UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549



FORM 10-K



☑ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended

December 31, 2017



OR



☐TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from ___________ to ___________



Commission file number  0-22900



CENTURY CASINOS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)





455 E. Pikes Peak Ave, Suite 210, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)



(719) 527-8300

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)



Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:



Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None



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



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

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes ☑ No ☐



Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Yes ☑ No ☐    



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

☑



Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.





If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐



Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☑



The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2017, based upon the closing price of $7.37 for the Common Stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on that date, was $160,852,424. For purposes of this calculation only, executive officers and directors of the registrant are considered affiliates.



As of March 1, 2018, the registrant had 29,362,768 shares of Common Stock outstanding.



DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: Part III incorporates by reference the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for its 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after December 31, 2017.

 



 

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INDEX



 

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DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS



This Annual Report on Form 10-K and certain information incorporated herein by reference contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, as such, may involve risks and uncertainties. All statements included or incorporated by reference in this report, other than statements that are purely historical, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “potential,” “continue” or similar terminology. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of the management of the Company based on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. 



The forward-looking statements included or incorporated by reference in this report are subject to additional risks and uncertainties further discussed under Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and are based on information available to us on the filing date of this report. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and we cannot predict those events or how they may affect us. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. 



PART I



As used in this report, the terms “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us” refer to Century Casinos, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, taken as a whole, unless the context otherwise indicates.



This report includes amounts translated into U.S. dollars from certain foreign currencies. For a description of the currency conversion methodology and exchange rates used for certain transactions, see Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report. The following information should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report.



Item 1. Business.



General



Century Casinos, Inc., a Delaware corporation founded in 1992, is an international casino entertainment company that develops and operates gaming establishments as well as related lodging, restaurant, horse racing (including off-track betting) and entertainment facilities around the world. Our main goal is to grow our business worldwide by actively pursuing the development or acquisition of new gaming opportunities and reinvesting in our existing operations.





Overview of Operations



We view each property as a separate operating segment and aggregate all such properties into three  reportable segments based on the geographical locations in which our casinos operate. We have additional business activities, including concession, management and consulting agreements and certain other corporate and management operations that we report as Corporate and Other. The following are our reportable segments:





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Canada

Net operating revenue from our Canada segment was $57.7 million, or 37%, of our total net operating revenue for the year ended December 31, 2017.











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United States

Net operating revenue from our United States segment totaled $32.2 million, or 21%, of our total net operating revenue for the year ended December 31, 2017.







Poland

Net operating revenue from our Poland segment totaled $59.8 million, or 39%, of our total net operating revenue for the year ended December 31, 2017.





CPL has been in operation since 1989 and is the owner and operator of casinos throughout Poland.  The following table summarizes information about the casinos that CPL operated as of December 31, 2017. 







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Casino licenses are granted for six years. When a casino license expires, the Polish Minister of Finance notifies the public of its availability, and interested parties can submit an application for the casino license. Following approval of a casino license by the Minister of Finance, there is a period in which applicants can appeal the decision. The licenses for our Lodz and Plock casinos expired in February 2018, the license for our Krakow casino expires in March 2018, and the license for our Poznan casino expires in April 2018. CPL has submitted or will submit applications for casino licenses in these cities.



In October 2017, we were awarded casino licenses expiring in 2023 for the Polish cities of Katowice, Bielsko-Biala and Wroclaw. The license awards were appealed by our competitors, and the appeals have been dismissed by the Minister of Finance.  In January 2018, we opened the Bielsko-Biala casino, which has 50 slot machines and five tables.  We expect the Katowice and Wroclaw casinos will open in the second quarter of 2018 with 62 slot machines and 14 tables and 70 slot machines and 18 tables, respectively.  



Corporate and Other

Net operating revenue from our Corporate and Other segment totaled $4.4 million, or 3%, of our total net operating revenue for the year ended December 31, 2017.







The Mein Schiff 1  and Mein Schiff 2 will be transferred from the TUI Cruises fleet to another cruise line in April 2018 and February 2019, respectively, at which time the concession agreements for these two vessels will end. 



We began operating the ship-based casino onboard the Mein Schiff 6, a new 2,500 passenger cruise ship in May 2017. 



In July 2016, we entered into a cooperation agreement with Dynamic Partners International, Ltd. (“Dynamic”) regarding the operations of the ship-based casino onboard Glory Sea. Both parties terminated this agreement in November 2017, and we charged the outstanding $0.3 million related to obtaining this agreement to operating costs and expenses on our consolidated statement of earnings for the year ended December 31, 2017.  We will continue to operate the ship-based casino onboard the Glory Sea. However, Dynamic will no longer market and promote the casino to VIP players.



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In March 2015, we mutually agreed with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (“Norwegian”) to terminate our concession agreements with Oceania Cruises (“Oceania”) and Regent Seven Seas Cruises (“Regent”), indirect subsidiaries of Norwegian, effective June 1, 2015 (the “Termination Agreement”). We transitioned operations of the eight ship-based casinos that we operated onboard Oceania and Regent vessels to Norwegian in the second quarter of 2015. As consideration for the early termination of the concession agreements, we received $4.0 million in June 2015, which we recorded on our consolidated statement of earnings under operating revenue net of $0.6 million in assets that were sold to Norwegian as part of the Termination Agreement.



In March 2015, in connection with the Termination Agreement with Norwegian, we entered into a two-year consulting agreement with Norwegian that became effective June 1, 2015. Under the consulting agreement, we provided limited consulting services for the ship-based casinos of Oceania and Regent in exchange for receiving a consulting fee of $2.0 million payable $250,000 per quarter through May 2017.







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Additional Projects and Other Developments



We are exploring an expansion at Century Casino & Hotel Cripple Creek to provide additional hotel rooms for our existing casino and hotel.



In August 2017, we announced that, together with the owner of the Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club in Hamilton, Bermuda, we had submitted a license application to the Bermudan government for a casino at the Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club. The casino will feature approximately 200 slot machines, 17 live table games, one or more electronic table games and a high limit area and salon privé.  In September 2017, the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission granted a provisional casino gaming license, which is subject to certain conditions and approvals including the adoption of certain rules and regulations by the Parliament of Bermuda. CCE entered into a long-term management agreement with the owner of the hotel to manage the operations of the casino and receive a management fee if the license is awarded. CCE will also provide a $5.0 million loan for the purchase of casino equipment if the license is awarded.



We have additional potential gaming projects that we are currently exploring. Along with the capital needs of potential projects, there are various other risks which, if they materialize, could affect our ability to complete a proposed project or could eliminate its feasibility altogether. For more information on these and other risks related to our business, see Item 1A, “Risk Factors” below.  





Capital Needs, Uses and Cash Flow



As a gaming company, our operating results are highly dependent on the volume of customers at our casinos. Most of our revenue is essentially cash-based, through customers wagering with cash or paying for non-gaming services with cash or credit cards. Our industry is capital intensive, and we rely heavily on the ability of our casinos to generate operating cash flow to maintain operations, fund reinvestment in existing properties for both refurbishment and expansion projects, repay third party debt, and pursue additional growth via new development and acquisition opportunities. When necessary and available, we supplement the cash flows generated by our operations with either cash on hand or funds provided by bank borrowings or other debt or equity financing.





Marketing and Competition



We face intense competition from other casinos within the jurisdictions in which we operate. Many of our competitors are larger and have substantially greater name recognition and financial and marketing resources than we do. We seek to compete through promotion of our players’ clubs, enhancement of social networking initiatives and other marketing efforts. In addition to our players’ clubs, we also have various cash and prize promotions and market our casinos through a variety of media outlets including internet, television, radio, print and billboard advertising. Our marketing focuses on competition and other facts and circumstances of each market area in which we operate. Our primary marketing strategy centers on attracting new customers and rewarding repeat customers through our players’ club programs. All visitors to our properties are offered the opportunity to join our players’ club. We maintain a proprietary database that consists primarily of slot machine customers that allows us to create effective targeted marketing and promotional programs, cash and merchandise giveaways, coupons, downloadable promotional credits, preferred parking, food, lodging, game tournaments and other special events. In Colorado, our players’ club cards allow us to update our database and track member gaming preferences, including, but not limited to, maximum, minimum, and total amounts wagered and frequency of visits. We have designed reward programs based on total amount wagered and frequency of visits to reward customer loyalty and attract new customers to our properties. Those who qualify for VIP status receive additional benefits compared to regular club membership, such as invitations to exclusive VIP events.



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Canada

















United States



Cripple Creek, Central City and Black Hawk are the only three cities in Colorado that allow gaming, exclusive of two Native American gaming operations in southwestern Colorado. Cripple Creek, located approximately 45 miles southwest of Colorado Springs, and Central City and Black Hawk, located approximately 35 miles west of Denver, are historic mining towns dating back to the late 1800’s that have developed into tourist attractions. As of December 31, 2017, there were 12 active casino licensees operating in Cripple Creek, 6 active casino licensees operating in Central City and 15 active casino licensees operating in Black Hawk. Unlike other regions in which we operate, gaming in Colorado is “limited stakes”, which restricts any single wager to a current maximum of one hundred dollars.



The cities of Central City and Black Hawk are adjoining small mountain tourist towns, located approximately one mile apart. Central City and Black Hawk compete with one another for market share, and we view the two cities as one combined market servicing the Denver area. Black Hawk, which we believe does not maintain the same rigorous historical preservation standards as Central City, has been able to successfully attract major casino industry leaders with the ability to offer larger hotels, upscale dining facilities, performance centers and spa facilities. The casino operations in Black Hawk constitute a significant portion of the overall casino gaming market in Colorado (exclusive of the Native American gaming operations), with 57% of the total gaming devices in Colorado in 2017 and approximately 76% of total gaming revenues in Colorado in 2017.



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Management believes that an integral component in attracting gaming patrons to our Colorado casinos is the availability of adequate, nearby parking and lodging. At our Cripple Creek property, we presently own a total of 271 surface parking spaces. We believe we have sufficient close proximity parking. However, covered parking garages provided by four of our competitors in Cripple Creek may negatively impact our casino, particularly during inclement weather. Our casino in Central City has a 500-space covered parking garage offering free public parking. Several other casinos in the Central City/Black Hawk market also have covered parking garages. In addition, three of our competitors in the Cripple Creek market and five of our competitors in the Central City and Black Hawk market have more hotel rooms, providing them with an advantage during inclement weather and the peak tourist season.



Our marketing objective for the casinos in Colorado is to create public awareness by positioning our casinos as the premier provider of personal service, convenient parking, the latest gaming products and superior food. In addition to our players’ clubs, we also have various cash and prize promotions and market our casinos through a variety of channels including radio, billboard, print and social media.  



Poland



There are 52 casino licenses available throughout Poland. The Polish government generally forbids the marketing of gaming activities outside of a casino, but the marketing of entertainment is permissible. Therefore, CPL’s marketing has focused on advertising the entertainment possibilities at each casino, such as concerts and parties. CPL also relies on the locations of its casinos, which are in major cities throughout Poland, to attract customers. The Polish government issues casino licenses in Poland by district, and there are additional casinos in each district in which CPL operates. For example, five other casinos in the Warsaw district compete with our Warsaw casinos. The Polish Minister of Finance does not disclose individual casino data. Changes to the Polish gaming law that went into effect in April 2017 legalize online gaming and reintroduce slot arcades through a state run company.  We expect that online gaming and the slot arcades will begin operating in 2018 and that the slot arcades will be located in many of the cities in which our casinos are located, which may increase competition for our casinos.



Corporate and Other







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Seasonality



Canada – Our Edmonton and Calgary casinos in Alberta, Canada attract more customers from September through April. During the remainder of the year, the casinos attract fewer customers because we compete with outdoor activities. Century Downs also attracts additional customers during the racing season from March through November. Century Bets attracts more customers to off-track betting parlors during the peak racing season from May through August.



United States  – Our casinos in Colorado attract more customers during the warmer months from May through September. We expect to attract fewer customers from October through April because weather conditions during this period are variable and can have a significant impact on daily business levels.



Poland – CPL generally attracts more customers from October through March because domestic customers generally vacation out of the country during the summer months.



Corporate and Other











Governmental Regulation and Licensing



The ownership and operation of casino gaming facilities are subject to extensive state, local, foreign, provincial or federal regulations. We are required to obtain and maintain gaming licenses in each of the jurisdictions in which we conduct gaming operations. The limitation, conditioning, suspension, revocation or non-renewal of gaming licenses, or the failure to reauthorize gaming in certain jurisdictions, would materially adversely affect our gaming operations in that jurisdiction. In addition, changes in law that restrict or prohibit gaming operations in any jurisdiction could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.



Statutes and regulations can require us to meet various standards relating to, among other matters, business licenses, registration of employees, floor plans, background investigations of licensees and employees, historic preservation, building, fire and accessibility requirements, payment of gaming taxes, and regulations concerning equipment, machines, chips, gaming participants, and ownership interests. Civil and criminal penalties, including shutdowns or the loss of our ability to operate gaming facilities in a particular jurisdiction, can be assessed against us and/or our officers to the extent of their individual participation in, or association with, a violation of any of the state or local gaming statutes or regulations. Such laws and regulations apply in all jurisdictions in which we may do business. Management believes that we are in compliance with all applicable gaming and non-gaming regulations as described below.



Canada



AGLC - Gaming in Alberta is governed by the provincial government. The AGLC administers and regulates the gaming industry in Alberta. The AGLC operates in accordance with the Gaming and Liquor Act, the Gaming and Liquor Regulation and the Criminal Code of Canada.



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The AGLC requires all gaming operations to be licensed but only allows a certain number of licenses to be granted. All available licenses have currently been granted and the AGLC has an indefinite moratorium on new casinos and RECs. If the AGLC increases the number of licenses available in the future, applicants for a gaming license must submit an application and run through a detailed approval process. Following the approval of the board of the AGLC, the applicant may operate the casino applied for in accordance with federal and provincial legislation, regulation, and policies as well as the municipal requirements, permits, licenses and authorization relating to the casino. At Edmonton and Calgary,  our licenses must be renewed every five years, with the next renewals scheduled for 2018 for both casinos. At Century Downs and St. Albert, our licenses must be renewed every two years, with the next renewals scheduled for 2018. The AGLC monitors the casino operator and its compliance with all requirements. In the event of a violation of such requirements, civil and criminal charges can be assessed. The failure or inability of our casinos, or the failure or inability of others associated with these casinos, to maintain necessary gaming licenses or approvals for our casinos would have a material adverse effect on our operations.



The AGLC allows casinos to operate slot machines and table games a daily maximum of 17 consecutive hours commencing at 10:00 a.m. and ending no later than 3:00 a.m. and to operate casino poker rooms 24 hours a day. Casinos and RECs may permit only individuals 18 or older to gamble in the casino. The AGLC permits slot machines, video lottery terminals, baccarat, blackjack, poker, craps and roulette. There is a maximum single bet of $2,000 on table games and a maximum table aggregate bet of $12,000 on baccarat. There is also a maximum denomination bet of $5 for slot machines with a maximum single bet of $125.  



The AGLC provides casinos with slot machines, slot technicians and personnel to administer table game counts. In return, casino licensees provide the AGLC with a place to operate slot machines, market the casinos, and provide table game dealers, slot attendants, security and surveillance. Casino licensees do not incur lease expenditures to the AGLC. In lieu of these lease expenses and other expenses associated with operating slot machines (i.e. equipment and personnel), casino licensees retain only a portion of net sales. Net sales, as defined by the AGLC, are calculated as cash played, less cash won, less the cost to lease the equipment, if applicable. At our Edmonton, St. Albert and Calgary casinos, the AGLC retains 85% of slot machine net sales, of which it allocates 15% to charities designated by the AGLC and 70% to the Alberta Lottery Fund. At Century Downs, the AGLC retains 40% of slot machine net sales,  which are allocated to the Alberta Lottery Fund. For all table games, excluding poker and craps, we are required to allocate 50% of our net win to a charity designated by the AGLC, with the exception of St. Albert, from which we allocate 35% of our net win to a charity designated by the AGLC. For poker and craps, we are required to allocate 25% of our net win to the charity. We record our revenue net of the amounts retained by the AGLC or allocated to the AGLC-designated charity or the Alberta Lottery Fund.



HRA - HRA was formed in June 2002 to facilitate long term industry renewal for horse racing. The objectives of HRA are to govern, direct, control, regulate, manage, market and promote horse racing in any or all of its forms; to protect the health, safety and welfare of racehorses and, with respect to horse racing, the safety and welfare of racing participants and racing officials; and to safeguard the interest of the general public in horse racing.



HRA requires all horse racing operators to be licensed. A licensed operator is responsible for the general supervision of horse races at its facilities but must not interfere with the proper performance of the functions and responsibilities of racing officials. Only individuals 18 or older may place a bet on horse races. HRA also prohibits racing officials, HRA employees, jockeys, drivers of horses and any employee of any of them from betting on a race, encouraging others to bet on a race on their behalf or owning a pari-mutuel ticket. A licensed owner of a horse, its trainer and any authorized agent or employee of such owner or trainer may not bet or encourage others to place a bet on their behalf on a horse other than the horse owned or trained by such licensed owner or trainer.



A licensed operator must also provide and maintain a suitable racetrack, file with HRA a certificate of measurement of the track and provide services at race meetings, including first aid and ambulance facilities. HRA must approve the equipment, facility and any services the operator will provide. HRA also requires a licensed operator to establish and maintain complete records of each horse race conducted by the operator.



The HRA’s portion of slot machine net sales retained from Century Downs, which is currently 16.25%, is used to fund animal welfare programs, purses, breed improvement programs, marketing, and administration and backstretch programs. For off-track betting and live racing wagers, CBS and CDR retain approximately 21.5% of each bet, from which they will distribute 5.4% to the HRA, 0.8% to the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency and use the remainder to pay expenses related to the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering.

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United States



The ownership and operation of gaming facilities in Colorado are subject to extensive state and local regulations. Licenses must be obtained from the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (the “Gaming Commission”) prior to offering limited gaming to the public in the State of Colorado. In addition, the Division of Gaming (the “DOG”) within the Colorado Department of Revenue, licenses, implements, regulates, and supervises the conduct of limited stakes gaming. The Director of the DOG, under the supervision of the Gaming Commission, has been granted broad powers to ensure compliance with the laws and regulations. The Gaming Commission, DOG and DOG Director are collectively referred to as the “Colorado Gaming Authorities.”



The laws, regulations, and internal control minimum procedures of the Colorado Gaming Authorities seek to maintain public confidence and trust that licensed limited gaming is conducted honestly and competitively, that the rights of the creditors of licensees are protected, and that gaming is free from criminal and corruptive elements. The Colorado Gaming Authorities’ stated policy is that public confidence and trust can be maintained only by strict regulation of all persons, locations, practices, associations, and activities related to the operation of the licensed gaming establishments and the manufacture and distribution of gaming devices and equipment.



The Gaming Commission is empowered to issue six types of licenses. In order to operate a casino, an operator is required to obtain a retail gaming license. Further, under Colorado gaming regulations, no person or entity can have an ownership interest in more than three retail licenses. We currently operate under the maximum of three retail gaming licenses in Colorado (Century Casino & Hotel in Cripple Creek operates under two gaming licenses). Licenses must be renewed every two years, with the next renewals scheduled for 2019 for our casinos in Central City and Cripple Creek. In addition, the Gaming Commission has broad discretion to revoke, suspend, condition, limit or restrict the licensee at any time. The failure or inability of the Century Casino & Hotel in Central City or Cripple Creek, or the failure or inability of others associated with these casinos, to maintain necessary gaming licenses or approvals for the casinos would have a material adverse effect on our operations. 



Our Colorado casinos must meet specified architectural requirements and must not exceed specified gaming square footage limits as a total of each floor and the full building. Colorado casinos may operate 24-hours a day, and may permit only individuals 21 or older to gamble in the casino. Colorado law permits slot machines, blackjack, poker, craps and roulette with a maximum single bet of $100. Colorado casinos may not provide credit to gaming patrons.



The Colorado constitution permits a gaming tax of up to 40% on adjusted gross proceeds (“AGP”), and voter approval is required for any increase to this gaming tax rate. The current gaming tax in Colorado established by the Gaming Commission is a graduated rate of 0.25% to 20% on AGP, where casinos pay a higher percentage as their AGP increase.



Colorado law requires that every officer, director or stockholder holding a 5% or greater interest or controlling interest of a publicly traded corporation, or owner of an applicant or licensee, shall be a person of good moral character and submit to and pay the cost of a full background investigation conducted by the Gaming Commission. Persons found unsuitable by the Gaming Commission may be required to immediately terminate any interest in, association or agreement with, or relationship to, a gaming licensee. A finding of unsuitability with respect to any officer, director, employee, associate, lender or beneficial owner of a licensee or applicant may also jeopardize the licensee’s retail license or applicant’s license application. Licenses may, however, be conditioned upon termination of any relationship with unsuitable persons.



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We may not issue any voting securities except in accordance with the provisions of the Colorado Limited Gaming Act (the “Act”) and the regulations promulgated thereunder. The issuance of any voting securities in violation of the Act will be void, and the voting securities will be deemed not to be issued and outstanding. No voting securities may be transferred, except in accordance with the provisions of the Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder. Any transfer in violation of these provisions will be void. If the Gaming Commission at any time determines that a holder of our voting securities is unsuitable to hold the securities, then we may, within sixty (60) days after the finding of unsuitability, purchase the voting securities of the unsuitable person at the lesser of (a) the cash equivalent of such person’s investment, or (b) the current market price as of the date of the finding of unsuitability, unless such voting securities are transferred to a suitable person within sixty (60) days after the finding of unsuitability. Until our voting securities are owned by persons found by the Gaming Commission to be suitable to own them, (a) we are not permitted to pay any dividends or interest with regard to the voting securities, (b) the holder of such voting securities will not be entitled to vote, and the voting securities will not for any purposes be included in the voting securities entitled to vote, and (c) we may not pay any remuneration in any form to the holder of the voting securities, except in exchange for the voting securities.



Poland



Gaming in Poland is governed by the Minister of Finance, who operates in accordance with Polish gaming law and has the authority to grant casino licenses. Polish gaming law was enacted in 1992. Key items included in Polish gaming law include the following requirements:





Casino licenses in Poland are limited to 52 and are subject to regional limitations. When a casino license expires, the Minister of Finance notifies the public of its availability, and those interested can submit an application for the casino license. Applicants for a gaming license must complete a detailed approval process. Following approval from the Minister of Finance, there is a period in which applicants can appeal the decision. Once the license is awarded, the applicant may operate the casino for six years. In October 2017, we were awarded casino licenses for the Polish cities of Katowice, Bielsko-Biala and Wroclaw. The license awards were appealed by our competitors, and the appeals have been dismissed by the Minister of Finance. We opened the Bielsko-Biala casino in January 2018. Management believes that CPL will open the Katowice and Wroclaw casinos in the second quarter of 2018. The casino licenses for the Plock, Krakow and Lodz casinos expire in the first quarter of 2018, and the casino license for the Poznan casino will expire in the second quarter of 2018. CPL has submitted or will submit applications for casino licenses in these cities.  The Minister of Finance monitors the casino operator and its compliance with all requirements. In the event of a violation, the Minister of Finance can assess charges and, in certain cases, withdraw casino licenses. 



Corporate and Other









The laws and regulations of the Gambling Commission seek to keep gambling crime free, ensure that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way, and protect children and other vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling. Casino operators must create corporate policies and procedures in compliance with the Gambling Commission’s License Conditions and Codes of Practice and other industry guidance. Operators must commit to conducting their licensing activities with integrity, maintaining a responsible gaming provision, providing regular training to advise and guide staff as well as ensuring that a healthy, responsible and informed environment is maintained.



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In order to operate a casino, an operator is required to obtain an operating license, personal licenses and a premises license from the Gambling Commission. The operator must pay an annual fee to maintain an operating license, and the license may be suspended or revoked. Personal licenses are granted to individuals responsible for activities at licensed gambling operators and are renewed every five years. A premises license is granted to operate a casino on certain premises. Currently, no additional premise licenses can be awarded under the Gambling Act of 2005.



The Gambling Act of 2005 sets the gambling duty rate based on the type of gambling and gross gaming yield of the casino premises. The gaming duty rate is scaled from 15% to 50% based on the gross gaming yield in a three-month period.



The Gambling Act of 2005 requires that a personal declaration be completed by any stockholder holding a 10% or greater interest in a company that owns a casino. In addition, the Gambling Commission also requires that the company list all stockholders with a 3% or greater interest in the company. 



Other Regulation



We are subject to certain foreign, federal, state, provincial and local safety and health, employment and environmental laws, regulations and ordinances that apply to our non-gaming operations. We have not made, and do not anticipate making, material expenditures with respect to these laws, regulations and ordinances. However, the coverage of, and attendant compliance costs associated with, such laws, regulations and ordinances may result in future additional costs to our operations.



Rules and regulations regarding the service of alcoholic beverages are strict. The loss or suspension of a liquor license could significantly impair our operations. Local building, parking and fire codes and similar regulations also could impact our operations and any proposed development of our properties.



We also deal with significant amounts of cash in our operations and are subject to various reporting and anti-money laundering laws and regulations. Any violations of anti-money laundering laws or regulations by any of our properties could have an adverse effect on our business.



Employees



As of December 31, 2017, we had approximately 1,554 full-time employees and 356 part-time employees. During busier months, a casino may supplement its permanent staff with seasonal employees. Approximately 243 employees at our CPL casinos in Poland belong to trade unions. The trade unions do not currently have any collective bargaining agreements with CPL, but changes in pay of union employees at CPL require approval of the unions.  





Executive Officers of the Company





Erwin Haitzmann holds a Doctorate and a Masters degree in Social and Economic Sciences from the University of Linz, Austria (1980), and has extensive casino gaming experience ranging from dealer through various casino management positions. Dr. Haitzmann has been employed full-time by us since 1993 and has been employed as either Chief Executive Officer or Co-Chief Executive Officer since March 1994.



Peter Hoetzinger received a Masters degree from the University of Linz, Austria (1986). He thereafter was employed in several managerial positions in the gaming industry with Austrian casino companies. Mr. Hoetzinger has been employed full-time by us since 1993 and has been Co-Chief Executive Officer since March 2005.



Margaret Stapleton was appointed Executive Vice President, Principal Financial/Accounting Officer and Secretary, effective May 2010. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Regis University, Denver, Colorado (2004) and has over 30 years of experience in corporate accounting and internal audit. Mrs. Stapleton previously served as our Director of Internal Audit and Compliance from 2005 until May 2010.

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Andreas Terler is a Graduate Engineer in Applied Mathematics from the University of Graz, Austria (1994). Mr. Terler is currently overseeing our operations in North America, our cruise ship-based casinos and our Caribbean operations. Mr. Terler has been employed by us since 2006. He has served as Chief Information Officer since February 2006, Managing Director of CCE since February 2007, and Vice President of Operations since May 2011.



Nikolaus Strohriegel received a Masters degree from the University of Vienna, Austria (1996). Mr. Strohriegel is currently overseeing our operations in Poland and the Saw Close Casino project. Mr. Strohriegel has been employed by us since 2007. He has served as Managing Director of CCE since January 2009 and Vice President of Operations since March 2017.





Available Information



Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are made available free of charge on our website at https://www.cnty.com/corporate/investor-relations/sec-filings as soon as reasonably practicable after such report has been filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. None of the information posted to our website is incorporated by reference into this report.





Financial Information about Segments and Geographic Areas



See Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report for financial information about segments and geographic areas.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors.



Our short and long-term success is subject to many factors beyond our control. If any of the following risks, or any risks described elsewhere in or incorporated by reference in this report, actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could suffer. Additional risks not presently known to us or which we currently consider immaterial may also adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.



Risks Related to our Business and Operations



We face significant competition, and if we are not able to compete successfully, our results of operations will be harmed.



We face intense competition from other casinos in jurisdictions in which we operate. Many of our competitors are larger and have substantially greater name recognition and financial and marketing resources than we do. We seek to compete through promotion of our players’ clubs and other marketing efforts. For example, for CRA, we emphasize the casino’s showroom, complimentary heated parking, players’ club program, and superior service. These marketing efforts may not be successful, which could hurt our competitive position.



The markets in which we operate are generally not destination resort areas and rely on a local customer base as well as tourists during peak seasons. The number of casinos in our markets may exceed demand, which could make it difficult for us to sustain profitability. New or expanded operations by other entities in any of the markets in which we operate will increase competition for our gaming operations and could have a material adverse impact on us. We are particularly vulnerable to competition in Colorado and Poland due to the large number of competitors in those markets. Internet gaming or other gaming opportunities that become available in our markets could also attract players that might otherwise have visited our casinos. At the end of 2016, the gaming law in Poland was changed to permit Internet gaming and slot arcades through a state run company, effective April 2017. The changes have not yet been implemented. We expect online gaming and the slot arcades to begin operating in 2018. Once they begin operations, these changes could increase competition and adversely affect our results of operations. Capital expenditures, such as those for new gaming equipment, room refurbishments and amenity upgrades may be necessary from time to time to preserve the competitiveness of our properties. If we are not successful in making these improvements, our facilities may be less attractive to our visitors than those of our competitors, which could have a negative impact on our business.



We face extensive regulation from gaming and other regulatory authorities, which involve considerable expense and could harm our business.



As owners and operators of gaming facilities, we are subject to extensive state, local, and international provincial regulation. State, local and provincial authorities require us and our subsidiaries to demonstrate suitability to obtain and retain various licenses and require that we have registrations, permits and approvals to conduct gaming operations. Various regulatory authorities may, for any reason set forth in applicable legislation, rules and regulations, limit, condition, suspend or revoke a license or registration to conduct gaming operations or prevent us from owning the securities of any of our gaming subsidiaries. Like all gaming operators in the jurisdictions in which we operate or plan to operate, we must periodically apply to renew our gaming licenses or registrations and have the suitability of certain of our directors, officers and employees approved. At CRA and CAL, our licenses must be renewed every five years, with the next renewals scheduled for 2018. At Century Downs and St. Albert and in Colorado, our licenses must be renewed every two years, with the next renewals scheduled for 2018 for Century Downs and St. Albert and 2019 for Central City and Cripple Creek. In Poland, gaming licenses are granted for six year periods and are not renewable. When a gaming license in Poland expires, any gaming company can apply for the license and there can be no guarantee that we will be granted a new license at our existing casinos. The licenses for our Lodz and Plock casinos expired in February 2018, the license for our Krakow casino expires in March 2018, and the license for our Poznan casino expires in April 2018. We may not be able to obtain license renewals or approvals of new licenses. Regulatory authorities may also levy substantial fines against us or seize our assets or the assets of our subsidiaries or the people involved in violating gaming laws or regulations. Any of these events could force us to terminate operations at an existing gaming facility, either on a temporary or permanent basis, could result in us being fined or could prohibit us from successfully completing a project in which we invest. Closing facilities or an inability to expand may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.



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In addition to gaming regulations, we are also subject to various federal, state, provincial, local and foreign laws and regulations affecting businesses in general. These laws and regulations include, but are not limited to, restrictions and conditions concerning alcoholic beverages, environmental matters, smoking, employees, currency transactions, taxation, zoning and building codes, and marketing and advertising. Rules and regulations regarding the service of alcoholic beverages are strict. The loss or suspension of a liquor license could significantly impair our operations.



We also deal with significant amounts of cash in our operations and are subject to various reporting and anti-money laundering regulations. Any violations of anti-money laundering laws or regulations by any of our properties could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Such laws and regulations could change or could be interpreted differently in the future, or new laws and regulations could be enacted.



Potential changes in the regulatory environment may adversely affect the results of our operations.



From time to time, legislators and special interest groups have proposed legislation that would expand, restrict or prevent gaming operations or that may otherwise adversely impact our operations in the jurisdictions in which we operate. Any expansion of the gaming industry that results in increased competition and any restriction on or prohibition of our gaming operations could have a material adverse effect on our operating results or cause us to record an impairment of our assets. In Poland, changes to the gaming law that went into effect in April 2017, but have not yet been implemented, legalized online gaming and reintroduced slot arcades that will be operated through a state run company. We expect the online gaming and slot arcades to begin operating in 2018. Once they begin operation, these changes could increase competition and adversely affect our results of operations. In addition, there is uncertainty surrounding future legislative changes that the U.S. Congress could impose relating to gaming, including potential changes to online gaming or sports betting laws. Any newly adopted gaming laws in the U.S. or other jurisdictions in which we operate could have an adverse impact on our financial position and results of operations.



The enactment of legislation implementing changes in the U.S. taxation of international business activities or the adoption of other tax reform laws or policies could materially affect our financial position and results of operations. 



We are subject to taxation at the federal, state, provincial and local levels in the U.S. and various other countries and jurisdictions. Our future effective tax rate could be affected by changes in the composition of earnings in jurisdictions with differing tax rates, changes in statutory rates and other legislative changes, changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, or changes in determinations regarding the jurisdictions in which we are subject to tax. From time to time, the U.S. federal, state and local and foreign governments make substantive changes to tax rules and their application, which could result in materially higher corporate taxes than would be incurred under existing tax law and could adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations.



The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”) was enacted on December 22, 2017 and included significant changes to the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, including, among other items, a reduction of the federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, a one-time transition tax on earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries that were previously deferred, and the creation of new taxes on certain foreign earnings. These changes are complex and will require the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) to issue interpretations and regulations that may significantly impact how the Tax Act is applied and ultimately may impact our results of operations.  If there are significant interpretations and regulations issued related to the Tax Act that would increase the tax rates on future U.S. or foreign earnings, these changes could have a material adverse effect on our effective tax rate, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.



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We face extensive taxation from gaming and regulatory authorities. Potential changes to the tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate may adversely affect the results of our operations.



We believe that the prospect of significant revenue to a jurisdiction through taxation and fees is one of the primary reasons jurisdictions permit legalized gaming. As a result, gaming companies are typically subject to significant taxes and fees in addition to normal federal, state, provincial and local income taxes, and such taxes and fees are subject to increase at any time. We pay substantial taxes and fees with respect to our operations. For instance, the Colorado constitution permits a gaming tax of up to 40% on adjusted gross gaming proceeds. The current gaming tax in Colorado established by the Colorado Gaming Commission is a graduated rate of 0.25% to 20% on adjusted gross gaming proceeds, where casinos pay a higher percentage as their adjusted gross proceeds increase. At our Edmonton, St. Albert and Calgary casinos, the AGLC retains 85% of slot machine net sales, of which the AGLC allocates 15% to licensed charities and 70% to the Alberta Lottery Fund. For all table games in Alberta, Canada, excluding poker and craps, we are required to allocate 50% of our net win to a charity designated by the AGLC, with the exception of our St. Albert casino, for which we are required to allocate 35% of our net win to a charity designated by the AGLC. For poker and craps in Alberta, Canada, we are required to allocate 25% of our net win to the charity. At Century Downs, the AGLC and HRA retain 56.25% of slot machine net sales, which are allocated to and used by the Alberta Lottery Fund and by HRA to fund purses, marketing, administration and animal welfare and other programs. Any change to the agreement between the AGLC and HRA on the division of the slot machine net sales at Century Downs could negatively impact our revenue, as HRA may increase the amount it retains in order to offset increased retention from the AGLC. The Polish Minister of Finance assesses a gaming tax rate on gross gaming revenue of 50%. In Poland, under legislation enacted in late 2017 and effective in January 2018, casino patrons winning over PLN 2,280 in a single casino visit are now subject to personal income tax on their winnings, which could adversely affect our casino patronage and our results of operations. In addition, negative economic conditions could intensify the efforts of federal, state, provincial and local governments to raise revenues through increases in gaming taxes or introduction of additional gaming opportunities. 



We may be unable to obtain the capital necessary to fund our operations or potential acquisitions.



Our industry is capital intensive, and we rely heavily on the ability of our casinos to generate operating cash flow to repay debt financing, fund maintenance capital expenditures and provide excess cash for future development. While we have a significant amount of cash currently on hand, we may not be able to obtain funding when we need it on favorable terms or at all. We are currently constructing the Century Mile horse racing facility in the Edmonton market area, which we estimate will cost approximately CAD 60.0 million  ($47.8 million based on the exchange rate in effect as of December 31, 2017). We plan to finance this project with $25.0 million received from an equity offering in November 2017, loans under our existing or additional credit facilities and available cash. If we are unable to finance our current or future expansion projects, such as the Century Mile, Saw Close Casino Ltd., and Cripple Creek Palace Hotel projects, we will have to adopt one or more alternatives, such as reducing or delaying planned expansion, development and renovation projects and capital expenditures, selling assets, restructuring debt, obtaining additional equity financing or joint venture partners, or modifying our bank credit facility. In addition, the amount of capital that we are able to raise often depends on variables that are beyond our control, such as the share price of our stock and its trading volume. The availability of financing may be impacted by local, regional and global economic, credit and stock market conditions, all of which have been volatile. As a result, we may not be able to secure financing on terms attractive to us, in a timely manner or at all. If we are able to consummate a financing arrangement, the amount raised may not be sufficient to meet all of our future needs and, if it involves equity, may be highly dilutive to our stockholders. If we cannot raise adequate funds to satisfy our capital requirements, we may have to reduce, dispose of or eliminate certain operations.



Our financing agreements in Canada impose restrictive covenants that limit our operating flexibility, and a default could have a material adverse effect on us.



Our various credit agreements require us to adhere to a number of significant financial covenants and for the Company to guaranty the debt of our subsidiaries. These restrictions limit the ability of our subsidiaries in Canada to incur additional debt, obtain future financings to withstand a future downturn in our business or the economy in general, or to otherwise conduct necessary corporate activities. A breach of any covenant in any of our credit agreements would result in an event of default under that agreement after any applicable grace periods. An event of default, if not waived or cured, could cause the lender to accelerate the repayment of all outstanding amounts due under the agreement, foreclose on the security granted under the agreement and enforce the Company’s obligations under its guarantee. There can be no assurances that we or our subsidiaries would be able to obtain a waiver of an event of default or modification of a covenant if necessary, or otherwise obtain alternative sources of funding to repay the obligation if a default occurred. Any such occurrences could have a material adverse effect on us.



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Difficulties in managing our worldwide operations may have an adverse impact on our business.



We derive our revenue principally from operations located on two continents and on cruise ships operating around the world. Our management is located in the United States and Europe. Our worldwide operations pose risks to our business, especially for a smaller company such as ours. Risks associated with international operations include:





These factors make it more challenging to manage and administer a globally-dispersed business and, as a result, we must devote greater resources to operating under several regulatory and legislative regimes (See “Governmental Regulation and Licensing” in Item 1, “Business”). This business model also increases our costs.

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We may experience construction delays during our expansion or development projects, including the development and construction costs associated with the Century Mile project in Edmonton and the Saw Close Casino project in Bath, which could adversely affect our operations.



From time to time we may commence construction projects at our properties. Construction on the Century Mile project in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada commenced in July 2017, and we expect to open the REC in early 2019. Construction on the Saw Close Casino project in Bath, England commenced in October 2017, and we expect to open the casino in the second quarter of 2018. We may engage in additional construction projects in the future. Construction projects entail significant risks, which can substantially increase costs or delay completion of a project. Most of these factors are beyond our control.



Our current and future projects could also experience:

The occurrence of any of these development and construction risks could increase the total costs of our construction projects, including the Century Mile or Saw Close Casino projects, or delay or prevent the construction or opening or otherwise affect the design and features of our construction projects. This could materially adversely affect our plan of operations, financial condition and ability to satisfy our debt obligations. In addition, construction at our operating casinos may disrupt our customers’ experience and cause a decline in our revenue.



Actual costs and construction periods for any of our projects can differ significantly from initial expectations. We can provide no assurance that we will complete any project on time, if at all, or within established budgets, or that any project will result in increased earnings to us. If our initial budgets are not accurate, we may need to pursue additional financing to complete a proposed project, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all. The adverse impact on our results of operations resulting from cost overruns on any construction projects we undertake may harm our stock prices.



We intend to develop and operate additional properties in the future and if our development efforts are not successful, our business may be adversely affected.



We regularly review opportunities to develop new properties. We may not be successful in obtaining the rights to develop such properties, and as a result, we may incur significant costs for which we will receive no return. Even if we are successful in obtaining the rights to develop new casino properties, commencing operations at new casino projects may require substantial development capital. Additional risks before commencing operations include the time and expense incurred and unforeseen difficulties in obtaining suitable sites, liquor licenses, building permits, materials, competent and able contractors, supplies, employees, gaming devices and related matters.



We may engage in construction projects as part of our development of additional properties in the future. Construction projects entail significant risks, which can substantially increase costs or delay completion of a project. Most of these factors are beyond our control. The occurrence of any of these development and construction risks could increase the total costs of our construction projects or delay or prevent the construction or opening or otherwise affect the design and features of our construction projects. This could materially adversely affect our plan of operations, financial condition and ability to satisfy our debt obligations.



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Development activities such as the Century Mile and SCCL projects involve substantial risks, such as uncertainties regarding our ability to secure various licenses, permits and government authorizations, and expenses related to such activities, as well as the risks of potential cost over-runs, construction delays and market deterioration.



We may pursue gaming opportunities that would require us to obtain a gaming license. While our management believes that we are licensable in any jurisdiction that allows gaming operations, each licensing process is unique and requires a significant amount of funds and management time. The licensing process in any particular jurisdiction can take significant time and expense through licensing fees, background investigation costs, legal fees and other associated preparation costs. Moreover, if we proceed with a licensing approval process with industry partners, such industry partners would be subject to regulatory review as well. We seek to find industry partners that are licensable, but cannot assure that such partners will, in fact, be licensable. Certain licenses include competitive situations where, even if we and our industry partners are licensable, other factors such as the economic impact of gaming, financial and operational capabilities of competitors must be analyzed by regulatory authorities. In addition, political factors may make the licensing process more difficult. If any of our gaming license applications are denied, we may have to write off costs related to our investment in such application processes, which could be significant. In addition, our ability to attract and retain competent management and employees for any new location is critical to our success. One or more of these risks may result in any new gaming opportunity not being successful. If we are not able to successfully commence operations at these properties, our results of operations may be adversely affected.



Our reputation and business may be harmed by cyber security breaches, and we may be subject to legal claims if there is loss, disclosure or misappropriation of or access to our customers', our business partners' or our own information or other breaches of our information security.



We make use of online services and centralized data processing, including through third party service providers. The secure maintenance and transmission of customer information, including credit card numbers and other personally identifiable information for marketing and promotional purposes, is a critical element of our operations. Our collection and use of personal data are governed by state and federal privacy laws as well as the applicable laws in other countries in which we operate. Compliance with applicable privacy regulations may increase our operating costs or adversely impact our ability to market our products, properties and services to our guests.



Our information technology and other systems that maintain and transmit customer information, or those of service providers, or our employee or business information may be compromised by a malicious third party penetration of our network security, or that of a third party service provider or business partner, or by actions or inactions by our employees. As a result, information of our customers, third party service providers or business partners or our employee or business information may be lost, disclosed, accessed or taken without their or our consent. Non-compliance with applicable privacy regulations by us (or in some circumstances non-compliance by third parties engaged by us) or a breach of security on systems storing our data may result in a loss of customers and subject us to fines, payment of damages, lawsuits or restrictions on our use or transfer of data. Our insurance does not cover cyber security incidents. The loss, disclosure or misappropriation of our business information may adversely affect our businesses, operating results and financial condition. Furthermore, a cyber security breach could have a serious impact on our reputation and may adversely affect our businesses, operating results and financial condition.



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We may be adversely affected by reductions in discretionary consumer spending as a result of consumer concerns over economic conditions, homeland security, terrorism and war.



Our business may be adversely affected by international, national and local economic and political conditions. From time to time, the volatile global economic environment has had negative effects on our business because our business is largely impacted by discretionary consumer spending. Reductions in discretionary consumer spending or changes in consumer preferences brought about by factors such as increased unemployment, perceived or actual deterioration in general economic conditions, housing market instability, perceived or actual decline in disposable consumer income and wealth, and changes in consumer confidence in the economy could reduce customer demand for the leisure activities we offer and may adversely affect our revenue and operating cash flow. For example, Alberta, is Canada’s largest oil and gas producer and a decrease in oil and gas prices could create higher unemployment and reduce discretionary consumer spending at our Canadian casinos.



Terrorist attacks and other acts of war or hostility have created many economic and political uncertainties and have had a negative impact on travel and leisure expenditures, including gaming, lodging and tourism. For example, our locations in Poland are in close proximity to Ukraine and Russia. While we have not experienced any material impact from the acts of hostility between the two countries, an increase in those hostilities could adversely affect our casinos in Poland. We cannot predict the extent to which terrorism, security alerts or war, or hostilities in countries throughout the world will directly or indirectly affect our business and operating results, but the impact could be material.



Insufficient or lower-than-expected results generated from our new developments and acquired properties may negatively affect our operating results and financial condition.



Our acquisitions and new developments may not generate revenues that will be sufficient to pay related expenses, or, even if such revenues are sufficient to pay related expenses, the acquisitions and new developments may not yield an adequate return or any return on our significant investments. In addition, generating returns on acquisitions and new investments may take significantly longer than we expect and may negatively impact our operating results and financial condition. New facilities also may compete with existing facilities that we own and operate.



Inclement weather and other conditions could seriously disrupt our business, which may hamper our financial condition and results of operations.



The operations of our facilities are subject to disruptions or reductions in the number of customers who visit our properties because of severe weather conditions. If weather conditions limit access to our casino properties or otherwise adversely impact our ability to operate our casinos at full capacity, our revenue will suffer, which will negatively impact our operating results. High winds, flooding, blizzards and sub-zero temperatures, such as those experienced in Colorado and Alberta from time to time, can limit access to our properties.



Our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all possible losses that our properties could suffer, our insurance costs may increase and we may not be able to obtain the same insurance coverage in the future.



We may suffer damage to our property caused by a casualty loss (such as fire, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism), that could severely disrupt our business or subject us to claims by third parties who are injured or harmed. Although we maintain insurance customary in our industry, including property, casualty, terrorism and business interruption insurance, that insurance is subject to deductibles and limits on maximum benefits, including limitations on the coverage period for business interruption. Due to these variables, we may not be able to fully insure such losses, or fully collect, if at all, on claims resulting from severe weather conditions. The lack of sufficient insurance for these types of acts could expose us to heavy losses if any damages occur, directly or indirectly, that could have a significant adverse impact on our operations.



We renew our insurance policies on an annual basis. The cost of coverage may become so high that we may need to further reduce our policy limits or agree to certain exclusions from our coverage or self-insure. Among other factors, regional political tensions, homeland security concerns, other catastrophic events or any change in government legislation governing insurance coverage for acts of terrorism could materially adversely affect available insurance coverage and result in increased premiums on available coverage (which may cause us to elect to reduce our policy limits), additional exclusions from coverage or higher deductibles. Among other potential future adverse changes, in the future we may elect to not, or may not be able to, obtain any coverage for losses due to acts of terrorism.



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Our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be harmed by work stoppages and other labor issues.



There are 243 employees at our CPL casinos in Poland who belong to trade unions. The trade unions do not currently have any collective bargaining agreements with CPL but changes in pay for union employees at CPL require approval from the trade unions. A lengthy strike or other work stoppage at our casino properties in Poland could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Our employees in the U.S. and Canada and in our Corporate and Other segment are not covered by collective bargaining agreements. From time to time, we have experienced attempts to unionize certain of our non-union employees. If a union seeks to organize any of our employees, we could experience disruption in our business and incur significant costs, both of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operation and financial condition. If a union were successful in organizing any of our employees, we could experience significant increases in our labor costs which could also have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.



Fluctuations in currency exchange rates and currency controls in foreign countries could adversely affect our business.



Our casinos in Canada and Poland represent a significant portion of our business, and the revenue generated and expenses incurred by these operations are generally denominated in Canadian dollars and Polish zloty, respectively. Decreases in the value of these currencies in relation to the value of the U.S. dollar have decreased the operating profit from our foreign operations when translated into U.S. dollars, which has adversely affected our consolidated results of operations, and such decreases may occur in the future. In addition, we may expand our operations into other countries and, accordingly, we could face similar exchange rate risk with respect to the costs of doing business in such countries as a result of any increases in the value of the U.S. dollar in relation to the currencies of such countries. We do not currently hedge our exposure to fluctuations of these foreign currencies, and there is no guarantee that we will be able to successfully hedge any future foreign currency exposure.



We have invested $1.0 million in capital in the MCE project located in Argentina. In addition, we have a Consulting Services Agreement with MCE in which CCE is receiving a service fee consisting of a fixed fee plus a percentage of MCE’s EBITDA. Argentina has implemented currency controls within the country that could limit our ability to repatriate our initial capital, the consulting service fee, or other funds.



The loss of key personnel could have a material adverse effect on us.



We are highly dependent on the services of Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger, our Co-Chief Executive Officers, and other members of our senior management team. The employment agreements with Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger provide that, under some circumstances, the departure of one executive could allow the other to leave for cause. Our ability to retain key personnel is affected by the competitiveness of our compensation packages and the other terms and conditions of employment, our continued ability to compete effectively against other gaming companies and our growth prospects. The loss of the services of any of these individuals could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.



We may be required in the future to record impairment losses related to assets we currently carry on our balance sheet.



We have $275 million of tangible and intangible assets, including $15 million of goodwill, $15 million in casino licenses, $2 million in trademarks and $153 million in property and equipment as of December 31, 2017. Accounting rules require that we make certain estimates and assumptions related to our determinations as to the future recoverability of these assets. If we were to determine that the values of these assets carried on our balance sheet are impaired due to adverse changes in our business or otherwise, we may be required to record an impairment charge to write down the value of these assets, which would adversely affect our results during the period in which we recorded the impairment charge.



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We are or may become involved in legal proceedings that, if adversely adjudicated or settled, could impact our financial condition.



From time to time, we are defendants in various lawsuits and gaming regulatory proceedings relating to matters incidental to our business. As with all litigation, no assurance can be provided as to the outcome of these matters and, in general, litigation can be expensive and time consuming. We may not be successful in the defense or prosecution of our current or future legal proceedings, which could result in settlements or damages that could significantly impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.



In Poland, tax laws and other Polish laws and regulations change from time to time, sometimes with no reference to established regulations or cases. The current Polish laws and regulations also have ambiguities that lead to differences in interpretations between authorities and between authorities and companies. Taxes or other payments may frequently be inspected by Polish authorities that are authorized to impose significant fines, extra liabilities and interest for underpayments. As a result, our tax risk is higher in Poland than in countries with better-developed tax systems. Since Polish tax payments may be inspected for up to five years, the amounts included in our financial statements for Polish taxes may change at a later date after the final amounts are determined, and other Polish laws and regulations may lead to additional liabilities. We have open tax audits currently in litigation with the Polish Internal Revenue Service (“Polish IRS”), as described further in Item 3, “Legal Proceedings”. The Supreme Administrative Court in Poland found in favor of the Polish IRS in 2016 regarding certain open tax audits, and we are awaiting a decision from the Supreme Administrative Court relating to another open tax audit. Additional tax obligations as a result of the tax audits by the Polish IRS could adversely affect our financial position.



We are dependent upon technology services and electrical power to operate our business, and if we experience damage or service interruptions, we may have to cease some or all of our operations, resulting in a decrease in revenue.



Our gaming operations rely heavily on technology services and an uninterrupted supply of electrical power. Our security system and all of our slot machines are controlled by computers and reliant on electrical power to operate. A loss of electrical power or a failure of the technology services needed to run the computers would make us unable to run all or parts of our gaming operations. Any unscheduled interruption in our technology services or interruption in the supply of electrical power is likely to result in an immediate, and possibly substantial, loss of revenue due to a shutdown of our gaming operations. Although we have designed our systems around industry-standard architectures to reduce downtime in the event of outages or catastrophic occurrences, they remain vulnerable to damage or interruption from floods, fires, power loss, telecommunication failures, terrorist attacks, computer viruses, computer denial-of-service attacks and similar events. Additionally, substantial increases in the cost of electricity and natural gas could negatively affect our results of operations.



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Any violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or any other similar anti-corruption laws could have a negative impact on us. 



A significant portion of our revenue is derived from operations outside the United States, which exposes us to complex foreign and U.S. regulations inherent in doing cross-border business and in each of the countries in which we transact business. We are subject to compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), the U.K. Bribery Act and other similar anti-corruption laws, which generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to foreign government officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. While our employees and agents are required to comply with these laws, we cannot be sure that our internal policies and procedures will always protect us from violations of these laws, despite our commitment to legal compliance and corporate ethics. Violations of these laws may result in severe criminal and civil sanctions as well as other penalties, and the SEC and U.S. Department of Justice have increased their enforcement activities with respect to the FCPA. The occurrence or allegation of these types of risks may adversely affect our business, performance, prospects, value, financial condition, and results of operations.





Risks Related to Our Common Stock



Our stock price has been volatile and may decline significantly and unexpectedly.



Our common stock trades in the U.S. on the Nasdaq Capital Market, which consists of relatively small issuers and a lack of significant trading volumes relative to other U.S. markets. These factors may result in volatility in the price of our common stock. For instance, the trading price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market in 2016 and 2017 varied from a high of $9.85 to a low of $5.34. 



Certain anti-takeover measures we have adopted may limit our ability to consummate transactions that some of our security holders might otherwise support. 



We have a fair price business combination provision in our certificate of incorporation, which requires approval of certain business combinations and other transactions by holders of 80% of our outstanding shares of voting stock. In addition, our certificate of incorporation allows our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock without stockholder approval. These provisions generally have the effect of requiring that any party seeking to acquire us negotiate with our board of directors in order to structure a business combination with us. This may have the effect of depressing the price of our common stock due to the possibility that certain transactions that our stockholders might favor could be precluded by these provisions.



Regulation Risk Related to Stockholders



Stockholders may be required to dispose of their shares of our common stock if they are found unsuitable by U.S. gaming authorities. 



Gaming authorities in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom generally can require that any beneficial owner of our common stock and other securities file an application for a finding of suitability. If a gaming authority requires a record or beneficial owner of our securities to file a suitability application, the owner must apply for a finding of suitability within 30 days or at an earlier time prescribed by the gaming authority. The gaming authority has the power to investigate an owner's suitability, and the owner must pay all costs of the investigation. If the owner is found unsuitable, then the owner may be required by law to dispose of our securities. Our certificate of incorporation also provides us with the right to repurchase shares of our common stock from certain beneficial owners declared by gaming regulators to be unsuitable holders of our equity securities, and the price we pay to any such beneficial owner may be below the price such beneficial owner would otherwise accept for his or her shares of our common stock.





Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.



None.

 

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Item 2. Properties.



The following table sets forth the location, applicable reportable segment, size and description of certain types of gaming facilities available at each of our casinos as of December 31, 2017:



Summary of Property Information





(1) Century Bets! Inc. runs the pari-mutuel network in southern Alberta. The off-track betting parlors are located throughout southern Alberta, including in Century Casinos – Calgary and Century Downs Racetrack and Casino.

(2)  As of December 31, 2017, Casinos Poland operated six separate casinos in leased building spaces, including hotels, throughout Poland. For the locations of these casinos, see “Overview of Operations - Poland” in Item 1, “Business” of this report.

(3) Operated under concession agreements. We do not own the ships on which our casinos operate.

(4) Operated under a consulting services agreement. We do not own the building in which the casino operates.



Each of the locations listed in the table above are wholly-owned by us except for Century Downs Racetrack and Casino, Century Bets! Inc., the casinos operated by Casinos Poland, the cruise ships and Mendoza Central Entretenimientos S.A.



As of December 31, 2017, the Century Casino & Hotel in Edmonton, Century Casino St. Albert and Century Casino in Calgary and our 75% interest in Century Downs are pledged as collateral for our obligations under a mortgage with the Bank of Montreal. As of December 31, 2017, a parcel of land in Kolbaskowo, Poland owned by Casinos Poland was used to secure a bank guarantee with mBank. See Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report.



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Additional Property Information



Century Casino Calgary – In addition to the property described above, we lease approximately 13,049 square feet of land at our property in Calgary for additional parking.



Century Downs Racetrack and Casino – The land on which the REC is located was sold by CDR to 1685258 Alberta Ltd. (“Rosebridge”) prior to our acquisition of our ownership interest in CDR. CDR leases from Rosebridge the 57.3 acres on which the REC is located.



Century Bets – Century Bets leases approximately 250 square feet of office space from Century Casino & Hotel Edmonton and 80 square feet of office space from Century Casino Calgary for administrative purposes.



Corporate Offices – We lease approximately 5,700 square feet of office space in Colorado Springs, Colorado and approximately 2,500 square feet of office space in Vienna, Austria for corporate and administrative purposes.

 



Item 3. Legal Proceedings.



We are not a party to any pending litigation that, in management’s opinion, could have a material effect on our financial position or results of operations except as follows.



Since 2011, the Polish IRS has conducted a series of tax audits of CPL to review the calculation and payment of personal income tax by CPL employees for periods ranging from 2007 to 2013. The Polish IRS has asserted that CPL should calculate, collect and remit to the Polish IRS personal income tax on tips received by CPL employees from casino customers and has prevailed in several court challenges by CPL. Through December 31, 2017, CPL has paid PLN 9.4 million ($2.9 million) to the Polish IRS related to these audits. As a result of one court decision currently on appeal, which is scheduled to be heard in April 2018, CPL’s tax records for 2009 remain open for audit.



The Polish IRS did not conduct a tax audit for the period from January 1, 2010 to November 30, 2010, and the statute of limitations has passed for an audit to be conducted. As a result, we adjusted our contingent liability related to the CPL taxes to remove the estimated taxes accrued for the 2010 tax year. The adjustment reduced the contingent liability by PLN 3.4 million ($0.9 million) in December 2015 and was recorded as gain on foreign currency and other on our consolidated statement of earnings during the fourth quarter of the year ended December 31, 2015. In June 2017, the Polish IRS began a tax audit of 2012 and 2013. The audit was completed in August 2017. CPL estimates that it will be required to pay PLN 4.8 ($1.4 million based on the exchange rate in effect on December 31, 2017) related to this audit. The Polish IRS has not issued an official decision on this audit and no payment will be made until the decision is issued. CPL plans to file an appeal if the tax decision would result in a payment to the Polish IRS.



The balance of the potential contingent liability on our consolidated balance sheet for all open periods as of December 31, 2017 is PLN 6.3 million ($1.8 million based on the exchange rate in effect on December 31, 2017). We have evaluated the contingent liability recorded on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2017 and have concluded that it is properly accrued in light of our estimated obligation related to personal income tax on tips as of December 31, 2017. Additional court decisions and other proceedings by the Polish IRS may expose us to additional employment tax obligations in the future. Any additional tax obligations are not probable or estimable, and we have not recorded any additional obligation related to such taxes as of December 31, 2017. Additional tax obligations assessed in the future as a result of these matters, if any, may be material to our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. 



In October 2016, we filed a motion for arbitration in Poland against LOT Polish Airlines, which previously owned a 33.3% interest in CPL that it sold to us in 2013. We are seeking to collect amounts owed to us by LOT Polish Airlines in connection with the payments made to the Polish IRS for the tax periods December 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008 and January 1, 2011 to January 31, 2011 pursuant to an agreement with LOT Polish Airlines under which we acquired the additional 33.3% interest in CPL.  In June 2017, the arbitrator awarded us PLN 1.2 million ($0.3 million based on the exchange rate in effect on December 31, 2017) related to this claim for the periods indicated. LOT Polish Airlines is appealing the decision.





Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.



Not applicable.

 



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PART II



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



Our common stock is traded in the United States on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “CNTY”.



The following graph illustrates the cumulative shareholder return of our common stock during the period beginning December 31, 2012 through December 31, 2017, and compares it to the cumulative total return on the Nasdaq and the Dow Jones US Gambling Index. The comparison assumes a $100 investment on December 31, 2012, in our common stock and in each of the foregoing indices, and assumes reinvestment of dividends, if any. This table is not intended to forecast future performance of our common stock.











The following table sets forth the low and high sales price per share of our common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market for the periods indicated.







No dividends have been declared or paid by us. Declaration and payment of dividends, if any, in the future will be at the discretion of the board of directors. At the present time, we intend to use any earnings that may be generated to finance the growth of our business.



At March 1, 2018, we had 143 holders of record of our common stock. 



In March 2000, our board of directors approved and announced a discretionary program to repurchase up to $5.0 million of our outstanding common stock. In November 2009, our board of directors approved an increase of the amount available to be repurchased under the program to $15.0 million. The amount available for repurchase as of December 31, 2017 is $14.7 million. The repurchase program has no set expiration or termination date. No repurchases were made during the year ended December 31, 2017.

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Item 6. Selected Financial Data.



The selected financial data should be read in conjunction with Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, and Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”, of this Form 10-K. 







We have not declared or paid dividends in any of the years presented above.



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Non-GAAP Measures – Adjusted EBITDA



We define Adjusted EBITDA as net earnings (loss) attributable to Century Casinos, Inc. shareholders before interest expense (income), net, income taxes (benefit), depreciation, amortization, non-controlling interests (earnings) losses and transactions, pre-opening expenses, acquisition costs, non-cash stock-based compensation charges, asset impairment costs, (gain) loss on disposition of fixed assets, discontinued operations, (gain) loss on foreign currency transactions and other, gain on business combination and certain other one-time transactions. Intercompany transactions consisting primarily of management and royalty fees and interest, along with their related tax effects, are excluded from the presentation of net earnings (loss) and Adjusted EBITDA reported for each segment. Not all of the aforementioned items occur in each reporting period, but have been included in the definition based on historical activity. These adjustments have no effect on the consolidated results as reported under US generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Adjusted EBITDA is not considered a measure of performance recognized under US GAAP.



Management believes that Adjusted EBITDA is a valuable measure of the relative performance of the Company and its properties. The gaming industry commonly uses Adjusted EBITDA as a method of arriving at the economic value of a casino operation. Management uses Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate and forecast the operational performance of the Company and its properties as well as to compare results of current periods to prior periods. Management believes that presenting Adjusted EBITDA to investors provides them with information used by management for financial and operational decision making in order to understand the Company’s operating performance and evaluate the methodology used by management to evaluate and measure such performance. Management believes that using Adjusted EBITDA is a useful way to compare the relative operating performance of separate reporting segments by eliminating the above mentioned items associated with the varying levels of capital expenditures for infrastructure required to generate revenue, and the often high cost of acquiring existing operations. Our computation of Adjusted EBITDA may be different from, and therefore may not be comparable to, similar measures used by other companies within the gaming industry.



The reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net earnings (loss) attributable to Century Casinos, Inc. shareholders is presented below.







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Other one-time (income) costs for the year ended December 31, 2015 for Corporate and Other were attributable to the termination of the Oceania and Regent concession agreements.







Other one-time (income) costs for the year ended December 31, 2014 for Canada were insurance proceeds and for Poland were the costs associated with relocating the Poznan casino to Hotel Andersia and the write-off of the Sosnowiec casino license.

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Other one-time (income) costs for the year ended December 31, 2013 for Canada were insurance proceeds, for Poland were the impairment of long-lived assets and for Corporate and Other were the gain on bargain purchase recorded for the additional 33.3% ownership interest in CPL and the 15% ownership interest in CDR.