Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

LONG-TERM DEBT

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LONG-TERM DEBT
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Long-Term Debt [Abstract]  
LONG-TERM DEBT
8. LONG-TERM DEBT
 
At December 31, 2013 and 2012, long-term debt consists of the following (in thousands):
 
   
2013
   
2012
 
Long-term debt, net of current portion:
           
Term loan agreement, $50.0 million on June 29, 2012, funded on October 1, 2012, maturing June 29, 2016, with variable interest as described in the fourth succeeding paragraph. (the average interest rate was 4.75% and 5.4% during the quarter and year ended December  31, 2013, respectively)
  $    37,500     $    48,750  
Term loan agreement, $20.0 million on October 1, 2012, maturing October 1, 2016, interest rate is fixed at 13.25% per annum.
    20,000       20,000  
Less current portion
    --       ( 2,500 )
    $ 57,500     $ 66,250  
 
First and Second Lien Credit Agreements. On June 29, 2012, we entered into the First Lien Credit Agreement with Capital One, which provides for a term loan in an amount up to $50.0 million and a revolving loan in an amount up to $5.0 million.  On October 1, 2012, we entered into a Second Lien Credit Agreement with ABC Funding, LLC as administrative agent which provided for a term loan in an amount up to $20.0 million. We funded the purchase of Silver Slipper Casino with the full amount of the $50.0 million term loan under the First Lien Credit Agreement and the full amount of the Second Lien Credit Agreement. The $5.0 million revolving loan under the First Lien Credit Agreement remains undrawn and available, subject to the terms and restrictions of the First Lien Credit Agreement.
  
On August 26, 2013, we entered into the First Lien Amendment and the Second Lien Amendment which amended certain provisions of the First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement. The First Lien Amendment modifications included a $10.0 million increase to the term loan portion of the First Lien Credit Agreement to $56.3 million, a 1% lower interest rate and an extended maturity date to June 29, 2016. Also, certain financial ratio covenants were revised under the First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement to accommodate the additional extension of credit under the First Lien Credit Agreement and our capital lease agreement related to the hotel adjacent to the Rising Star Casino Resort as discussed in Note 7. The $10.0 million term loan under the First Lien Credit Agreement remains undrawn and available within the limits and terms of the First Lien Credit Agreement, and will be used to fund a portion of the $17.7 million construction of the six-story, 142-room Silver Slipper Casino Hotel being built between the south side of the casino and the waterfront, with rooms facing views of the bay. The remaining $7.7 million of the construction cost has been, and will be, funded from available cash.  As of December 31, 2013, we had funded cash of $2.5 million in construction and financing costs for the Silver Slipper Casino Hotel, and we anticipate funding an additional $5.2 million in cash in 2014. Construction of the hotel is expected to be completed in late 2014 or early 2015.
 
The First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement are secured by substantially all of our assets and therefore, our wholly-owned subsidiaries guarantee our obligation under the agreements.  The Second Lien Credit Agreement is subject to the lien of the First Lien Credit Agreement.
 
We have elected to pay interest on the First Lien Credit Agreement based on the greater of the elected LIBOR rate, or 1.0%, plus a margin rate as set forth in the agreement. The LIBOR rate is a rate per annum equal to the quotient of (a) the greater of (1) 1.00% and (2) the rate per annum referenced to as the BBA (British Bankers Association) LIBOR divided by (b) one minus the reserve requirement set forth in the First Lien Credit Agreement for such loan in effect from time to time.  LIBOR rate elections can be made based on a 30 day, 60 day, 90 day or 180 day LIBOR, and margins are adjusted quarterly.  As of December 31, 2013, the interest rate was 4.75% on the balance outstanding on the First Lien Credit Agreement, based on the 1.0% minimum, plus a 3.75% margin.  We pay interest on the Second Lien Credit Agreement at the fixed rate of 13.25% per annum.
 
The First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement contain customary negative covenants for transactions of this type, including, but not limited to, restrictions on our and our subsidiaries’ ability to: incur indebtedness; grant liens; pay dividends and make other restricted payments; make investments; make fundamental changes; dispose of assets; and change the nature of our business.  The First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement require that we maintain specified financial covenants, including a total leverage ratio, a first lien leverage ratio, and a fixed charge coverage ratio all of which measure Adjusted EBITDA (as defined in the agreements) against outstanding debt and fixed charges (as defined in the agreements). A capital expenditure ratio must also be maintained as set forth in the agreements. The First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement define Adjusted EBITDA  as net income (loss) plus (i) interest expense, net, (ii) provision for taxes  (iii) depreciation and amortization and further adjusted to eliminate the impact of certain items that are not indicative of ongoing operating performance such as:  (iv) acquisition costs, (v) non-cash stock compensation, (vi) loss on derivatives and debt, (vii) gain on sale of joint venture, (viii) impairment loss, and (ix) certain severance costs.
 
The First Lien Amendment revised the ratio requirements under the First Lien Credit Agreement. Also, the Second Lien Amendment revised the total leverage ratio requirements under the Second Lien Credit Agreement to exclude the capital lease related to the new tower at the Rising Star Casino Resort. The First Lien Credit Agreement and the Second Lien Credit Agreement maximum total leverage ratio and maximum first lien leverage ratio vary according to the applicable time period and the fixed charge coverage ratio remains constant, as indicated in the tables below:
             
First Lien Credit Agreement
Applicable Period   Maximum
Total Leverage 
Ratio
  Maximum
First Lien Leverage 
Ratio
  Minimum
Fixed Charge Coverage
Ratio
Initial funding date through and including December 31, 2014   4.00x   2.75x   1.10x
January 1, 2015 through and including December 31, 2015   3.75x   2.50x   1.10x
January 1, 2016 and thereafter   3.50x   2.25x   1.10x
             
Second Lien Credit Agreement
Applicable Period   Maximum
Total Leverage 
Ratio
  Maximum
First Lien Leverage
Ratio
  Minimum
Fixed Charge Coverage
Ratio
Initial funding date through and including September 30, 2013   4.00x   3.00x   1.00x
October 1, 2013 through and including September 30, 2014   3.75x   2.75x   1.00x
October 1, 2014 and thereafter   3.50x   2.50x   1.00x

 

We measure compliance with our covenants on a quarterly basis and we were in compliance at December 31, 2013, however, there can be no assurances that we will remain in compliance with all covenants in the future. The First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement also include customary events of default, including, among other things: non-payment; breach of covenant; breach of representation or warranty; cross-default under certain other indebtedness or guarantees; commencement of insolvency proceedings; inability to pay debts; entry of certain material judgments against us or our subsidiaries; occurrence of certain ERISA events; re-purchase of our own stock and certain changes of control. A breach of a covenant or other events of default could cause the loans to be immediately due and payable, terminate commitments for additional loan funds, or the lenders could exercise any other remedy available under the First Lien Credit Agreement or Second Lien Credit Agreement or by law.  If a breach of covenants or other event of default were to occur, we would seek modifications to covenants or a temporary waiver or waivers from the First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement lenders. No assurance can be given that we would be successful in obtaining such modifications.
  
During the year ended December 31, 2012, we prepaid, at our discretion, the principal payment of $1.3 million due April 1, 2013 on the First Lien Credit Agreement, in order to reduce interest costs. As a practice, we consistently prepaid our quarterly payments before their due dates in 2013, and during the year ended December 31, 2013, we prepaid, at our discretion, the sum of $8.8 million in quarterly principal payments, which were due through July 1, 2015.  The next scheduled principal payment is due October 1, 2015.
 
We are required to make prepayments under the First Lien Credit Agreement, under certain conditions defined in the agreement, in addition to the scheduled principal installments for any fiscal year ending December 31, 2012 and thereafter.  We are required to pay the entire outstanding principal on the First Lien Credit Agreement and Second Lien Credit Agreement, together with all accrued and unpaid interest thereon, on the respective maturity dates. Prepayment penalties will be assessed in the event that prepayments are made on the Second Lien Credit Agreement prior to the discharge of the First Lien Credit Agreement.
 
Scheduled maturities of long-term debt as of the most recent balance sheet presented are as follows, for the annual periods ended December 31 (in thousands):
       
2014
  $ --  
2015
    1,250  
2016
    56,250  
2017
    --  
    $ 57,500