CENTURY CASINOS INC /CO/ - Quarter Report: 2017 March (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549



FORM 10-Q



☑  QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2017



OR



 ☐  TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



For the transition period from ____________ to ___________



Commission file number          0-22900



CENTURY CASINOS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) 





455 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Suite 210, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)



(719) 527-8300

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ☑  No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes ☑  No ☐    

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).   Yes ☐  No ☑ 

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date:

24,461,268 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, were outstanding as of April 28, 2017.

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INDEX







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PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)



CENTURY CASINOS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)



See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.





-  Continued -

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CENTURY CASINOS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (continued)







See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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CENTURY CASINOS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS (Unaudited)







See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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CENTURY CASINOS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Unaudited)







See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.











 

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CENTURY CASINOS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY (Unaudited)









See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.











 

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CENTURY CASINOS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)

– Continued –

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.





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CENTURY CASINOS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) (continued)



See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.







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CENTURY CASINOS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)



1.DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION



Century Casinos, Inc. (“CCI” or the “Company”) is an international casino entertainment company. As of March 31, 2017, the Company owned casino operations in North America; held a majority ownership interest in eight casinos throughout Poland, a racetrack and entertainment center (“REC”) in Canada and the pari-mutuel off-track betting network in southern Alberta, Canada; managed cruise ship-based casinos on international waters; managed a casino in Aruba and provided gaming services in Argentina.



The Company currently owns, operates and manages the following casinos through wholly-owned subsidiaries in North America:





The Company currently has a controlling financial interest through its subsidiary Century Casinos Europe GmbH (“CCE”) in the following majority-owned subsidiaries:









The Company has the following concession, management and consulting service agreements:





In connection with a concession agreement with Diamond Cruise International Co., Ltd. (“Diamond”) for the operation of the ship-based casino onboard Glory Sea, the Company has a Cooperation Agreement with Dynamic Partners International, Ltd. (“Dynamic”). Under this agreement, Dynamic markets and promotes the casino to VIP players along with facilitating the concession agreement between Diamond and the Company, for which the Company pays Dynamic a portion of the net profit from the casino onboard Glory Sea.



In March 2015, in connection with an agreement with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (“Norwegian”) to terminate the Company’s concession agreements with Oceania Cruises (“Oceania”) and Regent Seven Seas Cruises (“Regent”), the Company entered into a two-year consulting agreement, which became effective on June 1, 2015, under which the Company is providing limited consulting services for the ship-based casinos of Oceania and Regent in exchange for receiving a consulting fee of $2.0 million, which is payable $250,000 per quarter through May 2017.  

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Additional Projects and Other Developments



In September 2016, the Company was selected by Horse Racing Alberta (“HRA”) as the successful applicant to own, build and operate a horse racing facility in the Edmonton market area, which the Company is planning to operate as Century Mile. Century Mile will be a one-mile horse racetrack and a multi-level REC. The proposed location is on Edmonton International Airport land and close to the city of Leduc, south of Edmonton.  Century Mile will be approximately 30 miles from both CRA and CSA. The Company estimates this project will cost approximately CAD 50.0 million ($37.5 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017). The Company estimates that construction of this project will take approximately 15 months and that it will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2018 or the first quarter of 2019. In March 2017, the Company received approval for the Century Mile project from the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (“AGLC”).  Commencement of construction of the Century Mile project is subject to the Company’s obtaining financing.



The Company has postponed the planned restoration and expansion project at the Palace Hotel that it owns in Cripple Creek, Colorado.



Preparation of Financial Statements



The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) for interim financial reporting, the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission which apply to interim financial statements and the instructions to Form 10-Q. Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP have been condensed or omitted. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.



In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for the fair presentation of financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company have been included. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. The results of operations for the period ended March 31, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year.



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Presentation of Foreign Currency Amounts



The Company’s functional currency is the U.S. dollar (“USD” or “$”).  Foreign subsidiaries with a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar translate assets and liabilities at current exchange rates at the end of the reporting periods, while income and expense accounts are translated at average exchange rates for the respective periods.  The Company and its subsidiaries enter into various transactions made in currencies different from their functional currencies.  These transactions are typically denominated in the Canadian dollar (“CAD”), Euro (“EUR”) and Polish zloty (“PLN”).  Gains and losses resulting from changes in foreign currency exchange rates related to these transactions are included in income from operations as they occur. 



The exchange rates to the U.S. dollar used to translate balances at the end of the reported periods are as follows:







The average exchange rates to the U.S. dollar used to translate balances during each reported period are as follows:







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Correction of Prior Period Balances

Subsequent to the issuance of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company identified that it had erroneously recognized a reduction in pari-mutuel revenue for CBS totaling $0.7 million in its condensed consolidated statement of earnings for the three months ended March 31, 2016. This error also affected the Company’s income tax expense, net earnings attributable to non-controlling interests and consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss), equity, cash flows and Note 12 “Segment and Geographic Information” for the three months ended March 31, 2016.



The prior period amounts within the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements have been revised to reflect the correct balances. The information below presents the impact of these corrections on the Company’s 2016 condensed consolidated financial statements as previously reported.











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Consolidated results in Note 12 “Segment and Geographic Information” for the three months ended March 31, 2016 have been updated as presented in the Consolidated Statement of Earnings table above. Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2016 was corrected by $0.7 million, adjusting the previously reported Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA of $5.6 million to $6.3 million.





















2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES



Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements - In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”). The objective of ASU 2014-09 is to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue and to develop a common revenue standard under US GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. ASU 2014-09 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016; provided, however, that in August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date (“ASU 2015-14”), which deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 for one year. ASU 2015-14 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The standards permit retrospective application using either of the following methodologies: (i) restatement of each prior reporting period presented or (ii) recognition of a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of initial application. In addition, the FASB has issued four related ASUs on principal versus agent guidance (ASU 2016-08), identifying performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance (ASU 2016-10),  a revision of certain SEC Staff Observer comments (ASU 2016-11) and implementation guidance (ASU 2016-12).  The Company plans to adopt the new revenue standards effective January 1, 2018 by recognizing the cumulative effect of initially applying the new standard as an adjustment to the opening balance of equity. The Company does not expect adoption of the new revenue standards to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.



In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory (“ASU 2015-11”). The objective of ASU 2015-11 is to simplify the current guidance under which an entity must measure inventory at the lower of cost or market by requiring entities to measure most inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value. ASU 2015-11 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company has adopted ASU 2015-11. The Company will continue to measure inventory using the first-in, first-out method and will state inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value. At  March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, all inventory was stated at cost.



In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”). The objective of ASU 2016-02 is to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under previous GAAP. ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to account for leases as finance leases or operating leases.  Both finance and operating leases will result in the lessee recognizing a right-of-use asset and corresponding lease liability. For finance leases, the lessee would recognize interest expense and amortization of the right-of use asset and, for operating leases, the lessee would recognize a straight-line lease expense. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption of ASU 2016-02 is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2016-02. Adoption of this standard may have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.



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In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU 2016-09”). The objective of ASU 2016-09 is to simplify the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including recording all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies through income tax on the statement of earnings and eliminating the requirement that excess tax benefits be realized before they can be recognized. ASU 2016-09 also simplifies several other aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payments, including forfeitures, statutory tax withholdings requirements and classification on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company has adopted ASU 2016-09. The Company has elected to account for forfeitures of share-based payments as they occur. 



In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (“ASU 2016-15”). The objective of ASU 2016-15 is to reduce diversity in the classification of cash receipts and payments for specific cash flow issues, including debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, contingent consideration payments made after a business combination and proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims. ASU 2016-15 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption of ASU 2016-15 is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2016-15; however, the standard is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.



In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory (“ASU 2016-16”). The objective of ASU 2016-16 is to improve the accounting for income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. ASU 2016-16 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption of ASU 2016-16 is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2016-16; however, the standard is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.



In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Restricted Cash (“ASU 2016-18”). The objective of ASU 2016-18 is to require the statement of cash flows to include restricted cash in explaining the change during the period in the total of cash and cash equivalents. ASU 2016-18 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption of ASU 2016-18 is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2016-18; however, the standard is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.



In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment (“ASU 2017-04”). The objective of ASU 2017-04 is to simplify the subsequent measurement of goodwill by entities performing their annual goodwill impairment tests by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit, including income tax effects from any tax-deductible goodwill, with its carrying amount and recognizing an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds fair value. ASU 2017-04 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2021, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption of ASU 2017-04 is permitted on goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2017-04; however, the standard is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.



Accounting Policies



Inventories –  Inventories, which consist primarily of food, beverage retail merchandise and operating supplies, are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is determined by the first-in, first-out method.



Stock-Based Compensation - Stock-based compensation expense is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as expense over the vesting period. The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model for all non-performance option grants and the Monte Carlo option pricing model for all performance option grants to determine the fair value of all option grants.

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3.APEX ACQUISITION



On October 1, 2016, the Company’s subsidiary, Century Casino St. Albert Inc.,  acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Casino St. Albert Inc. (“CSAI”), Action ATM Inc. (“AAI”) and MVP Sports Bar Ltd. (“MVP”), collectively operating the Apex Casino in St. Albert, Edmonton, Canada as well as acquiring the related land and real property held by Game Plan Developments Ltd. (the “Apex Acquisition”). The Company merged CSAI, AAI and MVP with Century Casino St. Albert Inc., the surviving company, and renamed the casino Century Casino St. Albert. CSA is a 34,500 square foot casino facility located on approximately six acres of land that includes 381 slot machines, 7 live table games, 12 video lottery terminals, a restaurant, a bar, a lounge and a banquet facility that can accommodate up to 175 guests.



The Company paid for the acquisition using additional financing from the second amended and restated credit agreement with the Bank of Montreal (the “BMO Credit Agreement”) (see Note 7). The total consideration of CAD 31.9 million  ($24.3 million based on the exchange rate in effect on October 1, 2016) (the “Purchase Price”) for the Apex Acquisition consisted of the following:





As of October 1, 2016, the Company began consolidating Century Casino St. Albert Inc. as a wholly owned subsidiary. CSA contributed $2.0 million in net operating revenue and $0.1 million in net earnings attributable to Century Casinos, Inc. shareholders for the three months ended March 31, 2017.  



The Company accounted for the transaction as a business combination, and accordingly, CSA’s assets of $22.4 million (including $3.1 million in cash) and liabilities of $1.7 million were included in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet at October 1, 2016. Goodwill of $3.6 million is attributable to the business expansion opportunity for the Company. The acquisition leverages the Company’s management specialties and expertise in the gaming industry, expands the Company’s casino offerings in the Edmonton market and creates operational synergies. Goodwill is not a tax deductible item for the Company.



The fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed (excluding cash received) was determined to be $21.2 million as of the acquisition date. The fair value was determined using the following methods, which the Company believes provide the most appropriate indicators of fair value:





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Details of the purchase in the table below are based on estimated fair values of assets and liabilities as of October 1, 2016. The acquisition was accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting. Assets acquired and liabilities assumed in connection with the acquisition have been recorded at their preliminary fair values. Certain estimated values for the acquisition are not yet finalized pending the final purchase price allocations, and as a result, the Company's estimates and assumptions are subject to change within the measurement period as valuations are finalized. The Company expects to finalize the allocation of the purchase price within one year of the acquisition.









The following table details the purchase consideration net cash outflow.









Acquisition-related costs

The Company incurred acquisition costs of less than $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 in connection with the Apex Acquisition. These costs include legal and accounting fees.



Pro forma results

The following table provides unaudited pro forma information of the Company as if the Apex Acquisition had occurred at the beginning of the earliest comparable period presented. This proforma information is not necessarily indicative either of the combined results of operations that actually would have been realized had the acquisition been consummated during the periods for which the pro forma information is presented, or of future results.













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4.COST INVESTMENT



Mendoza Central Entretenimientos S.A.

On October 31, 2014, CCE entered into an agreement (the “MCE Agreement”) with Gambling and Entertainment LLC and its affiliates, pursuant to which CCE purchased 7.5% of the shares of MCE, a company formed in Argentina, for $1.0 million. Pursuant to the MCE Agreement, CCE is working with MCE to utilize MCE’s exclusive concession agreement with Instituto Provincial de Juegos y Casinos to lease slot machines and provide related services to Casino de Mendoza, a casino located in Mendoza, Argentina, and owned by the Province of Mendoza. MCE may also pursue other gaming opportunities. Under the MCE Agreement, CCE has appointed one director to MCE’s board of directors and has the right to appoint additional directors to MCE’s board of directors based on its ownership percentage of MCE. In addition, CCE has a three-year option through October 2017 to purchase up to 50% of the shares of MCE.   The option can be exercised by CCE in tranches of shares, with each tranche representing not less than ten percent of the total outstanding shares of MCE. The exercise price of the shares is based upon the value of MCE at the time the option is exercised, which value is determined by a multiple of MCE’s EBITDA for the immediate past four full calendar quarters multiplied by five less certain outstanding debt of MCE, including but not limited to lease payments to slot machine suppliers, plus current financial assets (cash and banks, receivables and commercial credits) of MCE. There are no conditions that limit CCE’s ability to exercise this option. CCE has not exercised any options to purchase shares of MCE. The Company accounts for the $1.0 million investment in MCE using the cost method.





5.GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS



Goodwill

The Company tests goodwill for impairment as of October 1 each year, or more frequently as circumstances indicate it is necessary. Testing compares the estimated fair values of our reporting units to the reporting units’ carrying values. The reporting units with goodwill balances as of March 31, 2017 include the operations at CRA, CDR, CSA and CPL. The Company considers a variety of factors when estimating the fair value of its reporting units, including estimates about the future operating results of each reporting unit, multiples of earnings, various market analyses, and recent sales of comparable businesses, if such information is available. The Company makes a variety of estimates and judgments about the relevance and comparability of these factors to the reporting units in estimating their fair values. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, the fair value of each reporting unit is allocated to the reporting unit’s assets and liabilities to determine the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill and whether impairment is necessary. There have been no indications of impairment at CRA, CDR or CPL since the Company’s last annual analysis, or at CSA since the valuation as part of the acquisition, that would necessitate additional impairment testing by the Company.

Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill related to CRA, CDR, CSA and CPL are as follows:





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Intangible Assets

Trademarks

The Company currently owns two trademarks, the Century Casinos trademark and the Casinos Poland trademark, which are reported as intangible assets on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets. Changes in the carrying amount of the trademarks are as follows:



The Company has determined both trademarks have indefinite useful lives and therefore the Company does not amortize the trademarks. Rather, the Company tests its trademarks for impairment as of October 1 each year, or more frequently as circumstances indicate it is necessary. The Company tests trademarks for impairment using the relief-from-royalty method. If the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than its carrying amount, the Company would recognize an impairment charge equal to the difference. No impairment charges related to the Century Casinos and Casinos Poland trademarks have been recorded.

Casino Licenses

Casino licenses consist of the following:





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Poland

As of March 31, 2017, Casinos Poland had seven casino licenses, each with an original term of six years, which are finite-lived intangible assets and are amortized over their respective useful lives. Changes in the carrying amount of the Casinos Poland licenses are as follows:





As of March 31, 2017, estimated amortization expense for the CPL casino licenses over the next five years was as follows:







These estimates do not reflect the impact of future foreign exchange rate changes or the continuation of the licenses following their expiration. The weighted average period before the current casino licenses expire is 1.3 years.  In Poland, gaming licenses are not renewable. Once a gaming license has expired, any gaming company can apply for the license. In July 2016, the casino license at the Katowice casino expired. The license was fully amortized at its expiration. In  October 2016, the Company was informed that it would not be granted the available license in Katowice. The casino operations at the Katowice casino were moved to the Sosnowiec casino. 



Canada

The Company has three licenses that are infinite-lived intangible assets that are not amortized. Two licenses are used at CDR,  one from the AGLC and one from HRA, and one license from the AGLC is used at CSA.  No impairment charges related to the licenses have been recorded. Changes in the carrying amount of the licenses are as follows:









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6.PROMOTIONAL ALLOWANCES



Hotel accommodations and food and beverage furnished without charge to customers are included in gross revenue at retail value and are deducted as promotional allowances to arrive at net operating revenue. The Company issues coupons and downloadable promotional credits to customers for the purpose of generating future revenue. The value of coupons and downloadable promotional credits redeemed is applied against the revenue generated on the day of the redemption. The estimated cost of provided promotional allowances is included in casino expenses. The costs of providing promotional allowances were as follows:





Members of the Company’s casinos’ player clubs earn points based on, among other things, their volume of play at the Company’s casinos. Players can accumulate points over time that they may redeem at their discretion under the terms of the program. The Company records a liability based on the redemption value of the points earned, and records a corresponding reduction in casino revenue. Points can be redeemed for cash,  downloadable promotional credits and/or various amenities at the casino, such as meals, hotel stays and gift shop items. The value of the points is offset against the revenue in the period in which the points were earned. The value of unused or unredeemed points is included in accrued liabilities on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets. The expiration of unused points results in a reduction of the liability. As of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the outstanding balance of this liability was $0.7 million.



 

7. LONG-TERM DEBT



Long-term debt and the weighted average interest rates as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 consisted of the following:







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Credit Agreement - Bank of Montreal

In May 2012, the Company, through its Canadian subsidiaries, entered into the CAD 28.0 million credit agreement with the Bank of Montreal (“BMO”). On August 15, 2014, the Company, through its Canadian subsidiaries, entered into an amended and restated credit agreement with BMO that increased the Company’s borrowing capacity to CAD 39.1 million. In September 2016, the Company, through its Canadian subsidiaries, entered into the BMO Credit Agreement to finance the Apex Acquisition that increased the Company’s borrowing capacity to CAD 69.2 million with an interest rate of BMO’s floating rate plus a margin. As discussed further below, the Company has entered into interest rate swap agreements to fix the interest rate paid related to a portion of the outstanding balance on the BMO Credit Agreement. As of March 31, 2017, the Company had borrowed CAD 63.9 million, of which the outstanding balance was CAD 52.5 million ($39.4 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017) and the Company had approximately CAD 5.6 million ($4.2 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017) available under the BMO Credit Agreement. In addition, the Company is using CAD 3.0 million ($2.3 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017) from Credit Facility E for the interest rate swap agreements discussed below.



The BMO Credit Agreement consists of the following five credit facilities: 





Any funds not drawn down under the BMO Credit Agreement are subject to standby fees ranging from 0.50% to 0.75% payable quarterly in arrears. Standby fees of less than CAD 0.1 million (less than $0.1 million based on the exchange rates in effect on March 31, 2017 and 2016)  were recorded as interest expense in the condensed consolidated statements of earnings for each of the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016.  The shares of the Company’s Canadian subsidiaries that own CRA, CAL and CSA and the Company's 75% interest in CDR are pledged as collateral for the BMO Credit Agreement. The BMO Credit Agreement contains a number of financial covenants applicable to the Canadian subsidiaries, including covenants restricting their incurrence of additional debt, a debt to EBITDA ratio less than 3:1, a fixed charge coverage ratio greater than 1.2:1, maintenance of a  CAD 50.0 million equity balance and a capital expenditure limit of CAD 4.0 million per year. The Company was in compliance with all covenants of the BMO Credit Agreement as of March 31, 2017.  



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The Company has entered into interest rate swap agreements to partially hedge the risk of future increases in the variable rate debt under the BMO Credit Agreement. The interest rate swap agreements are not designated as hedges for accounting purposes. As a result, changes in fair value of the interest rate swaps are recognized in interest expense on the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of earnings. As of March 31, 2017, the Company had the following interest rate swap agreements set at a Canadian Dollar Offered Rate (“CDOR”): 



Deferred financing costs consist of the Company’s costs related to the financing of the BMO Credit Agreement. Amortization expenses relating to deferred financing charges were less than $0.1 million for each of the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016. These costs are included in interest expense in the condensed consolidated statements of earnings.



Casinos Poland

As of March 31, 2017, CPL had debt totaling PLN 0.6 million ($0.2 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017) under a credit agreement with mBank.  CPL also had a credit facility that had no outstanding balance as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016.



Under CPL’s credit agreement with mBank, CPL entered into a three-year term loan at an interest rate of Warsaw Interbank Offered Rate (“WIBOR”) plus 1.70%. Proceeds from the loan were used to repay balances outstanding under a prior credit agreement that matured in September 2014 and to finance current operations. As of March 31, 2017, the amount outstanding on the term loan was PLN 0.6 million ($0.2 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017). CPL has no further borrowing availability under the loan, and the loan matures in September 2017. The mBank credit agreement contains a number of financial covenants applicable to CPL, including covenants that restrict the incurrence of additional debt and require CPL to maintain  a debt ratio less than 80% and a  current liquidity ratio of 0.5 or higher. CPL was in compliance with all covenants of this credit agreement as of March 31, 2017.



The credit facility is a short-term line of credit with BPH Bank used to finance current operations. The bank line of credit bears an interest rate of WIBOR plus 1.85% with a borrowing capacity of PLN 13.0 million, of which PLN 2.0 million may only be used to secure bank guarantees. The credit facility terminates on February 11, 2018.  The BPH Bank line of credit is secured by a building owned by CPL in Warsaw, Poland. As of March 31, 2017, there was no outstanding amount on the credit facility, and CPL had approximately PLN 11.0 million ($2.8 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017) available under the agreement. The BPH Bank facility contains a number of financial covenants applicable to CPL, including covenants that restrict the incurrence of additional debt and require CPL to maintain certain debt to EBITDA ratios. CPL was in compliance with all covenants of this credit facility as of March 31, 2017.



In addition, under Polish gaming law, CPL is required to maintain PLN 3.6 million in the form of deposits or bank guarantees for payment of casino jackpots and gaming tax obligations.  mBank issued guarantees to CPL for this purpose totaling PLN 3.6 million ($0.9 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017). The mBank guarantees are secured by land owned by CPL in Kolbaskowo, Poland and terminate on October 31, 2019.  In addition, CPL is required to maintain deposits or provide bank guarantees for payment of additional prizes and giveaways at the casinos. The amount of these deposits varies depending on the value of the prizes. CPL maintained PLN 0.7 million ($0.2 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017) in deposits for this purpose as of March 31, 2017. These deposits are included in deposits and other on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets.



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Century Downs Racetrack and Casino

CDR’s land lease is a financing obligation of the Company. Prior to the Company’s acquisition of its ownership interest in CDR, CDR sold a portion of the land on which the REC project is located and then entered into an agreement to lease back a portion of the land sold. The Company accounts for the lease using the financing method by accounting for the land subject to lease as an asset and the lease payments as interest on the financing obligation. Under the land lease, CDR has four options to purchase the land. The first option date is July 1, 2023. Due to the nature of the CDR land lease financing obligation, there are no principal payments due until the Company exercises its option to purchase the land. Lease payments are applied to interest only, and any change in the outstanding balance of the financing obligation relates to foreign currency translation. As of March 31, 2017, the outstanding balance on the financing obligation was CAD 19.5 million ($14.6 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017).



Capital Lease Agreements

As of March 31, 2017, the Company had the following capital leases:



As of March 31, 2017, scheduled maturities related to long-term debt were as follows:













8.COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES



Litigation

Since 2011, the Polish Internal Revenue Service (“Polish IRS”) has conducted a series of tax audits of CPL to review the calculation and payment of personal income tax by CPL employees for periods ranging from 2007 to 2011.  The Polish IRS has asserted that CPL should calculate, collect and remit to the Polish IRS personal income tax on tips received by CPL employees from casino customers and has prevailed in several court challenges by CPL. Through March 31, 2017, CPL has paid PLN 6.4 million ($2.1 million) related to these audits. As a result of one court decision currently on appeal, CPL’s tax records for 2009 remain open for audit.



In December 2016, the Polish IRS conducted a tax audit of December 2010 and the remaining open portion of the 2011 fiscal year. As a result, CPL is required to pay PLN 2.9 million ($0.7 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017) related to this audit. The Polish IRS has not issued an official decision on this audit, and no payment will be made until the decision is issued. CPL plans to file an appeal of the tax audit decision after it is received. 

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The balance of the potential liability on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet for all open periods as of March 31, 2017 is PLN 8.8 million ($2.2 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017). The Company has evaluated the contingent liability recorded on its condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2017 and has concluded that it is properly accrued in light of the Company’s estimated obligation related to personal income tax on tips as of March 31, 2017.   Additional court decisions and other proceedings by the Polish IRS may expose the Company to additional employment tax obligations in the future.  Any additional tax obligations are not probable or estimable and the Company has not recorded any additional obligation related to such taxes as of March 31, 2017.  Additional tax obligations assessed in the future as a result of these matters, if any, may be material to the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows.   



In October 2016, the Company filed a motion for arbitration in Poland against LOT Polish Airlines, which previously owned a 33.3% interest in CPL that it sold to the Company in 2013. The Company is seeking to collect amounts owed to the Company by LOT Polish Airlines in connection with the payments made to the Polish IRS for the tax periods December 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008 and January 1, 2011 to January 31, 2011 pursuant to an agreement with LOT Polish Airlines under which the Company acquired the additional 33.3% interest in CPL.





9.INCOME TAXES



Income tax expense is recorded relative to the jurisdictions that recognize book earnings. During the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company recognized income tax expense of $1.0 million on pre-tax income of $3.8 million, representing an effective income tax rate of  26.2% compared to an income tax expense of $0.8 million on pre-tax income of $3.5 million, representing an effective income tax rate of 22.1% for the same period in 2016.  



The difference between the income taxes expected at the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate of 34% and the reported income tax expense are impacted by a number of items. The Company’s effective tax rate is lower because there is a lower statutory tax rate in the countries where the Company pays taxes, such as Austria, Mauritius, Canada and Poland, when compared to the United States. There is also a lower effective tax rate for the Company’s Canadian and Polish operations due to exchange rate benefits.  



The Company has a valuation allowance on its U.S. deferred tax assets that results from uncertainty regarding its ability to realize the benefits of its U.S. deferred tax assets. The Company continues to monitor the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets in the U.S. on a quarterly basis, and it may release all or a portion of the U.S. valuation allowance in 2017 or in subsequent years in the event that more positive evidence becomes available. Further, the Company’s implementation of certain tax strategies could reduce the need for a valuation allowance in the future. If the Company concludes that its prospects for the realization of its deferred tax assets are more likely than not, it will reduce its valuation allowance as appropriate.

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10.EARNINGS PER SHARE



The calculation of basic earnings per share considers only weighted average outstanding common shares in the computation. The calculation of diluted earnings per share gives effect to all potentially dilutive stock options. The calculation of diluted earnings per share is based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, plus, if dilutive, the assumed exercise of stock options using the treasury stock method. Weighted average shares outstanding for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 were as follows:









The following stock options are anti-dilutive and have not been included in the weighted average shares outstanding calculation:













11. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS AND DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS REPORTING



Fair Value Measurements

The Company follows fair value measurement authoritative accounting guidance for all assets and liabilities measured at fair value. That authoritative accounting guidance defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Market or observable inputs are the preferred sources of values, followed by assumptions based on hypothetical transactions in the absence of market inputs. The fair value hierarchy for grouping these assets and liabilities is based on the significance level of the following inputs:





A financial instrument’s categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.  The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment and considers factors specific to the asset or liability.  The Company reflects transfers between the three levels at the beginning of the reporting period in which the availability of observable inputs no longer justifies classification in the original level. 



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Recurring Fair Value Measurements

The estimated fair value and basis of valuation of our financial liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis were as follows:







The Company determines the fair value of its interest rate swap agreements based on the notional amount of the swaps and the forward rate CAD-CDOR curve provided by Bloomberg and zero-coupon Canadian spot rates as of the valuation date. The Company classifies these instruments as Level 2 because the inputs into the valuation model can be corroborated utilizing observable benchmark market rates at commonly quoted intervals.



Non-Recurring Fair Value Measurements

The Company applies the provisions of the fair value measurement standard to its non-recurring, non-financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value. There were no assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis as of March 31, 2017. During 2016, the Company determined that the fair value of the Katowice leasehold improvements was zero based on the expiration of the license for that casino. As a result, $0.4 million was charged to operating costs and expenses during the year ended December 31, 2016.



Long-Term Debt – The carrying value of the Company’s BMO Credit Agreement approximates fair value based on the refinancing of the debt in September 2016 and the variable interest paid on the obligation. The carrying value of the Company’s CPL credit agreement approximates fair value based on the variable interest rate paid on the debt and the short-term nature of the obligation. The estimated fair values of the outstanding balances under the BMO Credit Agreement and CPL credit agreement are designated as Level 2 measurements in the fair value hierarchy based on quoted prices in active markets for similar liabilities. The fair values of the Company’s capital lease obligations and CDR’s land lease approximate fair value based on the similar terms and conditions currently available to the Company in the marketplace for similar financings. The estimated fair values of the outstanding balances related to the Company’s capital lease obligations and CDR’s land lease are designated as Level 3 measurements based on the unobservable nature of the inputs used to evaluate such liabilities.



Other Estimated Fair Value Measurements – The estimated fair value of the Company’s other assets and liabilities, such as cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, inventory, accrued payroll and accounts payable, have been determined to approximate carrying value based on the short-term nature of those financial instruments. As of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company had no cash equivalents.



Derivative Instruments Reporting

As of April 2015, the Company began using interest rate swaps to mitigate the risk of variable interest rates under its BMO Credit Agreement. The interest rate swaps were not designated as accounting hedges. These interest rate swaps reset monthly, and the difference to be paid or received under the terms of the interest rate swap agreements is accrued as interest rates change and is recognized as an adjustment to interest expense for the related debt. See Note 7 for details of the Company’s three interest rate swap agreements.  



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Changes in the variable interest rates to be paid or received pursuant to the terms of the interest rate swap agreements are recognized in interest expense on the Company’s condensed consolidated statement of earnings. The location and effects of derivative instruments on the condensed consolidated statements of earnings were as follows:



The location and fair value amounts of the Company’s derivative instruments in the condensed consolidated balance sheets were as follows:

















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12.SEGMENT INFORMATION



The Company reports its financial performance in three reportable segments based on the geographical locations in which its casinos operate: the United States, Canada and Poland. Operating segments are aggregated within reportable segments based on their similar characteristics, types of customers, types of services and products provided, the regulatory environments in which they operate, and their management and reporting structure. The Company’s casino properties provide gaming, hotel accommodations, dining facilities and other amenities to the Company’s customers. The Company’s operations related to concession, management and consulting agreements and certain other corporate and management operations have not been identified as separate reportable segments; therefore, these operations are included in Corporate and Other in the following segment disclosures to reconcile to consolidated results. All intercompany transactions are eliminated in consolidation.



The table below provides information about the aggregation of the Company’s operating segments into reportable segments:





The Company’s chief operating decision maker is a management function comprised of two individuals.  These two individuals are our Co-Chief Executive Officers. The Company’s chief operating decision makers and management utilize Adjusted EBITDA as a primary profit measure for its reportable segments. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-U.S. GAAP measure defined as net earnings (loss) before interest expense (income), net, income taxes (benefit), depreciation, amortization, non-controlling interest (earnings) losses and transactions, pre-opening expenses, acquisition costs, non-cash stock-based compensation charges, asset impairment costs, (gain) loss on disposition of fixed assets, discontinued operations, (gain) loss on foreign currency transactions and other, gain on business combination and certain other one-time items. Intercompany transactions consisting primarily of management and royalty fees and interest, along with their related tax effects, are excluded from the presentation of net earnings (loss) and Adjusted EBITDA reported for each segment. Non-cash stock-based compensation expense is presented under Corporate and Other in the tables below as the expense is not allocated to reportable segments when reviewed by the Company’s chief operating decision makers.



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The following tables provide information regarding the Company’s segments for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016:







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In April 2017, Casinos Poland was informed by the Minister of Finance that its application to transfer the LIM Center casino license to the Warsaw Marriott casino was approved. In addition, the application to transfer the Warsaw Marriott casino license to a new location at the Hilton Warsaw Hotel and Convention Centre in Warsaw was also approved. As a result, the Company will close the LIM Center casino in May 2017 and will impair approximately PLN 0.5 million ($0.1 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017) in leasehold improvements in the second quarter of 2017.







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Item 2.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.



Forward-Looking Statements, Business Environment and Risk Factors



This quarterly report on Form 10-Q contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, Century Casinos, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the “Company”) may make other written and oral communications from time to time that contain such statements. Forward-looking statements include statements as to industry trends and future expectations of the Company and other matters that do not relate strictly to historical facts and are based on certain assumptions by management at the time such statements are made.  These statements are often identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “estimate,” or “continue,” and similar expressions or variations. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of the management of the Company based on information currently available to management. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, among others, the risks described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” under Item 1A in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. We caution the reader to carefully consider such factors. Furthermore, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements.



References in this item to “we,” “our,” or “us” are to the Company and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis unless the context otherwise requires. The term “USD” refers to US dollars, the term “CAD” refers to Canadian dollars and the term “PLN” refers to Polish zloty. Certain terms used in this Item 2 without definition are defined in Item 1.



Amounts presented in this Item 2 are rounded. As such, rounding differences could occur in period over period changes and percentages reported throughout this Item 2.



EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW



Overview

Since our inception in 1992, we have been primarily engaged in developing and operating gaming establishments and related lodging, restaurant and entertainment facilities. Our primary source of revenue is from the net proceeds of our gaming machines and tables, with ancillary revenue generated from hotel, restaurant, horse racing (including off-track betting), bowling and entertainment facilities that are in most instances a part of the casinos.



We view each property as a separate operating segment and aggregate all such properties into three reportable segments based on the geographical locations in which our casinos operate: Canada, United States and Poland. We have additional business activities including concession, management and consulting agreements and certain other corporate and management operations that we report as Corporate and Other.



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The table below provides information about the aggregation of the Company’s operating segments into reportable segments:





The following operating segments are owned, operated and managed by us through wholly-owned subsidiaries:





On October 1, 2016, our subsidiary, Century Casino St. Albert, acquired the Apex Casino in Edmonton, Alberta (the “Apex Acquisition”) and renamed the casino Century Casino St. Albert. CSA is a 34,500 square foot casino facility located on approximately six acres of land that includes 381 slot machines,  7 live table games, 12 video lottery terminals, a restaurant, a bar, a lounge and a banquet facility that can accommodate up to 175 guests. The purchase price for the acquisition was CAD 31.9 million ($24.3 million based on the exchange rate in effect on October 1, 2016).



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We have controlling financial interests through our subsidiary CCE in the following operating segments:







*  In April 2017, Casinos Poland was informed by the Minister of Finance that its application to transfer the LIM Center casino license to the Warsaw Marriott casino was approved. As a result, we will close the LIM Center casino in May 2017 and will impair approximately PLN 0.5 million ($0.1 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017) in leasehold improvements in the second quarter of 2017. The casino license for the Warsaw Marriott will be used to open a new location at the Hilton Warsaw Hotel and Convention Centre in Warsaw.

** The casino license at the Katowice casino expired in July 2016 and casino operations at the Katowice casino were moved to the Sosnowiec casino.







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The following agreements make up the operating segment Cruise Ships & Other in the Corporate and Other reportable segment:







Under an amended concession agreement with TUI Cruises, we plan to operate the ship-based casino onboard Mein Schiff 6, a new 2,500 passenger cruise ship scheduled to begin operations in the second quarter of 2017. 



In July 2016, we entered into a cooperation agreement with Dynamic regarding the operations of the ship-based casino onboard Glory Sea. Under the cooperation agreement, we operate the casino and Dynamic markets and promotes the casino to VIP players along with facilitating our concession agreement with Diamond, for which we pay Dynamic a portion of the net profit from the casino onboard Glory Sea. 



In March 2015, in connection with an agreement with Norwegian to terminate our concession agreements with Oceania and Regent, we entered into a two-year consulting agreement with Norwegian that became effective on June 1, 2015. Under the consulting agreement, we are providing limited consulting services for the ship-based casinos of Oceania and Regent in exchange for receiving a consulting fee of $2.0 million payable $250,000 per quarter through April 2017.



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Additional Project Under Development



In September 2016, we were selected by HRA as the successful applicant to own, build and operate a horse racing facility in the Edmonton market area, which we are planning to operate as Century Mile. Century Mile will be a one-mile horse racetrack and a multi-level REC. The proposed location is on Edmonton International Airport land and close to the city of Leduc, south of Edmonton.  We estimate this project will cost approximately CAD 50 million ($37.5 million based on the exchange rate in effect as of March 31, 2017). We estimate that construction of this project will take approximately 15 months and that it will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2018 or the first quarter of 2019. In March 2017, we received approval for the Century Mile project from the AGLC.  Commencement of construction of the Century Mile project is subject to our obtaining financing.



Presentation of Foreign Currency Amounts - The average exchange rates to the U.S. dollar used to translate balances during each reported period are as follows:







We recognize in our statement of earnings foreign currency transaction gains or losses resulting from the translation of casino operations and other transactions that are denominated in a currency other than U.S. dollars. Our casinos in Canada and Poland represent a significant portion of our business, and the revenue generated and expenses incurred by these operations are generally denominated in Canadian dollars and Polish zloty. A decrease in the value of these currencies in relation to the value of the U.S. dollar would decrease the earnings from our foreign operations when translated into U.S. dollars. An increase in the value of these currencies in relation to the value of the U.S. dollar would increase the earnings from our foreign operations when translated into U.S. dollars.

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DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

Century Casinos, Inc. and Subsidiaries













Factors that impacted comparability between periods include the following:





Net operating revenue increased by $3.2 million, or 9.5%, for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016. Following is a breakout of net operating revenue by segment for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016:  





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Operating costs and expenses increased by $2.8 million, or 9.5%, for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016. Following is a breakout of total operating costs and expenses by segment for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016: 





Earnings from operations increased by $0.4 million, or 10.0%, for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016. Following is a breakout of earnings from operations by segment for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016: 





Net earnings decreased by ($0.1) million, or (5.3%), for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016. Items deducted from or added to earnings from operations to arrive at net earnings include interest income, interest expense, gains (losses) on foreign currency transactions and other, income tax expense and non-controlling interests.



Non-GAAP Measures – Adjusted EBITDA



We define Adjusted EBITDA as net earnings (loss) before interest expense (income), net, income taxes (benefit), depreciation, amortization, non-controlling interest (earnings) losses and transactions, pre-opening expenses, acquisition costs, non-cash stock-based compensation charges, asset impairment costs, (gain) loss on disposition of fixed assets, discontinued operations, (gain) loss on foreign currency transactions and other, gain on business combination and certain other one-time items. Intercompany transactions consisting primarily of management and royalty fees and interest, along with their related tax effects, are excluded from the presentation of net earnings (loss) and Adjusted EBITDA reported for each segment. Not all of the aforementioned items occur in each reporting period, but have been included in the definition based on historical activity. These adjustments have no effect on the consolidated results as reported under US GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA is not considered a measure of performance recognized under US GAAP.



Management believes that Adjusted EBITDA is a valuable measure of the relative performance of the Company and its properties. The gaming industry commonly uses Adjusted EBITDA as a method of arriving at the economic value of a casino operation. Management uses Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate and forecast the operating performance of the Company and its properties as well as to compare results of current periods to prior periods. Management believes that presenting Adjusted EBITDA to investors provides them with information used by management for financial and operational decision making in order to understand the Company’s operating performance and evaluate the methodology used by management to evaluate and measure such performance. Management believes that using Adjusted EBITDA is a useful way to compare the relative operating performance of separate reporting segments by eliminating the above mentioned items associated with the varying levels of capital expenditures for infrastructure required to generate revenue, and the often high cost of acquiring existing operations. Our computation of Adjusted EBITDA may be different from, and therefore may not be comparable to, similar measures used by other companies within the gaming industry.



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The reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net earnings (loss) is presented below.





















Non-GAAP Measures – Net Debt



We define Net Debt as total long-term debt (including current portion) plus deferred financing costs minus cash and cash equivalents. Net Debt is not considered a liquidity measure recognized under US GAAP. Management believes that Net Debt is a valuable measure of our overall financial situation. Net Debt provides investors with an indication of our ability to pay off all of our long-term debt if it became due simultaneously. The reconciliation of Net Debt is presented below.











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Reportable Segments

The following discussion provides further detail of consolidated results by reportable segment.







On October 1, 2016, our subsidiary, Century Casino St. Albert Inc., completed the Apex Acquisition and began operating CSA. 



Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 and 2016

The following discussion highlights results for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016.  



Results in U.S. dollars were impacted by a 3.6% increase in the average exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and Canadian dollar for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016.



Revenue Highlights

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Operating Expense Highlights



We also operate the Southern Alberta pari-mutuel off-track betting network through CBS. Earnings from operations at CBS remained constant for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016.



A reconciliation of net earnings to Adjusted EBITDA can be found in the “Non-GAAP Measures – Adjusted EBITDA” discussion above.



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Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 and 2016



The following discussion highlights results for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016.



Market Share Highlights



Revenue Highlights



Operating Expense Highlights



A reconciliation of net earnings to Adjusted EBITDA can be found in the “Non-GAAP Measures – Adjusted EBITDA” discussion above.





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In September 2016, one of our main competitors in the Warsaw market ceased operations, which contributed to increased revenue at our main property, the Warsaw Marriott. Offsetting the increased revenue at the Warsaw Marriott was the closure of our Katowice casino in June 2016 due to the expiration and nonrenewal of the casino license at that location. We have applied for a new license in that city and, if awarded, plan to reopen a casino in Katowice by the end of 2017. In June 2017, the casino license at our Wroclaw casino will expire. We have applied for a new license and anticipate a decision in the second quarter of 2017. In addition, effective April 2017, the Polish gaming laws permit online gaming and slot arcades operated through a state run company. We do not anticipate that the changes in the gaming laws will have a significant impact on our results of operations in 2017, though these changes could increase competition and adversely affect our results of operations in the future.



In April 2017, Casinos Poland was informed by the Minister of Finance that its application to transfer the LIM Center casino license to the Warsaw Marriott casino was approved. In addition, the application to transfer the Warsaw Marriott casino license to a new location at the Hilton Warsaw Hotel and Convention Centre in Warsaw was also approved. As a result, we will close the LIM Center casino in May 2017 and will impair approximately PLN 0.5 million ($0.1 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017) in leasehold improvements in the second quarter of 2017.



Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 and 2016





Results in U.S. dollars were impacted by a 2.5% decrease in the average exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and Polish zloty for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016.



Revenue Highlights



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Operating Expense Highlights



A reconciliation of net earnings to Adjusted EBITDA can be found in the “Non-GAAP Measures – Adjusted EBITDA” discussion above.

















We anticipate beginning operation of the ship-based casino onboard the Mein Schiff 6, a new cruise ship, in the second quarter of 2017. Our consulting agreement with Norwegian will end during the second quarter of 2017.



Three Months Ended March 31, 2017 and 2016

We began operating the ship-based casinos onboard the Mein Schiff 5 and the TUI Discovery in June 2016, and the Glory Sea in July 2016.



The following discussion highlights results for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016.



Revenue Highlights



Operating Expense Highlights



Losses from operations attributable to our Corporate Other operating segment, which includes certain other corporate and management operations, increased by $0.1 million, or 2.8%, for the three months ended March 31, 2017 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2016, primarily due to increased payroll costs.



A reconciliation of net earnings to Adjusted EBITDA can be found in the “Non-GAAP Measures – Adjusted EBITDA” discussion above.



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Non-Operating Income (Expense)

Non-operating income (expense) for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 was as follows:







Interest income

Interest income is directly related to interest earned on our cash reserves.



Interest expense

Interest expense is directly related to interest owed on the BMO Credit Agreement, the fair value adjustments for our interest rate swap agreements, our CPL borrowings, and interest expense related to CDR’s land lease and our capital lease agreements.  



Taxes

Income tax expense is recorded relative to the jurisdictions that recognize book earnings. During the three months ended March 31, 2017, we recognized income tax expense of $1.0 million on pre-tax income of $3.8 million, representing an effective income tax rate of 26.2%, compared to an income tax expense of $0.8 million on pre-tax income of $3.5 million, representing an effective income tax rate of 22.1% for the same period in 2016.



The difference between the income taxes expected at the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate of 34% and the reported income tax expense are impacted by a number of items. Our effective tax rate is lower because there is a lower statutory tax rate in the countries where we pay taxes, such as Austria, Mauritius, Canada and Poland, when compared to the United States. There is also a lower effective tax rate for our Canadian and Polish operations due to exchange rate benefits. 



We have a valuation allowance on our U.S. deferred tax assets that results from uncertainty regarding our ability to realize the benefits of our U.S. deferred tax assets. We continue to monitor the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets in the U.S. on a quarterly basis, and we may release all or a portion of our U.S. valuation allowance in 2017 or in subsequent years in the event that more positive evidence becomes available. Further, our implementation of certain tax strategies could reduce the need for a valuation allowance in the future. If we conclude that our prospects for the realization of our deferred tax assets are more likely than not, we will reduce the valuation allowance as appropriate.





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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Our business is capital intensive, and we rely heavily on the ability of our casinos to generate operating cash flow. We use the cash flows that we generate to maintain operations, fund reinvestment in existing properties for both refurbishment and expansion projects, repay third party debt, and pursue additional growth via new development and acquisition opportunities. When necessary and available, we supplement the cash flows generated by our operations with either cash on hand or funds provided by bank borrowings or other debt or equity financing activities.



As of March 31, 2017, our total debt under bank borrowings and other agreements net of $0.3 million related to deferred financing costs was $54.6 million, of which $49.2 million was long-term debt and  $5.4 million was the current portion of long-term debt. The current portion relates to payments due within one year under our BMO Credit Agreement, CPL’s credit agreement and other capital lease agreements.  We intend to repay the current portion of our debt obligations with available cash. For a description of our debt agreements, see Note 7, “Long-Term Debt,” to our condensed consolidated financial statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this report. Net Debt was $15.2 million as of March 31, 2017 compared to $8.2 million as of March 31, 2016. In September 2016, we increased our borrowing capacity on our BMO Credit Agreement to CAD 69.2 million to finance the Apex Acquisition. The increased credit facility added CAD 30.0 million ($22.5 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017) to our debt balance, of which CAD 3.0 million ($2.3 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017) was the current portion as of March 31, 2017. For the definition and reconciliation of Net Debt to the most directly comparable GAAP measure, see “Non-GAAP Measures – Net Debt” above.





The following table lists the amount of 2017 maturities of our debt:





Cash Flows

At March 31, 2017, cash and cash equivalents totaled $39.7 million, and we had working capital (current assets minus current liabilities) of $19.8 million compared to cash and cash equivalents of $38.8 million and working capital of $17.3 million at December 31, 2016.  The increase in cash and cash equivalents from December 31, 2016 is due to $5.4 million of net cash provided by operating activities and $0.3 million in exchange rate changes, offset by a  $1.5 million payment related to a working capital adjustment for the Apex Acquisition, $1.1 million used to purchase property and equipment, $1.6 million in principal repayments and $0.6 million used for a distribution to non-controlling interests. 



Net cash provided by operating activities was $5.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and $3.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016. Our cash flows from operations have historically been positive and sufficient to fund ordinary operations. Trends in our operating cash flows tend to follow trends in earnings from operations, excluding non-cash charges. Please refer to the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q and to management’s discussion of the results of operations above in this Item 2 for a discussion of earnings from operations.

 

Net cash used in investing activities of $2.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017 consisted of $0.1 million for the Palace Hotel renovation project at CRC, which was placed on hold during the first quarter of 2017; $0.1 million to purchase slot machines for CTL and CRC; $0.1 million for the CRA casino renovation; $0.1 million for bowling lane renovations at CAL; $0.2 million for a parking lot and thoroughbred infrastructure at CDR; $0.5 million in other fixed asset additions at our properties and the  $1.5 million payment related to a working capital adjustment for the Apex Acquisition.



Net cash used in investing activities of $2.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 consisted of $1.1 million in various projects for CDR including construction of a second barn and parking lots and landscaping, $0.3 million in gaming equipment and furniture for three new cruise ships, $0.1 million to purchase new slot machines for CRC, $0.1 million to purchase new slot machines for CTL, $0.2 million to purchase new slot machines for CPL and $0.4 million in other fixed asset additions at our properties.



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Net cash used in financing activities of $2.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017 consisted of $1.6 million of principal repayments on our long-term debt and $0.6 million in distributions to non-controlling interests, offset by less than $0.1 million in cash from the exercise of stock options.



Net cash used in financing activities of $1.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 consisted of $1.2 million of principal repayments on our long-term debt, offset by less than $0.1 million received from the exercise of stock options.  



Common Stock Repurchase Program

Since 2000, we have had a discretionary program to repurchase our outstanding common stock. In November 2009, we increased the amount available to be repurchased to $15.0 million. We did not repurchase any common stock during the three months ended March 31, 2017. The total amount remaining under the repurchase program was $14.7 million as of March 31, 2017. The repurchase program has no set expiration or termination date.



Potential Sources of Liquidity, Short-Term Liquidity

Historically, our primary sources of liquidity and capital resources have been cash flow from operations, bank borrowings, sales of existing casino operations and proceeds from the issuance of equity securities.



We expect that the primary source of cash will be from our gaming operations and additional borrowings under the BMO Credit Agreement and other credit arrangements. In addition to the payment of operating costs, expected uses of cash within one year include capital expenditures for our existing properties, interest and principal payments on outstanding debt, the construction of Century Mile, a potential renovation and expansion project at the Palace Hotel in Cripple Creek, and other potential new projects. We amended the BMO Credit Agreement to obtain the financing needed for the Apex Acquisition, which was completed on October 1, 2016. If necessary, we may seek to obtain further term loans, mortgages or lines of credit with commercial banks or other debt or equity financings to supplement our working capital and investing requirements.



We believe that our cash at March 31, 2017, as supplemented by cash flows from operations,  will be sufficient to fund our anticipated operating costs, capital expenditures at existing properties and current debt repayment obligations for at least the next 12 months. We will continue to evaluate our planned capital expenditures at each of our existing locations in light of the operating performance of the facilities at such locations. From time to time we expect to have cash needs for the development or purchase of new properties, including the Century Mile project, that exceed our current borrowing capacity and we may be required to seek additional debt, equity or bank financing. We estimate that the Century Mile project will cost approximately CAD 50.0 million ($37.5 million based on the exchange rate in effect on March 31, 2017). We estimate that construction of this project will take approximately 15 months and that it will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2018 or the first quarter of 2019.



In addition, we expect our U.S. domestic cash resources will be sufficient to fund our U.S. operating activities and cash commitments for investing and financing activities. While we currently do not have an intent nor foresee a need to repatriate funds, we could require more capital in the U.S. than is generated by our U.S. operations for operations, capital expenditures or significant discretionary activities such as acquisitions of businesses and share repurchases. If so, we could elect to repatriate earnings from foreign jurisdictions or raise capital in the U.S. through debt or equity issuances, which could have adverse tax consequences, as we have not accrued taxes for un-repatriated earnings of our foreign subsidiaries. We estimate that approximately $34.0 million of our total $39.7 million in cash and cash equivalents at March 31, 2017 is held by our foreign subsidiaries and is not available to fund U.S. operations unless repatriated. The determination of the additional deferred taxes that would be provided for undistributed earnings has not been determined because the hypothetical calculation is not practicable.



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Item 3.    Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk. 



We had no material changes in our exposure to market risks from that previously reported in Item 7A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016.

Item 4.    Controls and Procedures.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures – Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officers and principal financial/accounting officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, for the period covered by this report. Based on such evaluation, our principal executive officers and principal financial/accounting officer have concluded that as of the end of the period covered by this report, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.



Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting –There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the three months ended March 31, 2017 that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.





PART II - OTHER INFORMATION

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds 

In March 2000, our board of directors approved a discretionary program to repurchase up to $5.0 million of our outstanding common stock. In November 2009, our board of directors approved an increase of the amount available to be repurchased under the program to $15.0 million. The repurchase program has no set expiration or termination date and had approximately $14.7 million remaining as of March 31, 2017. There were no repurchases of common stock during the three months ended March 31, 2017.

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Item 6.    Exhibits



* Filed herewith.

** Furnished herewith.



SIGNATURES



Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.



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CENTURY CASINOS, INC.

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

* Filed herewith.

** Furnished herewith.

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