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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the balance sheet date and reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Reclassifications were made to the Company’s prior period consolidated financial statements to conform to the current period presentation, where applicable. These reclassifications had no effect on previously reported net income.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and in banks and highly-liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. Although these balances may at times exceed the federal insured deposit limit, the Company believes such risk is mitigated by the quality of the institutions holding such deposits.
Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable consist primarily of gaming, hotel and other receivables, net of allowance for credit losses. Accounts receivable are non-interest bearing and are initially recorded at cost. An estimated allowance for credit losses is maintained to reduce the Company’s accounts receivable to their expected net realizable value based on specific reviews of customer accounts, the age of such accounts, management’s assessment of the customer’s financial condition, historical and current collection experience and management’s expectations of future collection trends based on the current and forecasted economic and business conditions. Accounts are written off when management deems them to be uncollectible. Recoveries of accounts previously written off are recorded when received.
Inventories
Inventories consist primarily of food and beverage and retail items and are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined using the first-in, first-out and the average cost inventory methods.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Assets held under finance lease agreements are stated at the lower of the present value of the future minimum lease payments or fair value at the inception of the lease. Expenditures for major additions, renewals and improvements are capitalized while costs of routine repairs and maintenance are expensed when incurred. A significant amount of the Company’s property and equipment was acquired through business acquisitions and therefore was initially recognized at fair value on the effective date of the applicable acquisition transaction. Depreciation of property and equipment is computed using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:
Building and land improvements
10 - 40 years
Furniture and equipment
3 - 15 years
Leasehold improvements
2 - 15 years
The Company reviews the carrying amounts of its long-lived assets, other than goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability is evaluated by comparing the estimated future cash flows of the asset, on an undiscounted basis, to its carrying amount. If the undiscounted estimated future cash flows exceed the carrying amount, no impairment is indicated. If the undiscounted estimated future cash flows do not exceed the carrying amount, impairment is recorded based on the difference between the asset’s estimated fair value and its carrying amount. To estimate fair values, the Company generally uses market comparables, when available, or a discounted cash flow model. The estimation of fair value requires significant judgment and is based on assumptions about future cash flows, including future growth rates, operating margins, economic and business conditions, all of which are unpredictable and inherently uncertain. The Company’s long-lived asset impairment tests are
performed at the reporting unit level. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, there were no impairment charges.
Assets to be disposed of are carried at the lower of their carrying amount or fair value less costs of disposal. The fair value of assets to be disposed of is generally estimated based on comparable asset sales, solicited offers or a discounted cash flow model. Sales and other disposals of property and equipment are recorded by removing the related cost and accumulated depreciation from the accounts with gains or losses on sales and other disposals recorded in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
Goodwill
The Company tests its goodwill for impairment annually during the fourth quarter of each year, and whenever events or circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that impairment may have occurred. Impairment testing for goodwill is performed at the reporting unit level.
When performing testing for impairment, the Company either conducts a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired, or elects to bypass this qualitative assessment and perform a quantitative test. Under the qualitative assessment, the Company considers both positive and negative factors, including macroeconomic conditions, industry events, financial performance and other changes, and makes a determination of whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of goodwill is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the qualitative factors, the Company determines that it is more likely than not the asset is impaired, it then performs a quantitative test in which the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is compared to its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to the excess, limited to the amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit.
When performing the quantitative test, the Company estimates the fair value of each reporting unit using the expected present value of future cash flows along with value indications based on current valuation multiples of the Company and comparable publicly traded companies. The estimation of fair value requires significant judgment and is based on assumptions about future cash flows, including future growth rates, operating margins, economic and business conditions, all of which are unpredictable and inherently uncertain. Cash flow estimates are based on the current regulatory, political and economic climates, recent operating information and projections. Such estimates could be negatively impacted by changes in federal, state or local regulations, economic downturns, competition, events affecting various forms of travel and access to the Company’s properties, and other factors, such that the actual results may differ materially from such estimates. If the Company’s estimates of future cash flows are not met, it may be required to record goodwill impairment charges in the future.
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets
The Company’s indefinite-lived intangible assets are comprised of trade names. The fair value of the Company’s trade names is estimated using the income approach to valuation at each of its reporting units. The Company tests its indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually during the fourth quarter of each year, and whenever events or circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that an asset is impaired. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized unless it is determined that an asset’s useful life is no longer indefinite. The Company periodically reviews its indefinite-lived assets to determine whether events and circumstances continue to support an indefinite useful life. If an indefinite-lived intangible asset no longer has an indefinite life, the asset is tested for impairment and is subsequently accounted for as a finite-lived intangible asset.
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets 
The Company’s finite-lived intangible assets primarily represent assets related to its customer relationships, player relationships, non-compete agreements, leasehold interest and licenses, which are amortized over their estimated useful lives using the straight-line method. The Company periodically evaluates the remaining useful lives of its finite-lived intangible assets to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining period of amortization.
The Company’s customer relationship assets represent the value associated with space lease agreements and participation agreements with its distributed gaming customers acquired in an asset purchase or business acquisition. The Company’s player relationships represent the value associated with its rated casino guests. The initial fair value of these intangible assets was determined using the income approach. The recoverability of the finite-lived intangible assets could be affected by, among other things, increased competition within the gaming industry, a downturn in the economy, declines in customer spending which could impact the expected future cash flows associated with the rated casino guests, declines in the number of customer visits which could impact the expected attrition rate of the rated casino guests, and erosion of operating margins associated with rated casino guests. Should events or changes in circumstances cause the carrying amount of a customer relationship intangible asset
to exceed its estimated fair value, the Company will recognize an impairment charge in the amount of the excess of the carrying amount over its estimated fair value.
Business Combinations
The Company allocates the business combination purchase price to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values. The excess of the purchase price over those fair values is recorded as goodwill. The fair value allocation methodology requires management to make assumptions and apply judgment to estimate the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Management estimates the fair values of assets and liabilities primarily using discounted cash flows and replacement cost analysis. Provisional fair value measurements of assets acquired and liabilities assumed may be retrospectively adjusted with the corresponding offset to goodwill during the measurement period, which does not extend beyond one year from the acquisition date. The measurement period ends once the Company is able to determine it has obtained all necessary information that existed as of the acquisition date or once the Company determines that such information is unavailable.
Long-Term Debt, Net
Long-term debt, net is reported as the outstanding debt amount, net of unamortized debt issuance costs and debt discount. These include legal and other direct costs related to the issuance of debt and discounts granted to the initial purchasers or lenders of the Company’s debt instruments, and are recorded as a direct reduction to the face amount of the Company’s outstanding long-term debt on the consolidated balance sheets. The debt discount and debt issuance costs are accreted to interest expense using the effective interest method or, if the amounts approximate the effective interest method, on a straight-line basis over the contractual term of the underlying debt. The Company amortized $4.5 million, $4.5 million and $5.1 million to interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Derivative Instruments
The Company uses derivative financial instruments to manage interest rate exposure. The fair value of derivative financial instruments is recognized as an asset or liability at each balance sheet date, with changes in fair value recorded in earnings as the Company’s derivative financial instruments do not qualify for hedge accounting. The fair value approximates the amount the Company would pay if these contracts were settled at the respective valuation dates.
Leases
The Company determines whether an arrangement is or contains a lease at inception or modification of a contract. An arrangement is or contains a lease if it conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. The right to control the use of the identified asset means the lessee has both the right to obtain substantially all economic benefits from the use of the asset and the right to direct the use of the asset.
Operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date for the arrangements with a term of 12 months or longer and are initially measured based on the present value of lease payments over the defined lease term. The measurement of the operating lease ROU assets also includes any prepaid lease payments made and is net of lease incentives. If the implicit interest rate to be applied to the determination of the present value of lease payments over the lease term is not readily determinable, the Company estimates the incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date. The Company’s lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease. The Company assesses these options using a threshold of reasonably certain. For leases the Company is reasonably certain to renew, those option periods are included within the lease term and, therefore, the measurement of the ROU asset and lease liability. For operating leases, lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. For finance leases, the ROU asset depreciates on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the lease term or useful life of the ROU asset and the lease liability accretes interest based on the interest method using the discount rate determined at lease commencement.
The Company is the lessor under non-cancelable operating leases for retail and food and beverage outlet space within its resort casino properties. The Company also enters into operating lease agreements with certain equipment providers for placement of amusement devices and automated teller machines within its resort casino properties and taverns. The lease arrangements generally include minimum base rent and/or contingent rental clauses based on a percentage of net sales exceeding minimum base rent. Revenue is recorded on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. The Company recognizes revenue for contingent rentals when the contingency has been resolved.
Revenue Recognition
Revenue from contracts with customers primarily consists of casino wagers, room sales, food and beverage transactions, rental income from the Company’s retail tenants and entertainment sales.
Casino gaming revenues are the aggregate of gaming wins and losses. The commissions rebated to premium players for cash discounts and other cash incentives to patrons related to gaming play are recorded as a reduction to casino gaming revenues. Gaming contracts include a performance obligation to honor the patron’s wager and typically include a performance obligation to provide a product or service to the patron on a complimentary basis to incentivize gaming or in exchange for points earned under the Company’s True Rewards® loyalty program.
The Company generally enters into three types of slot and amusement device placement contracts as part of its distributed gaming business: space lease agreements, participation agreements and space lease agreements with revenue share provisions. Under space lease agreements, that do not have revenue share provisions, the Company generally pays a fixed monthly rental fee for the right to install, maintain and operate the Company’s slots at a business location and the Company holds the applicable gaming license allowing it to operate such slots. Under these agreements, the Company recognizes all gaming revenue and records fixed monthly rental fees as gaming expenses. Under participation agreements, the business location holds the applicable gaming license and retains a percentage of the gaming revenue generated from the Company’s slots, which is recorded by the Company as an expense. Space lease agreements with revenue share provisions are a hybrid model that has both space lease and participation elements and the Company pays the business a percentage of the gaming revenue generated from its slots placed at the location, rather than a fixed monthly rental fee. Under such arrangements, the Company holds the applicable gaming license to conduct gaming at the location and the business location is required to obtain separate regulatory approval to receive a percentage of the gaming revenue. In Montana, the Company’s slot and amusement device placement contracts are all participation agreements. In its distributed gaming business, the Company considers its customer to be the gaming player since the Company controls all aspects of the slot machines. Due to the maintaining of control of the services directly before they are transferred to the customer, the Company is considered to be the principal in these transactions and therefore, records revenue on a gross basis.
For wagering contracts that include complimentary products and services provided by the Company to incentivize gaming, the Company allocates the stand-alone selling price of each product and service to the respective revenue type. Complimentary products or services provided under the Company’s control and discretion that are supplied by third parties are recorded as an operating expense in the consolidated statements of operations.
For wagering contracts that include products and services provided to a patron in exchange for points earned under the Company’s loyalty program, the Company allocates the estimated stand-alone selling price of the points earned to the loyalty program liability. The loyalty program liability is a deferral of revenue until redemption occurs under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Upon redemption of loyalty program points for Company-owned products and services, the stand-alone selling price of each product or service is allocated to the respective revenue type. For redemptions of points with third parties, the redemption amount is deducted from the loyalty program liability and paid directly to the third party. Any discounts received by the Company from the third party in connection with this transaction are recorded to other revenue. The Company’s performance obligation related to its loyalty program is generally completed within one year, as participants’ points expire after thirteen months of no activity.
After allocation to the other revenue types for products and services provided to patrons as part of a wagering contract, the residual amount is recorded to casino gaming revenue as soon as the wager is settled. As all wagers have similar characteristics, the Company accounts for its gaming contracts collectively on a portfolio basis. Gaming contracts are typically completed daily based on the outcome of the wagering transaction and include a distinct performance obligation to provide gaming activities.
Revenue from leases is recorded to “Other revenue” in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and is generated from base rents through long-term leases with retail tenants. Base rent, adjusted for contractual escalations as applicable, is recognized on a straight-lined basis over the term of the related lease. Overage rent is paid by a tenant when its sales exceed an agreed upon minimum amount and is not recognized by the Company until the threshold is met.
Food, beverage, and retail revenues are recorded at the time of sale. Room revenue is recorded at the time of occupancy. Sales taxes and surcharges collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are presented on a net basis.
Contract and Contract Related Liabilities
The Company provides numerous products and services to its customers. There is often a timing difference between the cash payment by the customers and recognition of revenue for each of the associated performance obligations. The Company generally has three types of liabilities related to contracts with customers:
Outstanding Chip Liability — The outstanding chip liability represents the collective amounts owed to customers in exchange for gaming chips in their possession. Outstanding chips are expected to be recognized as revenue or redeemed for cash within one year of being purchased.
Loyalty ProgramThe Company offers its new consolidated True Rewards loyalty program at all of its resort casino properties, as well as at all of its branded taverns and at participating supermarkets. Members of the Company’s True Rewards loyalty program may earn points based on gaming and retail activity including food and beverage purchases and resort activities at the Company’s resort casino properties, branded taverns and participating supermarkets. Loyalty points are redeemable for complimentary slot and table game play, food, beverages, grocery gift cards and hotel rooms, among other items. All points earned in the loyalty program roll up into a single account balance which is redeemable enterprise-wide at over 140 participating locations.
The Company records a liability based on the value of points earned, less an estimate for points not expected to be redeemed. This liability represents a deferral of revenue until such time as the participant redeems the points earned. Redemption history at the Company’s casinos and taverns is used to assist in the determination of the estimated accruals. Loyalty program points are expected to be redeemed and recognized as revenue within one year of being earned, since participants’ points expire after thirteen months of no activity. The True Rewards points accruals are included in current liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Changes in the program, increases in membership and changes in the redemption patterns of the participants can impact this liability.
Customer Deposits and Other — Customer deposits and other deferred revenue represent cash deposits made by customers for future non-gaming services to be provided by the Company. With the exception of tenant deposits, which are tied to the terms of the lease and typically extend beyond a year, the majority of these customer deposits and other deferred revenue are expected to be recognized as revenue or refunded to the customer within one year of the date the deposit was recorded.
The following table summarizes the Company’s activity for contract and contract related liabilities:
Outstanding Chip LiabilityLoyalty ProgramCustomer Deposits and Other
(In thousands)202020192020201920202019
Balance at January 1$756 $1,763 $4,696 $6,214 $5,015 $6,126 
Balance at December 31997 756 3,969 4,696 3,497 5,015 
Increase (decrease)$241 $(1,007)$(727)$(1,518)$(1,518)$(1,111)
Costs to Acquire a Contract with a Customer
As part of the Company’s distributed gaming business, the Company incurs incremental costs to acquire customer contracts in the form of up-front fully recoverable consideration provided to a customer upon execution of the agreement. Such costs are recorded as other current and non-current assets in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and are amortized over the term of the contract. The amount of costs to acquire customer contracts recorded by the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $5.5 million and $6.2 million, respectively.
Gaming Taxes
The Company’s Nevada casinos are subject to taxes based on gross gaming revenues and pay annual fees based on the number of slots and table games licensed during the year. Rocky Gap is subject to gaming taxes based on gross gaming revenues and also pays an annual flat tax based on the number of table games and video lottery terminals in operation during the year. The Company’s distributed gaming operations in Nevada are subject to taxes based on the Company’s share of non-restricted gross gaming revenue for those locations that have grandfathered rights to more than 15 slots for play, and/or annual and quarterly fees at all tavern and third party distributed gaming locations. The Company’s distributed gaming operations in Montana are subject to taxes based on the Company’s share of gross gaming revenue. These gaming taxes are recorded as gaming expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Total gaming taxes and licenses were $51.8 million, $62.1 million and $55.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Advertising Expenses 
The Company expenses advertising, marketing and promotional costs as incurred. Advertising costs included in the “Selling, general and administrative” line in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations were $6.9 million, $13.1 million and $10.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Share-Based Compensation Expense
The Company has various share-based compensation programs, which provide for equity awards including stock options, time-based restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and performance-based restricted stock units (“PSUs”). Share-based compensation expense is measured at the grant date, based on the estimated fair value of the award, and is recognized as expense, net of forfeitures, over the employee’s requisite service period. Compensation costs related to stock option awards are calculated based on the fair value of the award on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. For RSUs and PSUs, compensation expense is calculated based on the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. All of the Company’s share-based compensation expense is recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.
Income Taxes
The Company is subject to income taxes in the United States. Accounting standards require the recognition of deferred tax assets, net of applicable reserves, and liabilities for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect of a change in tax rates on the income tax provision and deferred tax assets and liabilities generally is recognized in the results of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. Accounting standards also require recognition of a future tax benefit to the extent that realization of such benefit is more likely than not; otherwise, a valuation allowance is applied.
The Company’s income tax returns are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities in the locations where it operates. The Company assesses potentially unfavorable outcomes of such examinations based on accounting standards for uncertain income taxes. The accounting standards prescribe a minimum recognition threshold a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in the financial statements.
Uncertain tax position accounting standards apply to all tax positions related to income taxes. These accounting standards utilize a two-step approach for evaluating tax positions. If a tax position, based on its technical merits, is deemed more likely than not to be sustained, then the tax benefit is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is more likely than not to be realized upon settlement.
The Company records estimated penalties and interest related to income tax matters, including uncertain tax positions, if any, as a component of income tax expense.
Net Income (Loss) per Share
For all periods, basic net income (loss) per share is calculated by dividing net income by the weighted-average common shares outstanding. Diluted net income per share in profitable periods reflects the effect of all potentially dilutive common shares outstanding by dividing net income by the weighted-average of all common and potentially dilutive shares outstanding. Due to the net loss for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the effect of all potential common share equivalents was anti-dilutive, and therefore, all such shares were excluded from the computation of diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding for these periods. The amount of potential common share equivalents was 915,025, 916,907 and 2,014,012 for years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Changes to GAAP are established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), in the form of ASUs, to the FASB’s Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). The Company considers the applicability and impact of all ASUs. While management continues to assess the possible impact of the adoption of new accounting standards and the future adoption of the new accounting standards that are not yet effective on the Company’s financial statements, management currently believes that the following new standards have or may have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and disclosures:
Accounting Standards Issued and Adopted
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments — Credit Losses (Topic 326) (“ASC 326”). The new guidance replaced the incurred loss impairment methodology in current GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. For trade and other receivables, loans and other financial instruments, the Company is required to use a forward-looking expected loss model rather than the incurred loss model for recognizing credit losses which reflects losses that are probable. The Company adopted the standard effective January 1, 2020, and the adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements and disclosures.
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework — Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement (“ASC 820”). The new guidance amended the disclosure requirements for recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements by removing, modifying, and adding certain disclosures on fair value measurements in ASC 820. The amendments on changes in unrealized gains and losses, the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements, and the narrative description of measurement uncertainty should be applied prospectively for only the most recent interim or annual period presented in the initial fiscal year of adoption. All other amendments are to be applied retrospectively to all periods presented upon their effective date. The Company adopted the standard effective January 1, 2020, and the adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements and disclosures.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. The ASU was intended to eliminate potential diversity in practice in accounting for costs incurred to implement cloud computing arrangements that are service contracts by requiring customers in such arrangements to follow internal-use software guidance with respect to such costs, with any resulting deferred implementation costs recognized over the term of the contract in the same income statement line item as the fees associated with the hosting element of the arrangement. The Company adopted the standard effective January 1, 2020, and the adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements and disclosures.
Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The ASU is intended to simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions for investments, intraperiod allocations, and interim calculations, and adds guidance to reduce the complexity of applying Topic 740. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this ASU on its financial statements and disclosures; however, it does not expect the impact to be material.
No other recently issued accounting standards that are not yet effective have been identified that management believes are likely to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.