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Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

Note 10 – Commitments and Contingencies

 

Participation and Revenue Share Agreements

The Company enters into slot placement contracts in the form of participation and revenue share agreements. Under participation agreements, the business location holds the applicable gaming license and retains a percentage of the gaming revenue that it generates from the Company’s slots. Under revenue share agreements, the Company pays the business location a percentage of the gaming revenue generated from the Company’s slots placed at the location, rather than a fixed monthly rental fee. During the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, the aggregate contingent payments recognized by the Company as gaming expenses under revenue share and participation agreements were $36.0 million and $38.6 million, respectively, in each case including $0.2 million under revenue share and participation agreements with related parties, as described in Note 11, Related Party Transactions.

Legal Matters

From time to time, the Company is involved in a variety of lawsuits, claims, investigations and other legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business, including proceedings concerning labor and employment matters, personal injury claims, breach of contract claims, commercial disputes, business practices, intellectual property, tax and other matters for which the Company records reserves. Although lawsuits, claims, investigations and other legal proceedings are inherently uncertain and their results cannot be predicted with certainty, the Company believes that the resolution of its currently pending matters should not have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. Regardless of the outcome, legal proceedings can have an adverse impact on the Company because of defense costs, diversion of management resources and other factors. In addition, it is possible that an unfavorable resolution of one or more such proceedings could in the future materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity in a particular period.

On August 31, 2018, prior guests of The Strat filed a purported class action complaint against the Company in the District Court, Clark County, Nevada, on behalf of similarly situated individuals and entities that paid the Clark County Combined Transient Lodging Tax (“Tax”) on the portion of a resort fee that constitutes charges for Internet access, during the period of February 6, 2014 through the date the alleged conduct ceases. The lawsuit alleged that the Tax was charged in violation of the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act, which imposed a national moratorium on the taxation of Internet access by states and their political subdivisions, and sought, on behalf of the plaintiff and the putative class, damages equal to the amount of the Tax collected on the Internet access component of the resort fee, injunctive relief, disgorgement, interest, fees and costs. All defendants to this matter, including Golden Entertainment, Inc., filed a joint motion to dismiss this matter for lack of merit. The District Court granted this joint motion to dismiss on February 21, 2019. The plaintiffs filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of Nevada on April 10, 2019. The Company, and other defendants, filed an appellate response brief on October 19, 2019.

 

On August 5, 2015 a prior employee filed a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) and subsequently filed an Amended Charge of Discrimination on January 2016 alleging that the Company engaged in disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In late 2019 the EEOC issued a Letter of Determination and invited the Company to participate in a mediation on behalf of the plaintiff and similarly situated parties to work toward a resolution of this matter. This request to mediate has been extended through May 2020 and no mediation date has been set. The EEOC is requesting financial recovery as well as requesting the Company update policies and procedures and the Company is preparing for future mediation.

While legal proceedings are inherently unpredictable and no assurance can be given as to the ultimate outcome of any of the above matters, based on management’s current understanding of the relevant facts and circumstances, the Company believes that these proceedings should not have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.