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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies  
Commitments and Contingencies

12.   Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation

        The Company is subject to various legal and administrative proceedings relating to personal injuries, employment matters, commercial transactions and other matters arising in the normal course of business. The Company does not believe that the final outcome of these matters will have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial position or results of operations. In addition, the Company maintains what it believes is adequate insurance coverage to further mitigate the risks of such proceedings. However, such proceedings can be costly, time consuming and unpredictable and, therefore, no assurance can be given that the final outcome of such proceedings may not materially impact the Company's consolidated financial condition or results of operations. Further, no assurance can be given that the amount or scope of existing insurance coverage will be sufficient to cover losses arising from such matters.

        The following proceedings could result in costs, settlements, damages, or rulings that materially impact the Company's consolidated financial condition or operating results. The Company believes that it has meritorious defenses, claims and/or counter-claims with respect to these proceedings, and intends to vigorously defend itself or pursue its claims.

        Gaming licenses in Iowa are typically issued jointly to a gaming operator and a local charitable organization known as a QSO. The agreement between the Company's gaming operator subsidiary in Iowa, Belle of Sioux City, L.P. ("Belle"), and its QSO, Missouri River Historical Development, Inc. ("MRHD"), expired in early July 2012. On July 12, 2012, when presented with an extension of the Company's QSO/operating agreement for the Sioux City facility through March 2015, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission ("IRGC") failed to approve the extension and urged a shorter extension. In mid-August 2012, MRHD offered a revised contract to the Company that would require a yearly renewal from the IRGC and stated that MRHD would be able to continue searching for an operator for a new land-based casino. The Company rejected this contract offer and, at the August 23, 2012 IRGC meeting, urged the IRGC to reconsider the original extension agreement through March 2015. The IRGC did not act on this request and concluded that the casino could continue to operate without an effective operating agreement. The IRGC also announced at the July 12, 2012 meeting the schedule for requests for proposals for a new land-based Woodbury County casino. The Company submitted two proposals for a new gaming and entertainment destination in Woodbury County for the IRGC's consideration. On April 18, 2013, the IRGC awarded the license to another gaming operator. In August 2013, the IRGC formally denied the Company's application for a standard, one-year renewal of its state license; however, the IRGC affirmed its intention to permit the Company to continue operations at its Sioux City facility until such time as the new casino opens to the public, but not beyond. Therefore, there can be no assurance that this facility will remain open through 2014.The Belle has filed four petitions challenging the IRGC's actions, namely its refusing to consider the Belle's request to replace MRHD with another non-profit partner and opening up the gaming license to bidding for a land-based casino, its failure to approve the 2015 extension agreement and any extension, its announcing a process would be instituted to revoke the Belle's license, and its selection of another gaming operator. The four separate petitions, filed on July 6, 2012, August 10, 2012, September 21, 2012 and May 17, 2013, are pending in the Iowa District Court in Polk County, Iowa and have now been consolidated into one proceeding to be tried later this year. The Company contends that the IRGC violated the Belle's constitutional rights, Iowa State law, and its own rules and regulations in the actions the IRGC has taken against the Belle and its license.

        In addition, on September 26, 2013, the Belle requested an administrative proceeding to contest the IRGC's decision not to renew the Belle's license. This contested case proceeding is expected to be heard by the IRGC in early March 2014. The Belle's grounds for contesting revocation are that the Belle has a valid extension agreement with MRHD in place that the IRGC has refused to approve, and, additionally, the Belle has a second operating agreement with another QSO that the IRGC has refused to approve.

        Also, on September 21, 2013, the Company filed a motion against the IRGC asking the court to stay development of the new casino, which started construction in July 2013, until the Company's litigation against the IRGC is resolved. On December 10, 2013, a judge granted this motion and suspended the other gaming operator's state license until the litigation against the IRGC is resolved. On December 19, 2013, the Iowa Supreme Court stayed the December 10, 2013 order and after briefing, remanded the case to determine whether the stay should stay in place. On February 15, 2014, the trial court determined that the stay should not remain in place.

        In a separate proceeding, the Belle has filed suit against MRHD for breach of contract, seeking to enjoin MRHD from disavowing the 2015 extension agreement it signed and seeking to enforce the exclusivity obligations in the agreement. A request for a preliminary injunction was denied on October 29, 2012. A trial date has not been set.

        On October 21, 2011, the Ohio Roundtable filed a complaint in the Court of Common Pleas in Franklin County, Ohio against a number of defendants, including the Governor, the Ohio Lottery Commission and the Ohio Casino Control Commission. The complaint alleges a variety of substantive and procedural defects relative to the approval and implementation of video lottery terminals as well as several counts dealing with the taxation of standalone casinos. As intervenors, the Company, along with the other two casinos in Ohio, filed motions for judgment on the pleadings to supplement the position of the Racing Commission. In May 2012, the complaint was dismissed; however, the plaintiffs filed an appeal and oral arguments were held on January 17, 2013. In March 2013, the Ohio appeals court upheld the ruling. The decision of the appeals court was appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court by the plaintiffs on April 30, 2013 and the Ohio Supreme Court has elected to accept the appeal. The Ohio Supreme Court has stayed the appeal until it first rules in another matter with related issues. Oral arguments in the other matter were heard on November 6, 2013 but a decision has not yet been issued.

        In addition, the Ohio Racing Commission's decision to permit Raceway Park to relocate its Toledo racetrack to Dayton has been challenged in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas by Lebanon Trotting Club, Inc., the prior owner of a neighboring racetrack. The Ohio Racing Commission and Raceway Park have filed briefs requesting the Court to uphold the Racing Commission's decision.

        On September 11, 2008, the Board of County Commissioners of Cherokee County, Kansas (the "County") filed suit against Kansas Penn Gaming, LLC ("KPG," a wholly owned subsidiary of Penn created to pursue a development project in Cherokee County, Kansas) and the Company in the District Court of Shawnee County, Kansas. The petition alleged that KPG breached its pre-development agreement with the County when KPG withdrew its application to manage a lottery gaming facility in Cherokee County and sought in excess of $50 million in damages. In connection with its petition, the County obtained an ex-parte order attaching the $25 million privilege fee (which was included in current assets at December 31, 2012) paid to the Kansas Lottery Commission in conjunction with the gaming application for the Cherokee County zone. The defendants filed motions to dissolve and reduce the attachment. Those motions were denied. Following discovery, both parties filed dispositive motions and the motions were argued on April 20, 2012. In September 2012, the judge ruled in favor of the County on its motion for summary judgment. At December 31, 2012, the Company accrued $6.4 million, which was included in accrued expenses within the consolidated balance sheet, based on settlement discussions that took place in January 2013. In February 2013, the Company finalized the settlement with the County and the $25 million privilege fee was returned to the Company, net of the amount previously accrued.

        On June 13, 2013, the Company finalized an agreement to the terms of its previous non-binding memorandum of understanding with the State of Ohio. The Company has agreed to pay $110 million over a ten year period commencing in July 2013 for certain clarifications from the State of Ohio with respect to various financial matters and limits on competition within the ten year time period, which is recorded within gaming expenses in the consolidated statement of operations. Additionally, in return for being able to relocate its existing racetracks in Toledo and Grove City to Dayton and Austintown (located in the Mahoning Valley), respectively, the Company agreed to pay the state $7.5 million upon the opening of each facility, as well as eighteen semi-annual installment payments of approximately $4.8 million beginning one year after the opening of each facility. Finally, the Company anticipates paying the gaming license fees associated with each facility as follows; 1) $10 million in the second quarter of 2014, 2) $15 million upon opening and 3) $25 million on the one year anniversary of the commencement of gaming.

Operating Lease Commitments

        The Company entered into the Master Lease with GLPI in connection with the Spin-Off. The rent structure under the Master Lease includes a fixed component, a portion of which is subject to an annual 2% escalator if certain rent coverage ratio thresholds are met, and a component that is based on the performance of the facilities, which is adjusted, subject to certain floors (i) every 5 years by an amount equal to 4% of the average change to net revenues of all facilities under the Master Lease (other than Hollywood Casino Columbus and Hollywood Casino Toledo) during the preceding five years, and (ii) monthly by an amount equal to 20% of the change in net revenues of Hollywood Casino Columbus and Hollywood Casino Toledo during the preceding month. In addition to rent, the Company is required to pay the following: (i) all facility maintenance, (ii) all insurance required in connection with the leased properties and the business conducted on the leased properties, (iii) 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. Total rental expense under the Master Lease was $69.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2013.

        At the option of the Company, the Master Lease may be extended for up to four five-year renewal terms beyond the initial term, on the same terms and conditions. If the Company elects to renew the term of the Master Lease, the renewal will be effective as to all, but not less than all, of the leased property then subject to the Master Lease, as defined.

        Additionally, the Company is liable under numerous operating leases for various assets, including but not limited to an airplane, automobiles, and other equipment. Total rental expense under these other lease agreements was $28.4 million, $29.7 million, and $28.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

        The future minimum lease commitments relating to the base lease rent portion of noncancelable operating leases, separated by the Master Lease and other lease commitments, at December 31, 2013 are as follows (in thousands):

Year ending December 31,
  Master Lease   Other   Total  

2014

  $ 376,552   $ 4,628   $ 381,180  

2015

    376,552     3,344     379,896  

2016

    376,552     2,557     379,109  

2017

    376,553     2,141     378,694  

2018

    368,762     2,178     370,940  

Thereafter

    3,243,690     17,561     3,261,251  
               

Total

  $ 5,118,661   $ 32,409   $ 5,151,070  
               
               

Capital Expenditure Commitments

        The Company's current construction program for 2014 calls for capital expenditures of approximately $111.5 million, of which the Company was contractually committed to spend approximately $20.1 million at December 31, 2013.

Purchase obligations

        The Company has obligations to purchase various goods and services totaling $40.9 million at December 31, 2013, of which $35.9 million will be incurred in 2014.

Employee Benefit Plans

        The Company maintains a profit-sharing plan under the provisions of Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which covers all eligible employees. The plan enables participating employees to defer a portion of their salary in a retirement fund to be administered by the Company. The Company makes a discretionary match contribution of 50% of employees' elective salary deferrals, up to a maximum of 6% of eligible employee compensation. The matching contributions for the profit-sharing plan for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 were $4.6 million, $3.7 million, and $3.7 million, respectively.

        The Company also has a defined contribution plan, the Charles Town Races Future Service Retirement Plan, covering substantially all of its union employees at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races makes annual contributions to this plan for the eligible union employees and to the Penn National Gaming, Inc. 401(k) Plan for the eligible non-union employees for an amount equal to the amount accrued for retirement expense, which is calculated as 0.25% of the daily mutual handle, 1.0% of net video lottery revenue up to a base and, after the base is met, it reverts to 0.5% and 0.84% of table and poker revenue, respectively. The contributions for the two plans at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 were $3.6 million, $3.9 million, and $3.8 million, respectively.

        The Company maintains a non-qualified deferred compensation plan that covers most management and other highly-compensated employees. This plan was effective March 1, 2001. The plan allows the participants to defer, on a pre-tax basis, a portion of their base annual salary and/or their annual bonus, and earn tax-deferred earnings on these deferrals. The plan also provides for matching Company contributions that vest over a five-year period. The Company has established a Trust, and transfers to the Trust, on a periodic basis, an amount necessary to provide for its respective future liabilities with respect to participant deferral and Company contribution amounts. The Company's matching contributions for the non-qualified deferred compensation plan for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 were $2.3 million, $2.7 million, and $2.3 million, respectively. The Company's deferred compensation liability, which was included in other current liabilities within the consolidated balance sheets, was $53.7 million and $52.4 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Labor Agreements

        The Company is required to have agreements with the horsemen at the majority of its racetracks to conduct its live racing and/or simulcasting activities. In addition, in order to operate gaming machines and table games in West Virginia, the Company must maintain agreements with each of the Charles Town horsemen, pari-mutuel clerks and breeders.

        At Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, the Company has an agreement with the track's horse owners and trainers that expired on December 31, 2013 and has been extended on a month-to-month basis while negotiations are in progress. Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races also has an agreement with the breeders that expires on June 30, 2014. Additionally, the pari-mutuel clerks at Charles Town are represented under a collective bargaining agreement with the West Virginia Union of Mutuel Clerks, which expired on December 31, 2010 and has been extended on a month-to-month basis while negotiations are in process.

        The Company's agreement with the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course expires on January 31, 2016. The Company had a collective bargaining agreement with Local 137 of the Sports Arena Employees at Penn National Race Course with respect to on-track pari-mutuel clerks and admissions personnel which expired on December 31, 2011. In August 2012, Local 137 of the Sports Arena Employees announced that they entered into a "voluntary supervision" agreement with their international union, Laborers' International Union of North America ("LIUNA") Local 108. The Company also had an agreement in place with Local 137 of the Sports Arena Employees with respect to pari-mutuel clerks and admission personnel at its OTWs that expired on August 31, 2013. In February 2014, a new agreement with LIUNA Local 108 for on-track and OTWs bargaining units was ratified for three years.

        The Company's agreement with the Maine Harness Horsemen Association at Bangor Raceway continues through the conclusion of the 2015 racing season.

        The Company has agreements with the Ohio Harness Horsemen Association at Raceway Park and the Ohio Horsemen's Protective and Benevolent Association at Beulah Park that expired on December 31, 2013 but are still in effect until new agreements are negotiated.

        Rosecroft Raceway entered into agreements with the Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners Association ("CSOA") and Maryland Standardbred Breeder's Association ("MSBA") as of July 5, 2011. CSOA's agreement has been extended through December 31, 2014, with extensions through December 31, 2016 at the sole discretion of Rosecroft Raceway. The MSBA agreement has been extended through December 31, 2014. Additionally, Rosecroft Raceway has entered into agreements with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union ("UFCW") Local 27 and the Seafarers Entertainment and Allied Trade Union ("SEATU") for certain bargaining positions at the racetrack. The UFCW Local 27 agreement expires on November 14, 2014 and the SEATU agreement expires on November 30, 2020.

        Across certain of the Company's properties, SEATU represents approximately 1,600 of the Company's employees under agreements that expire at various times between June 2014 and July 2021. At Argosy Casino Alton and Argosy Casino Riverside, the SEATU agreements expired in May 2013 and October 2013, respectively, and both have been extended on a monthly basis while negotiations are in process. At Hollywood Casino Joliet, the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union Local 1 represents approximately 210 employees under a collective bargaining agreement which expires on March 31, 2015. In addition, at some of the Company's properties, the Security Police and Fire Professionals of America, the International Brotherhood of Electronic Workers Locals 176 and 649, the Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board affiliated with Workers United, the LIUNA Public Serviced Employees Local 1290PE, and the United Industrial, Service, Transportation, Professional and Government Workers of North America represent certain of the Company's employees under collective bargaining agreements that expire at various times between May 2015 and September 2025. None of these particular unions represent more than 75 of the Company's employees.

        If the Company fails to maintain operative agreements with the horsemen at a track, it will not be permitted to conduct live racing and export and import simulcasting at that track and OTWs and, in West Virginia, the Company will not be permitted to operate its gaming machines and table games unless the state intervenes or changes the statute. In addition, the Company's simulcasting agreements are subject to the horsemen's approval. If the Company fails to renew or modify existing agreements on satisfactory terms, this failure could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations. Except for the closure of the facilities at Penn National Race Course and its OTWs from February 16, 1999 to March 24, 1999 due to a horsemen's strike, and a few days at other times and locations, the Company has been able to maintain the necessary agreements. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to maintain the required agreements.