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AGS Announces Third Quarter 2018 Results

Published

6 years ago

November 9, 2018

AGS Announces Third Quarter 2018 Results Reading Time: 14 minutes

– Record Quarterly Revenue of $75.5 Million Grew 34% Year-Over-Year
– Total Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) of $33.6 Million Grew 14% Year-Over-Year
– Record Net Income Improved to $4.3 Million
– Record EGM Units Sold of 1,332 Grew 58% Year-Over-Year

PlayAGS, Inc. reported operating results for its third quarter 2018.

AGS President and Chief Executive Officer David Lopez said, “In the third quarter, AGS sold 1,332 EGMs, a 58% jump year-over-year, and a company record. Revenue hit an all-time high of $75.5 million, demonstrating continued demand for our Orion Portrait cabinet and growing momentum for our new Orion Slant, in addition to significant progress in Canada, with 24% of our sold EGMs placed in several Canadian provinces. Our Tables segment posted its best quarter to date, with our innovative progressives contributing to a 30% increase in installs year-over-year. AGS is still very underrepresented in many markets both domestically and internationally, which presents significant long-term growth opportunities for the Company due to our industry-leading game performance, an expanding suite of cabinet options, best-in-class R&D, and diversified product offerings.”

Summary of the quarter ended September 30, 2018 and 2017
(In thousands, except per-share and unit data)

	Three Months Ended September 30,
	2018		2017		% Change
Revenues
EGM	$	71,784	$	53,331	34.6 %
Table Products		2,052		1,099	86.7 %
Interactive		1,690		2,010	(15.9)%
Total revenue	$	75,526	$	56,440	33.8 %
Operating income	$	10,110	$	9,136	10.7 %
Net income (loss)	$	4,347	$	(4,090)	N/A
Income (loss) per share	$	0.12	$	(0.18)	N/A

Adjusted EBITDA
EGM	$	34,026	$	29,756	14.4 %
Table Products		428		(232)	N/A
Interactive		(877)		(123)	N/A
Total Adjusted EBITDA⁽¹⁾	$	33,577	$	29,401	14.2 %

EGM units sold		1,332		842	58.2 %
EGM total installed base, end of period		24,184		22,015	9.9 %

⁽¹⁾Total Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure, see non-GAAP reconciliation below.

Third Quarter Financial Highlights

Total revenue increased 34% to $75.5 million, a Company record, driven by continued growth of our EGMs in the Class III marketplace, including entry into Alberta, Canada as well as a large sale to a long-standing tribal customer.
Recurring revenue grew to $50.7 million, or 18% year-over-year. In addition to the contribution from the EGMs purchased from Rocket Gaming, the increase was driven by our strong domestic revenue per day (“RPD”) of $27.14, up $1.70 year-over-year as well as increases in Table Products revenue driven by an increase in Table Product units.
EGM equipment sales increased 82% to $24.7 million, another Company record, due to the sale of 1,332 units, of which approximately 24% were sold in Canada and 276 units were sold to a long-standing tribal customer.
Net income improved to $4.3 million from a net loss of $4.1 million in the prior year period, primarily due to the increased revenue described above.
Total Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) increased to $33.6 million, or 14%, driven by the significant increase in revenue, partially offset by increased adjusted operating expenses of $6.1 million primarily due to increased headcount in SG&A and R&D. Included in that amount was approximately $1.0 million of operating costs from our recently acquired real money gaming (“RMG”) content-aggregator Gameiom.⁽¹⁾
Total Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) decreased to 44% in the third quarter of 2018 compared to 52% in the prior year driven by several different factors, most notably the increased proportion of equipment sales as part of total revenues, higher-period costs related to manufacturing, and service costs,as well as increased operating costs mentioned above and costs associated with our recently acquired RMG content-aggregator Gameiom.⁽¹⁾
SG&A expenses increased $5.5 million in the third quarter of 2018 primarily due to increased salary and benefit costs of $2.8 million due to higher headcount, and $2.2 million from increased professional fees driven by acquisitions as well as previous securities offerings. The increase was also attributable to costs associated with the recent acquisition of RMG content-aggregator Gameiom.
R&D expenses increased $1.4 million in the third quarter of 2018 driven by higher salary and benefit costs related to additional headcount. As a percentage of total revenue, R&D expense was 10% for the period ended September 30, 2018 compared to 11% for the prior year period.

(1) Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure, see non-GAAP reconciliation below.

Third Quarter Business Highlights

EGM units sold increased to 1,332, a Company record, in the current quarter compared to 842 in the prior year led by sales of the Orion Portrait and Orion Slant cabinets in early-entry markets such as Alberta, Nevada, and Ontario.
Domestic EGM RPD increased 7% to $27.14, driven by our new product offerings and the optimization of our installed base by installing our newer higher-performing EGMs.
EGM average selling price (“ASP”) increased 14% to $18,051, driven by record sales of the premium-priced Orion Portrait cabinet and our newly introduced core-plus cabinet, Orion Slant.
Table Products increased 328 units sequentially, or 12%, to 3,065 units, driven by organic growth, most notably the Super 4 Progressive Blackjack and Buster Blackjack side bet.
Our ICON cabinet footprint grew 59% year over year to over 6,800 total units in the field.
Mexico’s installed base increased 645 units year over year and 240 units sequentially to over 8,100 units with over 420 ICON units as of September 30, 2018.
The Orion Portrait cabinet ended the third quarter of 2018 with a footprint of over 4,460 total units as compared to 1,123 units in the third quarter of 2017, up 134% from year-end and 298% year-over-year.
AGS’ new Orion Slant footprint increased to over 780 units by quarter end.

Balance Sheet Review

Capital expenditures increased $5.6 million to $16.1 million in the third quarter, compared to $10.5 million in the prior year period. As of September 30, 2018, we had $33.2 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared to $19.2 million at December 31, 2017. Total net debt, which is the principal amount of debt outstanding less cash and cash equivalents, as of September 30, 2018, was approximately $476.9 million compared to $648.7 million at December 31, 2017. This substantial reduction was driven by the IPO and related redemption of our HoldCo PIK notes during the first quarter. In the third quarter, net debt decreased by over $6.9 million due to mandatory principal payments on our term loans and a higher balance of cash and cash equivalents. As a result of the above transactions and our strong operational performance, our total net debt leverage ratio, which is total net debt divided by Adjusted EBITDA for the trailing 12-month period, decreased from 6.1 times at December 31, 2017, to 3.6 times at September 30, 2018.⁽²⁾

(2) Total net debt leverage ratio is a non-GAAP measure, see non-GAAP reconciliation below.

Term Loan Repricing

On October 5, 2018, we entered into an Incremental Assumption and Amendment Agreement No. 2 to reduce the applicable interest rate margin for the Term B Loans by 75 basis point from LIBOR plus 425 bps to LIBOR plus 350 bps, saving nearly $4 million in annual cash interest expense, with an additional 25 basis points potential reduction upon receiving a corporate credit rating of at least B1 from Moody’s Investors Service. In conjunction with the repricing, we secured commitments from lenders for an additional $30 million in terms loans under our existing credit agreement. The net proceeds of the incremental term loans are expected to be used for general corporate purposes and additional capital to accelerate growth.

2018 Outlook

Based on our year-to-date progress and due to our current momentum, we now expect our total Adjusted EBITDA in 2018 to be between $134.0 and $136.0 million. This is an upward revision to the guidance we previously released and is based on our progress executing against our many growth initiatives in the first half of the year and due to our improved visibility for the remainder of the year.

We have not provided a reconciliation of forward-looking total Adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, net income (loss), due primarily to the variability and difficulty in making accurate forecasts and projections of the variable and individual adjustments for a reconciliation to net income (loss), as not all of the information necessary for a quantitative reconciliation is available to us without unreasonable effort. We expect that the main components of net income (loss) for fiscal year 2018 shall consist of operating expenses, interest expenses, as well as other expenses (income) and income tax expenses, which are inherently difficult to forecast and quantify with reasonable accuracy without unreasonable efforts. The amounts associated with these items have historically and may continue to vary significantly from quarter to quarter and material changes to these items could have a significant effect on our future GAAP results.

Conference Call and Webcast

Today at 5 p.m. EST management will host a conference call to present the third quarter 2018 results. Listeners may access a live webcast of the conference call, along with accompanying slides, at AGS’ Investor Relations website at http:// investors.playags.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the website following the live event. To listen by telephone, the U.S/Canada toll-free dial-in number is +1 (866) 270-1533 and the dial-in number for participants outside the U.S./Canada is +1 (412) 317-0797. The conference ID/confirmation code is AGS Q3 2018 Earnings Call.

About AGS

AGS is a global company focused on creating a diverse mix of entertaining gaming experiences for every kind of player. Our roots are firmly planted in the Class II tribal gaming market, but our customer-centric culture and remarkable growth have helped us branch out to become one of the most all-inclusive commercial gaming suppliers in the world. Powered by high-performing Class II and Class III slot products, an expansive table products portfolio, highly rated social casino and real-money gaming solutions for players and operators, and best-in-class service, we offer an unmatched value proposition for our casino partners.

AGS Media Contacts:

Julia Boguslawski, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Investor Relations
[email protected]

Steven Kopjo, Director of Investor Relations
[email protected]

Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains, and oral statements made from time to time by our representatives may contain, forward-looking statements based on management’s current expectations and projections, which are intended to qualify for the safe harbor of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the proposed public offering and other statements identified by words such as “believe,” “will,” “may,” “might,” “likely,” “expect,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “believes,” “continues,” “projects” and similar references to future periods, or by the inclusion of forecasts or projections. All forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections of future events.

These forward-looking statements reflect the current views, models, and assumptions of AGS, and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that cannot be predicted or qualified and could cause actual results in AGS’s performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability of AGS to maintain strategic alliances, unit placements or installations, grow revenue, garner new market share, secure new licenses in new jurisdictions, successfully develop or place proprietary product, comply with regulations, have its games approved by relevant jurisdictions and other factors set forth under Item 1. “Business,” Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in AGS’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2018. All forward-looking statements made herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements and there can be no assurance that the actual results, events or developments referenced herein will occur or be realized. Readers are cautioned that all forward-looking statements speak only to the facts and circumstances present as of the date of this press release. AGS expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

All ® notices signify marks registered in the United States.

PLAYAGS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (amounts in thousands, except share and per share data) (unaudited)

	September 30, 2018		December 31, 2017
Assets
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$	33,227	$	19,242
Restricted cash		78		100
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $1,180 and $1,462, respectively		46,082		32,776
Inventories		31,819		24,455
Prepaid expenses		4,638		2,675
Deposits and other		4,275		3,460
Total current assets		120,119		82,708
Property and equipment, net		84,323		77,982
Goodwill		282,731		278,337
Intangible assets		204,801		232,287
Deferred tax asset		1,047		1,115
Other assets		12,489		24,813
Total assets	$	705,510	$	697,242

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	$	12,094	$	11,407
Accrued liabilities		22,517		24,954
Current maturities of long-term debt		6,223		7,359
Total current liabilities		40,834		43,720
Long-term debt		492,208		644,158
Deferred tax liability – noncurrent		678		1,016
Other long-term liabilities		25,789		36,283
Total liabilities		559,509		725,177
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity
Preferred stock at $0.01 par value; 100,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding		—		—
Common stock at $0.01 par value; 450,000,000 shares authorized at September 30, 2018 and 46,629,155 at December 31, 2017; and 35,305,479 and 23,208,706 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.		353		149
Additional paid-in capital		359,819		177,276
Accumulated deficit		(212,058)		(201,557)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(2,113)		(3,803)
Total stockholders’ equity		146,001		(27,935)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	705,510	$	697,242

PLAYAGS, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) (amounts in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited)

	Three months ended September 30,				Nine months ended September 30,
		2018		2017		2018		2017
Revenues
Gaming operations	$	50,701	$	42,849	$	152,887	$	125,040
Equipment sales		24,825		13,591		60,317		29,254
Total revenues		75,526		56,440		213,204		154,294
Operating expenses
Cost of gaming operations⁽¹⁾		10,494		7,344		29,062		21,794
Cost of equipment sales⁽¹⁾		12,109		6,330		28,919		14,326
Selling, general and administrative		15,284		9,742		47,411		30,368
Research and development		7,894		6,467		23,374		17,912
Write-downs and other charges		667		490		3,282		2,655
Depreciation and amortization		18,968		16,931		57,784		53,598
Total operating expenses		65,416		47,304		189,832		140,653
Income from operations		10,110		9,136		23,372		13,641
Other expense (income)
Interest expense		8,956		12,666		28,253		42,380
Interest income		(89)		(25)		(162)		(80)
Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt		—		—		4,608		8,129
Other expense (income)		434		(467)		10,121		(4,805)
Income (loss) before income taxes		809		(3,038)		(19,448)		(31,983)
Income tax benefit (expense)		3,538		(1,052)		8,947		(4,603)
Net income (loss)		4,347		(4,090)		(10,501)		(36,586)
Foreign currency translation adjustment		1,636		(498)		1,690		707
Total comprehensive income (loss)	$	5,983	$	(4,588)	$	(8,811)	$	(35,879)

Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share:
Basic	$	0.12	$	(0.18)	$	(0.31)	$	(1.58)
Diluted	$	0.12	$	(0.18)	$	(0.31)	$	(1.58)
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic		35,305		23,208		34,097		23,208
Diluted		36,313		23,208		34,097		23,208


(1) exclusive of depreciation and amortization

PLAYAGS, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (in thousands) (unaudited)

	Nine months ended September 30,
	2018		2017
Cash flows from operating activities
Net loss	$	(10,501)	$	(36,586)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		57,784		53,598
Accretion of contract rights under development agreements and placement fees		3,412		3,459
Amortization of deferred loan costs and discount		1,388		2,315
Payment-in-kind interest capitalized		—		7,807
Payment-in-kind interest payments		(37,624)		(2,698)
Write-off of deferred loan cost and discount		3,410		3,294
Stock-based compensation expense		9,167		—
(Benefit) provision for bad debts		(198)		902
Loss on disposition of assets		1,383		2,896
Impairment of assets		1,199		333
Fair value adjustment of contingent consideration		700		—
(Benefit) provision for deferred income tax		(205)		2,147
Changes in assets and liabilities that relate to operations:
Accounts receivable		(12,277)		(9,649)
Inventories		(3,173)		(453)
Prepaid expenses		(1,958)		(1,119)
Deposits and other		(626)		(276)
Other assets, non-current		13,574		(2,010)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(12,135)		2,333
Net cash provided by operating activities		13,320		26,293
Cash flows from investing activities
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired		(4,452)		(7,000)
Purchase of intangible assets		(931)		(565)
Software development		(8,794)		(6,334)
Proceeds from disposition of assets		21		171
Purchases of property and equipment		(34,457)		(35,961)
Net cash used in investing activities		(48,613)		(49,689)
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of first lien credit facilities		—		448,725
Repayment of senior secured credit facilities		(115,000)		(410,655)
Payments on first lien credit facilities		(3,864)		(1,125)
Payment of financed placement fee obligations		(2,688)		(2,971)
Payments on deferred loan costs		—		(3,127)
Repayment of seller notes		—		(12,401)
Payments on equipment long-term note payable and capital leases		(2,108)		(1,832)
Initial public offering cost		(4,160)		(1,203)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock		176,341		—
Proceeds from employees in advance of common stock issuance		—		25
Proceeds from stock option exercise		731		—
Net cash provided by financing activities		49,252		15,436
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash		4		8
Increase in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash		13,963		(7,952)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period		19,342		17,977
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	$	33,305	$	10,125

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release and accompanying schedules provide certain information regarding total Adjusted EBITDA, total Adjusted EBITDA (margin), and total net debt leverage ratio, which are considered a non-GAAP financial measures under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

We believe that the presentation of total Adjusted EBITDA is appropriate to provide additional information to investors about certain material non-cash items that we do not expect to continue at the same level in the future, as well as other items we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance. Further, we believe total Adjusted EBITDA provides a meaningful measure of operating profitability because we use it for evaluating our business performance, making budgeting decisions, and comparing our performance against that of other peer companies using similar measures. It also provides management and investors with additional information to estimate our value.

Total Adjusted EBITDA is not a presentation made in accordance with GAAP. Our use of the term total Adjusted EBITDA may vary from others in our industry. Total Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to operating income or net income. Total Adjusted EBITDA has important limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for the analysis of our results as reported under GAAP.

Our definition of total Adjusted EBITDA allows us to add back certain non-cash charges or expenses that are deducted in calculating net income and to deduct certain gains that are included in calculating net income. However, these charges and expenses and gains vary greatly, and are difficult to predict. They can represent the effect of long-term strategies as opposed to short-term results. In addition, in the case of charges or expenses, these items can represent the reduction of cash that could be used for other corporate purposes. Due to these limitations, we rely primarily on our GAAP results, such as net income (loss), income (loss) from operations, EGM Adjusted EBITDA, Table Products Adjusted EBITDA or Interactive Adjusted EBITDA and use total Adjusted EBITDA only supplementally.

The following table presents a reconciliation of total Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss), which is the most comparable GAAP measure:

Total Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation

*Three Months Ended September 30, 2018 compared to the Three Months Ended September 30, 2017*

	Three months ended September 30,					$	%
		2018		2017		Change	Change
Net income (loss)	$	4,347	$	(4,090)	$	8,437	206.3 %
Income tax (benefit) expense		(3,538)		1,052		(4,590)	(436.3)%
Depreciation and amortization		18,968		16,931		2,037	12.0 %
Other expense (income)		434		(467)		901	192.9 %
Interest income		(89)		(25)		(64)	(256.0)%
Interest expense		8,956		12,666		(3,710)	(29.3)%
Write-downs and other⁽¹⁾		667		490		177	36.1 %
Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt⁽²⁾		—		—		—	— %
Other adjustments⁽³⁾		893		474		419	88.4 %
Other non-cash charges⁽⁴⁾		1,700		1,551		149	9.6 %
New jurisdictions and regulatory licensing costs⁽⁵⁾		—		567		(567)	(100.0)%
Legal and litigation expenses including settlement payments⁽⁶⁾		(45)		181		(226)	(124.9)%
Acquisitions and integration related costs including restructuring and severance⁽⁷⁾		746		71		675	950.7 %
Non-cash stock-based compensation⁽⁸⁾		538		—		538	100.0 %
Total Adjusted EBITDA	$	33,577	$	29,401	$	4,176	14.2 %
Total revenue	$	75,526	$	56,440
Total Adjusted EBITDA margin		44.5%		52.1%


(1)	Write-downs and other include items related to loss on disposal or impairment of long-lived assets, fair value adjustments to contingent consideration and acquisition costs
(2)	Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt primarily relates to the refinancing of long-term debt, in which deferred loan costs and discounts related to old senior secured credit facilities were written off
(3)	Other adjustments are primarily composed of professional fees incurred for projects, corporate and public filing compliance, contract cancellation fees and other transaction costs deemed to be non-operating in nature
(4)	Other non-cash charges are costs related to non-cash charges and losses on the disposition of assets, non-cash charges on capitalized installation and delivery, which primarily includes the costs to acquire contracts that are expensed over the estimated life of each contract and non-cash charges related to accretion of contract rights under development agreements
(5)	New jurisdiction and regulatory license costs relates primarily to one-time non-operating costs incurred to obtain new licenses and develop products for new jurisdictions
(6)	Legal and litigation expenses include payments to law firms and settlements for matters that are outside the normal course of business
(7)	Acquisition and integration costs include restructuring and severance and are related to costs incurred after the purchase of businesses, such as the acquisitions of Rocket and AGS iGaming, to integrate operations
(8)	Non-cash stock-based compensation includes non-cash compensation expense related to grants of options, restricted stock, and other equity awards

*Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018 compared to the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017*

	Nine months ended September 30,					$	%
	2018		2017			Change	Change
Net loss	$	(10,501)	$	(36,586)	$	26,085	71.3 %
Income tax (benefit) expense		(8,947)		4,603		(13,550)	(294.4)%
Depreciation and amortization		57,784		53,598		4,186	7.8 %
Other expense (income)		10,121		(4,805)		14,926	310.6 %
Interest income		(162)		(80)		(82)	(102.5)%
Interest expense		28,253		42,380		(14,127)	(33.3)%
Write-downs and other⁽¹⁾		3,282		2,655		627	23.6 %
Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt⁽²⁾		4,608		8,129		(3,521)	(43.3)%
Other adjustments⁽³⁾		2,218		2,067		151	7.3 %
Other non-cash charges⁽⁴⁾		4,890		5,462		(572)	(10.5)%
New jurisdictions and regulatory licensing costs⁽⁵⁾		—		1,304		(1,304)	(100.0)%
Legal and litigation expenses including settlement payments⁽⁶⁾		789		766		23	3.0 %
Acquisitions and integration related costs including restructuring and severance⁽⁷⁾		3,156		899		2,257	251.1 %
Non-cash stock-based compensation⁽⁸⁾		9,167		—		9,167	100.0 %
Total Adjusted EBITDA	$	104,658	$	80,392	$	24,266	30.2 %
Total revenue		213,204		154,294
Total Adjusted EBITDA margin		49.1%		52.1%


(1)	Write-downs and other include items related to loss on disposal or impairment of long-lived assets, fair value adjustments to contingent consideration, and acquisition costs
(2)	Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt primarily relates to the refinancing of long-term debt, in which deferred loan costs and discounts related to old senior secured credit facilities were written off
(3)	Other adjustments are primarily composed of professional fees incurred for projects, corporate and public filing compliance, contract cancellation fees, and other transaction costs deemed to be non-operating in nature
(4)	Other non-cash charges are costs related to non-cash charges and losses on the disposition of assets, non-cash charges on capitalized installation and delivery, which primarily includes the costs to acquire contracts that are expensed over the estimated life of each contract, and non-cash charges related to accretion of contract rights under development agreements
(5)	New jurisdiction and regulatory license costs relate primarily to one-time non-operating costs incurred to obtain new licenses and develop products for new jurisdictions
(6)	Legal and litigation expenses include payments to law firms and settlements for matters that are outside the normal course of business
(7)	Acquisition and integration costs include restructuring and severance and are related to costs incurred after the purchase of businesses, such as the acquisitions of Rocket and AGS iGaming, to integrate operations
(8)	Non-cash stock-based compensation includes non-cash compensation expense related to grants of options, restricted stock, and other equity awards

Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation

The following tables reconcile net income (loss) to total adjusted EBITDA:

	2017
		Q1		Q2		Q3		Q4		YTD
Net loss	$	(12,386)	$	(20,110)	$	(4,090)	$	(8,520)	$	(45,106)
Income tax expense (benefit)		2,233		1,318		1,052		(6,492)		(1,889)
Depreciation and amortization		18,451		18,216		16,931		18,051		71,649
Other (income) expense		(2,809)		(1,529)		(467)		1,867		(2,938)
Interest income		(15)		(40)		(25)		(28)		(108)
Interest expense		15,160		14,554		12,666		13,131		55,511
Write-downs and other⁽¹⁾		232		1,933		490		1,830		4,485
Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt⁽²⁾		—		8,129		—		903		9,032
Other adjustments⁽³⁾		647		946		474		823		2,890
Other non-cash charges⁽⁴⁾		2,111		1,800		1,551		2,332		7,794
New jurisdictions and regulatory licensing costs⁽⁵⁾		235		502		567		758		2,062
Legal and litigation expenses including settlement payments⁽⁶⁾		399		186		181		(243)		523
Acquisitions and integration related costs including restructuring and severance⁽⁷⁾		647		181		71		2,037		2,936
Non-cash stock based compensation⁽⁸⁾		—		—		—		—		—
Total Adjusted EBITDA	$	24,905	$	26,086		29,401		26,449		106,841


(1)	Write-downs and other include items related to loss on disposal or impairment of long-lived assets, fair value adjustments to contingent consideration, and acquisition costs
(2)	Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt primarily relates to the refinancing of long-term debt, in which deferred loan costs and discounts related to old senior secured credit facilities were written off
(3)	Other adjustments are primarily composed of professional fees incurred for projects, corporate and public filing compliance, contract cancellation fees, and other transaction costs deemed to be non-operating in nature
(4)	Other non-cash charges are costs related to non-cash charges and losses on the disposition of assets, non-cash charges on capitalized installation and delivery, which primarily includes the costs to acquire contracts that are expensed over the estimated life of each contract, and non-cash charges related to accretion of contract rights under development agreements
(5)	New jurisdiction and regulatory license costs relate primarily to one-time non-operating costs incurred to obtain new licenses and develop products for new jurisdictions
(6)	Legal and litigation expenses include payments to law firms and settlements for matters that are outside the normal course of business
(7)	Acquisition and integration costs include restructuring and severance and are related to costs incurred after the purchase of businesses, such as the acquisition of Rocket, to integrate operations
(8)	Non-cash stock-based compensation includes non-cash compensation expense related to grants of options, restricted stock, and other equity awards

	2017		2018
		Q4		Q1		Q2		Q3	LTM 9/30/2018
Net loss (income)	$	(8,520)	$	(9,538)	$	(5,310)	$	4,347	$	(19,021)
Income tax (benefit) expense		(6,492)		(12,436)		7,027		(3,538)		(15,439)
Depreciation and amortization		18,051		19,349		19,467		18,968		75,835
Other expense		1,867		9,232		455		434		11,988
Interest income		(28)		(52)		(21)		(89)		(190)
Interest expense		13,131		10,424		8,873		8,956		41,384
Write-downs and other⁽¹⁾		1,830		1,610		1,005		667		5,112
Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt⁽²⁾		903		4,608		—		—		5,511
Other adjustments⁽³⁾		823		396		929		893		3,041
Other non-cash charges⁽⁴⁾		2,332		1,574		1,616		1,700		7,222
New jurisdictions and regulatory licensing costs⁽⁵⁾		758		—		—		—		758
Legal and litigation expenses including settlement payments⁽⁶⁾		(243)		—		834		(45)		546
Acquisitions and integration related costs including restructuring and severance⁽⁷⁾		2,037		1,179		1,231		746		5,193
Non-cash stock based compensation⁽⁸⁾		—		8,153		476		538		9,167
Total Adjusted EBITDA	$	26,449	$	34,499		36,582		33,577		131,107


(1)	Write-downs and other include items related to loss on disposal or impairment of long-lived assets, fair value adjustments to contingent consideration, and acquisition costs
(2)	Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt primarily relates to the refinancing of long-term debt, in which deferred loan costs and discounts related to old senior secured credit facilities were written off
(3)	Other adjustments are primarily composed of professional fees incurred for projects, corporate and public filing compliance, contract cancellation fees, and other transaction costs deemed to be non-operating in nature
(4)	Other non-cash charges are costs related to non-cash charges and losses on the disposition of assets, non-cash charges on capitalized installation and delivery, which primarily includes the costs to acquire contracts that are expensed over the estimated life of each contract, and non-cash charges related to accretion of contract rights under development agreements
(5)	New jurisdiction and regulatory license costs relates primarily to one-time non-operating costs incurred to obtain new licenses and develop products for new jurisdictions
(6)	Legal and litigation expenses include payments to law firms and settlements for matters that are outside the normal course of business
(7)	Acquisition and integration costs include restructuring and severance and are related to costs incurred after the purchase of businesses, such as the acquisitions of Rocket and AGS iGaming, to integrate operations
(8)	Non-cash stock-based compensation includes non-cash compensation expense related to grants of options, restricted stock, and other equity awards

The following table presents a reconciliation of total net debt and total net debt leverage ratio:

	September 30			December 30
	2018		2017
Total debt	$	510,083	$		667,968
Less: Cash and cash equivalents		33,227			19,242
Total net debt		476,856			648,726
LTM Adjusted EBITDA		131,107			106,841
Total net debt leverage ratio		3.6			6.1

Source: AGS

Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network

Related Topics:gambling industry in Europe

George Miller

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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Latest News

CASINO REVOLUCIÓN WELCOMES CONCEPT AND NEW GAMES

Published

28 minutes ago

April 29, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The prominent operator Golden Lion Entertainment Group is expanding its partnership with Zitro by introducing the new CONCEPT cabinet line and a wide variety of new games at the Casino Revolución in Monterrey.

CONCEPT stands out for its powerful Magic Lighting, which creates a stunning light show synchronized with the game, delivering an impressive visual experience. Additionally, the Screen Deck enhances the user experience, providing greater comfort and functionality for both players and operators.

This new addition also includes three exclusive games: Legendary Sword, Triple Charm Journey, and Fairyland Quest, all of which feature high-quality graphics, innovative mechanics, and rewarding prizes.

Golden Lion expressed: “We are extremely pleased with the addition of the CONCEPT line and its new games, as they elevate our entertainment offering and improve the experience we deliver to our customers.”

Johnny Viveiros Ortiz, founder of Zitro, also commented: “We are grateful to Golden Lion for continuing to choose Zitro products. CONCEPT has been designed to offer an unparalleled gaming experience, and we are confident it will be a big hit with players in Monterrey”.

The post CASINO REVOLUCIÓN WELCOMES CONCEPT AND NEW GAMES appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

Vaulta and Ultra Embark on Strategic Partnership to Power the Future of Gaming and Finance

Published

28 minutes ago

April 29, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: 4 minutes

This symbiotic partnership is the next step in Ultra’s vision of building the Netflix of Gaming, and effectively positions Ultra as Vaulta’s gaming arm.

Vaulta, a scalable operating system powering Web3 Banking with fast, low-cost transactions and seamless blockchain connectivity, today announces a strategic partnership with Ultra, the one-stop destination for gamers, publishers, and developers.

This financial and technical alliance positions Ultra as Vaulta’s gaming arm and marks the next phase of Ultra’s ambition to lead the gaming space.

Together, Vaulta and Ultra will accelerate the creation of a full-service platform where digital assets can be tokenized, traded, and monetized across games, all powered by a fast, low-cost, and interoperable infrastructure. In addition to tokenized assets, this platform will also support decentralized marketplaces, cross-game integrations, and metaverse banking.

Gus van Rijckevorsel, CEO of Ultra, shared, “By 2030, the Web3 gaming market is expected to grow to $615 billion, outpacing both movies and TV exponentially and signaling a major shift in how consumers engage with their entertainment. To harness this potential, the gaming industry needs better infrastructure designed for publishers, developers, and gamers, and we’re here to deliver that. We’re laser-focused on creating the content and structural partnerships necessary to make Ultra THE gaming platform recognized by the gaming industry. Vaulta is a major brick on that path, and this partnership is a solid foundation on which we build the future of gaming and finance. And at the core of this lasting partnership is a mutual alignment on our long-term interests.”

This partnership supports Vaulta’s mission to drive innovation in tokenization and real-world asset integration,” said Yves La Rose, founder and CEO of Vaulta Foundation. “Ultra’s advanced gaming platform paired with Vaulta’s financial and DeFi infrastructure will enable decentralized marketplaces, cross-game asset utilization, and metaverse banking solutions. Positioning Ultra as Vaulta’s gaming hub provides a gateway to Gaming and GameFi opportunities to our community. At the heart of our collaboration is a shared ambition to elevate digital assets to the standards of traditional finance, empowering users with new financial opportunities powered by Web3.”

Convictions behind this partnership

A new definition of the modern player

Gone are the days when “player” meant just someone holding a controller. Ultra recognizes three types of players: gamers, viewers, and content creators, each with unique behaviors, needs, and expectations. In partnership with Vaulta, Ultra is building critical infrastructure to fit this new reality and serve all three player groups.

Every industry will have its own chain

Finance has Vaulta. Gaming has Ultra. Both chains are purpose-built and interoperable, aligning deeply with the needs of their respective audiences. Ultra is not adapting general-purpose tech. It’s building the backbone of the gaming industry from the ground up.

UOS will be THE gaming currency

Ultra is committed to establishing $UOS as the default currency for in-game transactions, rewards, and monetization across titles, platforms, and services. Just as the dollar dominates oil, $UOS will define value in gaming.

Access and consumption of games will change

Similar to how Netflix revolutionized film and Spotify transformed music, Ultra envisions a shift in how people access and engage with games. Gamers deserve immersive platforms. Developers desire tools and reach. Publishers demand data and performance. Ultra is building a complete ecosystem that puts them all first.

Crypto must be treated with the same standards as traditional finance

That’s why Ultra partners only with chains like Vaulta, ones that treat crypto with the same expectations as fiat: prioritising trust, utility, and transparency. Real utility demands real accountability.

AI will unlock the next layer of personalized gaming

AI isn’t just a feature, it’s a fundamental shift in how players should experience games. That’s why Ultra is embedding AI deeply into its ecosystem to serve three purposes: hyper-personalization, real-time gameplay guidance, and intelligent ecosystem interaction. Players won’t just play, they’ll be guided, supported, and understood.

Building the Infrastructure for the Next Era

As co-leaders in blockchain innovation, this partnership is fundamentally guided by a shared purpose to serve the future of gaming, combining Vaulta’s financial rails with Ultra’s user-first infrastructure.

The partnership aims to radically upgrade the outdated backbone of the gaming industry, delivering ultra-fast transactions, scalable gaming experiences, improved security, and new tools for developers and publishers.

Ultra serves three core clients – gamers, developers, and publishers – and everything it builds is made to serve their needs. Ultra is building a complete ecosystem that puts them all first. This partnership enhances that mission with sharper tools, smarter systems, and better outcomes for each.

Technical Exchange Details

The partnership will provide Ultra with access to:

Vaulta Spring framework: enabling improved scalability and security alongside a smoother user experience for its platform
Vaulta Banking OS framework: Offering enhancements in transaction speed and asset management, while giving Ultra’s gaming ecosystem access to the multi-chain interoperability (IBC) environment

In exchange, Ultra will provide Vaulta with:

Ultratest: A next-generation smart contract testing framework, which allows developers to launch faster and more securely
MSIG Signing Tool: A breakthrough in secure gaming transactions and digital ownership
Predicate System: Reduces gas fees to make blockchain gaming more affordable and accessible
HSM Signing Code hardware: Secure hardware signing for private key management

Broader Impact and What’s Next

This partnership isn’t just about technology exchange, it represents a broader alignment of values between two industry-first platforms. As blockchain adoption deepens across industries, Vaulta and Ultra are taking the lead in building the specialized infrastructure needed to serve real users at scale. The partnership unlocks new opportunities and standards for what’s possible in digital entertainment.

At the same time, it supports Vaulta’s broader goal of engaging directly with industry leaders to build the next iteration of global finance, through real use cases, real infrastructure, and real collaboration. More partnerships will follow in the coming weeks, all designed to unlock new use cases, drive innovation, and accelerate adoption across the digital economy.

This partnership follows Vaulta’s recent rebrand (previously EOS Network) and strategic alignment to Web3 Banking, and comes on the heels of key milestones in Ultra’s 2025 roadmap, including the closing of a $12 million round led by NOIA Capital and the key c-suite appointment of Maxime van Steenberghe as Ultra’s new COO.

The post Vaulta and Ultra Embark on Strategic Partnership to Power the Future of Gaming and Finance appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

Legalizing Online Casino Gaming Could Generate Over $18 Billion in Tax Revenue to US States

Published

4 hours ago

April 29, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Legalizing online casino gaming could add $18.4 billion to US state budgets, a new study says.

The report, conducted by online casino comparison site BonusFinder.com, analyzed tax revenue generated by online casinos across the seven US states where they are already legal — Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia — to estimate the total economic impact.

Based on average per-adult spending of $262.40 in those markets, the researchers estimated how much revenue the remaining 44 jurisdictions, including Washington D.C., could generate if they adopted similar legislation.

In total, the study estimated that the states are leaving up to $62 billion in gross revenue on the table.

With a 30% tax rate — an average of the seven states with legal online casino gaming— this would translate into $18.4 billion in tax income annually. Even with a more conservative tax rate of 20%, the figures could reach $12.3 billion.

California is estimated to be missing out on the most — with the analysis showing that its adult population of approximately 31 million could generate up to $2.4 billion in annual tax revenue.

“These numbers highlight two problems,” said Luciano Passavanti, Vice President at BonusFinder.com. “States are missing out on billions in tax revenue, and consumers are being pushed to platforms that don’t offer the same safety, accountability, or responsible gaming tools as licensed operators.”

This concern is backed by a recent report from research firm Yield Sec, which found that 74% of gross gaming revenue in the US in 2023 — totaling $67.1 billion — came from unlicensed, illegal, and unregulated operators.

That means the vast majority of online gambling activity is still happening outside state oversight — costing governments billions in potential tax income and leaving players vulnerable.

“The demand for online casino gaming already exists — but right now, the money is flowing offshore,” Passavanti added. “States that act now have the chance to bring that revenue back into their own economies, and to do so responsibly.”

States where online casino gaming is already legal are directing the funds into essential public services. In Michigan, more than $400 million from iGaming taxes, which includes both online sports betting and online casinos, went to the School Aid Fund, $4 million to the First Responder Presumed Coverage Fund and $3.7 million to the state’s agricultural and equine development programs.

Beyond the financial upside, regulated online casino markets allow states to implement age verification, deposit limits, and self-exclusion tools, offering far stronger consumer protections than offshore operators.

“With over $18 billion in annual tax revenue potentially at stake, the case for legalization is becoming harder to ignore.” Passavanti said.

“As states continue to explore ways to balance budgets and modernize outdated gambling laws, regulated online casinos could offer both financial upside and meaningful consumer protections — if policymakers are ready to act.”

The post Legalizing Online Casino Gaming Could Generate Over $18 Billion in Tax Revenue to US States appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.