Updates
Golden Entertainment to Acquire Two Laughlin, Nevada Casino Resorts
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July, 2018 – Golden Entertainment, Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Marnell Gaming LLC, to acquire the Edgewater Hotel & Casino Resort and the Colorado Belle Hotel & Casino Resort in Laughlin, Nevada. The purchase price will be based on an 8.0x multiple of the combined trailing twelve months adjusted EBITDA of both properties as of November 2018, with a minimum price of $168 million and a maximum price of $190 million. Including expected cost synergies and cash acquired, the purchase price is expected to represent an implied trailing twelve months adjusted EBITDA multiple of 6.5x.
The purchase consideration will consist of $155 million of cash and the balance in restricted stock issued at a price of $28.54 per share.
The transaction will be financed with incremental debt under the Company’s credit facility and cash on hand. Pro forma for the transaction, the Company’s net leverage is expected to be below 5x at closing. The Company expects the acquisition to be cash flow positive and immediately accretive to operating results.
Blake Sartini, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Golden, said, “The acquisition of the Edgewater Hotel & Casino Resort and the Colorado Belle Hotel & Casino Resort provides us with an exciting opportunity to expand our portfolio to nine wholly-owned casino resorts in Southern Nevada, solidifying our presence in this growing and attractive gaming market. The transaction is consistent with our strategy to grow our business in an accretive manner for shareholders and Golden is uniquely positioned to benefit immediately from cost synergies related to the acquisition of these properties.”
The Edgewater Hotel & Casino Resort and the Colorado Belle Hotel & Casino Resort collectively feature over 1,400 slot machines, 40 table games and 2,150 hotel rooms. The properties also feature eleven restaurants and dedicated entertainment venues including the Laughlin Event Center. The Laughlin Event Center is an outdoor arena with 12,000 seats and hosts multiple headline concerts and other events throughout the year. The two properties are adjacent to Golden’s current Laughlin property, the Aquarius Casino Resort, which features over 1,200 slot machines, over 30 table games and almost 2,000 hotel rooms. When combined, these three properties will be situated on 55 contiguous acres along the heart of the Laughlin Riverwalk.
Mr. Sartini added, “The Marnell family has a long history in the gaming industry including, designing, building and owning some of the most iconic resorts that now define the Las Vegas resort corridor. Over the past several years, Marnell Gaming has taken their expertise and created a significant hotel, casino and entertainment presence in Laughlin, and we are excited to build on these well positioned properties. As a result of this transaction, I am pleased to welcome Anthony Marnell III as a shareholder of Golden Entertainment.”
The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions and the receipt of all required regulatory approvals.
Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to Golden Entertainment for the transaction. Holland & Hart LLP served as legal advisor to Marnell Gaming.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the expected impact of the acquisition of Edgewater Hotel & Casino Resort and the Colorado Belle Hotel & Casino Resort on the Company’s operations and statements regarding the anticipated timing of closing of the acquisition. These statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology such as “expects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “should” or “anticipates” or the negative or other variations of these or similar words, or by discussions of future events, strategies or risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from our expectations. Meaningful factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations include, but are not limited to, risks related to the acquisition of the Edgewater Hotel & Casino Resort and the Colorado Belle Hotel & Casino Resort operations by the Company and the integration of the business to be acquired; the possibility that the proposed transaction does not close when expected or at all because required regulatory or other approvals are not received or other conditions to the closing are not satisfied on a timely basis or at all; potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the transaction; potential litigation challenging the transaction; the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the transaction are not realized when expected or at all, including as a result of the impact of, or issues arising from, the integration of the companies; our ability to realize potential synergies or projected financial results; and other factors as discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, each as filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not intend to update publicly any forward-looking statements except as required by law. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this press release may not occur.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement the Company’s and the property’s financial information presented in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), the Company uses Adjusted EBITDA, which the Company believes is appropriate to provide meaningful comparison with, and to enhance an overall understanding of, the Company’s and the property’s financial performance. The Company believes Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to both management and investors by excluding specific expenses and gains that the Company believes are not indicative of core operating results. Further, Adjusted EBITDA is a measure of operating performance used by management, as well as industry analysts, to evaluate operations and operating performance and is widely used in the gaming industry. Other companies in the gaming industry may calculate Adjusted EBITDA differently than the Company does.
The presentation of this additional information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.
The Company defines “Adjusted EBITDA” as earnings before interest and other non-operating income (expense), income taxes, depreciation and amortization, acquisition expenses, loss on disposal of property and equipment and other gains and losses. The Company defines “net leverage” as total debt less cash, divided by Adjusted EBITDA for the twelve months prior to the measurement date.
About Golden Entertainment, Inc.
Golden Entertainment, Inc. owns and operates gaming properties across two divisions – resort casino operations and distributed gaming. The Company operates approximately 16,000 gaming devices, 116 table games, 5,168 hotel rooms, and provides jobs for over 7,000 team members. Golden Entertainment owns eight resort casinos – seven in Southern Nevada and one in Maryland. Through its distributed gaming business in Nevada and Montana, Golden Entertainment operates slot machines at over 1,000 locations and owns nearly 60 traditional taverns in Nevada. The Company is licensed in Illinois to operate video gaming terminals. Golden Entertainment is focused on maximizing the value of its portfolio by leveraging its scale, leadership position and proven management capabilities across its two divisions. For more information, visit www.goldenent.com.
Source: Gambling Industry Press Releases
Everything comes back around in popularity or at least that is what they say. It has happened with vinyl records and now the same is occurring with retro video games. Yes, classic video games have become popular as children of the 1980s and 1990s have grown older and moved into the workforce. But classic games haven’t just become popular to play. People are spending large sums of money on classic games from 20 and 30 years ago and owners who sell the games are making tidy sums. Gamers looking for classic games online can find free casino slot games inspired by retro video games.
Why are classic games popular again?
Classic video games are becoming popular as many older gamers look for a nostalgia factor. Playing games from their childhood brings back memories of yesteryear. Old Nintendo games are a link to the past for many gamers and it is something they don’t want to lose. Nintendo announced in August that it would release a back catalogue of classic games for a new platform. The move will capitalise on the growing number of people looking for older games rather than newer ones. Many older games have inspired online slots which has driven their popularity sky-high.
In addition to personal reasons, today’s mega-blockbuster video games are seen as too violent by many. While video games of the past were an escape from reality, modern games are based – at least loosely – on the problems of the world. From first person shooters to Grand Theft Auto, many older gamers want to play games that don’t reflect reality.
How much are rare video games worth?
A recent study of rare and nostalgic video games from the last 30 years has found a number of old games selling for large sums of money. According to one source, a copy of Nintendo’s Campus Challenge 1991 sells for around $22,000. Amazingly, the now rare game cost just $30 back in 1991. Gamers who had a copy could cash-in on Campus Challenge if they are able to find it. Other rare games selling for big money include the 1988 Sega Megadrive edition of Tetris and Atari’s Air Raid from 1982.
Ultimate 11 is another that is high on the rare games list. According to reports, only 10 copies exist and each goes for $10,000. Kizuna Encounter had only 15 English versions created and is reportedly worth $13,000. One video game collector paid $55,000 for a copy of both games in 2009.
…And then there’s E.T.
In 1982, Atari rushed E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial video game into the marketplace. Atari gave E.T.’s creator just five and a half weeks to develop the game. The company wanted it out in time for Christmas and to reap the rewards of the holiday season. The rushed game was awful and gamers hated it. It barely sold and Atari had warehouses chocked full of E.T. games it couldn’t sell. Unable to move the games and with Atari becoming obsolete by the mid-1980s, the company buried hundreds of thousands of copies of E.T. and other games in the New Mexico desert. Some have been dug up and rare copies of the game have sold for $1,535 at auction. The excavators of the long-lost cartridges found 900 E.T. games in total. After selling them on eBay, the group made $108,000.
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Source: Gambling Industry Press Releases
AUGUST 2018, VALETTA/MALTA, RIGA/LATVIA: Today SoftGamings and EGT Interactive announced partnership, which includes providing the EGT Interactive gaming content on the SoftGamings platform.
SoftGamings is a platform developer, gaming aggregator and i-gaming services provider with over 10 years of experience in the industry. The company’s game providers’ suite is regularly enriched with recognised titles, such as EGT this August.
EGT Interactive brings the 15 years of experience of the EGT’s land-based casino slots to the world of online casino games. More than 150 games are known worldwide in more than 85 countries.
EGT Interactive offers several kinds of game types – slots, table games, card games, Keno and jackpot games. They are available in both desktop and mobile.
The most popularity seem to be enjoyed by EGT classic slots, such as 40 Super Hot, Burning Hot and Extra Stars. All titles feature traditional design with fruit symbols, as it was in the beginning of the slot machine era. There is no ‘Spin’ or similar button – instead of it a player has to press the button with an exact amount of bet, which can be chosen each time new.
Apart from slots, EGT Interactive offers 2 kinds of table games – European Roulette and Lucky Circle, Card games – Four of a Kind Bonus Poker, Joker Poker and Jacks and Better Poker, and also Keno Universe.
The EGT Interactive jackpot is a multilevel system, where every level is marked with a different card suit. The jackpot cards bonus is randomly triggered after a single game is finished.
The EGT Interactive gaming content is already available for integration from the SoftGamings feature-rich platform. Casino operators can add this software to their casino environments via single unified API.
Irina Sazonova, Director of Partnerships at SoftGamings says: ‘I am happy about our new cooperation with the EGT Interactive. It is a recognised provider, which produces a really quality content, which perfectly suits our Slots Bundle and Casino Games Integration offerings.’
As an aggregator, SoftGamings offers several ways of acquiring games – Slots Bundle, Live Casino Bundle and Casino Games Integration. EGT Interactive content is available as a part of Slots Bundle – a package of the best slot providers in the i-gaming industry. It can also be integrated separately or pick up several more providers at operator’s wish.
About EGT Interactive:
EGT Interactive is a Bulgaria-based gaming provider that brings the 15 years of experience of the EGT’s land-based casino slots to the world of online casino games. The company is growing rapidly through constant innovation, consumer-centric approach and top-notch support. Every single aspect of the company’s products is designed in line with the customer needs. The EGT games are based on an attractive Return-to-Player (RTP) strategy, which has proven to increase the player lifetime value.
About SoftGamings:
SoftGamings is a B2B casino platforms provider and gaming systems aggregator. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, SoftGamings provides solutions demanded in the market and develops its own creative solutions – White Label, Turnkey, Self-Service, Bitcoin platform solutions, Bonus System Standalone feature, Sportsbook solution, Slots Bundle, Live Bundle and Casino Games Integration. SoftGamings’ strong IT team can also provide gamification possibilities, which is one of the major industry trends. Products portfolio includes 40+ gaming suppliers with 3000+ games. The company offers live dealer solutions from Evolution Gaming, NetEnt, Ezugi, Authentic Gaming, Lucky Streak etc, slots from NetEnt, Microgaming, BetSoft, Endorphina, Habanero, Booming Games, WorldMatch etc, sportsbook, hosting, licensing and banking services. Over 100 clients use SoftGamings products and services since 2007.
Source: Gambling Industry Press Releases
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