Item 1A. Risk Factors.
The following section describes material risks and uncertainties that make an investment in our securities risky and may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, or the market price of our stock. These risk factors do not identify all risks that we face; our operations could also be affected by factors, events, or uncertainties that are not presently known to us or that we currently do not consider to present significant risks to our operations. Moreover, some of the factors, events and contingencies discussed below may have occurred in the past, but the disclosures below are not representations as to whether or not the factors, events or contingencies have occurred in the past, and instead reflect our beliefs and opinions as to the factors, events, or contingencies that could materially and adversely affect us in the future. 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
Our operations are dependent upon business and 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 who use our products and services or the amounts of cash that they access using our services.
We provide our gaming-related and financial access products and services almost exclusively to regulated gaming operators. 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 preferences; (ii) economic downturns or uncertainty, or periods of high inflation, due to decreases in our consumers’ disposable income, confidence, or general tourism activities; and (iii) declining consumer confidence, due to general economic conditions, domestic- and geo-political 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. 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 responsible gaming, which could result in reduced acceptance of gaming as a leisure activity or or lobbying efforts focused on limiting gaming activities. To the extent that the or availability of gaming in the establishments of regulated gaming operators as a result of any of these factors, the demand for our financial 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 and our business may be .
If we are unable to develop and 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, as discussed in “ Item 1 . Busine ss ” . We also rely on other confidentiality and contractual agreements and arrangements with our employees, affiliates, business partners, contractors and customers to establish and protect our intellectual property and similar proprietary rights. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in protecting these rights and, despite our efforts, our trade secrets and proprietary know-how could become known to, or independently developed by, competitors through malfeasance by employees, contractors or other insiders who may have access to our intellectual property; industrial, corporate or other espionage events; or unauthorized intrusions into our networks or those of our third-party vendors. 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 rely on intellectual property licenses from one or more 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 asset portfolios. The gaming manufacturer industry is very competitive and litigious, and a lawsuit brought by one of our larger competitors, regardless of 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.
In addition, we have faced and may again 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.
We rely 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 financial services products, 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 financial 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 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 .
We have in the past and may again experience various difficulties related to our supply chain, particularly with respect to international third-party suppliers of our components, that 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 products 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 financial service products, gaming systems and player terminals. Furthermore, we might be forced to limit the features available in our current or future offerings.
We operate our business in regions subject to natural disasters, public health issues, political instability and other potentially catastrophic events. Any interruption to our business resulting from such an event will adversely affect our revenues and results of operations.
In the event of a natural or human-caused disaster or other catastrophic event, the operations of gaming operators and the international third-party suppliers we rely on 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 patrons from traveling to or make it difficult for them to frequent the sites where our games and FinTech equipment are installed, and have disrupted supply chains. Similarly, public health crises, such as an epidemic or pandemic , often deter patrons from visiting our customer’s gaming operators. If any of those sites, where a significant number of our games and FinTech equipment is installed, or our suppliers either individually or simultaneously experienced weather conditions or other events, our results of business, financial condition, and operations could be materially and affected. From time to time, the impact of weather-related natural has resulted in business at certa in of our locations as well as our customers’ facilities and may do so in the future.
The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (“GenAI”) may have material adverse impacts on our operations and financial performance, the gaming industry that we serve, our customers, and gaming patrons.
GenAI is likely to have a variety of unforeseeable impacts, the nature of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, on our business and the gaming industry. Existing and new competitors using GenAI may bring new gaming products to the market, increasing competition and choices for our customers and patrons, resulting in a decrease in demand for our products. New GenAI-based or GenAI-created non-gaming products and services may emerge and compete for consumers' leisure and entertainment spending, resulting in a decrease in spending on our gaming products and services. GenAI can be used to create false and misleading information, impersonate people, and increase the effectiveness of fraudulent activities and cyberattacks, leading to increased costs of fraud and cybersecurity detection and remediation, as well as a loss in operational efficiency, reputation and revenues. GenAI can create art, music and literature with little or no human intervention, leading to disruption in the gaming industry and job among our employees, customers and patrons, and affecting spending on gaming-related leisure activities. The use of GenAI tools and content in the creation of intellectual property, games and content by our employees and suppliers, whether authorized or , may lead to third-party related to that intellectual property or our to maintain full ownership over our intellectual property, resulting in , and license fees, or the requirement that we withdraw certain content from the marketplace, to of revenue. The recent emergence and fast growth of GenAI technology means that the full range of impacts on the Company are unknowable at this time.
Risks Related to Our Games Business
Most of our leased gaming device contracts with our customers are short-term, 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 short-term, 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 non-renewal, 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 numbers of Class II gaming units may negotiate arrangements with state governments or renegotiate existing gaming compacts that could impact the number of Class II gaming devices currently supplied by the Company, to the extent there is a desire to change to Class III gaming units. If we are unable to maintain our existing placement of units, then our business, financial condition, operations, or cash flows may suffer an adverse effect.
As of December 31, 2024, we operated more than 10,036 Class II gaming units under lease or daily fixed-fee arrangements with 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, our business, financial condition, operations, or cash flows could be negatively impacted.
Tribal gaming customers that operate Class III gaming units do so under compacts with state governments. If these tribal gaming customers are unable to maintain or renew these existing gaming compacts, then our business, financial condition, operations, or cash flows may suffer an adverse effect.
As of December 31, 2024, we operated approximately 2,972 Class III gaming units under lease or daily fixed-fee arrangements with our tribal gaming customers. As Class III units generally perform better than Class II units, the loss of these Class III placements under lease or daily fixed-fee arrangements, if these customers are unable to renew their Class III gaming compacts and we are unable to replace these lost units with our proprietary Class II units, may negatively impact our business, financial condition, operations, or cash flows.
We derive a significant portion of our revenue from tribal customers, and our ability to effectively operate in tribal gaming markets is vulnerable to legal and regulatory uncertainties, including the ability to enforce contractual rights on tribal land.
We derive a significant percentage of our revenue from the provision of financial access and gaming-related products and services to gaming facilities operated on tribal lands. 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 agreement between a tribal entity and a state that would allow the state to regulate activities taking place on tribal lands, such tribes can enact their own laws and regulate gaming operations and contracts. In this capacity, 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 tribe, or an agency or instrumentality of a tribe, we must obtain from the 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 from judicially enforcing any rights or remedies a tribe, including the right to enter lands to retrieve our property in the event of a of contract by the tribal party to that contract. Governing law and venue provisions in our contracts with tribal customers vary widely and may not be enforceable.
Government enforcement, regulatory action, judicial decisions, and proposed legislative action have in the past affected, and will likely continue to affect our business, financial condition, operations, cash flows, and prospects in tribal lands. The legal and regulatory uncertainties surrounding our tribal agreements could result in a significant and immediate material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations, or cash flows. For example, certain of our agreements with tribes are subject to review by regulatory authorities. 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, tribal policies and procedures, as well as tribal selection of gaming vendors, are subject to the political and governance environment within each tribe. Changes in tribal leadership or tribal political pressure can affect our business relationships within markets.
We may not realize sufficient returns or be successful in renewing our existing or future placement and development fee agreements with casino operators to expand or develop gaming facilities.
In our gaming business, we have entered into placement fee agreements with several customers to secure long-term revenue share arrangements which include a fixed number of player terminal placements in the gaming facility. These placement fee agreements sometimes provide for the removal of our player terminal placements in the event of poor game performance with no further obligation from the gaming customer.
Risks Related to Our FinTech Business
An unexpectedly high level of chargebacks, as a result of fraud or otherwise, could materially and adversely affect our Financial Access business.
When patrons use our financial access services, we either dispense cash or produce a negotiable instrument that can be exchanged for cash. If a completed financial 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. If 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 consumers’ willingness to pay a convenience fee to access their funds could reduce the demand for our Financial Access products and services.
Our financial access business depends upon the willingness of patrons to pay a convenience fee to access their own funds on the premises of a gaming operator. 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 the establishments of gaming operators or access cash outside of gaming operators without paying a fee for the convenience of not having to leave the establishment. To the extent that gaming patrons become unwilling to pay these convenience fees or lower cost financial access alternatives become available, the demand for financial access services within the establishments of gaming operators may decline and our business could suffer.
We maintain a significant amount of cash within our ATMs, which is subject to potential loss due to theft or other events, including natural disasters.
A loss of cash from the ATMs we own and for which we provide the cash to operate from our vault cash arrangements is generally our responsibility. The insurance we typically require our service providers, who either transport the cash or otherwise have access to the ATM safe, to maintain in the event cash losses occur as a result of theft, misconduct or negligence on the part of such providers may be insufficient. Cash losses at the ATM could occur in a variety of ways, such as natural disasters, fires, vandalism, and theft. Our insurance policies may not cover losses that may occur to the equipment, and any losses to the cash contained in those devices would be borne by us. An increase in the frequency and/or amounts of theft and other losses could lead to a material loss of cash and impact our operating results.
Pending Proposed Transaction
The announcement and pendency of the Proposed Transaction could adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
On July 26, 2024, we entered into definitive agreements with IGT, Spinco, Buyer, and Buyer Sub, whereby we and IGT Gaming are expected to be simultaneously acquired by Buyer, a newly formed holding company owned by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo, in an all-cash transaction (the “Proposed Transaction”). Uncertainty about the effect of the Proposed Transaction on our employees, customers, and other parties may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations regardless of whether the Proposed Transaction is completed. These risks to our business in connection with the Proposed Transaction include the following, all of which could be exacerbated by a delay in the consummation of the Proposed Transaction:
• the diversion of significant management time and resources from our ongoing business and operations as a result of the devotion of management’s attention to the Proposed Transaction;
• the impairment of our ability to retain, hire, and motivate our employees, including key personnel;
• operating costs, customer loss, and business disruption (including, without limitation, difficulties in maintaining employee, customer, or other business, contractual, or operational relationships following the announcement of the Proposed Transaction);
• delays or deferments of certain business decisions by our customers, suppliers, and other business partners;
• the inability to pursue alternative business opportunities or make appropriate changes to our business because, subject to certain exceptions, the merger agreement in connection with the Proposed Transaction (the “Merger Agreement”) requires us to use reasonable best efforts to conduct our business and operations in all material respects in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and to preserve intact in all material respects the material components of our business organization and to maintain satisfactory relations with key customers, key suppliers, material licensors, and governmental authorities with whom we and our subsidiaries have significant business relationships or regulatory relationships, to use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain satisfactory relations with all other customers, suppliers, and licensors, and to not engage in certain material transactions prior to the completion of the Proposed Transaction;
• the occurrence of any event, change, or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement, which in certain circumstances may require us to pay a termination fee;
• litigation matters relating to the Proposed Transaction, including the nature, costs, and outcome of pending and any future litigation and other legal proceedings related to the Proposed Transaction;
• the incurrence of significant costs, fees, and expenses for professional services and other transaction costs in connection with the Proposed Transaction; and
• potential negative reactions from the financial markets.
In addition, any acquisition, merger, disposition, strategic investment, or similar activity may disrupt our ongoing operations, divert management from their primary responsibilities, subject us to additional liabilities, increase our expenses, and otherwise adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations. We may not achieve any or all of the anticipated financial results, cost synergies, or other benefits expected in connection with any such transaction, or strengthen our competitive position, or achieve other anticipated goals in a timely manner, or at all. Further, such transactions may be viewed negatively by our current or potential customers, financial markets, or investors.
The completion of the Proposed Transaction is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain closing conditions by us, IGT, Buyer and Buyer Sub, including certain regulatory conditions, and the failure to consummate the Proposed Transaction within the expected timeframe or at all could adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our respective obligations, on the one hand, and those of the Buyer Parties, on the other hand, to effect the proposed acquisition, and of IGT, on the one hand, and the Buyer Parties, on the other hand, to effect the Equity Sale, are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of various and customary closing conditions, including (but not limited to): (i) the accuracy of the representations and warranties contained in the Merger Agreement, subject to certain customary materiality qualifications, as of the date of the Merger Agreement and as of the closing of the Proposed Transaction, and compliance in all material respects with the covenants and obligations contained in the Merger Agreement; (ii) the adoption of the Merger Agreement by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon (the “Stockholder Approval”), which was obtained on November 14, 2024; (iii) (a) the expiration or termination of any applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and (b) the receipt and effectiveness of certain governmental approvals required under antitrust laws, foreign investment laws, and financial services laws (or the or expiration of any applicable waiting period thereunder), and gaming approvals from certain gaming authorities; and (iv) the of any order, writ, judgment, , or decree that , makes , or prohibits the of the Proposed Transaction.
We can provide no assurance that the closing conditions will be fulfilled (or waived, if applicable) in a timely manner or at all, and, if all closing conditions are timely fulfilled (or waived, if applicable), we can provide no assurance as to the terms, conditions, and timing of the completion of the Proposed Transaction. Many of the conditions to completion of the Proposed Transaction are not within our control, and we cannot predict when or if these conditions will be fulfilled (or waived, if applicable).
The Proposed Transaction is complex in nature, and unanticipated developments, including, among other things, changes in law, the macroeconomic environment, market conditions, regulatory or geopolitical conditions, or natural disasters, may affect our, IGT’s, or the Buyer Parties’ ability to close the Proposed Transaction as currently expected and within the anticipated time frame or at all. Additionally, the Merger Agreement includes certain termination rights for each of us, IGT, and the Buyer Parties, subject, in certain circumstances, to our payment to IGT and Buyer of a termination fee in an aggregate amount of $65 million in cash upon termination of the Merger Agreement under specified circumstances. If we are required to make this payment, doing so may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Any changes to the Proposed Transaction or delay in closing the Proposed Transaction could cause us, IGT, or the Buyer Parties not to realize some or all of the expected benefits or to realize them on a different timeline than expected. In addition, the terms and conditions of the required regulatory authorizations and consents that are granted, if any, may impose requirements, limitations, or costs, or materially delay the closing of the Proposed Transaction. Additionally, there may be a significant or longer than expected time period between the Stockholder Approval and the closing of the Proposed Transaction, due to the timing of required regulatory approvals, satisfaction of other closing conditions, or other factors, including those described in this “Item 1A. Risk Factors” section. As a result, the circumstances at the time of the closing may vary, including to a significant degree, from those at the time the Stockholder Approval was obtained, including, without limitation, with respect to our stock price or business and financial performance, developments in the industry in which we operate, external factors such as macroeconomic, regulatory, geopolitical, and market developments, or other factors not currently anticipated. However, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the will nonetheless occur upon the or waiver of the required conditions as set forth in the Merger Agreement, irrespective of any change in circumstances between the time the requisite Stockholder Approval was obtained and the of the Proposed Transaction, unless otherwise provided for in the Merger Agreement. If the of the Proposed Transaction is or does not occur, this could result in a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations, ability to pursue alternative transactions, and reputation.
There can be no assurance that a remedy will be available to us in the event of a breach of the Merger Agreement by any other party to the Merger Agreement, or that we will wholly or partially recover for any damages incurred by us in connection with the Proposed Transaction. A failed transaction may result in negative publicity and a negative impression of us among our customers or in the investment community or business community generally. Further, any disruptions to our business resulting from the announcement and pendency of the Proposed Transaction, including any adverse changes in our relationships with our customers, suppliers, lenders, partners, officers, employees, governmental entities, and other third parties, could continue or accelerate in the event of a failed transaction or the perception that the transaction may be delayed or may not close. In addition, if the Proposed Transaction is not consummated, the share price of our common stock may likely decline, including below the $14.25 per share price of the Proposed Transaction. Further, if the Proposed Transaction is consummated, as our stockholders will receive cash in exchange for their shares, our stockholders will not be to share in any potential upside of our common stock after the .
We have incurred, and will continue to incur, significant costs, expenses, and fees and other transaction costs in connection with the Original Proposed Transaction and the Proposed Transaction, for which we will have received little or no benefit if the Proposed Transaction is not completed. Fees and costs will be payable by us even if the Proposed Transaction is not completed and may relate to activities that we would not have undertaken except in connection with the Proposed Transaction.
The Merger Agreement contains provisions that limit our ability to pursue an alternative transaction, which may discourage a potential third party from making a favorable alternative transaction proposal, as well as certain limited termination provisions.
The Merger Agreement contains provisions that make it more difficult for us to seek an alternative transaction. Under these provisions, we have agreed not to, and to cause our subsidiaries (and to use reasonable best effort to cause our and their respective representatives) not to, directly or indirectly, solicit, initiate, knowingly encourage or knowingly facilitate the making, submission or announcement of, furnish any information regarding us or our subsidiaries to any person in connection with or in response to, engage in discussions or negotiations with any person relating to (other than to state that they are not currently permitted to have discussions), or approve, endorse or recommend, any Acquisition Proposal or any Acquisition Inquiry (each as defined in the Merger Agreement) with respect to us, nor enter into any letter of intent or similar contract contemplating or relating to any Acquisition Transaction (as defined in the Merger Agreement) or any Acquisition Inquiry with respect to us (excluding certain permitted confidentiality agreements) (the “No Shop Provision”).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if prior to obtaining the Stockholder Approval, we received a written Acquisition Proposal that did not result from a material breach of the No Shop Provision, and our board of directors determined in good faith (a) after consultation with our financial advisor that such Acquisition Proposal is or would reasonably be expected to lead to a Merger Partner Superior Proposal (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and (b) after consultation with our outside legal counsel that the failure to take the following actions would reasonably be expected to be inconsistent with the fiduciary duties of our board of directors under applicable law, then we had the ability to furnish information regarding us or our subsidiaries, or enter into discussions and negotiations with the person making such Acquisition Proposal and its representatives, in each case subject to complying with specified notice requirements and other conditions as set forth in the Merger Agreement.
These provisions could discourage a potential third-party acquiror or merger partner that might have an interest in acquiring or combining with all or a significant portion of our business or pursuing an alternative transaction with us from considering or proposing such a transaction.
In addition, we may terminate the Merger Agreement under certain circumstances, including if the Proposed Transaction is not consummated by July 26, 2025 (the “Outside Date”), provided that the Outside Date may be extended under certain circumstances as specified in the Merger Agreement, including with respect to the timing of regulatory approvals and the Marketing Period (as defined in the Merger Agreement). However, the termination right will not be available to us if the failure to consummate the Proposed Transaction by such date is primarily attributable to our failure to perform any covenant or obligation in the Merger Agreement that we are required to perform. If we terminate the Merger Agreement, this could result in a material adverse impact on our results of operations, and if the Merger Agreement is terminated and we seek another business combination transaction, we may not be able to negotiate a transaction with another party on terms comparable to, or better than, the terms of the Proposed Transaction.
We will incur significant costs related to the Proposed Transaction that could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, cash flows, and operating results.
We expect to incur significant costs in connection with the Proposed Transaction, including transaction costs, legal and regulatory fees, and other costs that our management team believes are necessary to effect or realize the anticipated benefits from the Proposed Transaction. The incurrence of these costs could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations, including in the periods in which they are incurred.
The Merger Agreement contains our specified termination rights, including specified circumstances where we would be required to pay to IGT and Buyer a termination fee in an aggregate amount of $65 million in cash upon termination of the Merger Agreement. The incurrence of such fee may have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, cash flows, and operating results in the period in which it is incurred.
The consideration to be paid by Buyer to our stockholders will not be adjusted in the event the value of our business or assets changes before the Proposed Transaction closes.
The consideration to be paid by Buyer to our stockholders will not be adjusted in the event the value of our business or assets changes, including as a result of the regulatory process. If the value of our business or assets changes going forward, now that our stockholders approved the adoption of the Merger Agreement, the trading price of shares of our common stock may be less than or greater than our stockholders had anticipated when they considered the adoption of the Merger Agreement. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, we will not be permitted to terminate the Merger Agreement solely because of changes in the trading price of shares of our common stock.
The trading price of our shares of common stock may fluctuate as a result of the Proposed Transaction.
There can be no assurance that the trading price of our shares of common stock will not fluctuate prior to the closing of the Proposed Transaction. The trading price may increase or decrease (including above or below the $14.25 per share consideration to be paid by Buyer) due to, among other things, uncertainty of the closing of the Proposed Transaction or uncertainty as to the impact to our business during the pendency of the Proposed Transaction. Our stockholders will not be able to share in any potential upside that an indirect parent of Buyer will have by virtue of its ownership of IGT Gaming following the Equity Sale and us following the proposed acquisition.
Lawsuits have been filed and additional lawsuits may be filed against us and our board of directors challenging the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement or the Proposed Transaction, which could prevent or delay the completion of the Proposed Transaction or result in the payment of damages.
Following the announcement of the Proposed Transaction, purported stockholders of Everi filed complaints or sent demand letters alleging that the definitive proxy statement for the Special Meeting of Everi stockholders omitted or misstated material information with respect to the Proposed Transaction and seeking supplemental disclosures and other equitable and legal relief. It is possible that additional litigation against us or our directors may be filed in the future. Among other remedies, claimants could seek damages and/or to enjoin the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement or the Proposed Transaction. An adverse ruling in any pending or future lawsuit may delay or prevent the transactions contemplated by the Proposed Transaction from being completed. Any such actions may create uncertainty relating to the Proposed Transaction and may be costly and to our management.
Risks Related to Our Capital Structure
The agreements and instruments governing our debt impose restrictions that may limit our operating and financial flexibility.
As discussed in “Note 13 - Long Term Debt” , the Credit Facilities and the indenture governing the 2021 Unsecured Notes contain a number of significant restrictions and covenants that limit our ability, among other considerations, to: incur additional indebtedness; sell assets, or consolidate, or merge with or into other companies; pay dividends, or repurchase or redeem capital stock; make certain investments; issue capital stock of our subsidiaries; incur liens; prepay, redeem or repurchase subordinated debt; and enter into certain types of transactions with our affiliates. 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. Our existing borrowings could also impact our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, limit our ability to react to changes in our industry or the economy or to be competitive against others in our industry, expose us to interest rate risk on our variable rate debt, and prevent us from meeting our obligations with respect to our indebtedness, any of which could have significant adverse effects on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, to the extent we are found in default and 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 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 for any reason, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and affected.
A material increase in market interest rates could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
As of December 31, 2024, all of our indebtedness under our Senior Credit Facilities is at variable interest rates tied to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”). Any material increases to SOFR could increase the amount of interest we are required to pay under the Senior Credit Facilities and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
In addition, we have commercial arrangements with third-party vendors to provide cash for certain of our fund dispensing devices. For the use of these funds, we pay a usage fee on either the average daily balance of funds utilized multiplied by a contractually defined usage rate or the amounts supplied multiplied by a contractually defined usage rate. Assuming no change in the amount of cash used to supply our ATMs, an increase in SOFR would result in higher monthly fees that we must pay to obtain this supply of cash, thereby increasing our ATM operating costs. Any increase in the amount of cash required to supply our ATMs would magnify the impact of an increase in SOFR and our business could be adversely affected.
Risks Related to Our Information Technology
We have experienced in the past and may experience in the future network or system failures, or service interruptions, including cybersecurity attacks, or other technology and privacy risks. Our inability to protect our systems and data against such risks could harm our business and reputation.
Our ability to provide uninterrupted and high levels of services depends upon the performance of our internal network, systems and related infrastructure, and those of our third-party vendors. 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, 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 have been and may continue to be the target of attempts to identify and exploit network and system vulnerabilities, penetrate or bypass security measures to or the quality of the services we receive or provide, or otherwise access to our networks and systems or those of our third-party vendors. These or other attempts at access may result from, or be caused by, human or technological , however, they may also be the product of actions by third parties intending to our business. The methods that may be used by these third parties to cause service or or to obtain access to information change frequently, are to detect, evolve rapidly, and are increasingly sophisticated and hard to . Our investment in security measures and other measures, and those employed by our third-party vendors, may not be sufficient to all such current and future methods.
Our careful vetting of third parties to provide technology services and the contractual requirements related to the security that we impose on our third-party vendors who have access to this data may not be sufficient to protect us from network or system failures or service interruptions.
Any actual or perceived security breach, whether experienced by us or a third-party vendor; the reporting or announcement of such an event, or reports of perceived security vulnerabilities of our systems or the systems of our third-party service providers whether accurate or not; or our failure or perceived failure to respond or remediate an event or make adequate or timely disclosures to the public, Gaming Authorities, regulatory or law enforcement agencies following any such event may be material and lead to harm to our financial condition, business reputation, and prospects of future business due to, among other factors: loss of customer confidence arising from interruptions or outages of our services, delays, failure to meet contractual obligations, and loss of data or public release of confidential data; increased regulatory scrutiny on us; compromised trade secret and intellectual property; exposure to liabilities such as material , , , and overall margin compression due to of contracts on less terms or of business; liability for relating to of personal information in of contractual obligations or data privacy laws; and potential theft of our intellectual property.
A security breach could occur and persist for an extended period of time without detection. We expect that any investigation of a security breach could take a substantial amount of time, and during such time we may not necessarily know the extent of the harm or how best to remediate it, and certain errors or actions could be repeated or compounded before they are discovered and remediated, all of which could further increase the costs and consequences of such a breach. Further, detecting and remediating such incidents may require specialized expertise and there can be no assurance that we will be able to retain or hire individuals who possess, or otherwise internally develop, such expertise. Our remediation efforts therefore may not be successful. The inability to implement, maintain, and upgrade adequate safeguards could have a material and impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, there could be public announcements regarding any data security-related and any steps we take to respond to or remediate such .
The occurrence of any such failure may also subject us to costly lawsuits and claims for contractual indemnities and may negatively impact the status of our gaming regulatory licenses up to and including revocation, as well as divert valuable management, engineering, information technology, and marketing resources toward addressing these issues and delay our ability to achieve our strategic initiatives. In the event our EGMs or financial access products, systems, or networks are compromised, gaming operators may require us to remediate any abnormality, downtime, loss of use, or suspicious activity, or require us to indemnify casino operators for lost business and, potentially, their patrons. In addition, we gather, as permitted by law, non-public, personally-identifiable financial information from patrons who use our financial access services, such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, bank and credit card account numbers and financial transaction information, and the compromise of such data, which may subject us to and other related costs of remediation.
Our insurance coverage may be insufficient to protect us against all losses and costs stemming from security breaches, cyberattacks and other types of unlawful activity, or any resulting disruptions from such events. We cannot be certain that cyber insurance will continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms, or at all, or that any insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceed available insurance coverage, or the occurrence of changes in our insurance policies, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements, could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Competition
The gaming industry is intensely competitive, and if we are unable to compete effectively, including to introduce new, commercially viable games, products and services in a timely manner, our business could be negatively impacted.
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. We may be unable to enhance our offerings in a timely manner or achieve market acceptance in new or existing markets. The market for gaming devices, financial access products, and related services is highly competitive, and we expect competition to increase and intensify in the future. If we do not appeal to gaming operators and patrons, or do not meet or sustain revenue and profitability of contractual obligations and expectations, we may lose business to our competitors. In both our Games and FinTech 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; 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 , be in a position to compete and, in respect of our financial access business, to pay higher commissions or other incentives to gaming operators in order to new customers. In our FinTech business, we compete with other established providers of financial 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 operators. To the extent that we customers to these competitors, or competitive pressures us to offer incentives or less pricing terms for us to establish or maintain relationships with gaming operators, our business, financial
condition, operations, or cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. Delay in regulatory approvals of new gaming devices and equipment may adversely impact new product deployment.
Consolidation among our customers or competitors 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 the establishments of multiple gaming operators. Accordingly, the expiration or termination of a single key contract can mean the loss of multiple gaming facilities at which many of our products and services are used. 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, or significant margin compression, if rates vary between acquiring and acquired customers. Consolidation among our competitors in either the Games or FinTech sectors will only increase advantages these competitors may have over us as we com pete for these cus tomers, including even greater financial, research, design, development, marketing, technological, and other resources, and the ability to offer customers more favorable rates and prices due to lower operating costs resulting from efficiencies of scale and varying margins of a larger product portfolio, among other factors.
Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Business
Unauthorized disclosure of cardholder and patron data or similar violations of applicable data privacy laws, 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 could subjects us to costly fines, penalties, and legal claims.
We collect and store personally identifiable information about cardholders and patrons, who perform certain financial 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, to process our financial 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 financial 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 operator customers, are required to comply with various foreign, 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 operator customers, each of which could have a material 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 a security , we may be subject to liability, including for transactions with bank card information, impersonation, or similar , as well as for any to comply with laws governing required notifications of such a , and these could result in and , , or sanctions from the card associations and EFT payment networks, and to our reputation, which could reduce and limit our ability to provide financial access and related services to our gaming operator 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 operators. 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; therefore, it could limit our future growth.
We are subject to extensive governmental gaming and financial services laws regulation, which are subject to change and uncertain application, and may harm our business.
Our ability to conduct both our gaming and financial access businesses, expand operations, develop and distribute new games, products and systems, charge fees, and expand into new gaming markets is also subject to significant federal, state, local, tribal, and foreign regulations, which vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and include the FCRA, the FACTA, and similar state laws; laws relating to debt collections; privacy provisions of state and federal law, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act; the Electronic Fund Transfer Act; the Bank Secrecy Act and the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001; the Americans with Disabilities Act; applicable state banking and ATM regulations; state licensing requirements and regulations governing check cashing activities and those governing money transmitters. 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. The gaming laws, regulations, and ordinances 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; dictate the technical standards and regulations of our electronic player terminals, gaming systems, and certain other products; and set forth the process and manner by which the Gaming Authorities issue such licenses, findings of suitability, and product approvals. In addition, the suspension, , non-renewal or of any of our licenses or product approvals, or the to obtain or maintain requisite license or product approvals could have a material effect on our business operations, financial condition, results of operations, and our ability to retain key employees. The Gaming Authorities may , limit, condition, , or a gaming license or related approval for of applicable gaming laws and regulations, and may impose substantial and take other actions, any one of which could have a significant effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. There can be no assurance that we will be to obtain any such licenses, and, even if we were to do so, there could be substantial costs and potential product changes involved in maintaining such licenses, which could have a material and effect on our business.
Further, changes in existing gaming laws or regulations, or new and evolving interpretations and applications 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 gaming manufacturers or gaming operators, such as referendums to increase gaming taxes, or requirements to use local distributors, or uncertainty as to the means and manner in which existing gaming laws may be interpreted and applied, either singly or together, could have a negative impact on our operations.
We are subject to formal or informal audits, inquiries, examinations, or reviews from time to time by regulatory authorities. In the event that any regulatory authority determines that the manner in which we operate our business or provide our 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 do so, then these regulatory authorities may force us to modify the manner in which we operate or force us to stop processing certain types of financial access transactions or providing patron marketing or gaming patron credit bureau services altogether. If we are found to be noncompliant with these laws, we could be subject to substantial civil and criminal penalties, as well as private litigation. We may not be able to respond quickly or effectively to regulatory, legislative, and other developments, and these changes may in turn impair our ability to offer our existing or proposed products and services and/or increase our expenses in providing these products and services. Moreover, in addition to the risk of enforcement action, we are also at risk of of business reputation in the event of any potential legal or regulatory , regardless of whether we are
ultimately accused of or found to have committed any violation. For a summary of gaming regulations that could affect our business, see “ Item 1. Business — Regulation . ”
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 financial access business is subject to the extensive rules and regulations of the leading card associations, including VISA, MasterCard and EFT Networks. The failure by any 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 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 financial access transactions altogether, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations, or cash flows.
Card association and EFT network changes to interchange reimbursement rates or network operating fees or fees associated with the processing and settlement of our financial access transactions or other changes to their operating rules and regulations may affect our revenues, cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization), n et 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 transactions. 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 interchange reimbursement fees. The amount of this interchange reimbursement fee 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 at the sole discretion of the card associations and EFT networks and are subject to increase at any time. We have been seeing such card association interchange fee increases with higher frequency in recent years and with disproportionate negative impact upon transaction categories into which our financial access transactions typically fall. 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 financial access transactions could have a impact on revenue and gross margins ( of depreciation and amortization) as a result of reduced service f ee 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 funds dispensed services are dependent upon our continued sponsorship into the VISA and MasterCard card associations, and the suspension or termination of our sponsorship could result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations, or cash flows.
We process virtually all of our credit card financial access, POS debit, and funds dispensed 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 financial access, POS debit, and funds dispensed 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.
Changes to consumer privacy laws may require us to change our business practices or spend significant amounts on compliance with such laws.
Certain of our products and services depend on the ability to collect and use non-public personal, financial transaction, and other information relating to patrons. Federal, state, and foreign privacy laws and regulations, including, without limitation, California Consumer Privacy Act and General Data Protection Regulation, may require us to make disclosures regarding our privacy and information sharing practices, safeguard and protect the privacy of such information, and, in some cases, provide patrons the opportunity to “opt out” of the use of their information for certain purposes.
Consumer protection and data privacy laws are rapidly evo lving. Such laws may broaden the scope of protected information; impose new and/or stricter standards concerning the collection, control, use, sharing, and protection of consumer information; and/or require patrons to “opt-in” to the use of their information for specific purposes. Our compliance with any or all of such laws may be costly and challenging to operationalize across the uneven requirements of the numerous domestic and international jurisdictions in which we do business. Changes in these laws may also require us to narrow or limit the data we collect; limit how, or how long, we may use it; or require us to purge data from our systems in response to consumer requests, which may hamper the provision of certain of our data-related services or diminish the value of such services to our customers and result in loss of business. To the extent that patrons exercise their right to “opt out,” or are required to “opt in,” our ability to leverage existing and future databases of information may be curtailed. Further, to continue to provide such products and services, we may be required to make material modifications to the products and services we offer in order to meet the changing standards, which may result in significant redesign and redeployment costs to us.
To the extent that we fail to comply with applicable consumer protection and data privacy laws, we may become subject to actions by individuals or regulatory authorities, which may result in the payment of fines or the imposition of other monetary or non-monetary penalties.
The failure or circumvention of how 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.
