Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

LEASES

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LEASES
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
LEASES  
LEASES

7. LEASES

The Company has no material leases in which it is the lessor. As lessee, the Company has one finance lease for a hotel and various operating leases for land, casino and office space, equipment, buildings, and signage. The Company’s remaining lease terms, including extensions, range from one month to approximately 36 years. The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants, but the land lease at Silver Slipper does include contingent rent as further discussed below.

Operating Leases

Silver Slipper Casino Land Lease through April 2058 and Options to Purchase. In 2004, the Company’s subsidiary, Silver Slipper Casino Venture, LLC, entered into a land lease with Cure Land Company, LLC for approximately 31 acres of marshlands and a seven-acre parcel on which the Silver Slipper Casino and Hotel is situated. The land lease includes base monthly payments of $77,500 plus contingent rents of 3% of monthly gross gaming revenue (as defined) in excess of $3.65 million, with no scheduled base rent increases through the remaining lease term ending in 2058. We recognized $2.1 million of rent expense, including $1.2 million of contingent rents, during 2021; $1.5 million of rent expense, including $0.7 million of contingent rents, during 2020; and, $1.6 million of rent expense, including $0.7 million of contingent rents, during 2019.

The Company executed a fourth amendment to the original lease with the landlord, effective March 2020, which granted a waiver of base rent for April and May of 2020. Such abatement totaled $155,000, which was amortized over the remaining term of the lease. From April 1, 2022 through October 1, 2027, the Company may buy out the lease for $15.5 million plus a seller-retained interest in Silver Slipper Casino and Hotel’s operations of 3% of net income (as defined) for 10 years following the purchase date. In the event that the Company sells or transfers either: (i) substantially all of the assets of Silver Slipper Casino Venture, LLC or (ii) its membership interests in Silver Slipper Casino Venture, LLC in its entirety, then the purchase price will increase to $17.1 million, plus the retained interest mentioned above. In either case, the Company also has an option to purchase a four-acre portion from the total 38 acres of leased land for $2.0 million in connection with the development of an owned hotel, which may be exercised at any time and would accordingly reduce the purchase price of the remaining land by $2.0 million.

Bronco Billy’s / Chamonix Lease through January 2035 and Option to Purchase. Bronco Billy’s leases certain parking lots and buildings, including a portion of the hotel and casino, under a long-term lease. The lease term includes six renewal options in three-year increments to 2035. The Company considers the renewal options reasonably certain of being exercised through January 2026, with current annual lease payments of $0.4 million. The lease also contains a $7.6 million purchase option exercisable at any time during the lease term, or as extended, and a right of first refusal on any sale of the property.

Third Street Corner Building through August 2023 and Option to Purchase. The Company leased a nearby closed casino in August 2018 and reopened it in November 2018. The reopened casino did not produce enough incremental revenue to offset the incremental costs, and it was closed in September 2020. The Company currently has the right to purchase the casino at any time during the extended lease term for $2.8 million.

As part of the Chamonix development project, this building is currently used as office space for construction personnel, obviating the need for construction trailers. The lease includes a minimum three-year term with annual lease payments of $0.2 million, and was subsequently extended in June 2021 for an additional two years with current annual lease payments of $0.3 million.

Grand Lodge Casino Lease through August 2023. The Company’s subsidiary, Gaming Entertainment (Nevada), LLC, has a lease with Incline Hotel, LLC, the owner of the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort (“Hyatt Lake Tahoe”), to operate the Grand Lodge Casino. The lease was assigned to Incline Hotel, LLC when it purchased the Hyatt Lake Tahoe in September 2021. It is collateralized by the Company’s interests under the lease and property (as defined in the lease) and is subordinate to the liens of the Notes (see Note 6). The lessor currently has an option to purchase the Company’s leasehold interest and related operating assets of the Grand Lodge Casino, subject to assumption of applicable liabilities. The option price is an amount equal to the Grand Lodge Casino’s positive working capital, plus Grand Lodge Casino’s earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) for the twelve-month period preceding the acquisition (or pro-rated if less than twelve months remain on the lease), plus the fair market value of the Grand Lodge Casino’s personal property. The current monthly rent of $166,667 is applicable through the remaining lease term ending in August 2023.

In July 2020, the Company executed a fifth amendment to the Hyatt lease that retroactively reduced rent amounts due during the closure period, specifically a 25% reduction in rent for March 2020 and a 50% reduction in rent for each of April and May of 2020. Such reductions totaled $208,000 and such benefit was amortized over the remaining life of the lease. We recognized $1.8 million of rent expense for each of 2021 and 2020, and $1.9 million of rent expense during 2019.

Corporate Office Lease through January 2025. The Company leases 4,479 square feet of office space in Las Vegas, Nevada. Annual rent is approximately $0.2 million and the term of the office lease expires in January 2025.

Finance Lease

Rising Star Casino Hotel Lease through October 2027 and Option to Purchase. The Company’s Indiana subsidiary, Gaming Entertainment (Indiana) LLC, leases a 104-room hotel at Rising Star Casino Resort. At any time during the lease term, the Company has the option to purchase the hotel at a price based upon the project’s original cost of $7.7 million (see Note 3), reduced by the cumulative principal finance lease payments made by the Company during the lease term. At December 31, 2021, such net amount was $3.3 million. Upon expiration of the lease term in October 2027, (i) the Landlord has the right to sell the hotel to the Company, and (ii) the Company has the option to purchase the hotel. In either case, the purchase price is $1 plus closing costs.

Leases recorded on the balance sheet consist of the following:

(In thousands)

December 31, 

Leases

    

Balance Sheet Classification

    

2021

2020

Assets

 

  

 

  

  

Operating lease assets

   

Operating Lease Right-of-Use Assets, Net

   

$

15,814

$

17,361

Finance lease assets

 

Property and Equipment, Net(1)

 

4,722

 

4,879

Total lease assets

 

  

$

20,536

$

22,240

Liabilities

 

  

 

  

 

  

Current

 

  

 

  

 

  

Operating

 

Current Portion of Operating Lease Obligations

$

3,542

$

3,283

Finance

 

Current Portion of Finance Lease Obligation

 

514

 

491

Noncurrent

 

  

 

 

Operating

 

Operating Lease Obligations, Net of Current Portion

 

12,903

 

14,914

Finance

 

Finance Lease Obligation, Net of Current Portion

 

2,783

 

3,298

Total lease liabilities

 

  

$

19,742

$

21,986

__________

(1) Finance lease assets are recorded net of accumulated amortization of $3.0 million and $2.8 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

The components of lease expense are as follows:

(In thousands)

    

    

Year Ended

December 31, 

Lease Costs

Classification within Statement of Operations

2021

 

2020

 

2019

Operating leases:

 

  

 

  

  

  

Fixed/base rent

 

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

$

4,680

$

4,637

$

3,920

Short-term payments

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

72

Variable payments

 

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

 

1,739

 

863

 

788

Finance lease:

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

Amortization of leased assets

 

Depreciation and Amortization

 

157

 

157

 

158

Interest on lease liabilities

 

Interest Expense, Net

 

160

 

183

 

206

Total lease costs

$

6,808

$

5,840

$

5,072

Maturities of lease liabilities are summarized as follows:

(In thousands)

    

Operating

    

Financing

Years Ending December 31, 

Leases

Lease(1)

2022

$

4,852

$

597

2023

 

3,539

 

652

2024

 

1,663

 

652

2025

 

1,466

 

652

2026

 

965

 

652

Thereafter

 

29,140

 

543

Total future minimum lease payments

 

41,625

 

3,748

Less: Amount representing interest

 

(25,180)

 

(451)

Present value of lease liabilities

 

16,445

 

3,297

Less: Current lease obligations

 

(3,542)

 

(514)

Long-term lease obligations

$

12,903

$

2,783

__________

(1) The Company’s only material finance lease is at Rising Star Casino Resort for a 104-room hotel.

Other information related to lease term and discount rate is as follows:

    

December 31, 

Lease Term and Discount Rate

2021

2020

Weighted-average remaining lease term

 

  

  

Operating leases

 

21.5

years

20.4

years

Finance lease

 

5.8

years

6.8

years

Weighted-average discount rate

 

  

  

Operating leases

 

9.32

%

9.41

%

Finance lease

 

4.50

%

4.50

%

Supplemental cash flow information related to leases is as follows:

(In thousands)

    

Year Ended

December 31, 

Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:

2021

2020

2019

Operating cash flows for operating leases

$

4,886

$

4,462

$

3,933

Operating cash flows for finance lease

$

160

$

183

$

206

Financing cash flows for finance lease

$

492

$

488

$

544