Everi Holdings Inc. - Annual Report: 2017 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10‑K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017

OR

For the transition period from                          to

Commission File Number 001‑32622

EVERI HOLDINGS INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(800) 833‑7110

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well‑known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

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 if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ☒

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 Act). Yes ☐  No ☒

As of June 30, 2017, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates was approximately $485.3 million based on the closing sale price as reported on The New York Stock Exchange.

There were 68,825,422 shares of the registrant’s common stock issued and outstanding as of the close of business on March 1, 2018.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Certain portions of the registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement for its 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (which is expected to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the registrant’s 2017 fiscal year) are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Except as expressly incorporated by reference, the registrant’s Proxy Statement shall not be deemed to be a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

EVERI HOLDINGS INC.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10‑K

FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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In this filing, we refer to: (i) our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as our “Financial Statements,” (ii) our audited Consolidated Statements of Loss and Comprehensive Loss as our “Statements of Loss,” (iii) our audited Consolidated Balance Sheets as our “Balance Sheets,” and (iv) Item 7. Managements’ Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations as our “Results of Operations.”

CAUTIONARY INFORMATION REGARDING
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Everi Holdings Inc. (“Everi Holdings,” “Holdings” or “Everi”) is a holding company, the assets of which are the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each of Everi Games Holding Inc. (“Everi Games Holding”), which owns all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Everi Games Inc. (“Everi Games” or “Games”), and Everi Payments Inc. (“Everi Payments” or “Payments”). Unless otherwise indicated, the terms the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Everi Holdings together with its consolidated subsidiaries.

Our disclosure and analysis in this Annual Report on Form 10-K contain “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. From time to time, we also provide forward-looking statements in other materials we release to the public, as well as oral forward-looking statements. We have tried, wherever possible, to identify such statements by using words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “likely,” “will likely result,” “will continue,” “future,” “plan,” “target,” “forecast,” “goal,” “observe,” “seek,” “strategy” and other words and terms of similar meaning. The forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events and financial performance.

Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the following matters: trends in gaming establishment and patron usage of our products; benefits realized by using our products and services; product development, including the release of new game features and additional game and system releases in the future; regulatory approvals; gaming regulatory, card association and statutory compliance; the implementation of new or amended card association and payment network rules; consumer collection activities; future competition; future tax liabilities; future goodwill impairment charges; international expansion; resolution of litigation; dividend policy; new customer contracts and contract renewals; future results of operations (including revenue, expenses, margins, earnings, cash flow and capital expenditures); future interest rates and interest expense; future borrowings; and future equity incentive activity and compensation expense. 

Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are often difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation:

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In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K will in fact transpire or prove to be accurate. Readers are cautioned to consider the specific risk factors described herein and in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained herein, which are based only on information currently available to us and speak only as of the date hereof.

We undertake no obligation to update or publicly revise any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). 

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PART I

Item 1.  Business.

Overview

Everi is a leading supplier of technology solutions for the casino gaming industry.  The Company provides casino operators with a diverse portfolio of products including innovative gaming machines that power the casino floor, and casino operational and management systems that include comprehensive, end-to-end payments solutions, critical intelligence offerings, and gaming operations efficiency technology. Everi’s mission is to be a transformative force for casino operations by facilitating memorable player experiences, delivering reliable protection and security, and striving for customer satisfaction and operational excellence. We are divided into two primary business segments: “Everi Games” or “Games” and “Everi Payments” or “Payments.”

Everi Games provides a number of products and services for casinos, including: (a) gaming machines comprised primarily of Class II and Class III slot machines placed under participation or fixed fee lease arrangements or sold to casino customers, including the award-winning TournEvent^®; and (b) system software, licenses, ancillary equipment and maintenance to its casino customers. Everi Games also develops and manages the central determinant system for the video lottery terminals (“VLTs”) installed in the State of New York.

Everi Payments provides its casino customers cash access and related products and services including: (a) access to cash at gaming facilities via Automated Teller Machine (“ATM”) cash withdrawals, credit card cash access transactions, point of sale (“POS”) debit card transactions, and check verification and warranty services; (b) fully integrated gaming industry kiosks that provide cash access and related services; (c) products and services that improve credit decision making, automate cashier operations and enhance patron marketing activities for gaming establishments; (d) compliance, audit and data solutions; and (e) online payment processing solutions for gaming operators in states that offer intrastate, internet-based gaming and lottery activities.

Everi Holdings was formed as a Delaware limited liability company on February 4, 2004 and was converted to a Delaware corporation on May 14, 2004. Our principal executive offices are located at 7250 South Tenaya Way, Suite 100, Las Vegas, Nevada 89113. Our telephone number is (800) 833-7110. Our website address is www.everi.com. The information on our website is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or our other filings with the SEC.

Our Business Segments

We report our financial performance, and organize and manage our operations, across the following two business segments: (a) Games; and (b) Payments. For additional information on our segments see, “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Operating Segments” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Critical Accounting Policies — Segment Reporting” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

A summary of our segment financial information is contained in “Note 17. Segment Information” within our Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our Products and Services

Everi Games

Our Games products and services include commercial products, such as Native American Class II products, and other bingo products, Class III products, lottery systems, and other back office systems. In our Games business, we generally retain ownership of the leased gaming equipment installed at customer facilities and receive recurring revenue based on a percentage of the net win per day generated by the leased gaming equipment or a fixed daily fee based on the number of player terminals installed at the facility. We also make direct sales of player terminals, licenses, back office systems and other related equipment to customers. The majority of these direct sales contracts are for some combination of gaming equipment, player terminals, content, system software, license fees, ancillary equipment and maintenance.

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With respect to our Games business, we have expanded our licensing into new jurisdictions, increased investment in research and development, and introduced premium game products (which typically include high definition (“HD”) dual-screens, liquid crystal display (“LCD”) panels, and red green blue (“RGB”) top box lighting). From our historical focus on placement of games into the Oklahoma and Washington tribal markets, Everi Games has diversified its installed base in recent years with entry into new commercial and tribal markets as well as the development and placement of premium products. Everi Games has grown premium game installations with approximately 2,532 units installed (representing approximately 19.0% of our installed base as of December 31, 2017) since entering the category approximately five years ago. Development of generally higher-earning premium games has supported Everi Games’ ability to enter new markets, expand its footprint, and provide broad and new content across its installed base.

Everi Games provides the New York State Gaming Commission with an accounting and central determinant system for the VLTs in operation at licensed State of New York gaming facilities. In January 2018, an amendment to the agreement between Everi Games and the New York State Gaming Commission was approved and became effective. Under this amendment, Everi Games will continue to provide and maintain the central determinant system for the New York Lottery through December of 2019. As of December 31, 2017, this system connected to approximately 19,100 VLTs and has the ability to interface with, provide outcomes to, and manage the VLTs. Pursuant to its agreement with the New York State Gaming Commission, Everi Games receives a portion of the network-wide net win (generally, cash-in less prizes paid) per day in exchange for provision and maintenance of the central determinant system. Everi Games also provides central determinant system technology to Native American tribes in the State of Washington for which it receives a portion of the revenue generated from the VLTs connected to the system.

Our Games products include:

Classic Mechanical Reel Games.  Our full range of classic mechanical reel games provides players with a traditional, high denomination slot gaming experience. These games leverage our long-standing experience in building enduring brands, such as Black Diamond and Wild Wild Gems, and feature a unique take on traditional slot games with eye-catching features. Super Jackpot Series offers large linked progressives on the Player Classic packaged with the Foundation Sign to display rolling progressive meters and exciting win celebrations from across the casino floor. The premium Skyline mechanical reel series is a vintage-inspired bezel showcasing RGB lighting and a 24-inch LCD display, with successful titles including Double Jackpot Gems, Kingmaker, and Blazin’ Gems. Our licensed brand strategy spans into Skyline with DreamWorks Animation® themes, Smokin’ Hot Stuff and Casper.

Video Reel Games. We offer a growing range of dual-screen video reel games that provide a uniquely entertaining slot gaming experience. These games leverage the well-established Player HD and recently introduced, high-performing Core HDX cabinets to deliver eye-catching graphics and full, rich sound. Everi Way Pays games have been introduced to the market, in partnership with Lightning Box Games, for titles including More Fire, Silver Pride, and Great Tiger.  A range of progressive features round out our game library, such as Must-Hit Jackpots™ in Dream Catcher,  Money Frog, and Egypt Twins; and the Jackpot Jump™ feature in Jackpot Inferno, Payday Jackpots, Golden Riches, Fire Jewels, Hearts of Egypt and Fiesta. Additional specialized game mechanics include Lightning Multipliers™ in High Voltage Blackout; Sticky Stacks™ in Butterfly Kingdom, Pixie Power, and Tiger Queen; Real Match™ feature on Start Magic and El Dorado The Lost City; and Wild Match™ in Fortuna Goddess of Luck and Carnival in Rio Wild Match.

Core HDX.  The Core HDX enhances the player gaming experience with its dual widescreen 23” monitors with 1080p HD capability, integrated touchscreens and premium 3-way sound system. Its eye-catching cabinet commands a presence on the casino floor with game-controlled lighting and a custom premium LCD topper. Select Core HDX games feature Everi Bet™, the bet configuration system that gives casino operators the power to optimize the casino floor for maximum returns.  The vast majority of our standard video library on our MForce platform is designed to be playable on the Core HDX.  

Empire MPX and The Texan HDX.  The new Empire MPX represents both a premium participation cabinet and a single-screen, for sale cabinet that offers a 43-inch monitor, full 1080p HD graphics capabilities, a fully-customizable touchscreen button panel, and a smaller footprint that allows for tighter pod banking configurations.

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The Empire MPX debuted in April 2017 with the launch of the Company’s first video title on its WAP. The Texan HDX is an 8-foot tall cabinet with twin 42-inch video screens, featuring a two-person bench seat. The cabinet is designed to showcase the Everi Standard Video Library in oversized format, allowing the games to be prominently displayed on the casino floor.

Wide Area Progressive. We debuted our first WAP in Class II markets in 2017. Spanning two product lines, our WAP is offered to customers on Player Classic and Empire MPX. The mechanical offering, Jackpot Lockdown, debuted with two themes: Jackpot Lockdown Mega Meltdown and Jackpot Lockdown High Voltage, and will have additional branded themes including Willie Nelson and Singing in the Rain available in 2018. Empire MPX features branded video content with Casablanca and Penn & Teller, all hitting the casino floor in 2017, and new titles, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer and South Park, expected to be delivered in 2018.

TournEvent^®.  Our award-winning slot tournament system is a proven solution that allows operators to switch from in-revenue gaming to out-of-revenue tournaments with the simple click of a mouse. TournEvent^®’s expansive tournament game library helps operators customize their tournaments, including providing unique bonus opportunities that improve scores or automatically move a player to first place. Casino operators can easily design and build a variety of flexible tournament formats, such as solo or team tournament play, session or round winner advancement, and cumulative or maximum scoring. The latest TournEvent^® 5.0 version includes new system enhancements that improve operator efficiencies and hardware and offers engaging tournament games that attracts players.  New TournEvent^® 5.0 features include:

With the wireless tablet option, casino operators will be able to sign up players for tournaments remotely, allowing for a more efficient tournament registration and an overall better tournament experience for the casinos and players alike. TournEvent^® also is available with multiple sign options, consisting of a 65-inch television, lighted accent dividers, and the ability to be featured on new bank configurations.

Everi Payments

Our Payments products and services include solutions that we provide directly to gaming establishments to offer their patrons cash access related services and products including: access to cash at gaming facilities via ATM cash withdrawals, credit card cash access transactions and POS debit card cash access transactions; check-related services; fully integrated kiosks and maintenance services; compliance, audit and data software; casino credit data and reporting services and other ancillary offerings.

The markets we address with our principal Payments products and services are:

ATM Cash Withdrawals. ATM cash withdrawal transactions represent the largest category of electronic payment transactions that we process, as measured by dollar and transaction volume. In an ATM cash withdrawal transaction,

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a patron directly accesses funds from a device enabled with our ATM service by either using an ATM or debit card to withdraw funds from the patron’s demand deposit account, or using a credit card to access the patron’s line of credit. In either event, the patron must use the personal identification number (“PIN”) associated with such card. Our processor then routes the transaction request through an electronic funds transfer (“EFT”) network to the patron’s bank or issuer, as applicable. Depending upon a number of factors, including the patron’s account balance or credit limit and daily withdrawal limit (which limits are set by the bank or issuer, as applicable), the bank or issuer will either authorize or decline the transaction. If the transaction is authorized, then the ATM-enabled device dispenses the cash to the patron. For a transaction using an ATM or debit card, the patron’s demand deposit account is debited by the amount of cash disbursed plus a service fee that we assess the patron for the use of the ATM service. For a transaction using a credit card with a PIN, the patron’s credit card account is charged by the amount of the cash disbursed plus a service fee that we assess the patron for the use of the ATM service. In both cases, the service fee is currently a fixed dollar amount and not a percentage of the transaction size. We also receive a fee, which we refer to as a reverse interchange fee, from the patron’s card-issuing bank for accommodating the card issuer’s customer. In most circumstances, we pay a percentage of the service fee that we receive from the patron and, in some circumstances, a portion of the reverse interchange fees we receive, as a commission to our gaming establishment customers for the right to operate on their premises.

Credit Card Cash Access Transactions and POS Debit Card Cash Access Transactions. Patrons can perform credit card cash access transactions and POS debit card cash access transactions using many of our enabled devices. A patron’s credit card cash access limit is usually a sub-limit of the total credit line and is set by the card-issuing bank, not Everi Payments. These limits vary significantly and can be larger or smaller than the POS debit cash access limit. A credit card cash access transaction obligates the patron to repay the issuing bank over time on terms that are preset by the cardholder agreement. A patron’s POS debit card allows the patron to make cash withdrawals at the POS in an amount equal to the lesser of the amount of funds in the account, or a daily limit that is generally five to ten times as large as the patron’s daily ATM limit.

When a patron requests a credit card cash access or POS debit card transaction, our processor routes the transaction request through one of the card associations, or EFT networks to the issuing bank. Depending upon several factors, such as the available credit or bank account balance, the transaction is either authorized or declined by the issuing bank. If authorized, the patron’s bank account is debited or the patron’s credit card balance is increased, in both cases, by an amount equal to the funds requested plus our service fee. The service fee is a fixed dollar amount, a percentage of the transaction size or a combination of a fixed dollar amount and percentage of the transaction size. If the transaction is authorized, the device informs the patron that the transaction has been approved. The device then further instructs the patron to proceed to the gaming establishment’s cashier, or Company-operated satellite cage (“financial services center”), to complete the transaction because credit card cash access and POS debit card cash access transactions must, in most circumstances, be completed in face-to-face environments and a unique signature must be received in order to comply with rules of the card associations. Once at the gaming establishment’s cashier or at our financial services center, the patron acknowledges acceptance of the fee. We reimburse the gaming establishment for the amount of cash that it provided to the patron by paying the gaming establishment via wire transfer or other similar form of electronic payment. In addition, we generally pay the gaming establishment a portion of the service fee as a commission for the right to operate on its premises, although this payment as a percentage of the fee is generally smaller for credit card cash access and POS debit card cash access transactions than for ATM withdrawals. In addition, we are obligated to pay interchange fees to the issuing bank and processing costs related to the electronic payment transaction to card associations.

Check-Related Services. Patrons are able to cash checks at certain gaming establishments. When a patron presents a check to the cashier, the gaming establishment can accept or deny the transaction based on its own customer information and at its own risk, obtain third-party verification information about the check writer, the bank account number and other information relating to the check to manage its risk, or obtain a warranty on payment of the check, which entitles the gaming establishment to reimbursement of the full amount of the check if it is dishonored.

If a gaming establishment chooses to have a check warranted, it sends a request to a check warranty service provider, inquiring whether it would be willing to accept the risk of cashing the check. If the check warranty provider accepts the risk and warrants the check, the gaming establishment negotiates the patron’s check by providing cash for the face amount of the check. If the check is dishonored by the patron’s bank upon presentment,

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the gaming establishment invokes the warranty, and the check warranty service provider purchases the check from the gaming establishment for the full check amount and then pursues collection activities on its own.

For those gaming establishments that seek to manage their own risk, we provide a subscription check verification service via a database operated by our subsidiary, Central Credit, LLC (“Central Credit”), which is used by gaming establishments to make credit issuing decisions. Central Credit maintains information on the check cashing and credit history of many gaming establishment patrons. For those gaming establishments that prefer to obtain a warranty, we currently provide check warranty services through a third-party check warranty service provider. We pay this third-party provider to assist with the warranty decision, check processing, billing and collection activities. On our behalf, this third-party provider charges our gaming establishment customers a fee for the check warranty services, which is typically a percentage of the face amount of the check being warranted. In such circumstances, we receive all of the check warranty revenue. We are exposed to risk for the losses associated with any warranted items that cannot be collected from patrons issuing the items. Warranty expenses are defined as any amounts paid by the third-party provider to gaming establishments to purchase dishonored checks that will not be collectible from patrons and any expenses related to the collection on these amounts. We also pay certain fees and operating expenses to our third-party provider related to the provision of these services.

Our principal Payments products and services consist of the following:

Casino Cash Plus 3-in-1 ATMs are unmanned, cash-dispensing machines that enable ATM cash withdrawals, POS debit card cash access transactions, and credit card cash access transactions directly, or using our 3-in-1 Rollover functionality. Most financial institutions that issue debit cards impose daily ATM withdrawal limits, and, in some instances, aggregate and count Friday, Saturday and Sunday as a single day in calculating such limits. If a patron has reached his or her daily ATM limit, our 3-in-1 Rollover functionality automatically enables the patron to obtain funds via a POS debit card transaction or a credit card cash access transaction instead.

Check Verification and Warranty Services allow gaming establishments to manage and reduce risk on patron checks that they cash. A gaming establishment can query our Central Credit database to review the check cashing history of a gaming establishment patron before deciding whether to cash the patron’s check. If the gaming establishment desires additional protection against loss, it can seek a warranty on payment of the check. We have a relationship with a third-party check warranty service provider to market check warranty services to gaming establishments.

CashClub^® provides gaming establishments with a single dashboard interface that streamlines credit and debit card cash access transaction processing and check warranty transactions. It allows for electronic signature capture and dynamic currency conversion. It also interfaces with our Everi Compliance to assist casino operations with meeting regulatory requirements under Title 31 of the Bank Secrecy Act.

Fully Integrated Kiosks are a complete line of products that provide multiple functions to the casino floor. This includes cash access functionality, such as our 3-in-1 Rollover, which provides casino patrons access to perform cash advance, POS debit and ATM transactions. The kiosks also provide functionality to perform check cashing transactions, slot machine ticket redemption, bill breaking and loyalty program access as well as integration with mobile and wallet technology. The availability of our cash access platform on these slot ticket redemption devices provides us with additional points of contact with gaming patrons at locations that are usually closer to gaming devices than traditional cash access devices that are typically located on the periphery of the gaming area within the casino floor and also provides gaming patrons with more opportunities to access their cash with less cashier involvement.

Other Integrated Kiosk Solutions provide casinos with more efficient and streamlined methods for cash handling and transaction processing. They allow casino personnel to immediately process and dispense taxable jackpots in the form of cash, tickets or a combination of both. They also help to improve cage security and accuracy while reducing count and balancing times. These products are designed to be integrated with our suite of cage compliance software to ensure compliance with anti-money laundering regulations and provide an automated way to process common tax forms such as the Internal Revenue Service Form W-2G or Form 1042-S.

Central Credit is our gaming patron credit bureau service which, on a subscription basis, allows gaming establishments to improve their credit-granting decisions by obtaining access to a database containing credit information and transaction data on millions of gaming patrons. Our gaming credit reports are comprised of

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information recorded from patron credit histories at hundreds of gaming establishments. We provide such information to gaming establishments that subscribe to the service. These establishments then use that data, among other things, to determine how much credit, if any, they will grant to a gaming patron. We typically charge our customers for access to gaming patron credit reports on a monthly basis and our fees are generally comprised of a fixed minimum fee plus per-transaction charges for certain requests.

Everi Compliance is our suite of compliance software offerings for gaming operators. These compliance solutions help our gaming establishment customers comply with financial services and gaming regulations. These compliance solutions include software to assist with anti-money laundering regulations, such as filing currency transaction reports (“CTRs”) and suspicious activity reports (“SARs”). Additionally, these compliance solutions also assist casinos in filing required tax forms in connection with the payout of jackpot winnings to patrons and assist casinos with auditing cash on the floor and in casino cages.

We also offer:

Manufacturing

We utilize contract manufacturers to produce the cabinets that make up our EGMs and our kiosk products, as well as other sub-assemblies. We have assembly facilities in Austin, Texas and Las Vegas, Nevada, where we assemble the EGMs and our kiosk products, which include the cabinets, computer assemblies, LCD screens, printers, bill validators and acceptors, and other wiring and harnesses. We believe that our sources of supply of component parts and raw materials for our products are generally adequate and we have few sole-sourced parts.

Research and Development

We conduct research and development activities primarily to develop gaming systems, gaming engines, casino data management systems, casino central monitoring systems, video lottery outcome determination systems, gaming platforms and gaming content, as well as to add enhancements to our existing product lines. We believe our ability to deliver differentiated, appealing products and services to the marketplace is based on our research and development investments, and we expect to continue to make such investments in the future. Research and development costs consist primarily of salaries and benefits, consulting fees and game lab testing fees. Once the technological feasibility of a project has been established, it is transferred from research to development and capitalization of development costs begins until the product is available for general release. Research and development costs were $18.9 million, $19.4 million and $19.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Customers

As of December 31, 2017, we served over 1,000 casinos and other gaming properties in the United States, Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America and Asia. In certain limited circumstances, we provide our products and services to non-gaming establishments, such as gas stations and other retail businesses associated with gaming establishment customers. However, the revenue generated from these operations is not material to our operations and we do not actively market or target non-gaming establishment customers.

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Sales and Marketing

In our Games business, we sell and market our products and services to gaming establishments primarily through the use of a direct sales force, which targets gaming establishments in the United States and in international markets. With respect to our gaming products, we participate in the Class III and Class II gaming machine markets, as well as the central determinant system market in North America, through participation, or revenue share, and fixed fee arrangements and the sale of proprietary EGMs and systems. Revenues from our operations outside the United States were 4.7%, 3.7% and 2.9% for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. All of our long-lived assets outside of the United States were immaterial for each of fiscal 2017 and 2016.

In our Payments business, we sell and market Cash Access (Cash Advance, ATM and Check Services), Kiosks Sales and Services, Compliance Sales and Services and Central Credit Services. For the year ended December 31, 2017, approximately 95% of our revenues were earned from North American sources, while the remaining 5% were derived internationally.

Our sales and marketing efforts are directed by a team of customer service executives, each of whom has business development responsibility for gaming establishments in specified geographic regions. These customer service executives direct their efforts at all levels of gaming establishment personnel, including senior executives, finance professionals, marketing staff, slot directors, and cashiers, and seek to educate them on the benefits of our products and services. In some cases, our customer service executives are supported by field service and account managers, who provide on-site customer service to most of our customers. In other cases, our sales executives directly maintain the customer relationships. These customer service executives and field service and account managers generally reside in the vicinity of the specific gaming establishments that they support to ensure that they respond to the customer service needs of those gaming establishments. We also have joint sales efforts with a number of strategic partners, including independent sales organizations, which allow us to market our products and services to gaming establishments through channels other than our direct sales force.

Competition

In our Games business, we compete across different gaming markets with a variety of gaming equipment suppliers. Competition is generally based upon the: (a) amount of revenue our products generate for our customers relative to the amount of revenue generated by our competitors’ products; (b) prices and fees we and our competitors charge for products and services offered; and (c) appeal of our competitors’ products to gaming patrons, which has a direct effect on the volume of play generated by a product and, accordingly, the revenues generated for our customers. To drive customer demand and improve product attractiveness to end users, we continually work to develop new game themes, gaming engines, hardware platforms and systems that appeal to gaming patrons, all while working to release these new products to the marketplace in a timely manner.

In our Payments business, we compete with other providers of cash access services to the gaming industry, as well as with financial institutions and other regional and local banks that operate ATMs on the premises of gaming establishments. Some of these other providers and financial institutions have established cooperative relationships with each other to expand their service offerings. We also face increased competition from: (a) independent sales organizations, which provide basic services and aggressive pricing; (b) other manufacturers that provide similar good and services; and (c) traditional transaction processors that have entered the gaming patron cash access services market. This increased competition amongst these various providers of cash access services has resulted in pricing pressure and margin erosion with respect to our core cash access products and services.

Proprietary Rights

We believe the ability to introduce and respond to technological innovation in the gaming industry will be an increasingly important qualification for the future success of any provider of cash access and gaming-related products and services. Our continued competitiveness will depend on: (a) the pace of our new product development; (b) our patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret protection; and (c) our relationships with customers. Our business development personnel work with gaming establishments, our technology and other strategic partners, and the suppliers of the financial services upon which our cash access services rely, to design and develop innovative products and services that appeal to gaming patrons.

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We rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and contractual restrictions to protect our intellectual property. In our business, we have over 250 patents issued related to games and systems and processes, and have more than 50 patent applications pending world-wide. The expiration dates of these patents vary and are based on their filing and issuances dates. We intend to continue to actively file for patent protection, when such filings are commercially reasonable, within and outside the United States. We also seek trademark protection for our names and products and have registered hundreds of trademarks in the United States and various foreign countries. Under permission or license agreements with third parties, we also sell gaming products covered by independently filed copyrights, trademarks or patents. Typically, these contracts require us to pay royalties to the licensing party. Royalty expenses are included in the cost of gaming and systems in our Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to our patents, trademarks, and copyrights, we also rely on a broader scope of intellectual property including trade secrets, in-house know-how and innovation.

Employees

As of December 31, 2017, we had approximately 1,100 employees. We believe that our relations with our employees are good. We have never experienced a work stoppage and none of our employees are subject to a collective bargaining agreement.

Available Information

Our website address is www.everi.com. We make available free of charge on our website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. In addition, our earnings conference calls are web cast live via our website. In addition to visiting our website, you may read and copy any document we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F. Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20549 or at www.sec.gov. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for information on the Public Reference Room.

REGULATION

Gaming Regulation

The gaming industry is highly regulated under legal systems that frequently evolve and change based on governmental public policies. Various aspects of our business are subject to comprehensive laws, regulations and ordinances applicable to the ownership, management and operation of gambling establishments as well as certain financial services conducted at such establishments. These gaming laws, regulations and ordinances require us to be licensed, registered, found suitable, qualified or otherwise approved by various city, county, state, provincial, federal, tribal and foreign government agencies (collectively, “Gaming Authorities”) in the jurisdictions where we conduct business.  We must maintain those licenses, registrations, or other approvals in good standing to continue our business, all of which generally impose certain: (i) financial and operational reporting, and oversight requirements; and (ii) character and fitness suitability requirements, in each case administered by the Gaming Authorities, upon us and our affiliated or subsidiary organizations, as well as the officers, directors, key personnel and, in certain instances, holders of our debt or equity securities in each of those organizations, and our material business associates. Gaming Authorities have broad discretion in determining whether to grant a license, registration or other approval.  Subject to complying with certain procedural requirements, Gaming Authorities may deny any application, or limit, condition, restrict, revoke or suspend any license, registration, finding of suitability, qualification or other approval for any cause deemed reasonable to them. 

In general, the licensure, qualification and approval requirements and the regulations imposed on non-gaming suppliers and vendors are less stringent than those requirements and regulations imposed on gaming operators, gaming-related manufacturers and suppliers.  However, some jurisdictions do not distinguish between non-gaming and gaming suppliers and vendors while other jurisdictions classify all of our products and services as gaming-related.  In those jurisdictions which classify our products and services as gaming-related, we are subject to the more stringent licensing and regulatory framework. The stated policies and other purposes behind such laws, regulations, and ordinances are generally to: (i) ensure the public’s trust and confidence in legalized gambling through a system of mandated regulation, internal controls, accounting practices, and operating procedures; and (ii) promote economic activity for the state, county and local governments through revenue opportunities emanating from taxes, licensing fees, and other economic benefits arising out of gambling and related activities.

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Moreover, our gaming devices and certain other products and technologies must be certified or approved by Gaming Authorities in many jurisdictions where we conduct business.  These Gaming Authorities test the gaming devices, systems, and related equipment directly or through an independent testing laboratory and may also require a field trial under the regulator’s technical standards before allowing us to sell the product. Although we collaborate closely with the Gaming Authorities and independent testing laboratories, we cannot control whether our products will be approved or the length of time taken to review our products for sale to third parties.

We believe that we are in substantial compliance with all material gaming and financial institution laws applicable to our business.  We can give no assurance, however, that our business activities or the activities of our customers in the gaming industry will not be subject to any regulatory or legal enforcement proceedings in the future and a violation of applicable gaming laws by us or any of our subsidiaries could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, prospects and results of operations. Depending on the nature of any noncompliance, our failure to comply with such laws, regulations, and ordinances may result in the suspension or revocation of any license, registration, or other approval, a partial or complete cessation of our business, seizure of our assets, as well as the imposition of civil fines and criminal penalties.

A description of the material regulations to which we are subject is set forth below.

Federal Regulation. At the federal level, we are subject to two key pieces of legislation. Our Native American customers are regulated by the National Indian Gaming Commission (“NIGC”), which was established by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (the “IGRA”). The NIGC has regulatory authority over certain aspects of Native American gaming and defines the boundaries of our dealings with the Native American marketplace and the level of regulatory authority to which these games are subject. IGRA establishes three classes of gaming, each with a different regulatory framework:

We sell our gaming devices and systems in both Class II and Class III markets.

The Johnson Act, as amended by the Federal Gambling Devices Act of 1962 (the “Johnson Act”), requires that we register annually with the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice and requires a wide variety of record keeping and equipment identification efforts on our part. Registration is required in order for us to sell, distribute, manufacture, transport, or receive gaming equipment, machines or components across state lines. If we fail to comply with the requirements set forth under the Johnson Act, we could become subject to a variety of penalties, including, but not limited to, the seizure and forfeiture of equipment.

State and Tribal Gaming Commissions. We are regulated by gaming commissions or similar authorities at the state or tribal level as either a: (i) manufacturer of gaming devices, in those jurisdictions where we manufacture gaming devices and systems; (ii) supplier of “associated equipment,” in those jurisdictions where we sell and service fully integrated kiosks and other integrated kiosk solutions; and (iii) non-gaming supplier or vendor, in those jurisdictions where we provide cash access and Central Credit services only. Such commissions or similar authorities may include: Nevada Gaming Commission and Gaming Control Board, Mississippi Gaming Commission, Indiana Gaming Commission, Illinois Gaming Board, New Jersey Casino Control Commission, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, the Kansas Lottery Commission, the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission, the Louisiana State Gaming Control Board, the Louisiana State Racing Commission, as well as other various federal, state and local government entities and agencies.

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The process of obtaining necessary licenses, registrations, or other approvals often involves substantial disclosure of confidential or proprietary information about us and our officers, directors, key personnel and, in certain instances, beneficial owners of our debt or equity securities, and requires a determination by the regulators as to our suitability as a manufacturer, supplier, or vendor to gaming establishments. Such suitability examinations may also generally include the following:

These regulatory obligations are imposed upon gaming-related manufacturers, suppliers, or vendors on an ongoing basis, and there are no guaranties that we will be successful in obtaining and maintaining all necessary licenses, permits, and approvals and to continue to hold other necessary gaming licenses, permits, and approvals to conduct our businesses as currently being conducted by us. The expansion of our businesses, the introduction of new games, systems, products or services, or changes to applicable rules and regulations may result in additional regulatory or licensing requirements being imposed upon us. Many Gaming Authorities will require us to submit software and other key technology components of our gaming devices and systems, as well as our fully integrated kiosks and other integrated kiosk solutions, to government or third-party gaming laboratories for testing and certification prior to deploying such games, systems, and devices in a particular gaming jurisdiction.

Gaming regulatory authorities have broad discretion and may require any beneficial holder of our securities, regardless of the number of shares of common stock or amount of debt securities owned, to file an application, make personal or confidential disclosures, be investigated, and be subject to a determination of suitability. Many jurisdictions require any person who acquires beneficial ownership of more than a certain percentage of voting securities of a gaming company and, in some jurisdictions, non-voting securities, typically 5%, to report the acquisition to Gaming Authorities, and Gaming Authorities may require such holders to apply for qualification or a finding of suitability, subject to limited exceptions for “institutional investors” that hold a company’s voting securities for investment purposes only. If a beneficial holder of our securities is a corporation, partnership, or trust, such entity must submit detailed business and financial information, which may include information regarding its officers, directors, partners, key personnel, and beneficial owners. Further disclosure by those officers, directors, partners, key personnel, and beneficial owners may also be required. Under some circumstances and in some jurisdictions, an institutional investor, as defined in the applicable gaming regulations, that acquires and holds a specified amount of our securities in the ordinary course of its business may apply to the regulatory authority for a waiver of these licensure, qualification, or finding of suitability requirements, provided that the institutional investor holds the voting securities for investment purposes only, meets certain thresholds relating to the number of securities held, and certifies as to its intentions not to directly or indirectly exert control or influence over the management, policies, and operations of the licensed entity or to change its corporate governance documents.

Tribal-State Compacts and Tribal Regulation. Native American gaming is subject to certain federal and tribal laws, rules, and regulations, including, for purposes of illustration and without limitation, IGRA. IGRA is the federal enactment that created the NIGC, which is vested with the authority to regulate gaming activities conducted by federally-recognized Native American tribes on Indian lands. Tribal legislation regarding gambling operations on Indian lands must be approved by the NIGC and, in certain instances, compacts are required to be executed between Native American tribes and the state governments proximate to such Indian lands. Native American tribes must adopt and submit for NIGC approval the ordinances that regulate their gaming activities. Pursuant to the requirements of IGRA, our tribal customers require the tribe to have the sole proprietary interest in their gaming

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activities, and management contracts and collateral agreements in which tribes transfer authority to a third party for purposes of controlling all or part of the gaming operations are subject to the express review and approval of the NIGC. Because federally recognized Native American tribes are considered “domestic dependent nations” with certain sovereign rights, Native American tribes can enact their own laws and regulate gaming operations and contracts, and, with some exceptions, generally enjoy a degree of sovereign immunity, which, among other things, recognizes a tribe’s inherent authority of self-determination and self-governance, immunizes the tribe from certain lawsuits outside of tribal jurisdiction, and generally authorizes a tribe’s powers of taxation and spending over its federally-recognized nation.

Class III gaming on Native American tribal lands is usually subject to the negotiation of a compact between the tribe and the proximate state attendant to where the tribe intends to operate a gaming facility. These tribal-state compacts typically include provisions entitling the state to receive significant sums of money in exchange for the tribe’s operation of Class III gaming. While tribal-state compacts are intended to document the agreement between the state and a tribe, these tribal-state compacts can be subject to disputes relative to permitted Class III gaming operations.

Charity Regulation. We have historically supplied bingo games and systems to nonprofit organizations that operate these games for charitable, educational and other lawful purposes. Bingo for charity is not subject to a nationwide regulatory system, such as the system created by IGRA to regulate Native American gaming, and, as a result, regulation for this market is generally on a state-by-state basis, although in some cases it is regulated by county commissions or other local government authorities.

Lottery Commissions. Most states and the District of Columbia have lotteries. The operation of lotteries is subject to extensive regulation. Many aspects of lottery operations are determined by state or local legislation, but lottery regulatory authorities exercise significant discretion to ensure the integrity of contract awards and lottery operations, including in the process of selecting suppliers of equipment, technology and services and retailers of lottery products.  Lottery regulatory commissions typically require detailed background disclosure by and investigations of vendors and their subsidiaries, affiliates, principal stockholders, officers, directors, and employees who will be directly responsible for the operation of lottery systems.  These regulators may have authority to order removal of employees who they deem to be unsuitable or whose presence they believe may adversely affect the operational security or integrity of the lottery. Some lottery commissions mandate extensive personal and financial disclosure and background checks from persons and entities beneficially owning a specified percentage (typically 5% or more) of a vendor’s securities. The failure of such beneficial owners of our securities to cooperate with the regulators could result in penalties, jeopardize the award of a lottery contract to us, or provide grounds for termination of an existing lottery contract.

Internet and Online Gaming Regulation. Several states have passed implementing legislation and regulations to allow certain intra-state, wager-based, online casino or lottery games, such as online poker, online lottery, lottery ticket purchases, or lottery ticket subscriptions. This is due, in part, to: (a) a rule of construction contained within the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (“UIGEA”) that limits and prevents UIGEA application from altering, limiting or extending any federal, state or tribal laws regulating gambling; (b) a definition within UIGEA that excludes certain intra-state, intra-tribal and interstate horseracing transactions from the phrase “unlawful Internet gambling,” provided certain threshold requirements are met; (c) a memorandum dated September 20, 2011 and published by the United States Department of Justice, Criminal Division, in which the Department concludes, among other things, that the Federal Wire Act of 1961 (the “Wire Act”) does not apply to interstate transmissions of wire communications that do not relate to a sporting event or contest; and (d) traditional constitutional jurisprudence originating from the Commerce Clause of and Tenth (10th) Amendment to the United States Constitution and preemption jurisprudence, among others. To date, states such as Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota and Pennsylvania have authorized some form of internet or online gaming or lottery activities.

However, the legislative and regulatory environment surrounding online, wager-based games in the United States remains uncertain and complex, and it is unclear how the legislative and regulatory framework governing these activities will evolve in the future. Many states have yet to introduce or finalize regulations regarding the licensing and operational requirements regarding online, wager-based activity, including the licensing and technological requirements relating to the funding and processing of payments relating to online, wager-based casino and lottery games. In addition, the funding of online casino gaming activity is subject to the requirement of the UIGEA, which

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may prohibit or significantly impede the funding of online, wager-based gaming activity. There is also a possibility that the Wire Act may be amended in the future to prevent or prohibit the use of Internet or mobile-based platforms regardless of the involvement of a sporting event or contest or that the United States Department of Justice may amend, modify, rescind, or otherwise alter its previous memoranda and that such action may result in a materially different interpretation of the Wire Act, which may result in civil or criminal enforcement actions. 

Financial Services Regulation

Our Payments business is also subject to a number of financial services regulations:

Durbin Amendment. Rules promulgated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, required as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), including the so-called Durbin Amendment (the “Durbin Amendment”), establish, among other things, standards for assessing whether debit card interchange fees received by certain debit card issuers are reasonable and proportional to the costs incurred by issuers for electronic debit transactions. Debit card interchange fees are established by payment card networks and ultimately paid by merchants to debit card issuers for each debit transaction.

Anti-Money Laundering. The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, other federal statutes, generally referred to as the Bank Secrecy Act, and implementing federal regulations require us to establish and maintain an anti-money laundering program. Our anti-money laundering program includes: internal policies, procedures and controls designed to identify and report money laundering, a designated compliance officer, an ongoing employee training program, and an independent audit function to test the program. In addition, the cash access services that we provide are subject to record keeping and reporting obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act. Our gaming establishment customers are required to file a SAR with the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to report any suspicious transactions relevant to a possible violation of law or regulation. We are also required to file a SAR where we provide our cash access services directly to patrons through financial services centers that we staff and operate. To be reportable, such a transaction must meet criteria that are designed to identify the hiding or disguising of funds derived from illegal activities. Our gaming establishment customers, in situations where our cash access services are provided through gaming establishment cashier personnel, and we, in situations where we provide our cash access services through a financial services center, are required to file a CTR of each deposit, withdrawal, exchange of currency or other payment or transfer by, through or to us which involves a transaction in currency of more than $10,000 in a single day. Our CashClub^® product can assist in identifying transactions that give rise to reporting obligations. When we issue or sell drafts for currency in amounts between $3,000 and $10,000, we maintain a record of information about the purchaser, such as the purchaser’s address and date of birth.

Fund Transfers. Our POS debit card cash access transactions, credit card cash access transactions and ATM services are subject to the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, which provides cardholders with rights with respect to electronic fund transfers, including the right to dispute unauthorized charges, charges that list the wrong date or amount, charges for goods and services that are not accepted or delivered as agreed, math errors and charges for which a cardholder asks for an explanation or written proof of transaction along with a claimed error or request for clarification. We believe the necessary policies and procedures have been implemented throughout our organization in order to comply with the regulatory requirements for fund transfers.

State Money Transmission Laws. Many states where we complete credit card cash access and POS debit card cash access transactions or offer our online payment processing solution require us to have a money transmitter license.

Credit Reporting. Our Central Credit gaming patron credit bureau services and check verification and warranty services are subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 and their implementing rules, which require consumer credit bureaus, such as Central Credit, to provide credit report information to businesses only for certain purposes and to otherwise safeguard credit report information, to disclose to consumers their credit report on request, and to permit consumers to dispute and correct inaccurate or incomplete information in their credit report. These laws and rules also govern the information that may be contained in a consumer credit report. We continue to implement policies and procedures as well as adapt our business practices in order to comply with these laws and regulations. In addition to federal regulations, our Central Credit gaming patron credit bureau services are subject to the state credit reporting regulations that impose similar requirements to the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003.

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Debt Collection. We currently outsource most of our debt collection efforts to third parties. However, we do engage in debt collection to collect on chargebacks on our cash access products and unpaid balances for services performed for our check services, Central Credit services, compliance services, receivables relating to the sale and service of our fully integrated kiosks and other integrated kiosk solutions, and other amounts owing to us in connection with performing various services for our customers. All such collection practices may be subject to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which prohibits unfair, deceptive or abusive debt collection practices, as well as consumer-debt-collection laws and regulations adopted by the various states.

Privacy Regulations. Our collection of information from patrons who use our financial products and services, such as our cash access services, are subject to the financial information privacy protection provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and its implementing federal regulations. We gather, as permitted by law, non-public, personally-identifiable financial information from patrons who use our cash access services, such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, bank and credit card account numbers and transaction information. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requires us to safeguard and protect the privacy of such non-public personal information and also requires us to make disclosures to patrons regarding our privacy and information sharing policies and give patrons the opportunity to direct us not to disclose information about them to unaffiliated third parties in certain situations. We are also subject to state privacy regulations which, in some cases, may be even stricter than federal law. We continue to implement policies and programs as well as adapt our business practices in order to comply with federal and state privacy laws and regulations.

ATM Operations. The Electronic Fund Transfer Act requires us to disclose certain notices regarding the fees that we charge for performing an ATM transaction as well as to incorporate such notices on the ATM screens to notify patrons of such fees prior to completing an ATM transaction. Our ATM services are also subject to applicable state banking regulations in each jurisdiction in which we operate ATMs which require, among other things, that we register with the state banking regulators as an operator of ATMs, that we provide gaming patrons with notices of the transaction fees assessed upon use of our ATMs, that our transaction fees do not exceed designated maximums, that we offer gaming patrons a means of resolving disputes with us, and that we comply with prescribed safety and security requirements. In addition, the ATMs that we operate are subject to requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which in general require that ATMs be accessible to individuals with disabilities, such as visually-impaired persons.

Check Cashing. In jurisdictions in which we serve as a check casher, we are required to be licensed by the applicable state banking regulator to operate as a check casher. Some states also impose restrictions on this activity, such as limits on the amounts of service fees that may be imposed on the cashing of certain types of checks, requirements as to records that must be kept with respect to dishonored checks and requirements as to the contents of receipts that must be delivered to gaming patrons at the time a check is cashed.

Network and Card Association Regulations. In addition to the governmental regulation described above, some of our services are also subject to rules promulgated by various payment networks, EFT networks and card associations. For example, we must comply with the Payment Card Industry (“PCI”) Data Security Standard. We have been designated as a compliant service provider under the PCI Data Security Standard. We must be certified to maintain our status as a compliant service provider on an annual basis.

EMV, designed to deter fraudulent card transactions related to identity theft, counterfeit cards and the misuse of lost or stolen cards via enhanced card authentication, transaction authorization and cardholder verification using chip-based smart-cards. EMV has been adopted in many regions of the world as the global standard for fraud deterrence in chip-based smart-card payments. In October 2015, the network and card associations began shifting liability for fraudulent POS and ATM transactions generated through EMV-capable cards onto merchants whose devices are not capable of processing chip-based smart-card EMV transactions. This shifts the responsibility for chargebacks due to fraudulent transactions on such cards from the card issuer onto the merchant.

As a merchant of cash access transactions processed through MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express, all who have adopted the EMV standard, and as an operator of ATMs, our POS, fully integrated kiosk and ATM devices are subject to the EMV standard. This requires us to maintain our fleet of U.S.-based POS, fully integrated kiosk and ATM devices to support the EMV standard.

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International Regulation

We are also subject to a variety of gaming and financial services regulations and other laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, in the international markets in which we operate. We expect to become subject to additional gaming and financial services regulations and other laws in the jurisdictions into which we expand our operations. Our expansion into new markets is dependent upon our ability to comply with the regulatory regimes adopted by such jurisdictions. Difficulties in obtaining approvals, licenses or waivers from the gaming and monetary authorities, in addition to other potential regulatory and quasi-regulatory issues that we have not yet ascertained, may arise in other international jurisdictions into which we wish to enter.

Item 1A.  Risk Factors.

The following section describes material risks and uncertainties that we believe may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or the market price of our stock. This section should be read in conjunction with our Financial Statements and Results of Operations included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Risks Related to Our Business

We have recorded net losses in each of the last three fiscal years and we may not generate profits in the future.

We had net losses of $51.9 million, $249.5 million and $105.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. As a result of the interest payments on the indebtedness incurred in connection with Everi Holdings’ purchase of Everi Games Holding in December 2014 (the “Merger”), amortization of intangible assets associated with the Merger and other acquisitions, other related acquisition and financing costs, asset impairment charges and depreciation and other amortization, we may not be able to generate profits in the future. We expect to continue to incur charges in the future in connection with the Merger and future acquisitions and we cannot assure you that we will generate net profits from operations in 2018 or subsequent years. Our ability to generate net profits in the future will depend, in part, on our ability to:

We may not be able to do any of these successfully, and our failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows, which could, among other things, affect our ability to make payments under our New Credit Facilities (defined herein) or the 2017 Unsecured Notes (as defined herein).

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Our substantial leverage could adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, limit our ability to react to changes in our industry or the economy, expose us to interest rate risk to the extent of our variable rate debt, and prevent us from meeting our obligations with respect to our indebtedness.

As of December 31, 2017, our total indebtedness was approximately $1.2 billion, which included the New Credit Facilities and the 2017 Unsecured Notes, each of which contain restrictive covenants. Our high degree of leverage could have significant adverse effects on our business, including:

We may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service all of our indebtedness, including the New Credit Facilities and the 2017 Unsecured Notes, and fund our working capital and capital expenditures, and we may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness, which may not be successful.

Our ability to make scheduled payments on our indebtedness, including the New Credit Facilities and the 2017 Unsecured Notes, will depend upon our future operating performance and on our ability to generate cash flow in the future, which is subject to general economic, financial, business, competitive, legislative, regulatory, and other factors that are beyond our control. We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations, or that future borrowings, including those under the New Credit Facilities, will be available to us in an amount sufficient to pay our indebtedness or to fund other liquidity needs.

If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we could face substantial liquidity problems and could be forced to reduce or delay investment and capital expenditures or to dispose of material assets or operations, seek additional equity capital, or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. We may not be able to affect any such alternative measures, if necessary, on commercially reasonable terms or at all and, even if successful, such alternative actions may not allow us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations. The New Credit Facilities and the indenture governing the 2017 Unsecured Notes restrict our ability to dispose of assets and use the proceeds from any such disposition.

If we cannot make scheduled payments on our debt, we will be in default and, as a result, the holders of the 2017 Unsecured Notes could declare all outstanding principal and interest to be due and payable, the lenders under the New Credit Facilities could declare all outstanding amounts under such facilities due and payable and terminate their commitments to loan money, and, in each case, foreclose against the assets securing the borrowings under the New Credit Facilities, and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation.

If our indebtedness is accelerated, we may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness before maturity. We may not be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain sufficient funds to enable us to repay or refinance our debt obligations on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.

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The agreements and instruments governing our debt impose restrictions that may limit our operating and financial flexibility.

The New Credit Facilities and the indenture governing the 2017 Unsecured Notes contain a number of significant restrictions and covenants that limit our ability to:

These covenants could have the effect of limiting our flexibility in planning for or reacting to changes in our business and the markets in which we compete. In addition, the New Credit Facilities require us to comply with a financial maintenance covenant under certain circumstances. Operating results below current levels or other adverse factors, including a significant increase in interest rates, could result in our being unable to comply with the financial covenants contained in the New Credit Facilities, if applicable. If we violate this covenant and are unable to obtain a waiver from our lenders, our debt under the New Credit Facilities would be in default and could be accelerated by our lenders. Based on cross-default provisions in the agreements and instruments governing our indebtedness, a default under one agreement or instrument could result in a default under, and the acceleration of, our other indebtedness. In addition, the lenders under the New Credit Facilities could proceed against the collateral securing that indebtedness.

If our indebtedness is accelerated, we may not be able to repay our debt or borrow sufficient funds to refinance it. Even if we are able to obtain new financing, it may not be on commercially reasonable terms, on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. If our debt is in default for any reason, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, complying with these covenants may make it more difficult for us to successfully execute our business strategy and compete against companies that are not subject to such restrictions.

Our net operating losses and other tax credit carry forwards are subject to limitations that could potentially reduce these tax assets.

As of December 31, 2017, we had tax effected federal and state net operating loss (“NOL”) carry forwards of approximately $74.1 million and $13.1 million, respectively, federal research and development credit carry forwards of approximately $6.0 million, and foreign tax credit carry forwards of approximately $0.5 million. The federal net operating losses can be carried forward and applied to offset taxable income for 20 years and will expire starting in 2022. The state net operating loss carry forwards will expire between 2018 and 2038. The federal research and development credits are limited to a 20 year carry forward period and will begin to expire in varying amounts in 2029, if not utilized. The foreign tax credits can be carried forward 10 years and will expire in 2020, if not utilized.

Based on the weight of available evidence, including both positive and negative indicators, if it is more likely than not that a portion, or all, of the deferred tax assets will not be realized, we must consider recording a valuation allowance. Greater weight is given to evidence that is objectively verifiable, most notably historical results. As we are in a cumulative loss position, we increased our valuation allowance for deferred tax assets by $2.3 million (net of a reduction for the decrease in the US federal corporate tax rate) during 2017, related to these NOL and other tax credit carry-forwards. Our ability to utilize the remaining NOL and other tax credit carry forwards to reduce taxable income in future years may be further limited, including the possibility that projected future taxable income is insufficient to realize the benefit of these NOL carry forwards prior to their expiration. To the extent our results of operations do not improve, we may not have the ability to overcome the more likely than not accounting standard that would allow us to reverse the valuation allowance and may be subject to record an additional valuation allowance in the future.

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Our ability to use these tax assets could be adversely affected by the limitations of Sections 382, 383 and 384 of the Internal Revenue Code. In addition, a portion of our NOL’s include amortization of goodwill for tax purposes associated with a restructuring that occurred in 2004, which could be subject to audit by the IRS and thus may have an adverse effect on our NOL carry forwards.

The recently passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“2017 Tax Act”) could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

The 2017 Tax Act, among other changes, makes a US federal net operating loss less valuable as an asset due to a new flat US federal corporate income tax rate of 21%, replacing a graduated rate with a maximum income tax rate of 35%, effective January 1, 2018. Net operating losses arising in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 are limited in use to offset eighty percent of taxable income, without the ability to carryback such net operating losses, but with an indefinite carryforward of such losses (instead of the former 2 year carryback and 20 year carryforward for net operating losses arising in taxable years beginning before December 31, 2017). The amount of the net US federal interest expense deduction is generally limited to (a) 30% of adjusted taxable income, calculated without regard to depreciation, amortization, depletion or interest, effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2022 and (b) 30% of adjusted taxable income, calculated without regard to interest (reduced by depreciation, amortization and depletion), effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2021. Disallowed amounts may be carried forward indefinitely, subject to ownership change limitations. We continue to examine the impact this tax reform legislation may have on our deferred tax assets and our business. Notwithstanding the reduction in the corporate income tax rate, the overall impact of the 2017 Tax Act is uncertain and our business and financial condition could be adversely affected.

We may experience network or system failures, or service interruptions, including cybersecurity attacks or other technology risks. Our inability to protect our systems and data against such risks could harm our business and reputation.  

In the course of providing our cash access services, we engage third-party processors, data center providers, telecommunication networks and other third-party technology vendors. In addition, we gather, as permitted by law, non-public, personally-identifiable financial information from patrons who use our cash access services, such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, bank and credit card account numbers and transaction information, which may be routed through our third-party vendors. We are required by law to safeguard and protect the privacy of such non-public personal information and we take such responsibilities seriously, which we demonstrate by carefully vetting the third parties we choose to provide technology services to us.

In the course of providing our gaming related products and services, we engage third-party processors, data center providers, telecommunication networks and other third-party technology vendors. In the event our EGMs are compromised, gaming establishments may require us to remediate any abnormality or suspicious activity or require us to indemnify casino operators for lost business and, potentially, their patrons. This may have cascading implications across our network security platform and information technology infrastructure that could require greater management and employee focus on these issues, resulting in lost productivity and increased costs. We also could be subject to liability claims or regulatory compliance implications.

Our internal network, systems and related infrastructure, in addition to the networks, systems and related infrastructure of our third-party technology vendors, may be vulnerable to computer viruses and other malware that infiltrate such systems and networks, as well as physical or electronic security breaches, natural disasters and similar disruptions. They may also be the target of attempts to identify and exploit network and system vulnerabilities, penetrate or bypass security measures in order to interrupt or degrade the quality of the services we receive, or provide or otherwise gain unauthorized access to our networks and systems or those of our third-party vendors. These vulnerabilities or other attempts at access may result from, or be caused by, human error or technology failures, but they may also be the product of malicious actions by third parties intending to harm our business. The methods that may be used by these third parties to cause service interruptions or failures or to obtain unauthorized access to information change frequently, are difficult to detect, and are hard to defend against. Our defensive measures, and those employed by our third-party vendors, may not be sufficient to defend against all such methods, and any such failure to defend could lead to interruptions or outages of our services, delays, loss of data or public release of confidential data. In some instances, such failures could cause us to fail to meet contractual deadlines or

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specifications and force us to renegotiate contracts on less favorable terms, pay penalties or liquidated damages or suffer major losses if the customer exercises its right to terminate. We are parties to certain agreements that could require us to pay damages resulting from loss of revenues if our systems are not properly functioning or as a result of a system malfunction. For example, our agreement with the New York State Gaming Commission permits termination of the contract at any time for failure by us or our system to perform properly, and any such unforeseen downtime could subject us to liquidated damages. In addition, if we fail to meet the terms specified in our contracts, we may not realize their full benefits. Failure to perform under any contract could result in substantial monetary damages, as well as contract termination. We also could be subject to liability for claims relating to misuse of personal information in violation of contractual obligations or data privacy laws. In addition, we cannot provide assurance that the contractual requirements related to the security and privacy that we impose on our third-party vendors who have access to this data will be followed or will be adequate to prevent the misuse of this data.

Any of the issues described above, whether experienced by us or a third-party vendor, could harm our reputation, deter existing and prospective customers from using our services, increase our operating expenses in order to contain and remediate the incident, expose us to unanticipated or uninsured liabilities, disrupt our operations (including potential service interruptions), distract our management, increase our risk of litigation or regulatory scrutiny, result in the imposition of penalties and fines under applicable laws, or lead to the loss of customers and revenue. We maintain insurance against cybersecurity and related risks, but it may not cover all losses that we could suffer.

The gaming industry is intensely competitive, and if we are unable to compete effectively, our business could be negatively impacted.

The market for gaming devices, cash access products, and related services is highly competitive, and we expect competition to increase and intensify in the future. In both our Games and Payments businesses, some of our competitors and potential competitors have significant advantages over us, including greater name recognition, longer operating histories, pre-existing relationships with current or potential customers with respect to other financial services, greater financial, research, design, development, marketing, technological and other resources, and more ready access to capital resources, which allow them to respond more quickly to new or changing opportunities, be in a better position to compete as well as, in respect of our cash access business, to pay higher commissions or other incentives to gaming establishments in order to gain new customers. In our Payments business, we compete with other established providers of cash access products and services, including third-party transaction processors, financial institutions and other regional and local banks that operate ATMs on the premises of gaming establishments. To the extent that we lose customers to these competitors, or competitive pressures force us to offer incentives or less favorable pricing terms to us to establish or maintain relationships with gaming establishments, our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

Our business is dependent upon consumer demand for gaming and overall economic trends specific to the gaming industry. Economic downturns or a decline in the popularity of gaming could reduce the number of patrons that use our products and services or the amounts of cash that they access using our services.

We provide our gaming-related and cash access products and services almost exclusively to gaming establishments. As a result, our business depends on consumer demand for gaming. Gaming is a discretionary leisure activity, participation in which has in the past and may in the future decline during periods of (i) economic growth, due to changes in consumers’ spending habits, (ii) economic downturns, due to decreases in our customers’ disposable income or general tourism activities, and (iii) declining consumer confidence, due to general economic conditions, geopolitical concerns or other factors. Gaming competes with other leisure activities as a form of consumer entertainment and may lose popularity as new leisure activities arise or as other leisure activities become more popular. In addition, gaming in traditional gaming establishments (to which we sell our products and services) competes with internet-based gaming. The popularity and acceptance of gaming is also influenced by the prevailing social mores and changes in social mores, including changes driven by social responsibility organizations that are dedicated to addressing problem gaming, which could result in reduced acceptance of gaming as a leisure activity or litigation or lobbying efforts focused on limiting gaming activities. To the extent that the popularity or availability of gaming in traditional gaming establishments declines as a result of any of these factors, the demand for our cash access and gaming-related products and services, or the willingness of our customers to spend new capital on acquiring gaming equipment or utilize revenue share agreements, may decline and our business may be harmed.

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Most of our leased gaming device contracts with our customers are on a month-to-month basis, and if we are unable to maintain our current customers on terms that are favorable to us, our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows may suffer a material adverse effect.

Most of our leased gaming device contracts with our customers are generally on a month-to-month basis, except for customers with whom we have entered into development and placement fee agreements. We do not rely upon the stated term of our gaming device contracts to retain the business of our customers. We rely instead upon providing competitive player terminals, games and systems to give our customers the incentive to continue doing business with us. At any point in time, a significant portion of our gaming device business is subject to nonrenewal, which may materially and adversely affect our earnings, financial condition and cash flows. To renew or extend any of our customer contracts generally, we may be required to accept financial and other terms that are less favorable to us than the terms of the expired contracts. In addition, we may not succeed in renewing customer contracts when they expire. If we are required to agree to other less favorable terms to retain our customers or we are not able to renew our relationships with our customers upon the expiration of our contracts, our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows could suffer a material adverse effect.

Tribal gaming customers who have historically operated large quantities of Class II gaming units may negotiate into arrangements with state governments or renegotiate existing gaming compacts that could impact the amount of Class II gaming devices currently supplied by the Company. If we are unable maintain our existing placement of units, then our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows may suffer an adverse effect.

As of December 31, 2017, we operated 8,875 Class II gaming units under lease or daily fixed fee arrangements to our customers. Customers who enter into compacts with state governments may desire to change from Class II gaming units to Class III gaming units, as Class III units generally perform better than Class II units. This may result in the loss of placements under lease or daily fixed fee arrangements as customers purchase or lease Class III units from other equipment suppliers to replace our existing Class II units. If we are unable to replace these lost units with our proprietary Class III units, then our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows may suffer an adverse effect.

If we are unable to renew our contract with the New York State Gaming Commission, our revenues, financial condition, operations or cash flows may suffer a material adverse effect.

Our contract to provide an accounting and central determinant system for the VLTs in the State of New York has provided Games segment revenues of approximately $18.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. In January 2018, an amendment to the agreement between Everi Games and the New York State Gaming Commission was approved and became effective. Under this amendment, Everi Games will continue to provide and maintain the central determinant system for the New York Lottery through December of 2019.  Upon its expiration, if we are unsuccessful in renewing the contract, our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows may suffer a material adverse effect.

Consolidation among our customers could have a material adverse effect on our revenues and profitability.

We often execute contracts with customers pursuant to which we provide products and services at multiple gaming establishments. Accordingly, the expiration or termination of a single key contract can mean the loss of multiple gaming facilities at which our products and services are used. In addition, consolidation among operators of gaming establishments may also result in the loss of customers if one of our customers is acquired by a business that utilizes one of our competitors.

We derive a significant portion of our revenue from Native American tribal customers, and our ability to effectively operate in Native American gaming markets is vulnerable to legal and regulatory uncertainties, including the ability to enforce contractual rights on Native American land.

We derive a significant percentage of our revenue from the provision of cash access and gaming-related products and services to gaming facilities operated on Native American lands.

Native American tribes that are federally recognized are considered “domestic dependent nations” with certain sovereign rights and, in the absence of a specific grant of authority by Congress to a state or a specific compact or

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agreement between a tribal entity and a state that would allow the state to regulate activities taking place on Native American lands, such tribes can enact their own laws and regulate gaming operations and contracts. In this capacity, Native American tribes generally enjoy a degree of sovereign immunity, which, among other things, recognizes a tribe’s inherent authority of self-determination and self-governance, immunizes the tribe from certain lawsuits outside of tribal jurisdiction, and generally authorizes a tribe’s powers of taxation and spending over its federally-recognized nation. Accordingly, before we can seek to enforce contract rights with a Native American tribe, or an agency or instrumentality of a Native American tribe, we must obtain from the Native American tribe a general or limited waiver of its sovereign immunity with respect to the matter in dispute, which we are not always able to do. Without a general or limited waiver of sovereign immunity, or if such waiver is held to be ineffective, we could be precluded from judicially enforcing any rights or remedies against a Native American tribe, including the right to enter Native American lands to retrieve our property in the event of a breach of contract by the tribal party to that contract. Even if the waiver of sovereign immunity by a Native American tribe is deemed effective, there could be an issue as to the forum in which a lawsuit may be brought against the Native American tribe. Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction and generally do not have jurisdiction to hear civil cases relating to Native American tribes, and we may be unable to enforce any arbitration decision effectively. Although we attempt to agree upon governing law and venue provisions in our contracts with Native American tribal customers, these provisions vary widely and may not be enforceable.

Certain of our agreements with Native American tribes are subject to review by regulatory authorities. For example, our development agreements are subject to review by the NIGC, and any such review could require substantial modifications to our agreements or result in the determination that we have a proprietary interest in a Native American tribe’s gaming activity, which could materially and adversely affect the terms on which we conduct our business. The NIGC has previously expressed the view that some of our development agreements could be in violation of the requirements of the IGRA and Native American tribal gaming regulations, which state that the Native American tribes must hold “sole proprietary interest” in the Native American tribes’ gaming operations, which presents additional risk for our business. The NIGC may also reinterpret applicable laws and regulations, which could affect our agreements with Native American tribes. We could also be affected by alternative interpretations of the Johnson Act as the Native American tribes, who are the customers for our Class II games, could be subject to significant fines and penalties if it is ultimately determined they are offering an illegal game, and an adverse regulatory or judicial determination regarding the legal status of our products could have material adverse consequences for our business, financial condition, operations, cash flows or prospects.

Government enforcement, regulatory action, judicial decisions and proposed legislative action have in the past, and will likely continue to affect our business, financial condition, operations, cash flows and prospects in Native American tribal lands. The legal and regulatory uncertainties surrounding our Native American tribal agreements could result in a significant and immediate material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows. Additionally, such uncertainties could increase our cost of doing business and could take management’s attention away from operations. Regulatory action against our customers or equipment in these or other markets could result in machine seizures and significant revenue disruptions, among other adverse consequences. Moreover, Native American tribal policies and procedures, as well as tribal selection of gaming vendors, are subject to the political and governance environment within each Native American tribe. Changes in tribal leadership or tribal political pressure can affect our business relationships within Native American markets.

Certain Native American tribes require us to contract with entities that are owned, controlled or managed by tribal members to provide a portion of our services. In some instances, these entities are subcontractors of ours in connection with providing our services, while in other instances we are a subcontractor to these entities who contract with the applicable tribal gaming casino or tribe directly to provide cash access services. Our ability to provide our services is dependent upon our relationship with these third parties and their ability to provide services in accordance with the terms of our contractual arrangement with these third parties and, in some instances, the third parties’ relationship or contractual arrangement with the applicable tribal gaming casino or tribe.

Our business depends on our ability to introduce new, commercially viable games, products and services in a timely manner.

Our success is dependent on our ability to develop and sell new games, products and services that are attractive not only to our customers but also to their customers, the gaming patrons. If our games, products, and services do not appeal to gaming operators and patrons, or do not meet or sustain revenue and profitability of contractual

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obligations and expectations, we may lose business to our competitors. Additionally, we may be unable to enhance existing games, products and services in a timely manner in response to changing regulatory, legal or market conditions or customer requirements, or new games, products and services may not achieve market acceptance in new or existing markets. Delay in regulatory approvals of new gaming devices and equipment may adversely impact new product deployment. Furthermore, as we attempt to generate new streams of revenue by selling our games, products and services to new customers in new jurisdictions, we will face licensing and approval requirements of Gaming Authorities influencing the timing of our market entry and we may have difficulty implementing an effective sales strategy for these new jurisdictions. If we are unable to keep pace with rapid innovations in new technologies or product design and deployment or if we are unable to quickly adapt our development, manufacturing or sales processes to compete, our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows could suffer a material adverse effect.

We may not successfully enter new markets and potential new markets may not develop quickly or at all.

If and as new and developing domestic markets develop, competition among providers of gaming-related and cash access products and services will intensify. We will face a number of hurdles in our attempts to enter these markets, including the need to expand our sales and marketing presence, compete against pre-existing relationships that our target customers may have with our competitors, the uncertainty of compliance with new or developing regulatory regimes (including regulatory regimes relating to Internet gaming) with which we are not currently familiar, and oversight by regulators that are not familiar with us or our businesses. Each of these risks could materially impair our ability to successfully expand our operations into these new and developing domestic markets.

In addition, as we attempt to sell our gaming-related and cash access products and services into international markets in which we have not previously operated, we may become exposed to political, economic, tax, legal and regulatory risks not faced by businesses that operate only in the United States. The legal and regulatory regimes of foreign markets and their ramifications on our business are less certain. Our international operations are subject to a variety of risks, including different regulatory requirements and interpretations, trade barriers, difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations, higher rates of fraud, compliance with anti-corruption and export control laws, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, difficulty in enforcing or interpreting contracts or legislation, political and economic instability and potentially adverse tax consequences. Difficulties in obtaining approvals, licenses or waivers from the monetary and Gaming Authorities of other jurisdictions, in addition to other potential regulatory and quasi-regulatory issues that we have not yet ascertained, may arise in international jurisdictions into which we attempt to enter. In these new markets, our operations will rely on an infrastructure of, among other things, financial services and telecommunications facilities that may not be sufficient to support our business needs, such as the authorization and settlement services that are required to implement electronic payment transactions and the telecommunications facilities that would enable us to reliably connect our networks to our products at gaming establishments in these new markets. In these new markets, we may additionally provide services based upon interpretations of applicable law, which interpretation may be subject to regulatory or judicial review. These risks, among others, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and operations. In connection with our expansion into new international markets, we may forge strategic relationships with business partners to assist us. The success of our expansion into these markets therefore may depend in part upon the success of the business partners with whom we forge these strategic relationships. If we do not successfully form strategic relationships with the right business partners or if we are not able to overcome cultural or business practice differences, our ability to penetrate these new international markets could suffer.

We are subject to the risk that the domestic or international markets we attempt to enter or expand into may not develop as quickly as anticipated, or at all. The development of new gaming markets is subject to political, social, regulatory and economic forces beyond our control. The expansion of gaming activities in new markets can be very controversial and may depend heavily on the support and sponsorship of local government. Changes in government leadership, failure to obtain requisite voter support in referendums, failure of legislators to enact enabling legislation and limitations on the volume of gaming activity that is permitted in particular markets may inhibit the development of new markets. Further, our estimates of the potential future opportunities in new markets are based on a variety of assumptions that may prove to be inaccurate. To the extent that we overestimate the potential of a new market, incorrectly gauge the timing of the development of a new market or fail to anticipate the differences between a new market and our existing markets, we may fail in our strategy of growing our business by expanding into new markets. Moreover, if we are unable to meet the needs of our existing customers as they enter markets that we do not currently serve, our relationships with these customers could be harmed.

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We may not realize satisfactory returns on money loaned or otherwise funded to new and existing customers to develop or expand gaming facilities.

In our gaming business, we enter into placement fee agreements typically to secure a long-term revenue share percentage and a fixed number of player terminal placements in the gaming facility. These placement fee arrangements may provide for the removal of our player terminal placements in the event of poor game performance with no further obligation of the gaming customer. Additionally, we have historically entered into development fee arrangements and may continue to do so in the future. Under the development fee arrangements, we provide financing for construction, expansion or remodeling of gaming facilities in exchange for a long-term revenue share percentage and a fixed number of player terminal placements in the gaming facility until the development fee is repaid to us. The success of these ventures is dependent upon the timely completion of the gaming facility, the placement of our player terminals and a favorable regulatory environment. Our development and placement efforts and financing activities may result in operating difficulties, financial and regulatory risks, or required expenditures that could materially and adversely affect our liquidity. In connection with one or more of these transactions, and to obtain the necessary development and placement fee funds, we may need to extend secured and unsecured credit to potential or existing customers that may not be repaid, incur debt on terms unfavorable to us, incur difficulties in perfecting security interests in collateral on Indian lands, or that we are unable to repay, or incur other contingent liabilities. The failure to maintain controls and processes related to our collection efforts or the deterioration of regulatory or financial condition of our customers could negatively impact our business.

We depend on third-party transaction processors, third-party data center providers, telecommunication networks and other third-party technology vendors to provide our cash access and related services; and if we, or any of these third parties, experience system or service failures, the products and services we provide could be delayed or interrupted, which could harm our business and reputation.

Our ability to provide uninterrupted and high levels of services depends upon the performance of the third-party processors, data center providers, telecommunication networks and other third-party technology vendors that we use. Any significant interruptions in, or degradation of, the quality of the services, including infrastructure storage and support, that these third parties provide to us could severely harm our business and reputation and lead to the loss of customers and revenue. Our internal network, systems and related infrastructure as well as third-party providers and their networks, systems and related infrastructure are potentially vulnerable to computer viruses, physical or electronic security breaches, natural disasters and similar disruptions, which could lead to interruptions or outages of our services, delays, loss of data or public release of confidential data, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows. In some instances, such failures could cause us to fail to meet contractual deadlines or specifications and force us to renegotiate contracts on less favorable terms, pay penalties or liquidated damages or suffer major losses if the customer exercises its right to terminate. We are parties to certain agreements that could require us to pay damages resulting from loss of revenues if our systems are not properly functioning or as a result of a system malfunction. For example, our agreement with the New York State Gaming Commission permits termination of the contract at any time for failure by us or our system to perform properly, and any such unforeseen downtime could subject us to liquidated damages. In addition, if we fail to meet the terms specified in our contracts, we may not realize their full benefits. Failure to perform under any contract could result in substantial monetary damages, as well as contract termination. Our results of operations are dependent on our ability to maximize our earnings from our contracts.

We typically rely on a single third-party processor to process substantially all of our cash access transactions that are processed through various card associations and EFT payment networks, and the failure of our third-party processor to adequately provide such processing services could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows.

We typically rely on a single third party to provide processing services for the majority of our cash access transactions by obtaining authorizations for ATM cash withdrawal, POS debit card and credit card cash access transactions and to provide settlement transaction files to card associations and EFT payment networks for some of these transactions. If our third-party processor fails to adequately provide these services, it could result in our systems being unable to process our cash access transactions intermittently or for extended periods of time, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows.

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An unexpectedly high level of chargebacks, as the result of fraud or otherwise, including in connection with new technology standards being implemented in the United States regarding chip-based cards, could materially and adversely affect our cash access business.

In 1994, Europay, MasterCard and Visa jointly developed EMV, designed to deter fraudulent card transactions related to identity theft, counterfeit cards and the misuse of lost or stolen cards via enhanced card authentication, transaction authorization and cardholder verification using chip-based smart-cards. EMV has been adopted in many regions of the world as the global standard for fraud deterrence in chip based smart-card payments. Historically, the U.S. payments industry has relied on magnetic stripe cards instead of EMV compliant chip-based cards. Recently, however, U.S. card issuers have begun to offer EMV-capable chip-based smart-cards, and as of October 1, 2015, the U.S. payment card industry shifted the liability for fraudulent transactions generated through EMV-enabled cards onto merchants whose devices are not capable of processing chip-based smart-card EMV transactions. This shifted the responsibility for chargebacks due to fraudulent transactions on such cards from the card issuer onto the merchant. We currently do not incur such costs as we are compliant with the EMV regulations. However, if we are unable to maintain such status, our cash access business may be adversely affected.

When patrons use our cash access services, we either dispense cash or produce a negotiable instrument that can be exchanged for cash. If a completed cash access transaction is subsequently disputed, and if we are unsuccessful in establishing the validity of the transaction, we may not be able to collect payment for such transaction and such transaction becomes a chargeback. In the event that we incur chargebacks in excess of specified levels, we could lose our sponsorship into the card associations or be censured by the card associations by way of fines or otherwise. Our failure to adequately manage our chargebacks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows.

Changes in consumer willingness to pay a fee to access their funds could reduce the demand for our cash access products and services.

Our cash access business depends upon the willingness of patrons to pay a service fee to access their own funds on the premises of a gaming establishment. In most retail environments, consumers typically do not pay an additional fee for using non-cash payment methods such as credit cards, POS debit cards or checks. Gaming patrons could bring more cash with them to gaming establishments or access cash outside of gaming establishments without paying a fee for the convenience of not having to leave the gaming establishment. To the extent that gaming patrons become unwilling to pay these fees for convenience or lower cost cash access alternatives become available, the demand for cash access services within gaming establishments will decline and our business could suffer.

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property adequately or obtain intellectual property rights and agreements, we may lose valuable competitive advantages, be forced to incur costly litigation to protect our rights, or be restricted in our ability to provide various products in our markets.

Our success depends, in part, on developing and protecting our intellectual property. We rely on copyright, patent, trademark and trade secret laws to protect our intellectual property. We also rely on other confidentiality and contractual agreements and arrangements with our employees, affiliates, business partners and customers to establish and protect our intellectual property and similar proprietary rights. While we expect these agreements and arrangements to be honored, we cannot assure you that they will be and, despite our efforts, our trade secrets and proprietary know-how could become known to, or independently developed by, competitors. Any litigation relating to the defense of our intellectual property, whether successful or unsuccessful, could result in substantial costs to us and potentially cause a diversion of our resources.

In addition, we may face claims of infringement that could interfere with our ability to use technology or other intellectual property rights that are material to our business operations. In the event a claim of infringement against us is successful, we may be required to pay royalties to use technology or other intellectual property rights that we had been using, or we may be required to enter into a license agreement and pay license fees, or we may be required to stop using the technology or other intellectual property rights that we had been using. We may be unable to obtain necessary licenses from third parties at a reasonable cost or within a reasonable amount of time. Any litigation of this type, whether successful or unsuccessful, could result in substantial costs to us and potentially cause a diversion of our resources.

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Our 3-in-1 Rollover patent expired in early 2018 and our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows may suffer an adverse effect from our competitors’ use of this technology.

We no longer have the ability to extend our existing 3-in-1 Rollover patent, which allows a patron that has reached his or her daily ATM limit to obtain funds via a POS debit card cash access transaction or a credit card cash access transaction instead. As a result of the patent expiration, our competitors will have the ability to emulate this technology; and our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows may suffer an adverse effect.

We rely on hardware, software and games licensed from third parties, and on technology provided by third-party vendors, the loss of which could materially and adversely affect our business, increase our costs and delay deployment or suspend development of our gaming systems and player terminals.

We have entered into license agreements with third parties for the exclusive use of their technology and intellectual property rights in the gaming industry, such as our license to use portions of the software infrastructure upon which our cash access systems operate, and we also rely on third-party manufacturers to manufacture our gaming devices, fully integrated kiosks and other integrated kiosk solutions. We rely on these other parties to maintain and protect this technology and the related intellectual property rights. If our licensors fail to protect their intellectual property rights in material that we license and we are unable to protect such intellectual property rights, the value of our licenses may diminish significantly and our business could be significantly harmed. In addition, if these agreements expire and we are unable to renew them, or if the manufacturers of this software or hardware, or functional equivalents of this software or hardware, were either no longer available to us or no longer offered to us on commercially reasonable terms, we may lose a valuable competitive advantage and our business could be harmed.

Acts of God, adverse weather and shipping difficulties, particularly with respect to international third-party suppliers of our components, could cause significant production delays. If we are unable to obtain these components from our established third-party vendors, we could be required to either redesign our product to function with alternate third-party products or to develop or manufacture these components ourselves, which would result in increased costs and could result in delays in the deployment of our gaming systems and player terminals. Furthermore, we might be forced to limit the features available in our current or future offerings.

We rely on intellectual property licenses from one or more third-party competitors, the loss of which could materially and adversely affect our business and the sale or placement of our products. Various third-party gaming manufacturers with which we compete are much larger than us and have substantially larger intellectual property assets. The gaming manufacturer industry is very competitive and litigious, and a lawsuit brought by one of our larger competitors, whether or not well-founded, may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows and our ability to sell or place our products.

Our inability to identify business opportunities and future acquisitions, or successfully execute any of our identified business opportunities or future acquisitions could limit our future growth.

From time to time, we pursue strategic acquisitions in support of our strategic goals. In connection with any such acquisitions, we could face significant challenges in timely securing required approvals of Gaming Authorities, or managing and integrating our expanded or combined operations, including acquired assets, operations and personnel. There can be no assurance that acquisition opportunities will be available on acceptable terms or at all or that we will be able to obtain necessary financing or regulatory approvals to complete potential acquisitions.

We may not achieve the intended benefits of our acquisitions, if any, nor may we be able to integrate those businesses successfully, and any such acquisitions may disrupt our current plans and operations.

Our ability to succeed in implementing our strategy will depend to some degree upon the ability of our management to successfully integrate commercially viable acquisitions. Acquisition transactions may disrupt our ongoing business and distract management from other responsibilities. The expected cost synergies associated with such acquisitions may not be fully realized in the anticipated amounts or within the contemplated timeframes or cost expectations, which could result in increased costs and have an adverse effect on our prospects, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Our businesses may be negatively impacted if we are unable to effectively manage our expanded operations. The integration of these acquisitions will require significant time and focus from management and may divert attention from the day‑to‑day operations of the combined business or delay the achievement of our strategic objectives. We expect to incur incremental costs and capital expenditures related to our contemplated integration activities.

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The risks we commonly encounter in acquisitions include:

Our failure to effectively integrate any future acquisition would adversely affect the benefit of such transaction, including potential synergies or sales growth opportunities, in the time frame anticipated.

We operate our business in regions subject to natural disasters. Any interruption to our business resulting from a natural disaster will adversely affect our revenues and results of operations.

In the event of a natural disaster, the operations of gaming establishments could be negatively impacted or consumer demand for gaming could decline, or both, and as a result, our business could be interrupted, which could materially and adversely affect our revenues and results of operations. Adverse weather conditions, particularly flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, heavy snowfall and other extreme weather conditions often deter our customer’s end users from traveling or make it difficult for them to frequent the sites where our games are installed. If any of those sites experienced prolonged adverse weather conditions, or if the sites in the State of Oklahoma, where a significant number of our games are installed, simultaneously experienced adverse weather conditions, our results of business,

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financial condition and operations could be materially and adversely affected. During 2017, the impact of weather-related natural disasters resulted in business disruption at certain of our customers’ facilities.

Risks Related to Regulation of Our Industry

We may be subject to fines, penalties, liabilities and legal claims resulting from unauthorized disclosure of cardholder and patron data, whether through a security breach of our computer systems, our third-party processor’s computer systems or otherwise, or through our unauthorized use or transmission of such data.

We collect and store personally identifiable information about cardholders and patrons that perform certain cash access and Central Credit transactions, including names, addresses, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers and account numbers, and we maintain a database of cardholder and patron data, including account numbers, in order to process our cash access and Central Credit transactions. We also rely on our third-party processor and certain other technology partners to process and store cardholder and patron data relating to our cash access and Central Credit transactions. As a result, we, as well as our third-party processor, certain of our other technology providers and some of our gaming establishment customers, are required to comply with various federal and state privacy statutes and regulations and the PCI Data Security Standard. Compliance with these regulations and requirements, which are subject to change at any time, is often difficult and costly, and our failure, or the failure of these other third parties, to comply may result in significant fines or civil penalties, regulatory enforcement action, liability to our sponsor bank and termination of our agreements with our gaming establishment customers, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows. If our computer systems or those of our third-party processor or other technology providers suffer a security breach, we may be subject to liability, including claims for unauthorized transactions with misappropriated bank card information, impersonation or similar fraud claims, as well as for any failure to comply with laws governing required notifications of such a breach, and these claims could result in protracted and costly litigation, penalties or sanctions from the card associations and EFT payment networks, and damage to our reputation, which could reduce and limit our ability to provide cash access and related services to our gaming establishment customers.

The personally identifiable information we collect also includes our patrons’ transaction behavioral data and credit history data, which we may use to provide marketing and data intelligence services to gaming establishments. This information is increasingly subject to federal, state and card association laws and regulations as well as laws and regulations in numerous jurisdictions around the world. Governmental regulations are typically intended to protect the privacy and security of such data and information as well as to regulate the collection, storage, transmission, transfer, use and distribution of such data and information. We could be materially and adversely affected if domestic or international laws or regulations are expanded to require changes in our business practices or if governing jurisdictions interpret or implement their laws or regulations in ways that negatively affect our business or even prohibit us from offering certain marketing and data intelligence or other services. Similarly, if we are required to allocate significant resources to modify our internal operating systems and procedures to enable enhanced protection of patron data that we transmit, store and use, our business results could be adversely affected. In addition, we may face requirements that pose compliance challenges in new international markets that we seek to enter as various foreign jurisdictions have different laws and regulations concerning the storage, transmission and use of gaming patron data. Such variation could subject us to costs, liabilities or negative publicity that could impair our ability to expand our operations into some countries and therefore limit our future growth.

We are subject to extensive governmental gaming regulation, which may harm our business.

Our operation of gaming activities, including the sale and manufacturing of gaming devices, fully integrated kiosks, the provision of cash access services at gaming establishments and the operation of central determinant systems, is subject to extensive regulation by the jurisdictions where we operate. The gaming laws, regulations and ordinances vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but generally concern the antecedents, acumen, financial stability and character of our owners, officers and directors, as well as those persons financially interested or involved in our companies. Our violation of these gaming laws, regulations and ordinances could result in the imposition of substantial fines, or in the conditioning, limitation, suspension or revocation of a required license, registration or other approval, either of which could have a material adverse impact on our business depending on the specific circumstances. In addition, we are subject to the possible increase at any time by various state and federal

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legislatures and officials of gaming taxes or fees, which could adversely affect our results. For a summary of gaming regulations that could affect our business, see “Item 1. Business—Regulation.”

Our ability to conduct both our gaming and cash access businesses, expand operations, develop and distribute new games, products and systems, and expand into new gaming markets is also subject to significant federal, state, local, Native American and foreign regulations. In the United States and many other countries, gaming must be expressly authorized by law. Once authorized, such activities are subject to extensive and evolving governmental regulation. While we seek to comply with the standards and regulations set forth by each jurisdiction, a governmental agency or court could disagree with our interpretation of these standards and regulations or determine that the manufacturing and use of certain of our electronic player terminals, and perhaps other key components of our gaming systems that rely to some extent upon electronic equipment to run a game, is impermissible under applicable law. An adverse regulatory or judicial determination regarding the legal status of our products could have material adverse consequences for us in other jurisdictions, including with gaming regulators, and our business, operating results and prospects could suffer and we and our officers and directors could be subject to significant fines and penalties. Furthermore, the failure to become licensed, or the loss or conditioning of a license, in one market may have the adverse effect of preventing licensing in other markets or the revocation of licenses we already maintain.

As we expand into new markets, we expect to encounter business, legal, operational and regulatory uncertainties as well as additional responsibilities. As we enter new jurisdictions, we are subject to increasing legal, regulatory and reporting requirements that will require substantial additional resources, such as new licenses, permits and approvals, including third-party certifications that our games comply with a particular jurisdiction’s stated regulations, in order to meet our expectations for new market entry, and such licenses, permits or approvals may not be timely granted to us, or granted to us at all, which could have a material effect on our business in general and new market entry specifically. Obtaining and maintaining all required licenses, findings of suitability, registrations, permits or approvals is time consuming, expensive and potentially distracting to management. As we enter new jurisdictions, our reporting systems will need to be developed or updated, and we may fail to provide timely or adequate notifications or reporting requirements within these new jurisdictions, which could have adverse regulatory consequences for us in that, or in other, jurisdictions, which could affect our business. In addition, entry into new markets may require us to make changes to our gaming systems to ensure that they comply with applicable regulatory requirements. We may also encounter additional legal and regulatory challenges that are difficult or impossible to foresee and which could result in an unforeseen adverse impact on planned revenues or costs associated with the new market opportunity. If we are unable to effectively develop and operate within these new markets, then our business, operating results and financial condition would be impaired.

Generally, our placement of systems, games and technology into new market segments involves a number of business uncertainties, including whether:

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In addition, the suspension, revocation, nonrenewal or limitation of any of our licenses could have a material adverse effect on our business operations, financial condition, and results of operations and our ability to maintain key employees. The Gaming Authorities may deny, limit, condition, suspend or revoke a gaming license or related approval for violations of applicable gaming laws and regulations and may impose substantial fines and take other actions, any one of which could have a significant adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Further, changes in existing gaming laws or regulations or new interpretations of existing gaming laws may hinder or prevent us from continuing to operate in those jurisdictions where we currently do business, which could harm our operating results. In particular, the enactment of unfavorable legislation or government efforts affecting or directed at manufacturers or gaming operators, such as referendums to increase gaming taxes or requirements to use local distributors, could have a negative impact on our operations. Moreover, in addition to the risk of enforcement action, we are also at risk of loss of business reputation in the event of any potential legal or regulatory investigation, whether or not we are ultimately accused of or found to have committed any violation.

Many of the financial services that we provide are subject to extensive rules and regulations, which may harm our business.

Our Central Credit gaming patron credit bureau and check verification and warranty services are subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 and similar state laws. The collection practices that are used by our third-party providers and us may be subject to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and applicable state laws relating to debt collection. All of our cash access services and patron marketing services are subject to the privacy provisions of state and federal law, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Our POS debit card cash access transactions and ATM withdrawal services are subject to the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. Our ATM services are subject to the applicable state banking regulations in each jurisdiction in which we operate ATMs. Our ATM services may also be subject to state and local regulations relating to the imposition of daily limits on the amounts that may be withdrawn from ATMs, the location of ATMs, our ability to surcharge cardholders who use our ATMs, and the form and type of notices that must be disclosed regarding the provision of our ATM services. The cash access services we provide are subject to record keeping and reporting obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act and the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001. We are required to file SARs with respect to transactions completed at all gaming establishments where we provide our cash access services through a gaming establishment’s cashier or financial services center. If we are found to be noncompliant in any way with these laws, we could be subject to substantial civil and criminal penalties. In jurisdictions in which we serve as a check casher, we are subject to the applicable state licensing requirements and regulations governing check cashing activities. We are also subject to various state licensing requirements and regulations governing money transmitters.

We are subject to formal or informal audits, inquiries or reviews from time to time by the regulatory authorities that enforce these financial services rules and regulations. In the event that any regulatory authority determines that the manner in which we provide cash access, patron marketing or gaming patron credit bureau services is not in compliance with existing rules and regulations, or the regulatory authorities adopt new rules or regulations that prohibit or restrict the manner in which we provide cash access, patron marketing or gaming patron credit bureau services, then these regulatory authorities may force us to modify the manner in which we operate or force us to stop processing certain types of cash access transactions or providing patron marketing or gaming patron credit bureau services altogether. We may also be required to pay substantial penalties and fines if we fail to comply with applicable rules and regulations. For example, if we fail to file CTRs or SARs on a timely basis or if we are found to be noncompliant in any way with either the Bank Secrecy Act or the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, we could be subject to substantial civil and criminal penalties. In addition, our failure to comply with applicable rules and regulations could subject us to private litigation.

We are subject to extensive rules and regulations of card associations, including VISA, MasterCard and EFT networks that are always subject to change, which may harm our business.

Our cash access business is subject to the extensive rules and regulations of the leading card associations, VISA and MasterCard. The rules and regulations do not expressly address some of the contexts and settings in which we process cash access transactions or do so in a manner subject to varying interpretations. As an example, we and certain of our providers must comply with the PCI Data Security Standard. The failure by any of such providers to comply with such standards could result in our being fined or being prohibited from processing transactions through VISA, MasterCard and other card and payment networks. We also process transactions involving the use of the proprietary credit cards such as those offered by Discover Card and American Express, as well as other regional cards issued in certain international markets. The rules and regulations of the proprietary credit card networks that

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service these cards present risks to us that are similar to those posed by the rules and regulations of VISA, MasterCard and other payment networks.

The card associations’ and payment networks’ rules and regulations are always subject to change, and the card associations or payment networks may modify their rules and regulations from time to time. Our inability to anticipate changes in rules and regulations, or the interpretation or application thereof, may result in substantial disruption to our business. In the event that the card associations, payment networks or our sponsoring banks determine that the manner in which we process certain types of card transactions is not in compliance with existing rules and regulations, or if the card associations or payment networks adopt new rules or regulations that prohibit or restrict the manner in which we process certain types of card transactions, we may be forced to pay a fine, modify the manner in which we operate our business or stop processing certain types of cash access transactions altogether, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows.

Card associations and EFT networks may change interchange reimbursement rates or network operating fees or assess new fees associated with the processing and settlement of our cash access transactions or otherwise change their operating rules and regulations without our consent and such changes may affect our revenues, cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization), net income and our business generally.

We receive income from issuers of ATM, credit and debit cards for certain transactions performed on our ATMs related to cash dispensing or certain other non-financial transactions such as balance inquiries. The EFT networks may also charge certain fees related to the performance of these transactions. We refer to the net of this income and fees as reverse interchange. The amount of this reverse interchange income is determined by the card associations and EFT networks, and this income is subject to decrease at their discretion.

We pay interchange and other network fees for services to the credit card associations and EFT networks that they provide in settling transactions routed through their networks. Collectively we call these charges interchange fees. Subject to the limitations imposed by federal regulations such as the Durbin Amendment or other regulations that may be enacted, the amounts of these interchange fees are determined based upon the sole discretion of the card associations and EFT networks and are subject to increase at any time. Although certain of our contracts enable us to pass through increases in interchange or other network processing fees to our customers, competitive pressures might prevent us from passing all or some of these fees through to our customers in the future. To the extent that we are unable to pass through to our customers all or any portion of any increase in interchange or other network processing fees, our cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) would increase and our net income would decrease, assuming no change in transaction volumes. Any such decrease in net income could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows. In addition, proposed changes to the Dodd-Frank Act, such as the repeal of the Durbin Amendment, if adopted, or other regulation that could be implemented to limit the amount of surcharge or service fees charged for our cash access transactions could have a negative impact on revenue and gross margins (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) as a result of reduced service fee revenue and potential increases in interchange rates merchants pay for debit card transactions.

The card associations and EFT networks may also elect to impose new membership or other fees, or implement new rules and regulations with respect to processing transactions through their networks, and any such new fees, rules or regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows.

The provision of our credit card access, POS debit and ATM services are dependent upon our continued sponsorship into the VISA and MasterCard card associations, and the suspension or termination of our sponsorship would result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows.

We process virtually all of our credit card cash access, POS debit and ATM service transactions through the VISA and MasterCard card associations, both domestically and internationally, and virtually all of the revenue that we derive from our credit card cash access, POS debit and ATM services is dependent upon our continued sponsorship into the VISA and MasterCard associations. We cannot provide these services without sponsorship into the VISA and MasterCard associations by a member financial institution. Our failure to maintain our current sponsorship arrangements or secure alternative sponsorship arrangements into the VISA and MasterCard associations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows.

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Our ATM service business is subject to extensive rules and regulations, which may harm our business.

Our ATM services are subject to the applicable federal, state and local banking regulations in each jurisdiction in which we operate ATMs, which regulations relate to the imposition of daily limits on the amounts that may be withdrawn from ATMs, the location of ATMs, our ability to surcharge cardholders who use our ATMs, and the form and type of notices that must be disclosed with respect to the fees we charge to patrons in connection with our ATM services. ATMs are also subject to requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which in general require that ATMs be accessible to individuals with disabilities, such as visually-impaired persons. These laws and regulations may impose significant burdens on our ability to operate ATMs profitably in some locations, or at all, and our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows could be materially adversely affected. Moreover, because these regulations are subject to change, we may be forced to modify our ATM operations in a manner inconsistent with the assumptions upon which we relied when entering into contracts to provide ATM services at gaming establishments. If federal, state, local or foreign authorities adopt new laws or regulations or raise enforcement levels on existing laws and regulations that make it more difficult for us to operate our ATM business, then our revenues and earnings may be negatively affected. If legislation or regulations are enacted in the future that adversely impact our ATM business, we may be forced to modify our operations in a manner inconsistent with the assumptions upon which we relied when entering into contracts to provide ATMs at gaming establishments and our business, financial condition, operations or cash flows could suffer a material adverse effect.

Consumer privacy laws may change, requiring us to change our business practices or expend significant amounts on compliance with such laws.

Our patron marketing and database services depend on our ability to collect and use non-public personal information relating to patrons who use our products and services and the transactions they consummate using our services. We are required by federal and state privacy laws and rules to safeguard and protect the privacy of such information, to make disclosures to patrons regarding our privacy and information sharing policies and, in some cases, to provide patrons an opportunity to “opt out” of the use of their information for certain purposes. The failure or circumvention of the means by which we safeguard and protect the privacy of information we gather may result in the dissemination of non-public personal information, which may harm our reputation and may expose us to liability to the affected individuals and regulatory enforcement proceedings or fines. Regulators reviewing our policies and practices may require us to modify our practices in a material or immaterial manner or impose fines or other penalties if they believe that our policies and practices do not meet the necessary standard. To the extent that our patron marketing and database services have failed, are now failing or in the future fail to comply with applicable law, our privacy policies or the notices that we provide to patrons, we may become subject to actions by a regulatory authority or patrons which cause us to pay monetary penalties or require us to modify the manner in which we provide patron marketing and database services. To the extent that patrons exercise their right to “opt out,” our ability to leverage existing and future databases of information would be curtailed. Consumer and data privacy laws are evolving, and due to recent high profile thefts and losses of sensitive consumer information from protected databases, such laws may be broadened in their scope and application, impose additional requirements and restrictions on gathering, encrypting and using patron information or narrow the types of information that may be collected or used for marketing or other purposes or require patrons to “opt-in” to the use of their information for specific purposes, or impose additional fines or potentially costly compliance requirements which will hamper the value of our patron marketing and database services.

Risks Related to Our Stock

Our common stock has been publicly traded since September 2005, and we expect that the price of our common stock will fluctuate substantially.

There has been a public market for our common stock since September 2005. The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to a number of factors, some of which are beyond our control, including those described above under “—Risks Related to Our Business,” “—Risks Related to Regulation of Our Industry” and the following:

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Some provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may delay or prevent transactions that many stockholders may favor.

Some provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may have the effect of delaying, discouraging, or preventing a merger or acquisition that our stockholders may consider favorable or a change in our management or our Board of Directors. These provisions:

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These provisions may have the effect of entrenching our management team and may deprive our stockholders of the opportunity to sell shares to potential acquirers at a premium over prevailing prices. This potential inability to obtain a premium could reduce the price of our common stock.

Item 1B.  Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

Item 2.  Properties.

Our headquarters are located in a facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, consisting of approximately 62,000 square feet of office space under a lease through April 2023. In addition, we have approximately 103,000 square feet of office space in Austin, Texas under a lease through June 2021. We also lease facilities with approximately 17,000 square feet in Chicago, Illinois and Reno, Nevada, which support the design, production and expansion of our gaming content. These design studios are under a lease through June 2023 and May 2021 for the Chicago and Reno offices, respectively. We also lease several other properties that are used to support all our products and services.

We believe that these facilities are adequate for our business as presently conducted.

Item 3.  Legal Proceedings.

We are involved in various investigations, claims and lawsuits in the ordinary course of our business. Although the outcome of our legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty and no assurances can be provided, based upon current information, we do not believe the liabilities, if any, which may ultimately result from the outcome of such matters, individually or in the aggregate, will have a material adverse impact on our financial position, liquidity or results of operations.

Item 4.  Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

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PART II

In this filing, we refer to: (i) our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as our “Financial Statements,” (ii) our Consolidated Statements of Loss and Comprehensive Loss as our “Statements of Loss,” (iii) our Consolidated Balance Sheets as our “Balance Sheets,” and (iv) Item 7. Managements’ Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations as our “Results of Operations.”

Item 5.  Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Our common stock is listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “EVRI.” On March 1, 2018, there were five holders of record of our common stock. Because many of our shares of common stock are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of stockholders, we are unable to estimate the total number of beneficial stockholders represented by these record holders.

The following table sets forth for the indicated periods, the high and low sale prices per share of our common stock:

On March 1, 2018, the closing sale price of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange was $7.32.

Dividend Policy

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all earnings for the repayment of our outstanding debt and to finance the growth and development of our business. Any future change in our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on contractual restrictions, our results of operations, earnings, capital requirements and other factors considered relevant by our Board of Directors. In addition, the New Credit Facilities and the indenture governing the 2017 Unsecured Notes limit our ability to declare and pay cash dividends.

Common Stock Repurchases

We did not have a share repurchase program in effect for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015.

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Issuer Purchases and Withholding of Equity Securities

We repurchased or withheld from restricted stock awards 15,457, 18,717, and 32,617 shares of our common stock at an aggregate purchase price of $0.1 million, $41,528, and $0.2 million, respectively, to satisfy the minimum applicable tax withholding obligations incident to the vesting of such restricted stock awards for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The following table includes the monthly repurchases or withholdings of our common stock during the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2017:

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Stock Performance Graph

The line graph below compares the cumulative total stockholder return on our common stock with the cumulative total return of the Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) 500 Index and the S&P Information Technology Index during the five year period ended December 31, 2017.

The graph assumes that $100 was invested on December 31, 2012 in our common stock, in the S&P 500 Index and the S&P Information Technology Index, and that all dividends were reinvested. Research Data Group, Inc. furnished this data and the cumulative total stockholder returns for our common stock, the S&P 500 Index and the S&P Information Technology Index are based on the calendar month end closing prices. The comparisons in the graph are required by the SEC and are not intended to forecast or be indicative of possible future performance of our common stock.

The performance graph and the related chart and text are being furnished solely to accompany this Annual Report on Form 10-K pursuant to Item 201(e) of Regulation S-K, and are not being filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act and are not to be incorporated by reference in any filing by us under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any such filing.

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Item 6.  Selected Financial Data.

The following selected historical financial data has been derived from, and should be read in conjunction with, our Financial Statements and Results of Operations included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our selected consolidated financial data may not be indicative of our future financial condition or results of operations (in thousands, except per share amounts).

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Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

In this filing, we refer to: (i) our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as our “Financial Statements;” (ii) our audited Consolidated Statements of Loss and Comprehensive Loss as our “Statements of Loss;” (iii) our audited Consolidated Balance Sheets as our “Balance Sheets;” and (iv) our consolidated results of operations as our “Results of Operations.”

The following discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with “Item 1. Business,” “Item 6. Selected Financial Data” and our Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the information included in our other filings with the SEC.

This discussion includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, Section 21E of the Exchange Act and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and should be read in conjunction with the disclosure and information contained and referenced in “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Overview

Everi is a leading supplier of technology solutions for the casino gaming industry. The Company provides casino operators with a diverse portfolio of products including innovative gaming machines that power the casino floor, and casino operational and management systems that include comprehensive, end-to-end payments solutions, critical intelligence offerings, and gaming operations efficiency technology. Everi’s mission is to be a transformative force for casino operations by facilitating memorable player experiences, delivering reliable protection and security, and striving for customer satisfaction and operational excellence.

Everi Games provides a number of products and services for casinos, including (a) gaming machines comprised primarily of Class II and Class III slot machines placed under participation or fixed fee lease arrangements or sold to casino customers, including the award-winning TournEvent® and (b) system software, licenses, ancillary equipment and maintenance to its casino customers. Everi Games also develops and manages the central determinant system for the VLTs installed in the State of New York. 

Everi Payments provides its casino customers cash access and related products and services including: (a) access to cash at gaming facilities via ATM cash withdrawals, credit card cash access transactions, POS debit card cash access transaction and check verification and warranty services; (b) fully integrated gaming industry kiosks that provide cash access and related services; (c) products and services that improve credit decision making, automate cashier operations and enhance patron marketing activities for gaming establishments; (d) compliance, audit and data solutions; and (e) online payment processing solutions for gaming operators in states that offer intrastate, internet-based gaming and lottery activities.

Items Impacting Comparability of Results of Operations

Our Financial Statements included in this report that present our financial condition and results of operations reflect the following transactions and events:

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As a result of the above transactions and events, the results of operations and earnings per share in the periods covered by our Financial Statements may not be directly comparable.

Trends and Developments Impacting our Business

Our strategic planning and forecasting processes include the consideration of economic and industry wide trends that may impact our Games and Payments businesses. We have identified the material positive and negative trends affecting our business as the following:

Impact of ASC Topic 606 on the Comparability of Our Results of Operations in Future Periods

As discussed in “Note 2 — Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Recent Accounting Guidance – Recent Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted,” in Item 8: Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, on January 1, 2018, the Company implemented the new revenue recognition standard promulgated by the FASB. The Company adopted ASC 606 using the modified retrospective method that requires companies to record a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings (or deficit) presented in the unaudited condensed,

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consolidated balance sheets for interim periods and presented in the audited consolidated balance sheets for annual periods for any contract modifications made to those arrangements not yet completed as of the adoption date of January 1, 2018. The Company determined that there was no such cumulative adjustment required to be made to its interim, condensed, consolidated balance sheets as of the adoption date. In addition, under the modified retrospective method, the Company’s prior period results will not be recast to reflect the new revenue recognition standard.

The Company determined that the adoption of ASC 606 will have a material impact on the presentation of its financial information primarily due to the reporting on a net revenues basis, rather than a gross presentation, of certain costs of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) related to the cash access activities of the Company’s Payments segment (with additional immaterial changes due to the net reporting of certain of the gaming operations activities of the Company’s Games segment). The net revenues reporting requirement under ASC 606 will have an effect on both the Payments and Games segment revenues and related cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization); however, this net presentation will not have an effect on operating income (loss), net loss, cash flows or the timing of revenues recognized and costs incurred.

To provide a greater understanding of the impact of this new revenue recognition standard, the Company determined that under the provisions set forth in ASC 606, the effect on certain Payments and Games revenues and costs of revenues would have collectively decreased by approximately $564.2 million, $476.4 million and $438.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

With respect to its Payments segment, the Company will have a material impact on the presentation of its financial information related to the reclassification of certain cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) included in the cash advance, automated teller machine and check services revenue streams to be netted against those related revenue streams. The Company will report these items, which include commission expenses paid to casino operators, interchange costs paid to the network associations and processing and related costs paid to other third party partners as amounts that will be reported “net of transaction price” as reductions to its Payments segment revenues, rather than the current gross revenues presentation with these costs and expenses historically reported as Payments segment cost of revenue (exclusive of depreciation and amortization).

With respect to its Games segment, the Company will not have a material impact on the presentation of its financial information related to the reclassification of certain cost of revenues included in the gaming operations revenue stream to be netted against this revenue stream in connection with the Company’s Wide Area Progressive (the “WAP”) offering, which was initiated in 2017. The Company will report these items, which include WAP jackpot expenses as amounts that will be reported “net of the transaction price” as reductions to its Games segment revenues, rather than the current gross revenues presentation with these expenses historically reported as Games segment cost of revenue (exclusive of depreciation and amortization).

Furthermore, for presentation purposes, given the fact that the Company’s total revenues, on a consolidated basis, will be significantly reduced in connection with the adoption of the new revenue recognition standard, the Company’s revenue streams will be evaluated on a recurring basis to ensure compliance with Rule 5-03(b) of Regulation S-X to present those revenues that exceed the quantitative threshold on the Company’s Statements of Loss. For a preview of revenues on a disaggregated basis, we refer to the tabular illustration presented in this section Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations under the sub-caption, “Results of Operations.” In addition, the Company determined that there was no cumulative adjustment to be recorded to Stockholders’ Deficit in its Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Operating Segments

Operating segments are components of an enterprise about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision-making group in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. Our chief operating decision-making group consists of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer. This group manages the business, allocates resources and measures profitability based on our operating segments. The operating segments are managed and reviewed separately as each represents products that can be sold separately to our customers.

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Our chief operating decision-making group has determined the following to be the operating segments for which we conduct business: (a) Games and (b) Payments. We have reported our financial performance based on our segments in both the current and prior periods. Each of these segments is monitored by our management for performance against its internal forecast and is consistent with our internal management reporting. 

Corporate overhead expenses have been allocated to the segments either through specific identification or based on a reasonable methodology. In addition, we record depreciation and amortization expenses to the appropriate operating segment.

Our business is predominantly domestic, with no specific regional concentrations and no significant assets in foreign locations.

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Results of Operations

Year ended December 31, 2017 compared to the year ended December 31, 2016

The following table presents our Results of Operations (in thousands)*:

Total Revenues

Total revenues increased by $115.5 million, or 13%, to $974.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to the prior year period. This was due to increased Payments and Games revenues.

Games revenues increased by $9.5 million, or 4%, to $222.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily due to an increase in units sold, partially offset by lower daily win per unit on leased games.

Payments revenues increased by $106.0 million, or 16%, to $752.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily due to higher dollar and transaction volume and fees earned from cash access services, new customer openings, the expansion of our ATM services in Canada, as well as overall growth in the segment.

Costs and Expenses

Games cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) increased by $4.4 million, or 9%, to $54.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily due to higher variable costs associated with increased unit sales.

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Payments cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) increased by $85.1 million, or 17%, to $583.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily due to higher costs associated with the increase in cash access services.

Operating expenses remained relatively consistent to the prior year. This was primarily due to an increase in payroll and benefit-related expenses offset by the decrease in expenses related to the 2016 Bee Cave loan impairment that did not impact our 2017 results for our Games segment; and an increase in payroll and benefits-related expenses and professional services expenses offset by the decrease in expenses related to the 2016 separation costs for our former CEO that did not impact our 2017 results for our Payments segment.

There was no goodwill impairment for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to $146.3 million in the prior year period as a result of our October 1, 2016 annual goodwill assessment attributable to our Games reporting unit.

Depreciation decreased by $2.7 million, or 5%, to $47.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily due to a decrease in depreciation from certain assets being fully depreciated in both our Games and Payments segments.

Amortization decreased by $25.1 million, or 27%, to $69.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily due to certain acquired intangible assets being fully amortized in the fourth quarter of 2016 for both our Games and Payments segments.

Primarily as a result of the factors described above, operating income increased by $200.4 million, or 169%, to $81.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to the prior year period. The operating income margin increased from negative 14% to a positive 8% for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Interest expense, net of interest income, increased by $2.9 million, or 3%, to $102.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily attributable to higher interest recognized as a result of our debt restructuring activities in the fourth quarter of 2017 as well as higher cash usage fees, partially offset by lower interest expense as a result of our debt refinancing in May 2017.

Loss on extinguishment of debt for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $51.8 million, which consisted of a $26.3 million make-whole premium related to the satisfaction and redemption of the 2014 Unsecured Notes (defined herein), approximately $10.9 million for the write-off of related unamortized debt issuance costs and fees in the fourth quarter of 2017 and approximately $14.6 million for the unamortized deferred financing fees and discounts related to our extinguished term loan under the Prior Credit Facility and the redeemed Refinanced Secured Notes (both defined herein) in the second quarter of 2017. There was no loss on extinguishment of debt in the prior year period.

Income tax benefit was $20.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to an income tax provision of $31.7 million in the prior year period. The income tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2017 reflected an effective income tax rate of 28.0%, which was less than the statutory federal rate of 35.0% primarily due to a decrease in the carrying value of our deferred tax liabilities as a result of the enactment of the 2017 Tax Act, offset by an increase in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets. The income tax provision for the year ended December 31, 2016 reflected a negative effective income tax rate of 14.6%, which was less than the statutory federal rate of 35.0%, primarily due to an increase in our valuation allowance for deferred tax assets and the impairment of goodwill for which no tax benefit was provided for book purposes.

Primarily as a result of the foregoing, our net loss decreased by $197.6 million, or 79%, to $51.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, as compared to the prior year period.

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Year ended December 31, 2016 compared to year ended December 31, 2015:

The following table presents our Results of Operations (in thousands)*:

Total Revenues

Total revenues increased by $32.5 million, or 4%, to $859.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to the prior year period. This was due to increased Payments revenues, slightly offset by lower Games revenues.

Games revenues decreased by $1.2 million, or 1%, to $213.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily due to a lower daily win per unit on leased games, partially offset by an increase in unit sales and average sales price per unit.

Payments revenues increased by $33.6 million, or 5%, to $646.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily due to higher ATM transaction volume and fees, including an increase in transaction volume from ATM portfolios acquired in late 2015.

Costs and Expenses

Games cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) increased by $3.3 million, or 7%, to $50.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily due to higher costs associated with the increased unit sales volume.

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Payments cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) increased by $35.3 million, or 8%, to $498.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily due to the ATM portfolio acquisitions and higher commission expense on ATM revenues.

Operating expenses increased by $17.5 million, or 17%, to $118.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily due to the impact of a $14.4 million gain contingency settlement during the prior year and a $4.3 million write-down of a note receivable and warrant associated with Bee Cave Games, Inc.

Goodwill impairment increased by $71.3 million, or 95%, to $146.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to the prior year period. This non-cash charge was a result of our October 1, 2016 annual goodwill assessment and attributable to our Games reporting unit.

Depreciation increased by $4.4 million, or 10%, to $50.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily related to increased fixed assets being placed in service.

Amortization increased by $9.2 million, or 11%, to $94.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily related to an increase in intangible assets being placed in service related to developed technology and software.

Primarily, as a result of the factors described above, operating loss increased by $108.8 million, or 1,118%, to an operating loss of $118.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to the prior year period. The operating loss margin increased to 14% for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to 1% for the prior year period. Excluding the goodwill impairment charge in 2016 and 2015, the operating margin would have been approximately 3% and 8%, respectively.

Interest expense, net of interest income, decreased by $1.1 million, or 1%, to $99.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to the prior year period. This was primarily related to lower outstanding debt balances, the write-off of debt issuance costs related to our Refinanced Secured Notes, partially offset by a higher interest rate under the Contract Cash Solutions Agreement with Wells Fargo.

There was no loss on extinguishment of debt for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to a loss on extinguishment of debt of $13.1 million in the prior year period.

Income tax provision was $31.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to an income tax benefit in the prior year period. This was primarily due to an increase in our valuation allowance for deferred tax assets. The income tax provision reflected a negative effective income tax rate of 14.6% for the year ended December 31, 2016, which was less than the statutory federal rate of 35.0% primarily due to an increase in our valuation allowance for deferred tax assets and the impairment of goodwill, for which no tax benefit is provided for book purposes. The income tax benefit reflected an effective income tax rate of 14.7% for the prior year, which was greater than the statutory federal rate of 35.0%, primarily due to the impairment of goodwill for which no tax benefit was provided for book purposes.

Primarily, as a result of the foregoing, net loss increased by $144.5 million, or 138%, to $249.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to the prior year period.

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Games Revenues

The following table includes the revenues from our Games segment (amounts in thousands):

Payments Revenues

The following table includes the revenues from our Payments segment (amounts in thousands):

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of our financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect our reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities in our Financial Statements. The SEC has defined critical accounting policies as the ones that are most important to the portrayal of the financial condition and results of operations, and which require management to make its most difficult and subjective judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about matters that are inherently uncertain. Based on this definition, we have identified our critical accounting policies as those addressed below. We also have other key accounting policies that involve the use of estimates, judgments and assumptions. You should review “Note 2. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” within our Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a summary of these policies. We believe that our estimates and assumptions are reasonable, based upon information presently available; however, actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Segment Reporting. We apply the provisions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 280, “Segment Reporting”, in accounting for our business segments. This defines operating segments as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. In addition, ASC 280-10-50-34, as well as Rule 3-03(e) of Regulation S-X, requires us to recast financial information from prior years for segments if we change our internal organization in a way that effects the compositions of our reportable segments. Our operating segments were previously organized and managed under five business segments: (a) Cash Advance, (b) ATM, (c) Check Services, (d) Games, and (e) Other. During the first quarter of 2015, we changed our organizational structure as part of our transformation to a Games and Payments company providing solutions to the gaming industry. Accordingly, since the first quarter of 2015, we have reported our financial performance, and organized and managed our operations, across the following two business segments: (a) Games, and (b) Payments. Each of these segments is monitored by our management for performance against its internal forecast and is consistent with our internal management reporting.

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Business Combinations.  We apply the provisions of the FASB ASC 805, “Business Combinations”, in the accounting for acquisitions. It requires us to recognize separately from goodwill the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed, at their acquisition date fair values. Goodwill as of the acquisition date is measured as the excess of consideration transferred over the net of the acquisition date fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. Significant estimates and assumptions are required to value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date as well as contingent consideration, where applicable. These estimates are preliminary and typically include the calculation of an appropriate discount rate and projection of the cash flows associated with each acquired asset over its estimated useful life. As a result, during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, the Company may record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed with the corresponding offset to goodwill. In addition, deferred tax assets, deferred tax liabilities, uncertain tax positions and tax related valuation allowances assumed in connection with a business combination are initially estimated as of the acquisition date. We reevaluate these items quarterly based upon facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date and any adjustments to its preliminary estimates are recorded to goodwill, in the period of identification, if identified within the measurement period. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the values of assets acquired or liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to the Statements of Loss.

Acquisition‑related Costs.  We recognize a liability for acquisition‑related costs when the expense is incurred. Acquisition‑related costs include, but are not limited to: financial advisory, legal and debt fees; accounting, consulting, and professional fees associated with due diligence, valuation and integration; severance; and other related costs and adjustments.

Property, Equipment and Leased Assets.   We have approximately $113.5 million in net property, equipment and leased assets on our Balance Sheets at December 31, 2017. Property, equipment and leased assets are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation, computed using the straight-line method over the lesser of the estimated life of the related assets, generally two to five years, or the related lease term.  Player terminals and related components and equipment are included in our rental pool. The rental pool can be further delineated as “rental pool – deployed,” which consists of assets deployed at customer sites under participation arrangements, and “rental pool – undeployed,” which consists of assets held by us that are available for customer use. Rental pool – undeployed consists of both new units awaiting deployment to a customer site and previously deployed units currently back with us to be refurbished awaiting re-deployment.  Routine maintenance of property, equipment and leased gaming equipment is expensed in the period incurred, while major component upgrades are capitalized and depreciated over the estimated remaining useful life of the component. Sales and retirements of depreciable property are recorded by removing the related cost and accumulated depreciation from the accounts. Gains or losses on sales and retirements of property are reflected in our Statements of Loss. Property, equipment and leased assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. Impairment is indicated when undiscounted future cash flows do not exceed the asset’s carrying value.

Goodwill.  We had approximately $640.6 million of goodwill on our Balance Sheets at December 31, 2017 resulting from acquisitions of other businesses. All of our goodwill was subject to our annual goodwill impairment testing. We test for impairment annually on a reporting unit basis, at the beginning of our fourth fiscal quarter, or more often under certain circumstances. The annual impairment test is completed using either: a qualitative “Step 0” assessment based on reviewing relevant events and circumstances; or a quantitative “Step 1” assessment, which determines the fair value of the reporting unit, using an income approach that discounts future cash flows based on the estimated future results of our reporting units and a market approach that compares market multiples of comparable companies to determine whether or not any impairment exists. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, an impairment charge equal to the amount by which the carrying amount of goodwill for the reporting unit exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill is recorded. In connection with our annual goodwill impairment testing process for 2017, we determined that no impairment adjustment was necessary as the fair value exceeded the carrying amount for each of the Games (limited excess fair value), Cash Access Services, Kiosk Sales and Services, Central Credit Services and Compliance Sales and Services reporting units.

Management performs its annual forecasting process, which, among other factors, includes reviewing recent historical results, company-specific variables and industry trends. This process is generally completed in the fourth quarter and considered in conjunction with the annual goodwill impairment evaluation. ‎ 

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The annual evaluation of goodwill and other non‑amortizing intangible assets requires the use of estimates about future operating results of each reporting unit to determine its estimated fair value. Changes in forecasted operations can materially affect these estimates, which could materially affect our results of operations. The estimate of fair value requires significant judgment and we base our fair value estimates on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable; but that are unpredictable and inherently uncertain, including: estimates of future growth rates, operating margins and assumptions about the overall economic climate as well as the competitive environment for our reporting units. There can be no assurance that our estimates and assumptions made for purposes of our goodwill testing as of the time of testing will prove to be accurate predictions of the future. If our assumptions regarding business plans, competitive environments or anticipated growth rates are not correct, we may be required to record goodwill impairment charges in future periods, whether in connection with our next annual impairment testing, or earlier, if an indicator of an impairment is present prior to our next annual evaluation.

Our reporting units are identified as operating segments or one level below. Reporting units must: (a) engage in business activities from which they earn revenues and incur expenses; (b) have operating results that are regularly reviewed by our segment management to ascertain the resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance; and (c) have discrete financial information available. As of December 31, 2017, our reporting units included: Games, Cash Access Services, Kiosk Sales and Services, Central Credit Services, and Compliance Sales and Services. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company combined its Cash Advance, ATM and Check Services reporting units into a single Cash Access reporting unit to be consistent with the current corporate structure and segment management. The use of different assumptions, estimates or judgments in the goodwill impairment testing process, such as the estimated future cash flows of our reporting units, the discount rate used to discount such cash flows, or the estimated fair value of the reporting units’ tangible and intangible assets and liabilities, could significantly increase or decrease the estimated fair value of a reporting unit or its net assets, and therefore, impact the related impairment charge, if any.

Other Intangible Assets.  We have approximately $324.3 million in net unamortized other intangible assets on our Balance Sheets at December 31, 2017. Other intangible assets are stated at cost, less accumulated amortization and computed primarily using the straight-line method. Other intangible assets consist primarily of: (i) customer contracts (rights to provide Games and Payments services to gaming establishment customers), developed technology, trade names and trademarks and contract rights acquired through business combinations; (ii) capitalized software development costs; and (iii) the acquisition cost of our patent related to the 3-in-1 rollover technology acquired in 2005. Customer contracts require us to make renewal assumptions, which impact the estimated useful lives of such assets. Capitalized software development costs require us to make certain judgments as to the stages of development and costs eligible for capitalization. Capitalized software costs placed in service are amortized over their useful lives, generally not to exceed five years. The acquisition cost of the 3-in-1 Rollover patent is being amortized over the term of the patent, which expired in January 2018. We review intangible assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Such events or circumstances include, but are not limited to, a significant decrease in the fair value of the underlying business or market price of the asset, a significant adverse change in legal factors or business climate that could affect the value of an asset, or a current period operating or cash flow loss combined with a history of operating or cash flow losses. We group intangible assets for impairment analysis at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. Recoverability of intangible assets is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of the asset to future, net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset, undiscounted and without interest or taxes. Any impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets.

Income Taxes.  We are subject to income taxes in the United States as well as various states and foreign jurisdictions in which we operate. In accordance with accounting guidance, our income taxes include amounts from domestic and international jurisdictions, plus the provision for U.S. taxes on undistributed earnings of international subsidiaries as of December 31, 2017. With respect to new tax reform, we account for such provisions in the year of enactment in accordance with GAAP. Some items of income and expense are not reported in tax returns and our Financial Statements in the same year. The tax effect of such temporary differences is reported as deferred income taxes.

Our deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in our Financial Statements or income tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based upon differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and their respective tax bases using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in years in which those temporary differences are

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expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on the income tax provision or benefit and deferred tax assets and liabilities for a change in rates is recognized in the Statements of Loss in the period that includes the enactment date.

When measuring deferred tax assets, certain estimates and assumptions are required to assess whether a valuation allowance should be established by evaluating both positive and negative factors in accordance with accounting guidance. This evaluation requires that we exercise judgment in determining the relative significance of each factor. The assessment of valuation allowance involves significant estimates regarding future taxable income and when it is recognized, the amount and timing of taxable differences, the reversal of temporary differences and the implementation of tax-planning strategies. A valuation allowance is established based on the weight of available evidence, including both positive and negative indicators, if it is more likely than not that a portion, or all, of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Greater weight is given to evidence that is objectively verifiable, most notably historical results. If we report a cumulative loss from continuing operations before income taxes for a reasonable period of time, this form of negative evidence is difficult to overcome. Therefore, we include certain aspects of our historical results in our forecasts of future taxable income, as we do not have the ability to solely rely on forecasted improvements in earnings to recover deferred tax assets. If we no longer report a cumulative loss position, to the extent our results of operations improve, such that we have the ability to overcome the more likely than not accounting standard, we expect to be able to reverse the valuation allowance in the applicable period of determination. In addition, we rely on deferred tax liabilities in our assessment of the realizability of deferred tax assets if the temporary timing difference is anticipated to reverse in the same period and jurisdiction and the deferred tax liabilities are of the same character as the temporary differences giving rise to the deferred tax assets.

We also account for uncertainty in income taxes as recognized in our Financial Statements. The accounting standard creates a single model to address uncertainty in income tax positions and prescribes the minimum recognition threshold a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in our Financial Statements. The standard also provides guidance on derecognition, measurement, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition.

Under this standard, we may recognize tax benefits from an uncertain position only if it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the issue. The amount recognized is the largest benefit that we believe has greater than a 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement. Actual income taxes paid may vary from estimates depending upon changes in income tax laws, actual results of operations, and the final audit of tax returns by taxing authorities. Tax assessments may arise several years after tax returns have been filed.

Revenue Recognition

Overview

We recognize revenue when evidence of an arrangement exists, services have been rendered, the price is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. We evaluate our revenue streams for proper timing of revenue recognition. Revenue is recognized as products are delivered and or services are performed.

For sales arrangements with multiple deliverables, we apply the guidance from ASC 605-25, “Revenue Recognition - Multiple-Element Arrangements.” In addition, we apply the guidance from ASC 985-605, “Software – Revenue Recognition” which affects vendors that sell or lease tangible products in an arrangement that contains software that is more than incidental to the tangible product as a whole and clarifies what guidance should be used in allocating and measuring revenue. In allocating the arrangement fees to separate deliverables, we evaluate whether we have vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”) of selling price, third party evidence (“TPE”) or estimate of selling price (“ESP”) for gaming devices, maintenance and product support fees and other revenue sources. We generally use ESP to determine the selling price used in the allocation of separate deliverables, as VSOE and TPE are generally not available. We determine the ESP on separate deliverables by estimating a margin typically received on such items and applying that margin to the product cost incurred.

Sales taxes and other taxes collected from customers on behalf of governmental authorities are accounted for on a net basis and are not included in revenues or operating expenses.

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Games Revenues

Games revenues are primarily generated by our gaming operations under development, placement, and participation arrangements in which we provide our customers with player terminals, player terminal-content licenses, central determinate systems for devices placed in service in licensed jurisdictions and back-office equipment, collectively referred to herein as leased gaming equipment. Generally, under these arrangements, we retain ownership of the leased gaming equipment installed at customer facilities and we receive revenue based on a percentage of the net win per day generated by the leased gaming equipment or a fixed daily fee based on the number of player terminals installed at the facility. Revenue from lease participation or daily fee arrangements are considered both realizable and earned at the end of each gaming day. Gaming operations revenues generated by leased gaming equipment deployed at sites under development or placement fee agreements are reduced by the accretion of contract rights acquired in connection with those agreements. Contract rights are amounts allocated to intangible assets for dedicated floor space resulting from such agreements, described under “Development and Placement Fee Agreements.” The related amortization expense, or accretion of contract rights, is recorded net against the respective revenue category in the Statements of Loss.

In addition, we sell gaming equipment directly to our customers under sales contracts on standard credit terms, or may grant extended credit terms under sales contracts secured by the related equipment.

Other Games revenues primarily consist of our TournEvent of Champions^® national tournament offering.

Generally, player terminal sales include ancillary equipment, such as networking gear, bases, chairs, and occasionally signage, some of which may be necessary for the full functionality of the player terminals in a casino. This ancillary equipment comprises an install kit that is shipped simultaneously with the player terminals. Although our products are analyzed as multiple deliverable arrangements, revenue for the player terminal and ancillary equipment is not recognized until all elements essential for the functionality of the product have been shipped or delivered. This includes game theme software and essential ancillary equipment. If elements that are not essential to the functionality of the player terminals are shipped after the unit, such as signage, chairs, or bases, these items would be classified as deferred revenue until shipped or delivered.

Revenue related to systems arrangements that contain both software and non-software deliverables requires allocation of the arrangement fee to the separate deliverables using the relative selling price method. Revenue for software deliverables is recognized under software revenue recognition guidance. Revenue resulting from the sale of non-software deliverables, such as gaming devices and other hardware, are accounted for based on other applicable revenue recognition guidance as the devices are tangible products containing both software and non-software components that function together to deliver the product's essential functionality.

The majority of our multiple element sales contracts are for some combination of gaming equipment, player terminals, content, system software, license fees, ancillary equipment and maintenance.

Payments Revenues

Cash advance revenues are comprised of transaction fees assessed to gaming patrons in connection with credit card cash access and POS debit card cash access transactions and are recognized at the time the transactions are authorized. Such fees are based on a combination of a fixed amount plus a percentage of the face amount of the credit card cash access or POS debit card cash access transaction amount.

ATM revenues are comprised of transaction fees in the form of cardholder surcharges assessed to gaming patrons in connection with ATM cash withdrawals at the time the transactions are authorized and reverse interchange fees paid to us by the patrons’ issuing banks. Cardholder surcharges and reverse interchange are recognized as revenue when a transaction is initiated. The cardholder surcharges assessed to gaming patrons in connection with ATM cash withdrawals are currently a fixed dollar amount and not a percentage of the transaction amount.

Check services revenues are principally comprised of check warranty revenues and are generally based upon a percentage of the face amount of checks warranted. These fees are paid to us by gaming establishments. We sell

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fully integrated kiosks directly to our customers under sales contracts on standard credit terms, or may grant extended credit terms under sales contracts secured by the related equipment.

Kiosk Sales and Services revenues are derived from the sale of cash access equipment and certain other ancillary fees associated with the sale, installation and maintenance of those offerings directly to our customers under sales contracts on standard credit terms, or may grant extended credit terms under sales contracts secured by the related equipment.

Compliance and other revenues include amounts derived from: (i) the sale of software licensing, software subscriptions professional services and certain other ancillary fees; (ii) Central Credit revenues that are based upon either a flat monthly unlimited usage fee or a variable fee structure driven by the volume of patron credit histories generated; and (iii) fees generated from ancillary marketing, database and internet-based gaming activities.

The majority of our multiple element sales contracts are for some combination of cash access services, fully integrated kiosks and related equipment, ancillary services and maintenance.

Stock‑Based Compensation.  Stock‑based compensation expense for all awards is based on the grant date fair value estimated. We estimate the weighted‑average fair value of options granted for our time‑based and cliff vesting time‑based options using the Black‑Scholes Option Pricing Model. We estimate the weighted‑average fair value of options granted for our market‑based options using a lattice‑based option valuation model. Each model is based on assumptions regarding expected volatility, dividend yield, risk‑free interest rates, the expected term of the option and the expected forfeiture rate. Each of these assumptions, while reasonable, requires a certain degree of judgment and the fair value estimates could vary if the actual results are materially different than those initially applied.

Recent Accounting Guidance

For a description of our recently adopted accounting guidance and recent accounting guidance not yet adopted, see “Note 2 Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies — Recent Accounting Guidance” within our Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Overview

The following table presents selected information about our financial position (in thousands):

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Cash Resources

Our cash balance, cash flows and line of credit are expected to be sufficient to meet our recurring operating commitments and to fund our planned capital expenditures for the foreseeable future. Cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2017 included cash in non‑U.S. jurisdictions of approximately $18.6 million. Generally, these funds are available for operating and investment purposes within the jurisdiction in which they reside, but may be subject to withholding tax in the foreign jurisdiction upon repatriation.

We expect that our cash provided by operating activities will be sufficient for our operating and debt servicing needs during the next 12 months. If not, we have sufficient borrowings available under our New Credit Facilities to meet additional funding requirements. We monitor the financial strength of our lenders on an ongoing basis using publicly-available information. Based upon that information, we believe there is not a likelihood that any of our lenders might not be able to honor their commitments under the Credit Agreement.

We provide cash settlement services to our customers related to our cash access products. These services involve the movement of funds between the various parties associated with cash access transactions. These activities result in a balance due to us at the end of each business day for the face amount provided to patrons plus the service fee charged to those patrons that we recoup over the next few business days and classify as settlement receivables. These activities also result in a balance due to our customers at the end of each business day for the face amount provided to patrons that we remit over the next few business days and classify as settlement liabilities. As of December 31, 2017, we had $227.4 million in settlement receivables for which we generally receive payment within one week. As of December 31, 2017, we had $317.7 million in settlement liabilities due to our customers for these settlement services that are generally paid within the next month. As the timing of cash received from settlement receivables and payment of settlement liabilities may differ, the total amount of cash held by us will fluctuate throughout the year.

Our cash and cash equivalents were $128.6 million and $119.1 million as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. Our net cash position after considering the impact of settlement receivables and settlement liabilities was $38.2 million and $8.7 million as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. Our net cash available after considering the net cash position and undrawn amounts available under our Revolving Credit Facility was approximately $73.2 million and $58.7 million as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.

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Cash Flows

The following table summarizes our cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands):