result, we may incur significant costs for which we will receive no return. Even if we are successful in obtaining the rights to develop such casino properties, commencing operations at new casino projects may require substantial development capital. Additional risks before commencing operations include the time and expense incurred and unforeseen difficulties from construction delays and cost overruns, in obtaining liquor licenses, building permits, materials, competent and able contractors, supplies, employees, gaming devices and related matters.
Acquisitions require significant management attention and resources to integrate new properties, businesses and operations. There can be no assurance that we will be able to identify, acquire, develop or profitably manage additional companies or operations or successfully integrate such companies or operations into our existing operations without substantial costs, delays or other problems. Potential difficulties we may encounter as part of the integration process include:
the inability to successfully integrate acquired assets in a manner that permits us to achieve the full revenue and other benefits anticipated to result from the acquired operations;
complexities associated with managing the combined business, including difficulties addressing possible differences in cultures and management philosophies and the challenge of integrating complex systems, technology, networks and other assets of the company in a seamless manner that minimizes any adverse impact on customers, suppliers, employees and other constituencies;
potential unknown liabilities and unforeseen increased expenses associated with acquired operations;
diversion of the attention of our management;
the disruption of, or the loss of momentum in, our ongoing businesses; and
inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies;
any of which could adversely affect our ability to maintain relationships with customers, suppliers, employees and other constituencies or our ability to achieve the anticipated benefits, or could reduce our earnings or otherwise adversely affect our business and financial results.
We may pursue gaming opportunities that would require us to obtain a gaming license. While our management believes that we are licensable in any jurisdiction that allows gaming operations, each licensing process is unique and requires a significant amount of funds and management time. The licensing process in any particular jurisdiction can take significant time and expense through licensing fees, background investigation costs, legal fees and other associated preparation costs. Moreover, if we proceed with a licensing approval process with industry partners, such industry partners would be subject to regulatory review as well. We seek to find industry partners that are licensable, but cannot assure that such partners will, in fact, be licensable. Certain licenses include competitive situations where, even if we and our industry partners are licensable, other factors such as the economic impact of gaming, financial and operational capabilities of competitors must be analyzed by regulatory authorities. In addition, political factors may make the licensing process more difficult. If any of our gaming license applications are denied or we are otherwise unable to complete a project, we may have to write off costs related to our investment in such application processes, which could be significant. In addition, our ability to attract and retain competent management and employees for any new location is critical to our success. One or more of these risks may result in any new gaming opportunity not being successful. If we are not able to successfully commence operations at these properties, our results of operations may be adversely affected.
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In addition, we periodically review our business to identify properties or other assets that we believe no longer complement our business, are in markets that may not benefit us or could be sold at significant premiums. From time to time, we may attempt to sell these identified properties and assets. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be able to complete dispositions on profitable, commercially reasonable terms or at all.
Credit and Liquidity Risks
Our obligations under our indebtedness and our Master Lease are significant. We may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service all of our indebtedness and pay rent under the Master Lease and may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness and Master Lease, which may not be successful.
We have a significant amount of indebtedness. As of December 31, 2023, our outstanding debt was approximately $346.8 million. The majority of our long-term debt outstanding as of December 31, 2023 is variable rate debt. Each one percentage point change associated with the variable rate debt would result in an estimated $3.5 million change to our annual cash interest expenses. In addition, we lease the real estate assets of the majority of our North American casinos under a Master Lease with VICI PropCo The long-term financing obligation to VICI PropCo subsidiaries was $658.0 million as of December 31, 2023. Our scheduled 2024 rent payments under the Master Lease, including a Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) increase, are approximately $52.2 million. Our rent payments are subject to annual escalation. See Notes 6 and 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report for more information on our long-term debt and Master Lease.
The significance of the above financial obligations could:
limit our ability to satisfy our obligations;
limit our ability to obtain additional indebtedness or financing to fund working capital requirements, capital expenditures, debt service, acquisitions, general corporate or other obligations;
limit our ability to use operating cash flow in other areas of our business because we must dedicate a significant portion of these funds to make principal and/or interest payments on our outstanding debt;
expose us to interest rate risk due to the variable interest rate on borrowings under our credit agreements;
place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to competitors that have less debt;
subject us to restrictive covenants that, among other things, limit our ability to pay dividends and distributions, make acquisitions and dispositions, borrow additional funds, and make capital expenditures and other investments;
cause our failure to comply with financial and restrictive covenants contained in our current or future indebtedness, which could cause a default under such indebtedness and which, if not cured or waived, could have a material adverse effect on us;
increase our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry changes;
limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our businesses, changing market conditions, changes in our industry and economic downturns; and
affect our ability to renew gaming and other licenses necessary to conduct our business.
We could be required to make rent payments under the Master Lease and scheduled debt payments if closures of our properties, similar to those that occurred in 2020, occur in the future. In addition, the Master Lease requires us to make specific minimum investments in capital expenditures and, subject to certain caps, the rent escalations under the Master Lease will continue to apply regardless of the cash flows generated by the properties subject to the Master Lease and the obligations guaranteed by us. Further, if our properties subject to the Master Lease are impacted by a casualty event, the Master Lease requires us to repair or restore the affected properties even if the cost of such repair or restoration exceeds the insurance proceeds that we receive. Under such circumstances, the rent under the Master Lease is required to be paid during the period of repair or restoration even if all or a portion of the affected property is not operating. We cannot assure that we will maintain a level of cash flows from operating activities sufficient to permit us to pay rent under the Master Lease and the principal, premium, if any, and interest on our indebtedness.
If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service and rent obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures, or to sell assets, seek additional capital or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. These alternative measures may not be successful and may not permit us to meet our scheduled debt service or rent obligations. If we are not able to meet our scheduled obligations, we could face substantial liquidity problems and might be required to dispose of material assets or operations to meet our debt service and other obligations. We may not be able to consummate those dispositions or to obtain the proceeds that we could realize from them, and these proceeds may not be adequate to meet any debt service obligations then due. Additionally, the agreements governing our existing debt restrict sale of assets and limit the use of the proceeds from any disposition and our Master Lease limits our ability to dispose of leased properties; as a result, we may not be allowed,
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under these documents, to dispose of certain of our properties and use proceeds from such dispositions to satisfy all current debt service obligations.
We may be unable to obtain the capital necessary to fund our operations or potential acquisitions.
Our industry is capital intensive, and we rely heavily on the ability of our casinos to generate operating cash flow to repay debt financing, fund maintenance capital expenditures and provide excess cash for future development. While we have a significant amount of cash currently on hand, we may not be able to obtain funding when we need it on favorable terms or at all. If we are unable to finance our current or future expansion projects, we will have to adopt one or more alternatives, such as reducing or delaying planned expansion, development and renovation projects and capital expenditures, selling assets, restructuring debt, obtaining additional equity financing or joint venture partners, or modifying our bank credit facilities. The amount of capital that we are able to raise often depends on variables that are beyond our control, such as the share price of our stock and its trading volume. The availability of financing may be impacted by local, regional and global economic, credit and stock market conditions, all of which have been volatile. As a result, we may not be able to secure financing on terms attractive to us, in a timely manner or at all. If we are able to consummate a financing arrangement, the amount raised may not be sufficient to meet all of our future needs and, if it involves equity, may be highly dilutive to our stockholders. If we cannot raise adequate funds to satisfy our capital requirements, we may have to reduce, dispose of or eliminate certain operations.
A majority of our casinos are located on leased property. If we default on one or more leases or if we are unable to secure renewals of those leases, the applicable lessors could terminate the affected leases and we could lose possession of the affected casino.
We lease the real estate assets for our casinos in Missouri, West Virginia, Maryland and Canada under a “triple-net” Master Lease. Accordingly, in addition to rent, we are required to pay, among other things, the following: (1) facility maintenance costs; (2) all insurance premiums for insurance with respect to the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties; (3) taxes levied on or with respect to the leased properties (other than taxes on the income of the lessor); and (4) all utilities and other services necessary or appropriate for the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties. We are responsible for incurring these costs even though many of the benefits received in exchange for such costs accrue to the lessor as the owner of the associated facilities. In addition, we remain obligated for lease payments and other obligations under the Master Lease even if one or more of such leased facilities is not operating or is unprofitable or if we decide to withdraw from those locations. We could incur special charges relating to the closing of such facilities, including lease termination costs, impairment charges and other charges that would reduce our net income and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our casinos in Poland are located within leased building spaces. If we were to default on any one or more of the leases or if we are unable to secure renewal terms for these locations, the lessors could terminate the affected leases and we could lose possession of the any improvements on the buildings. This could adversely effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations as we would then be unable to operate the affected facilities.
We may not be fully compensated to relocate the Nugget Casino and may be required to seek additional funding if the Nevada Department of Transportation (“NDOT”) project moves forward.
A majority of the casino floor at the Nugget Casino is located beneath Interstate 80 (“I-80”) in Sparks, Nevada. NDOT has discussed the possibility of expanding I-80, which would require us to rebuild the Nugget Casino on existing land owned by Smooth Bourbon and leased to Nugget. We anticipate that NDOT would compensate us to move the casino to a new location; however, the value that is determined by NDOT for purposes of compensating us may not cover the full construction costs. If we are unable to get fully compensated for building a new casino, or if the timing of compensation payments does not match our timing for construction, we may be required to use cash on hand or seek financing, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all.
Operational Risks
Our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by climate change, the occurrence of severe weather, natural or man-made disasters and other catastrophic events, including war, terrorism and other acts of violence, and outbreaks of disease.
The operations of our facilities are subject to disruptions or reductions in the number of customers who visit our properties because of severe weather conditions. If weather conditions limit access to our casino properties or otherwise adversely impact our ability to operate our casinos at full capacity, our revenue will suffer, which will negatively impact our operating results. Extreme weather conditions, potentially exacerbated by climate change, may cause property damage or interrupt business, which could harm our business and results of operations. High winds, flooding, blizzards and sub-zero temperatures, such as those experienced in
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Colorado, Missouri and Alberta from time to time, can limit access to our properties. Extreme weather conditions may also interrupt the operations of critical suppliers, and may result in reduced availability or increased price volatility of certain critical supplies.
Events such as terrorist and war activities in the countries in which we are located and other acts of violence, such as the mass shooting that occurred at a Las Vegas casino, could have a negative impact on travel and leisure expenditures, including gaming, lodging and tourism, especially if these events occur in a region in which we operate. The Russia-Ukraine war could have an adverse impact on our results of operations in Poland, which borders Ukraine, and the collateral global impacts of that situation could adversely impact our results of operations at all of our properties. We cannot predict the extent to which terrorism, security alerts or war, or other acts of violence in the countries that we operate will directly or indirectly affect our business and operating results, but the impact could be material.
An outbreak of a contagious disease, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or any similar illness, could have a negative impact on travel and leisure expenditures, including gaming, lodging and tourism, especially if an outbreak were to occur in or near the areas in which we operate. Negative impacts on the economy, travel restrictions and other restrictions by local or federal governments in the areas in which we operate could result in consumers reducing travel and leisure expenditures, including visits to our casinos. Actions taken to contain outbreaks in response to a public health epidemic pose the risk that we or our employees, suppliers, and other business partners may be prevented from conducting business activities for an unknown period of time. Our operating costs may increase due to additional health and safety requirements, and we may experience disruptions due to employee illness. Travel restrictions imposed by the US, European or other foreign governments may make it difficult or impossible for our management located in Europe to travel to the US or other countries where we have operations. We cannot predict the extent to which future outbreaks of a contagious disease will directly or indirectly affect our business and operating results, but the impact could be material. The extent of the effects of the disease outbreaks on our business and the casino industry at large is highly uncertain and will ultimately depend on future developments, including, but not limited to, future recurrences of outbreaks, the availability and effectiveness of vaccines, and the length of time it takes for normal economic and operating conditions to resume, if at all.We could experience a longer-term impact on our costs, such as, for example, the need for enhanced health and hygiene requirements in one or more regions in attempts to counteract future outbreaks. Further, outbreaks of disease may also affect our operating and financial results in ways that are not presently known to us or that we currently do not consider present significant risks to our operations. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.
Our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all possible losses that our properties could suffer, our insurance costs may increase, and we may not be able to obtain the same insurance coverage in the future.
We may suffer damage to our property caused by a casualty loss (such as fire, natural disasters, acts of war, terrorism or other acts of violence) that could severely disrupt our business or subject us to claims by third parties who are injured or harmed. Although we maintain insurance customary in our industry, including property, casualty, terrorism, cybersecurity and business interruption insurance, that insurance is subject to deductibles and limits on maximum benefits, including limitations on the coverage period for business interruption. Due to these variables, we may not be able to fully insure such losses, or fully collect, if at all, on claims resulting from severe weather conditions. The lack of sufficient insurance for these types of acts could expose us to heavy losses if any damages occur, directly or indirectly, that could have a significant adverse impact on our operations.
We renew our insurance policies on an annual basis. The cost of coverage may become so high that we may need to further reduce our policy limits, agree to certain exclusions from our coverage, or self-insure. Among other factors, regional political tensions, homeland security concerns, other catastrophic events or any change in government legislation governing insurance coverage for acts of terrorism could materially adversely affect available insurance coverage and result in increased premiums on available coverage (which may cause us to elect to reduce our policy limits), additional exclusions from coverage or higher deductibles. Among other potential future adverse changes, in the future we may elect to not, or may not be able to, obtain any coverage for losses due to acts of terrorism.
Our reputation and business may be harmed by interruptions or cybersecurity breaches of our information systems, and we may be subject to legal claims if there is loss, disclosure or misappropriation of or access to our customers', our business partners' or our own information or other breaches of our information security.
We make use of online services and centralized data processing, including through third party service providers. Issues with performance by these third parties may disrupt our operations, and as a result our operating expenses could increase, which could negatively affect our results of operations. Moreover, the secure maintenance and transmission of customer information, including credit card numbers and other personally identifiable information for marketing and promotional purposes, is a critical element of our operations. Our collection and use of personal data are governed by state and federal privacy laws as well as the applicable laws of the countries in which we operate. Various federal, state and foreign legislative or regulatory bodies may enact or adopt new or additional laws and regulations concerning privacy, data retention, data transfer, and data protection. Compliance with applicable
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privacy regulations may increase our operating costs or adversely impact our ability to market our products, properties and services to our guests.
Our information technology systems, and those of our third party service providers, that maintain and transmit customer information, or those of service providers, or our employee or business information may be compromised by a malicious third party penetration of our network security, or that of a third party service provider or business partner, or by actions or inactions by our employees. As a result, information of our customers, third party service providers or business partners or our employee or business information may be lost, disclosed, accessed or taken without their or our consent. Cybersecurity attacks have become increasingly common, and we have experienced immaterial business disruption, monetary loss and data loss as a result of phishing, business email compromise and other types of attacks on our or our third party service provider’s systems. In addition, the rapid evolution and increased adoption of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, may intensify our cybersecurity risks. Any disruption or failure of these systems or services could cause substantial errors, data loss, processing inefficiencies, security breaches, inability to use the systems or process transactions, loss of customers or other business disruptions, any of which could negatively affect our business and results of operations, subject us to penalties or result in reputational harm. Additionally, non-compliance with applicable privacy regulations by us (or in some circumstances non-compliance by third parties engaged by us) or a breach of security on systems storing our data may result in a loss of customers and subject us to fines, payment of damages, lawsuits or restrictions on our use or transfer of data.
We are subject to risks related to corporate social responsibility, environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters and our business reputation and may negatively affect our business and operations.
Many factors influence our reputation and the value of our brand, including the perceptions held by our customers, business partners, other key stakeholders and the communities in which we do business. Regulatory developments and stakeholder expectations relating to ESG matters are rapidly changing, and our business faces increasing scrutiny related to our ESG practices, disclosures and goals, and we risk damage to our reputation and the value of our brand if we fail to act responsibly in a number of areas including diversity and inclusion, community engagement and philanthropy, environmental sustainability, climate change, responsible gaming, supply chain management, workplace conduct, human rights and many others, some of which may be unforeseen. If we are unable to recognize and respond to such developments, or if our existing practices and procedures are not adequate to meet new regulatory requirements, we may miss corporate opportunities, become subject to regulatory scrutiny or third-party claims, or incur costs to revise operations to meet new standards. Moreover, any harm to our reputation could impact employee engagement and retention and the willingness of customers and our partners to do business with us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and cash flows.
Difficulties in managing our worldwide operations may have an adverse impact on our business.
We derive our revenue from operations located on two continents. Our management is located in North America and Europe, and our worldwide operations pose risks to our business. Risks associated with international operations include:
fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;
changes in laws and policies that govern our foreign operations;
possible failure to comply with anti-bribery laws such as the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions;
difficulty in establishing staffing and managing non-United States operations;
different labor regulations;
changes in environmental, health and safety laws;
potentially negative consequences from changes in or interpretations of tax laws;
political instability and actual or anticipated military or political conflicts;
economic instability and inflation, recession or interest rate fluctuations;
uncertainties regarding judicial systems and procedures;
different time zones; and
culture, management and language differences.
These factors make it more challenging to manage and administer a globally-dispersed business and, as a result, we must devote greater resources to operating under several regulatory and legislative regimes. See “Governmental Regulation and Licensing” in Item 1, “Business” of this report and Exhibit 99.1 to this report, which is incorporated herein by reference. This business model also increases our costs.
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We are dependent upon technology services and electrical power to operate our business, and if we experience damage or service interruptions, we may have to cease some or all of our operations, resulting in a decrease in revenue.
Our gaming operations rely heavily on technology services and an uninterrupted supply of electrical power. Our security system and all of our slot machines are controlled by computers and reliant on electrical power to operate. A loss of electrical power or a failure of the technology services needed to run the computers would make us unable to run all or parts of our gaming operations. Any unscheduled interruption in our technology services or interruption in the supply of electrical power is likely to result in an immediate, and possibly substantial, loss of revenue due to a shutdown of our gaming operations. Although we have designed our systems around industry-standard architectures to reduce downtime in the event of outages or catastrophic occurrences, they remain vulnerable to damage or interruption from floods, fires, power loss, telecommunication failures, terrorist attacks, computer viruses, computer denial-of-service attacks and similar events. Additionally, substantial increases in the cost of electricity and natural gas could negatively affect our results of operations.
We face the risk of fraud, theft, and cheating.
We face the risk that gaming customers may attempt or commit fraud or theft or cheat in order to increase winnings. Such acts of fraud, theft or cheating could involve the use of counterfeit chips or other tactics, possibly in collusion with our employees. Internal acts of cheating could also be conducted by employees through collusion with dealers, surveillance staff, floor managers, or other casino or gaming area staff. Additionally, we also face the risk that customers may attempt or commit fraud or theft with respect to our non-gaming offerings or against other customers. Such risks include stolen credit or charge cards or cash, falsified checks, theft of retail inventory and purchased goods, and unpaid or counterfeit receipts. Failure to discover such acts or schemes in a timely manner could result in losses in our operations. Negative publicity related to such acts or schemes could have an adverse effect on our reputation, potentially causing a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Risks
We face extensive regulation from gaming and other regulatory authorities, which involve considerable expense and could adversely impact our business, and potential changes in the regulatory environment also may adversely impact us.
As owners and operators of gaming facilities, we are subject to extensive state, local, and international provincial regulation. State, local and provincial authorities require us and our subsidiaries to demonstrate suitability to obtain and retain various licenses and require that we have registrations, permits and approvals to conduct gaming operations. Various regulatory authorities may, for any reason set forth in applicable legislation, rules and regulations, limit, condition, suspend or revoke a license or registration to conduct gaming operations or prevent us from owning the securities of our gaming subsidiaries. Like all gaming operators in the jurisdictions in which we operate or plan to operate, we must periodically apply to renew our gaming licenses or registrations and in North America we must have the suitability of certain of our directors, officers and employees approved. We are scheduled for renewals for our casino license at Mountaineer in 2024. The casino licenses for our casinos at the Dwor Kosciuszko Hotel in Krakow, the Manufaktura Entertainment Complex in Lodz and the LIM Center in Warsaw, Poland expire in 2024. In October 2023, we closed the casinos in Katowice and Bielsko-Biala, Poland and in November 2023, we closed the casino in Wroclaw, Poland due to the expiration of the gaming licenses as we awaited the licensing decision from the Polish Minister of Finance. We were awarded a new license for Wroclaw in December 2023 and Katowice and Bielsko-Biala in February 2024. At the time of filing, we have reopened the Bielsko-Biala casino, the casino in Katowice is scheduled to reopen in mid-March and the casino in Wroclaw is expected to reopen in a new location in the third quarter of 2024. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in receiving licenses to operate our new or existing casinos in Poland or that we will receive them prior to the expiration of the current license, as was the case with Bielsko-Biala, Katowice and Wroclaw. Delays in licensing in Poland could cause us to close casinos temporarily. A detailed description of the regulations to which we are subject, including the timing of license renewals for our properties, is contained in Exhibit 99.1 to this report, which is incorporated herein by reference. Failure to obtain license renewals would have an adverse effect on us.
In addition to gaming regulations, we are also subject to various federal, state, provincial, local and foreign laws and regulations affecting businesses in general. These laws and regulations include, but are not limited to, restrictions and conditions concerning alcoholic beverages, environmental matters, smoking, employees, currency transactions, taxation, zoning and building codes, and marketing and advertising. Rules and regulations regarding the service of alcoholic beverages are strict. The loss or suspension of a liquor license could significantly impair our operations.
We also deal with significant amounts of cash in our operations and are subject to various reporting and anti-money laundering regulations. Any violations of anti-money laundering laws or regulations by any of our properties could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Regulations adopted by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network require us to report currency transactions at our US locations in excess of $10,000 occurring within a gaming day, including
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identification of the patron by name and social security number. US Treasury Department regulations also require us to report certain suspicious activity, including any transaction that exceeds $5,000, if we know, suspect or have reason to believe that the transaction involves funds from illegal activity or is designed to evade federal regulations or reporting requirements. Substantial penalties can be imposed if we fail to comply with these regulations. Such laws and regulations could change or could be interpreted differently in the future, or new laws and regulations could be enacted.
From time to time, legislators and special interest groups have proposed legislation that would expand, restrict or prevent gaming operations or that may otherwise adversely impact our operations in the jurisdictions in which we operate. Any new gaming laws or regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate could have an adverse impact on our financial position and results of operations. Any expansion of the gaming industry that results in increased competition and any restriction on or prohibition of our gaming operations could have a material adverse effect on our operating results or cause us to record an impairment of our assets.
We depend on agreements with our horsepersons and pari-mutuel clerks. Failure to renew or modify agreements on satisfactory terms could materially adversely affect us.
In the US, the Federal Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, as amended (“FIHA”), and state law in West Virginia require that, in order to simulcast races, we have certain agreements with the horse owners and trainers at our racetrack. In addition, West Virginia requires applicants seeking to renew their gaming license to demonstrate they have an agreement regarding the proceeds of the gaming machines with a representative of a majority of (i) the horse owners and trainers, (ii) the pari-mutuel clerks, and (iii) the horse breeders. If we fail to present evidence of an agreement with horsemen at a track, we may not be permitted to conduct live racing and to export and import simulcasting at that track and through off-track wagering, and our video lottery license may not be renewed. In addition, our annual simulcast export agreements are subject to horsemen’s approval under the FIHA. Simulcast import and export agreements require horsemen approval per West Virginia law.
In Canada, the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations require that in order to conduct pari-mutuel betting we have certain agreements with approved horsepersons addressing the sharing of revenue. If we fail to present evidence of an agreement with approved horsepersons, we may not be permitted to conduct live racing, export simulcasting and teletheatre wagering. If we are unable to conduct live racing, our license to operate a REC may not be renewed.
Failure to renew or modify existing agreements on satisfactory terms could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
The enactment of legislation implementing changes in the US taxation of international business activities or the adoption of other tax reform laws or policies could materially affect our financial position and results of operations.
We are subject to taxation at the federal, state, provincial and local levels in the US and various other countries and jurisdictions. Our future effective tax rate could be affected by changes in the composition of earnings in jurisdictions with differing tax rates, changes in statutory rates and other legislative changes, changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, or changes in determinations regarding the jurisdictions in which we are subject to tax. From time to time, the US federal, state and local and foreign governments make substantive changes to tax rules and their application, which could result in materially higher corporate taxes than would be incurred under existing tax law and could adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations.
We face extensive taxation from gaming and regulatory authorities. Potential changes to the tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate may adversely affect the results of our operations.
We believe that the prospect of significant revenue to a jurisdiction through taxation and fees is one of the primary reasons jurisdictions permit legalized gaming. As a result, gaming companies are typically subject to significant taxes and fees in addition to normal federal, state, provincial and local income taxes, and such taxes and fees are subject to increase at any time. We pay substantial taxes and fees with respect to our operations. A detailed description of the gaming taxes and fees to which we are subject is contained in Exhibit 99.1 to this report, which is incorporated herein by reference. In addition, negative economic conditions could intensify the efforts of federal, state, provincial and local governments to raise revenue through increases in gaming taxes or introduction of additional gaming opportunities, which could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.
Our effective tax rate or cash tax payment requirements may change in the future, which could adversely impact our future results of operations.
A number of factors may adversely impact our future effective tax rate or cash tax payment requirements, which may impact our future results and cash flows from operations. See Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report. These factors include, but are not limited to: changes to income tax rates, to tax laws or the interpretation of such tax laws (including additional proposals for fundamental international tax reform
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globally); the jurisdictions in which our profits are determined to be earned and taxed; changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities; adjustments to estimated taxes upon finalization of various tax returns; adjustments to our interpretation of transfer pricing standards; treatment or characterization of intercompany transactions; changes in available tax credits, grants and other incentives; changes in stock-based compensation expense; changes in U.S. generally accepted accounting principles; and expiration or the inability to renew tax rulings or tax holiday incentives.
Additionally, evaluating the need for, and amount of, a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets often requires significant judgment and extensive analysis of all the positive and negative evidence available to determine whether all or some portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized. Because management believes it is more likely than not that the benefit from certain deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance of $11.4 million in foreign jurisdictions has been provided in recognition of these risks. If our assumptions change and it is determined that we will be able to realize tax benefits related to these foreign deferred tax assets, we will realize a reduction in income tax expense in the year such valuation allowances are reversed. Further, management currently believes it is more likely than not that the $21.5 million of net deferred tax assets in the US will be realized. Unless sufficient taxable income is generated in the US, a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets may be required, which would materially increase the tax expense in the period the allowance is recognized.
Any violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or any other similar anti-corruption laws could have a negative impact on us.
A portion of our revenue is derived from operations outside the United States, which exposes us to complex foreign and US regulations inherent in doing cross-border business and in each of the countries in which we transact business. We are subject to compliance with the US FCPA and other similar anti-corruption laws, which generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to foreign government officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. While our employees and agents are required to comply with these laws, we cannot be sure that our internal policies and procedures will always protect us from violations of these laws, despite our commitment to legal compliance and corporate ethics. Violations of these laws may result in severe criminal and civil sanctions as well as other penalties, and the SEC and US Department of Justice have increased their enforcement activities with respect to the FCPA. The occurrence or allegation of these types of risks may adversely affect our business, performance, prospects, value, financial condition, and results of operations.
Any failure to protect our trademarks could have a negative impact on the value of our brand names and adversely affect our business.
The development of intellectual property is part of our overall business strategy. Although our business as a whole is not dependent on our trademarks or other intellectual property, we seek to establish and maintain our proprietary rights in our business operation through the use of trademarks. We file applications for, and obtain trademarks in, the United States and in foreign countries where we believe filing for such protection is appropriate. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, parties may infringe our trademarks and our rights may be invalidated or unenforceable. The laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to as great an extent as the laws of the United States. Monitoring the unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult. Litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights or to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others. Litigation of this type could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources. We cannot assure you that all of the steps we have taken to protect our trademarks in the United States and foreign countries will be adequate to prevent imitation of our trademarks by others. The unauthorized use or reproduction of our trademarks could diminish the value of our brand and its market acceptance, competitive advantages or goodwill, which could adversely affect our business.
Human Capital Risks
The loss of key personnel could have a material adverse effect on us.
We are highly dependent on the services of Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger, our founders and Co-Chief Executive Officers, and other members of our senior management team. The employment agreements with Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger provide that, under some circumstances, the departure of one executive could allow the other to leave for cause. Our ability to retain key personnel is affected by the competitiveness of our compensation packages and the other terms and conditions of employment, our continued ability to compete effectively against other gaming companies and our growth prospects. The loss of the services of any of these individuals could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be harmed by staff shortages, work stoppages and other labor issues.
Our ability to attract and retain employees may cause us to reduce casino operating hours or close certain amenities at our properties which could negatively impact guest loyalty and operating results. We have adjusted, and if required we plan to continue to adjust,
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operating hours for food and beverage outlets, and hotel and convention spaces where we are impacted by staffing challenges. We have employees in Poland who belong to trade unions that have the right to approve changes in pay for union employees at CPL. In the United States, there are employees at our West Virginia and Maryland casinos who belong to unions and have collective bargaining agreements with the casinos. A lengthy strike or other work stoppage at our casino properties with unions could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Our other employees in the US and Canada and in our Corporate and Other segment are not covered by collective bargaining agreements. From time to time, we have experienced attempts to unionize certain of our non-union employees. If a union seeks to organize any of our employees, we could experience disruption in our business and incur significant costs, both of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operation and financial condition. If a union were successful in organizing any of our employees, we could experience significant increases in our labor costs which could also have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, changes to labor laws or prevailing market conditions could lead to increased labor costs that could have an adverse impact on our profitability.
Common Stock and Stockholder Risks
Certain anti-takeover measures we have adopted may limit our ability to consummate transactions that some of our security holders might otherwise support.
We have a fair price business combination provision in our certificate of incorporation, which requires approval of certain business combinations and other transactions by holders of 80% of our outstanding shares of voting stock. In addition, our certificate of incorporation allows our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock without stockholder approval. These provisions generally have the effect of requiring that any party seeking to acquire us negotiate with our board of directors in order to structure a business combination with us. This may have the effect of depressing the price of our common stock due to the possibility that certain transactions that our stockholders might favor could be precluded by these provisions.
Stockholders may be required to dispose of their shares of our common stockif they are found unsuitable by gaming authorities.
Gaming authorities in the US and Canada generally can require that any beneficial owner of our common stock and other securities file an application for a finding of suitability. If a gaming authority requires a record or beneficial owner of our securities to file a suitability application, the owner must apply for a finding of suitability within 30 days or at an earlier time prescribed by the gaming authority. The gaming authority has the power to investigate an owner's suitability, and the owner must pay all costs of the investigation. If the owner is found unsuitable, then the owner may be required by law to dispose of our securities. Our certificate of incorporation also provides us with the right to repurchase shares of our common stock from certain beneficial owners declared by gaming regulators to be unsuitable holders of our equity securities, and the price we pay to any such beneficial owner may be below the price such beneficial owner would otherwise accept for his or her shares of our common stock.
General Risk Factors
We are or may become involved in legal proceedings that, if adversely adjudicated or settled, could impact our financial condition.
From time to time, we are defendants in various lawsuits and gaming regulatory proceedings relating to matters incidental to our business. As with all litigation, no assurance can be provided as to the outcome of these matters and, in general, litigation can be expensive and time consuming. We may not be successful in the defense or prosecution of our current or future legal proceedings, which could result in settlements or damages that could significantly impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may be required in the future to record impairment losses related to assets we currently carry on our balance sheet.
Accounting rules require that we make certain estimates and assumptions related to our determinations as to the future recoverability of a significant portion of our assets. If we were to determine that the values of these assets carried on our balance sheet are impaired due to adverse changes in our business or otherwise, we may be required to record an impairment charge to write down the value of these assets, which would adversely affect our results during the period in which we recorded the impairment charge. See Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report for more information on our goodwill and other intangible assets.
Fluctuations in currency exchange rates and currency controls in foreign countries could adversely affect our business.
The revenue generated and expenses incurred at our casinos in Canada and Poland are generally denominated in Canadian dollars and Polish zloty, respectively. Decreases in the value of these currencies in relation to the value of the US dollar have decreased the operating profit from our foreign operations when translated into US dollars, which has adversely affected our consolidated results
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of operations, and such decreases may occur in the future. In addition, we may expand our operations into other countries and, accordingly, we could face similar exchange rate risk with respect to the costs of doing business in such countries as a result of any increases in the value of the US dollar in relation to the currencies of such countries. We do not currently hedge our exposure to fluctuations of these foreign currencies, and there is no guarantee that we will be able to successfully hedge any future foreign currency exposure.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
None.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity is an important part of our risk management program and an area of increasing focus for our Board and management. We maintain a robust cybersecurity infrastructure to safeguard our operations, networks, and data through comprehensive security measures including our technology tools, internal management, and external service providers.
Our Chief Information Officer (“CIO”) is responsible for assessing, identifying, and managing the risks from cybersecurity threats. Our CIO has over 14 years of experience in information technology and security positions. The CIO leads a team which includes our Corporate Director of Information Security and Senior Systems Engineer, with a combined 28 years of information technology and cybersecurity related experience. Both of these individuals hold Certified Information System Security Professional (“CISSP”) certifications.
Our Board of Directors, primarily through the Audit Committee, oversees management's approach to managing cybersecurity risks. The Audit Committee, comprised solely of independent directors, is charged with overseeing the Company’s risk management, including information technology and cybersecurity. The Audit Committee routinely engages with relevant management on a range of cybersecurity-related topics, including the threat of environment and vulnerability assessments, policies and practices, technology trends, and regulatory developments from the CIO.
We use a risk-based approach to identify, assess, protect, detect, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity threats, utilizing industry standard frameworks such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework, internal controls, and robust technological toolsets. Our information security program includes, among other aspects, penetration and vulnerability assessments and management, intrusion detection systems, antivirus and malware protection, encryption, access control, high availability and redundancy, and employee training. Risks identified by the CIO and other cybersecurity personnel are analyzed to determine the potential impact on us and the likelihood of occurrence. Such risks are continuously monitored to ensure that the circumstances and severity of such risks have not changed. The CIO also routinely discusses trends in cyber risks and our strategy with our Audit Committee and management on a regular basis, in addition to an annual review and discussion with the full board.
In addition, we engage independent third-party cybersecurity providers for vulnerability assessments and penetration testing. We regularly engage these providers to aid in the identification and remediation of potential threats. We also endeavor to apprise employees of emerging risks and require them to undergo annual security awareness training, and supplemental training as needed. Additionally, we conduct periodic internal exercises to gauge the effectiveness of the training and assess the need for additional controls and/or training.
Material cybersecurity incidents are required to be reported to the Board of Directors. As of the date of this report, we are not aware of any incidents from cybersecurity threats that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition.
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Item 2. Properties.
The following table sets forth the location, applicable reportable segment, size and description of certain types of gaming facilities at each of our casinos as of December 31, 2023:
Summary of Property Information
United States
East
Midwest
West
Canada
Poland
(1)Machine and table counts are reported as the total number of machines as of December 31, 2023. In Canada, slot/electronic gaming machines include video lottery terminals.
(2)The land and buildings (as applicable) at these properties are leased under the Master Lease. For more information see “Master Lease” below.
(3)Includes The Farmstead.
(4)The land and building is owned by Smooth Bourbon. We own 50% of Smooth Bourbon.
(5)As of December 31, 2023, Casinos Poland operated five separate casinos in leased building spaces, including hotels, throughout Poland. For the locations of these casinos, see “Additional Property Information” below.
Additional Property Information
As of December 31, 2023, our subsidiaries were pledged as collateral for our obligations under our credit agreement (“Goldman Credit Agreement”) with Goldman Sachs Bank USA (“Goldman”). As of December 31, 2023, a parcel of land in Kolbaskowo, Poland owned by Casinos Poland secured a bank guarantee with mBank. See Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report.
Corporate Offices– We lease approximately 13,200 square feet of office space in Colorado Springs, Colorado and approximately 2,500 square feet of office space in Vienna, Austria for corporate and administrative purposes.
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Poland – The following table summarizes information about CPL’s casinos as of December 31, 2023(1).
City Location License Expiration Number of Slots Number of Tables
Warsaw Marriott Hotel September 2028 70 37
Krakow Dwor Kosciuszko Hotel May 2024 70 5
Lodz Manufaktura Entertainment Complex June 2024 70 9
(1)A detailed description of the regulations applicable to CPL licenses and our ability to obtain new licenses for our locations on their expiration is contained in Exhibit 99.1 to this report, which is incorporated herein by reference.
(2)In October 2023, with approval from the Polish Minister of Finance, we exchanged the casino licenses for the LIM Center in Warsaw and the Hilton Hotel in Warsaw. The exchange of licenses extended the license for the Hilton Hotel in Warsaw from July 2024 to June 2025.
We operated casinos in Katowice, Bielsko-Biala and Wroclaw during 2023, but closed these locations in the fourth quarter of 2023 due to the expiration of the gaming licenses. We were awarded licenses at Wroclaw in December 2023 and Katowice and Bielsko-Biala in February 2024. The Bielsko-Biala casino reopened in February 2024 and we anticipate that the Katowice casino will reopen in mid-March 2024 and that the Wroclaw casino will reopen in a new location in the third quarter of 2024.
Master Lease
In December 2019, certain subsidiaries of the Company and certain subsidiaries of VICI PropCo entered into a sale and leaseback transaction in connection with the 2019 Acquisition and entered into the Master Lease to lease the real estate assets.
The Master Lease has been amended since 2019 as follows:
•On December 1, 2022, an amendment provided for (i) modifications with respect to certain project work to be done by the Company related to Century Casino Caruthersville, (ii) modifications to rent under the Master Lease to provide for an increase in initial annualized rent by approximately $4.2 million after completion of the Caruthersville casino project and (iii) other related modifications.
•On July 25, 2023, an amendment (i) added Rocky Gap to the Master Lease, (ii) increased initial annualized rent by approximately $15.5 million and (iii) extended the initial Master Lease term for 15 years from the date of the amendment (subject to the existing four five-year renewal options).
•On September 6, 2023, an amendment (i) added the Century Canadian Portfolio to the Master Lease, (ii) increased initial annualized rent by approximately CAD 17.3 million ($13.1 million based on the exchange rate on December 31, 2023) and (iii) extended the initial Master Lease term for 15 years from the date of the amendment (subject to the existing four five year renewal options). In addition the portion of the Master Lease attributable to the Century Canadian Portfolio has a maximum 2.5% annual escalator increase.
Mountaineer, Cape Girardeau, Caruthersville, Rocky Gap and our Canadian subsidiaries are currently subject to the Master Lease.
The Master Lease provides for the lease of land, buildings, structures and other improvements on the land, easements and similar appurtenances to the land and improvements relating to the operations of the leased properties. The scheduled 2024 rent payments under the Master Lease, including a CPI increase, are approximately $52.2 million. The rent payments are subject to annual escalations during the lease term. The Master Lease has an initial term of 15 years with no purchase option. In the December 2022 amendment of the Master Lease we exercised our first five year renewal term. At our option, the Master Lease may be extended for up to three additional five year renewal terms beyond the 20 year term. The renewal terms are effective as to all, but not less than all, of the properties then subject to the Master Lease. We do not have the ability to terminate our obligations under the Master Lease prior to its expiration without the lessor’s consent.
The Master Lease has a triple-net structure, which requires us to pay substantially all costs associated with the properties, including real estate taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance and operational costs. The Master Lease contains certain covenants, including minimum capital improvement expenditures. Century Casinos, Inc. has provided a guarantee of our subsidiaries’ obligations under the Master Lease. We account for the sale-leaseback transactions involving the Master Lease as failed sale-leasebacks, and therefore the Master Lease is accounted for as a financing obligation. For additional information regarding the Master Lease, see Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report.
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Nugget Casino Lease
The land, building, structures and other improvements of the Nugget Casino are leased from Smooth Bourbon (the “Nugget Lease”). We own 50% of Smooth Bourbon and consolidate it as a subsidiary for which we have a controlling interest. As such the finance lease asset, finance lease liability, revenue and expense are eliminated upon consolidation and the 50% of net rental income attributable to Marnell is recorded as non-controlling interest. The rent owed to Marnell is paid through dividends to noncontrolling partners. The scheduled 2024 rent payments under the Nugget Lease attributable to Marnell are $7.0 million. The rent payments are subject to annual escalations during the lease term. The Nugget Lease has an initial term of 35 years and a purchase option if Century purchases the remaining 50% of Smooth Bourbon. At our option, the Nugget Lease may be extended for up to four additional five year renewal terms. The Nugget Lease has a triple-net structure, which requires us to pay substantially all costs associated with the property, including real estate taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance and operational costs. The Nugget Lease contains certain covenants, including minimum capital improvement expenditure requirements. Century Casinos, Inc. has provided a guarantee of the Nugget’s obligations under the Master Lease.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
We are not a party to any pending litigation that, in management’s opinion, could have a material effect on our financial position or results of operations except as disclosed in Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
Information about our Executive Officers
Name Age Position Held
Erwin Haitzmann 70 Chairman of the Board and Co-Chief Executive Officer
Margaret Stapleton 62 Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary
Timothy Wright 53 Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller
Erwin Haitzmann holds a Doctorate and a Masters degree in Social and Economic Sciences from the University of Linz, Austria (1980), and has extensive casino gaming experience ranging from dealer through various casino management positions. Dr. Haitzmann has been employed full-time by us since 1993 and has been employed as either Chief Executive Officer or Co-Chief Executive Officer since March 1994.
Peter Hoetzinger received a Masters degree from the University of Linz, Austria (1986). He thereafter was employed in several managerial positions in the gaming industry with Austrian casino companies. Mr. Hoetzinger has been employed full-time by us since 1993 and has been Co-Chief Executive Officer since March 2005.
Margaret Stapleton was appointed Chief Financial Officer, effective October 2019, and Corporate Secretary, effective May 2010. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Regis University, Denver, Colorado (2004) and has over 30 years of experience in corporate accounting and internal audit. Mrs. Stapleton previously served as our Director of Internal Audit and Compliance from 2005 until May 2010 and as our Executive Vice President, Principal Financial/Accounting Officer from May 2010 to October 2019.
Timothy Wright was appointed Chief Accounting Officer effective October 2019 and Corporate Controller effective May 2010. Mr. Wright holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado (1995) and has over 30 years of experience in corporate accounting and finance. Mr. Wright has been employed by us since 2007, including previously serving as our Vice President of Accounting from May 2010 to October 2019.
Andreas Terler is a Graduate Engineer in Applied Mathematics from the University of Graz, Austria (1994). Mr. Terler has been employed by us since 2006. He has served as Managing Director of CRM since February 2007 and Executive Vice President since February 2022. Mr. Terler previously served as Vice President of Operations from May 2011 to October 2019, Chief Information
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Officer from February 2006 to January 2022 and Senior Vice President, Operations – Missouri and West Virginia from October 2019 to February 2022.
Nikolaus Strohriegel received a Masters degree from the University of Vienna, Austria (1996). Mr. Strohriegel has been employed by us since 2007. He has served as Managing Director of CRM since January 2009 and Executive Vice President since February 2022. Mr. Strohriegel previously served as Vice President of Operations from March 2017 to October 2019 and Senior Vice President, Operations – Europe from October 2019 to February 2022.
PART II
Item 5. Market For Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Our common stock is traded in the United States on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “CNTY”.
The following graph illustrates the cumulative shareholder return of our common stock during the period beginning December 31, 2018 through December 31, 2023, and compares it to the cumulative total return on the Nasdaq and the Dow Jones US Gambling Index. The comparison assumes a $100 investment on December 31, 2018, in our common stock and in each of the foregoing indices, and assumes reinvestment of dividends, if any. This table is not intended to forecast future performance of our common stock.
No dividends have been declared or paid by us. Declaration and payment of dividends, if any, in the future will be at the discretion of the board of directors.
At March 8, 2024, we had 144 holders of record of our common stock.
In March 2000, our board of directors approved and announced a discretionary program to repurchase up to $5.0 million of our outstanding common stock. In November 2009, our board of directors approved an increase of the amount available to be repurchased under the program to $15.0 million. The amount available for repurchase as of December 31, 2023 is $14.7 million. The repurchase program has no set expiration or termination date. No repurchases were made during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Item 6. Removed and Reserved.
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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Forward-Looking Statements, Business Environment and Risk Factors
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report. Information contained in the following discussion of our results of operations and financial condition contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and, as such, is based on current expectations and is subject to certain risks and uncertainties. The reader should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements for many reasons, including those risks discussed under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” and elsewhere in this report. See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information” that precedes Part I of this report. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
References in this item to “we,” “our,” or “us” are to the Company and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis unless the context otherwise requires. The term “USD” refers to US dollars, the term “CAD” refers to Canadian dollars, the term “PLN” refers to Polish zloty and the term “GBP” refers to British pounds. Certain terms used in this Item 7 without definition are defined in Item 1, “Business” of this report.
Amounts presented in this Item 7 are rounded. As such, there may be rounding differences in period over period changes and percentages reported throughout this Item 7.
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
Overview
Since our inception in 1992, we have been primarily engaged in developing and operating gaming establishments and related lodging, restaurant and entertainment facilities. Our primary source of revenue is from the net proceeds of our gaming machines and tables, with ancillary revenue generated from hotel, restaurant, horse racing (including off-track betting), sports betting, iGaming and entertainment facilities that are in most instances a part of the casinos.
We aggregate all operating segments into three reportable segments based on the geographical locations in which our casinos operate: United States, Canada and Poland. We have additional business activities including certain other corporate and management operations that we report as Corporate and Other. After the Nugget Acquisition in April 2023, we evaluated our operating segments and concluded that as a result of the growth in the United States we would begin viewing our operating segments as East, Midwest and West. We view each casino or other operation within those markets as a reporting unit. The reporting units, except for Century Downs Racetrack and Casino and Casinos Poland, are owned, operated and managed through wholly-owned subsidiaries. Our ownership and operation of Century Downs Racetrack and Casino and Casinos Poland are discussed below.
The table below provides information about the aggregation of our operating segments and reporting units into reportable segments as of December 31, 2023.
Reportable Segment Operating Segment Reporting Unit
United States East Mountaineer Casino, Resort & Races (1)
Rocky Gap Casino, Resort & Golf (1)
Midwest Century Casino & Hotel - Central City
Century Casino & Hotel - Cripple Creek
Century Casino Cape Girardeau (1)
Century Casino Caruthersville (1) and The Farmstead
West Nugget Casino Resort and Smooth Bourbon, LLC
Canada Canada (2) Century Casino & Hotel - Edmonton (1)
Century Casino St. Albert (1)
Century Mile Racetrack and Casino (1)
Century Downs Racetrack and Casino (1)
Poland Poland Casinos Poland
Corporate and Other Corporate and Other Cruise Ships & Other (3)
Corporate Other (4)
(1)The real estate assets are owned by VICI PropCo and leased to us under the Master Lease.
(2)We operated Century Sports through February 10, 2022. We operated Century Bets through August 2021, when operations were transferred to Century Mile. For more information about Century Sports and Century Bets see Item 1, “Business” above.
(3)We operated ship-based casinos through April 16, 2023.
(4)Prior to the Nugget Acquisition, our equity investment in Smooth Bourbon was included in the Corporate Other reporting unit.
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We have controlling financial interests through our subsidiary CRM in the following reporting units:
We have a 66.6% ownership interest in CPL and we consolidate CPL as a majority-owned subsidiary for which we have a controlling financial interest. Polish Airports owns the remaining 33.3% in CPL. We account for and report the 33.3% Polish Airports ownership interest as a non-controlling financial interest. CPL has been in operation since 1989 and owns and operates casinos throughout Poland. See Item 2, “Properties”, above for a list of casinos operating as of December 31, 2023.
We have a 75% ownership interest in CDR and we consolidate CDR as a majority-owned subsidiary for which we have a controlling financial interest. We account for and report the remaining 25% ownership interest in CDR as a non-controlling financial interest. CDR operates Century Downs Racetrack and Casino, a REC in Balzac, a north metropolitan area of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
We had concession agreements for ship-based casinos and had ownership in and a consulting agreement with MCE, all of which are terminated and are detailed further under “Corporate and Other” below.
Recent Developments Related to Economic Uncertainty and COVID-19
Current macroeconomic conditions remain very dynamic, including impacts from rising inflation and interest rates, volatile changes in foreign currency exchange rates, political unrest and armed conflicts, COVID-19 and other factors. Any worsening in economic conditions, or the perception that conditions may worsen, could reduce consumer discretionary spending or increase our costs and erode our net income and cash flows.
While the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business have largely normalized, and currently our operations have no COVID-19 restrictions, we were negatively impacted in the first half of 2021 because of closures of our Canada and Poland properties. See “Discussion of Results” below for a discussion of the impact of the 2021 closures in each impacted reportable segment. We cannot predict the negative impacts that additional variants of COVID-19 may have on our consumer demand, workforce, suppliers, contractors and other partners and whether future closures will be required. Such closures previously had material impacts on us and any future closures or safety requirements could have a material impact on us. If future government mandates or closures are required that would have an adverse impact on us, we will monitor our liquidity and make reductions to marketing and operating expenditures, where possible, similar to our response to COVID-19 in 2021.
Other Projects and Developments
As detailed further in Item 1, “Business – Business Developments”, we completed two acquisitions in 2023 and sold the real estate assets of the Century Canadian Portfolio to subsidiaries of VICI PropCo through a sale and leaseback which is accounted for as a financing obligation from a failed sale leaseback. We also continued our construction projects in Caruthersville and Cape Girardeau.
Additional Gaming Projects
We continue to explore additional potential gaming projects and acquisition opportunities. Along with the capital needs of potential projects, there are various other risks which, if they materialize, could affect our ability to complete a proposed project or acquisition or could eliminate its feasibility altogether.
Terminated Projects
As detailed further in Item 1, “Business – Business Developments – Terminated Projects”, we sold the casino operations of Century Casino Calgary as well as the land and building in which we operated Century Sports. We also terminated our ownership interest in and consulting services agreement with MCE as well as our management and funding agreements related to a potential casino in Bermuda.
Presentation of Foreign Currency Amounts
The average exchange rates to the US dollar used to translate balances during each reported period are as follows:
For the year
ended December 31, % Change
Source: 2023 and 2022 Xe Currency Converter, 2021 Pacific Exchange Rate Service
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We recognize in our statement of (loss) earnings, foreign currency transaction gains or losses resulting from the translation of casino operations and other transactions that are denominated in a currency other than US dollars. The revenue generated and expenses incurred by our casinos in Canada and Poland are generally denominated in Canadian dollars and Polish zloty, respectively. A decrease in the value of these currencies in relation to the value of the US dollar would decrease the earnings from our foreign operations when translated into US dollars. An increase in the value of these currencies in relation to the value of the US dollar would increase the earnings from our foreign operations when translated into US dollars. See Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report.
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
Years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021
Century Casinos, Inc. and Subsidiaries
For the year
Amounts in thousands 2023 2022 2021 $ Change % Change $ Change % Change
Gain on Sale of Casino Operations 1,660 — — (1,660) (100.0%) — —
(Loss) Earnings Per Share Attributable to Century Casinos, Inc. Shareholders
(1)For a discussion of Adjusted EBITDAR and reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDAR to net (loss) earnings attributable to Century Casinos, Inc. shareholders, see “Non-GAAP Measures Definitions and Calculations – Adjusted EBITDAR” below in this Item 7.
Comparability Impacts
Items impacting year-over-year comparability of the results include the following:
United States (Nugget and Rocky Gap) – We acquired the operations of the Nugget on April 3, 2023 and Rocky Gap on July 25, 2023. The Nugget and Rocky Gap are reported in the United States reportable segment. Both properties are located in gaming jurisdictions that are new to us and we incurred additional general and administrative expenses related to the acquisitions. The Nugget and Rocky Gap provided $80.8 million and $31.7 million in net operating revenue, respectively, $75.4 million and $27.7 million of operating costs and expenses, respectively, and $1.3 million and ($2.5) million in net (loss) earnings attributable to Century Casinos, Inc. shareholders, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2023.
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Canada (Real Estate Sale) – In September 2023, we completed the Canada Real Estate Sale. As part of the sale, we purchased the land at CDR prior to its sale to VICI PropCo. The purchase of the land at CDR resulted in a loss on debt extinguishment of CAD 9.9 million ($7.3 million based on the exchange rate as of September 6, 2023) that is recorded as interest expense in our consolidated statement of (loss) earnings for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Inflation and Staffing – We have seen material increases in our operating expenses at our properties, including payroll wages and benefits, insurance and utilities, maintenance costs and food and beverage costs. We have also experienced difficulties attracting and retaining staff at some locations in the US and Canada. As a result, we have had to adjust hours of some food and beverage outlets, the number of table games open and the number of rooms available at some of our hotels. We have been able to make adjustments during non-peak times to mitigate some of the impact to our operating results.
Poland Casino Closures – We closed three casinos in the fourth quarter of 2023 due to delays in obtaining new licenses. See “Reportable Segments – Poland” below in this Item 7 for additional information about our Polish casino licenses.
Canada (Calgary) – In February 2022, we sold the land and building that we owned in Calgary. We recorded a loss on the sale of the land and building of CAD 2.7 million ($2.2 million based on the average exchange rate for the month ended February 28, 2022). We received earn out payments of CAD 2.1 million ($1.7 million based on the exchange rate of December 31, 2023) for the year ended December 31, 2023 that are recorded to gain on sale of casino operations on our consolidated statements of (loss) earnings.
COVID-19 (Canada) – Through early February 2022 we required customers to provide proof of vaccination, a negative rapid test result or an original medical exemption letter for entry to comply with a government mandate. In accordance with a government mandate, all customers and employees were required to wear masks while indoors through early March 2022. As the spread of COVID-19 slowed and these measures were lifted, we saw increased guest numbers and increased revenue in the remainder of 2022 and in 2023 as compared to 2021.
COVID Closures (2021) – We estimate that for the year ended December 31, 2021 net operating revenue was adversely impacted by approximately $35.9 million and Adjusted EBITDAR was adversely impacted by approximately $13.1 million due to the closures in Canada and Poland during the year.
Increased Interest Expense – Increased interest expense negatively impacted net loss attributable to Century Casinos, Inc. shareholders in 2023. Interest expense increased $13.0 million due to additional properties added to the Master Lease, approximately $14.6 million due to increased borrowings under our Goldman Credit Agreement in April 2022 in connection with the Nugget Acquisition, increased interest rates on the term loan and borrowing on the revolving facility under our Goldman Credit Agreement, and $7.3 million related to the CDR land lease debt extinguishment in connection with the Canada Real Estate Sale. In 2022, we wrote-off approximately $7.3 million of deferred financing costs to interest expense in connection with the prepayment of the $170.0 million term loan (the “Macquarie Term Loan”) issued under a credit agreement with Macquarie Capital (the “Macquarie Credit Agreement”).
Valuation Allowance – We released a $10.2 million US valuation allowance against deferred tax assets, resulting in an income tax benefit of $7.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 in the Corporate and Other reportable segment.
Summary of Changes by Reportable Segment
Net operating revenue increased by $119.7 million, or 27.8%, and by $42.0 million, or 10.8%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 and for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, respectively. Following is a breakout of net operating revenue by reportable segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 and for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021.
United States increased by $112.0 million, or 41.7%, and decreased by ($14.7) million, or (5.2%).
Canada increased by $3.9 million, or 5.4%, and by $25.1 million, or 54.2%.
Poland increased by $3.9 million, or 4.4%, and by $31.9 million, or 54.9%.
Corporate and Other decreased by ($0.1) million, or (70.4%), and by ($0.4) million, or (63.7%).
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Operating costs and expenses increased by $121.1 million, or 33.1%, and by $46.2 million, or 14.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 and for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, respectively. Following is a breakout of operating costs and expenses by reportable segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 and for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021.
United States increased by $108.9 million, or 52.4%, and by $1.4 million, or 0.7%.
Canada increased by $0.3 million, or 0.4%, and by $18.2 million, or 43.5%.
Poland increased by $7.6 million, or 9.4%, and by $22.3 million, or 38.0%.
Corporate and Other increased by $4.4 million, or 25.1%, and by $4.2 million, or 32.2%.
Earnings from operations decreased by ($3.6) million, or (5.3%), and by ($0.9) million, or (1.3%), for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 and for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, respectively. Following is a breakout of earnings from operations by reportable segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 and for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021.
United States increased by $3.1 million, or 5.1%, and decreased by ($16.1) million, or (21.0%).
Canada increased by $3.6 million, or 31.5%, and by $6.9 million, or 152.8%.
Poland decreased by ($3.7) million, or (39.7%), and increased by $9.6 million, or 2177.9%.
Corporate and Other decreased by ($6.6) million, or (47.6%), and by ($1.3) million, or (10.7%).
Net earnings decreased by ($36.2) million, or (453.5%), and by ($12.6) million, or (61.3%), for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 and for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, respectively. Items deducted from or added to earnings from operations to arrive at net (loss) earnings include interest income, interest expense, gains (losses) on foreign currency transactions and other, income tax expense and non-controlling interests. Items that impacted the comparability of the results are discussed above. For a discussion of these items, see “Non-Operating Income (Expense)” and “Taxes” below in this Item 7.
Other
Pari-Mutuel
Pari-mutuel revenue includes live racing, export, advanced deposit wagering and off-track betting. Pari-mutuel expenses relate to pari-mutuel revenue and the operation of our racetracks.
Other
Other revenue and other expenses include gift shops, entertainment, golf and spa. Other revenue also includes revenue from ATM and credit card commissions.
Non-GAAP Measures Definitions and Calculations
Adjusted EBITDAR
Adjusted EBITDAR is used outside of our financial statements as a valuation metric. We define Adjusted EBITDAR as net (loss) earnings attributable to Century Casinos, Inc. shareholders before interest expense (income), net, including interest expense related to the Master Lease as discussed below, income taxes (benefit), depreciation, amortization, non-controlling interests net earnings (losses) and transactions, pre-opening expenses, acquisition costs, non-cash stock-based compensation charges, asset impairment costs, loss (gain) on disposition of fixed assets, discontinued operations, (gain) loss on foreign currency transactions, cost recovery income and other, gain on business combination and certain other one-time transactions. Intercompany transactions consisting primarily of management and royalty fees and interest, along with their related tax effects, are excluded from the presentation of net earnings (loss) attributable to Century Casinos, Inc. shareholders and Adjusted EBITDAR reported for each reportable segment. Not all of the aforementioned items occur in each reporting period, but have been included in the definition based on historical activity. These adjustments have no effect on the consolidated results as reported under US generally accepted accounting principles (“US GAAP”).
The Master Lease is accounted for as a financing obligation. As such, a portion of the periodic payment under the Master Lease is recognized as interest expense with the remainder of the payment impacting the financing obligation using the effective interest method.
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Adjusted EBITDAR information is a non-GAAP measure that is a valuation metric, should not be used as an operating metric, and is presented solely as a supplemental disclosure to reported US GAAP measures because we believe this measure is widely used by analysts, lenders, financial institutions, and investors as a principal basis for the valuation of gaming companies. Management believes that presenting Adjusted EBITDAR to investors provides them with information used by management for financial and operational decision-making in order to understand the Company’s operating performance and evaluate the methodology used by management to evaluate and measure such performance. Management believes excluding rent expense related to the Master Lease provides useful information to analysts, lenders, financial institutions, and investors when valuing us, as well as comparing our results to other gaming companies, without regard to differences in capital structure and leasing arrangements since the operations of other gaming companies may or may not include triple-net operating leases.
Adjusted EBITDAR should not be viewed as a measure of overall operating performance as an indicator of our performance, considered in isolation, or construed as an alternative to operating income or net income, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, or as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities, as a measure of liquidity, or as an alternative to any other measure determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles because this measure is not presented on a US GAAP basis and excludes certain expenses, including the rent expense related to our Master Lease, and is provided for the limited purposes discussed herein. In addition, Adjusted EBITDAR as used by us may not be defined in the same manner as other companies in our industry, and, as a result, may not be comparable to similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures of other companies. Consolidated Adjusted EBITDAR should not be viewed as a measure of overall operating performance or considered in isolation or as an alternative to net income, because it excludes the rent expense associated with our Master Lease and certain other items.
The reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDAR to net (loss) earnings attributable to Century Casinos, Inc. shareholders is presented below.
For the year ended December 31, 2023
Amounts in thousands United States Canada Poland Corporate and Other Total
Non-cash stock-based compensation — — — 3,610 3,610
(1)See “Non-Operating Income (Expense) – Interest” below for a breakdown of interest expense (income), net and “Liquidity and Capital Resources” below for more information on the rent payments related to the Master Lease.
(2)Included in the Canada segment is $1.7 million gain related to the earn out payment from the sale of casino operations in Calgary in 2020 and $3.5 million cost recovery income for CDR.
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For the year ended December 31, 2022
Amounts in thousands United States Canada Poland Corporate and Other Total
Net earnings attributable to non-controlling interests — 2,787 2,907 — 5,694
Non-cash stock-based compensation — — — 3,335 3,335
Loss (gain) on disposition of fixed assets 49 27 63 (121) 18
(1)See “Non-Operating Income (Expense) – Interest” below for a breakdown of interest expense (income), net and “Liquidity and Capital Resources” below for more information on the rent payments related to the Master Lease.
(2)Loss of $2.2 million related to the sale of the land and building in Calgary in February 2022 is included in the Canada segment. The loss from the sale was offset by $1.9 million cost recovery income for CDR.
For the year ended December 31, 2021
Amounts in thousands United States Canada Poland Corporate and Other Total
Net earnings attributable to non-controlling interests — 932 224 — 1,156
Non-cash stock-based compensation — — — 2,652 2,652
Loss (gain) on disposition of fixed assets 341 43 44 (37) 391
(1)See “Non-Operating Income (Expense) – Interest” below for a breakdown of interest expense (income), net and “Liquidity and Capital Resources” below for more information on the rent payments related to the Master Lease.
(2)Income of $0.8 million is included in the United States segment related to the sale of excess land at Mountaineer, net of related expenses.
Net Debt
We define Net Debt as total long-term debt (including current portion) plus deferred financing costs minus cash and cash equivalents. Net Debt is not considered a liquidity measure recognized under US GAAP. Management believes that Net Debt is a valuable measure of our overall financial situation. Net Debt provides investors with an indication of our ability to pay off all of our long-term debt if it becomes due simultaneously. The reconciliation of Net Debt is presented below.
Total long-term debt, including current portion $ 332,680 $ 349,580
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REPORTABLE SEGMENTS
The following discussion provides further detail of consolidated results by reportable segment.
United States
For the year
Amounts in thousands 2023 2022 2021 $ Change % Change $ Change % Change
We began consolidating Nugget and Smooth Bourbon in the United States segment on April 3, 2023 following the Second Closing of the Nugget Acquisition, and we began consolidating Rocky Gap on July 25, 2023 following the closing of the Rocky Gap Acquisition.
Sports wagering in Colorado became legal in May 2020. We have partnered with sports betting operators that conduct sports wagering under each of the three Colorado master licenses for sports wagering held by our Colorado subsidiaries. One of these mobile sports betting apps launched in July 2020, a second launched in August 2021 and the third launched in September 2022. Each agreement with the sports betting operators provides for a share of net gaming revenue and a minimum revenue guarantee each year.
New table games and unlimited betting began in May 2021 in Colorado.
In April 2021, we began operating an internet and mobile interactive gaming application in West Virginia with two iGaming partners. The agreements provide for a share of net iGaming revenue.
In December 2021, we entered into an agreement to sell excess land at Mountaineer. The sale proceeds were shared between us and VICI PropCo and we recorded income related to the sale net of related expenses of $0.8 million in gain (loss) on foreign currency transactions, cost recovery income and other on our consolidated statement of (loss) earnings for the year ended December 31, 2021.
We released the US valuation allowance in 2022 and began recording income tax expense. The tax benefit related to the release of the US valuation allowance was recorded in the Corporate and Other reportable segment.
The Walker’s Bluff Casino in Illinois opened in August 2023. This casino has increased competition for our Missouri casinos, primarily our Cape Girardeau casino, which caused a small decline in revenue and customer visits in the first couple of weeks of the Walker’s Bluff operations. However, we believe that our marketing efforts have been effective in offsetting this competition to date. In Cripple Creek, the competitor across the street from our casino opened its casino expansion the last week of December 2023. We did not see a competitive impact on Cripple Creek’s gaming revenue in the fourth quarter of 2023, but future periods could be impacted, either through decreased revenue or increased costs of promotional offers by us in order to compete. Additionally, two potential competing casinos may open in the Central City market in 2024. An increase in competitors in that market could lead to a decrease in visitors at our casino and have a negative impact on our results of operations in Central City.
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The table below provides results by operating segment within the United States reportable segment. Rocky Gap was added to the East operating segment in July 2023 and Nugget was added to the West operating segment in April 2023.
For the year
Amounts in millions 2023 2022 2021 $ Change % Change $ Change % Change
Net Operating Revenue
Operating Costs and Expenses (1)
(1)Operating costs and expenses are calculated as total operating costs and expenses less depreciation and amortization.
2023 Compared to 2022