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 , 2021
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 001-33998
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
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(Title of class)
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 ☒
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 every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
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.
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| Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | Smaller reporting company | ||||||||||||
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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 a check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
As of February 16, 2022, 38,090,006 shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock were outstanding. As of June 30, 2021 (based upon the closing sale price for such date on the Nasdaq Global Select Market), the aggregate market value of the shares held by non-affiliates of the Registrant was $6,668,442,585 .
CHURCHILL DOWNS INCORPORATED
INDEX TO ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
For the Year Ended December 31, 2021
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Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This Annual Report on Form 10-K ("Report") including the information incorporated by reference herein, contains various "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act") provides certain "safe harbor" provisions for forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made in this Report are made pursuant to the Act. The reader is cautioned that such forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time and/or management’s good faith belief with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as "anticipate", "believe", "could", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "might", "plan", "predict", "project", "seek", "should", "will", and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the factors described in Item 1A. Risk Factors, of this Report.
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PART I
ITEM 1.BUSINESS
Overview
Churchill Downs Incorporated (the "Company", "we", "us", "our") is an industry-leading racing, online wagering and gaming entertainment company anchored by our iconic flagship event, the Kentucky Derby. We own and operate three pari-mutuel gaming entertainment venues with approximately 3,050 historical racing machines ("HRMs") in Kentucky. We also own and operate TwinSpires, one of the largest and most profitable online wagering platforms for horse racing, sports and iGaming in the U.S. and we have nine retail sportsbooks. We are also a leader in brick-and-mortar casino gaming in eight states with approximately 11,000 slot machines and video lottery terminals ("VLTs") and 200 table games. We were organized as a Kentucky corporation in 1928, and our principal executive offices are in Louisville, Kentucky.
Impact of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. The COVID-19 global pandemic resulted in travel limitations and business and government shutdowns which had a significant negative economic impact in the United States and to our business. Although vaccines are available, we cannot predict the duration of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic, including the emergence of variant strains, will continue to impact the Company remains uncertain and will depend on many factors that are not within our control.
In March 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, we temporarily suspended operations at our wholly owned and managed gaming properties, announced the temporary furlough of our employees at these properties and certain racing operations and implemented a temporary salary reduction for all remaining non-furloughed salaried employees based on a percentage that varied dependent upon the amount of each employee’s salary. The most senior level of executive management received the largest salary decrease, based on both percentage and dollar amount.
In May 2020, we began to reopen our properties with patron restrictions and gaming limitations. One property suspended operations again in July 2020 and reopened in August 2020, and three properties suspended operations in December 2020 and reopened in January 2021. All of our gaming properties have remained open since January 2021. Although all of our properties are now open to customers, certain locations continue to operate with certain restrictions, and the continued impact of the pandemic could result in further suspension of operations.
The 146th Kentucky Oaks and Derby were held in the third quarter of 2020 without spectators. During the second quarter of 2021, we held the 147th Kentucky Oaks and Derby with capacity restrictions in compliance with Kentucky venue limitations at that time. The capacity restrictions limited reserved seating in each area to approximately 40% to 60% capacity and limited general admission tickets. Due to such restrictions, our revenues from the Kentucky Oaks and Derby in each year were significantly less than we would otherwise expect.
Business Segments
During the first quarter of 2021, we updated our operating segments to reflect the internal management reporting used by our chief operating decision maker to evaluate results of operations and to assess performance and allocate resources. Our internal management reporting changed primarily due to the continued growth from Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel ("Oak Grove") and Turfway Park Racing & Gaming (“Turfway Park”), which opened its annex HRM facility, Newport Racing & Gaming ("Newport"), in October 2020, which resulted in our chief operating decision maker's decision to include Oak Grove, Turfway Park and Newport in the new Live and Historical Racing segment. The Live and Historical Racing segment now includes Churchill Downs Racetrack, Derby City Gaming, Oak Grove, Turfway Park, and Newport. We also realigned our retail sports betting results at our wholly owned casinos from our Gaming segment to our TwinSpires segment. As a result of this realignment, our operating segments that meet the requirements to be disclosed separately as reportable segments are: Live and Historical Racing, TwinSpires, and Gaming. Financial information about these segments is set forth in Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contained within this Report.
We conduct our business through these reportable segments and report net revenue and operating expense associated with these reportable segments in Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, contained within this Report. The prior year results in the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) were reclassified to conform to this presentation.
Live and Historical Racing
The Live and Historical Racing segment includes live and historical pari-mutuel racing related revenue and expenses at Churchill Downs Racetrack, Derby City Gaming, Oak Grove, Turfway Park, and Newport.
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Churchill Downs Racetrack is the home of the Kentucky Derby and conducts live racing. Derby City Gaming is an HRM facility that operates under the Churchill Downs pari-mutuel racing license at the auxiliary training facility for Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky. Oak Grove conducts live harness racing and operates an HRM facility under its pari-mutuel racing license. Turfway Park conducts live racing, and Newport is an ancillary HRM facility that operates under the Turfway Park pari-mutuel racing license.
Our Live and Historical Racing properties earn commissions primarily from pari-mutuel wagering on live and historical races; simulcast fees earned from other wagering sites; admissions, personal seat licenses, sponsorships, television rights, and other miscellaneous services (collectively "racing event-related services"), as well as food and beverage services.
Churchill Downs Racetrack
Churchill Downs Racetrack is in Louisville, Kentucky and is an internationally known thoroughbred racing operation best known as the home of our iconic flagship event, the Kentucky Derby. We have conducted thoroughbred racing continuously at Churchill Downs Racetrack since 1875. The Kentucky Derby is the longest continuously held annual sporting event in the U.S. and is the first race of the annual series of races for 3-year-old thoroughbreds known as the Triple Crown. The demographic profile of our guests, global television viewership and long-running nature of this iconic event are attractive to sponsors and corporate partners, especially those with luxury and/or marquee brands.
We conducted 74 live racing days in 2019, 65 live race days in 2020, and 71 live race days in 2021. In 2022, we anticipate conducting up to 77 live race days.
Churchill Downs Racetrack is located on 175 acres and has a one-mile dirt track, a 7/8-mile turf track, a stabling area, and a variety of areas, structures, and buildings that provide seating for approximately 59,000 of our patrons. We also own 83 acres of land at our auxiliary training facility, which is five miles from Churchill Downs Racetrack. Churchill Downs Racetrack has one of the largest 4K video boards in the world sitting 80 feet above the ground and measuring 171 feet wide by 90 feet tall. This video board provides views of the finish line and the entire race for on-track guests, including those in the infield and guests along the entire front side of the racetrack. The facility also has permanent lighting to accommodate night races. We have a saddling paddock, and the stable area has barns sufficient to accommodate 1,400 horses and a 114-room dormitory for backstretch personnel. The Churchill Downs Racetrack facility also includes a simulcast wagering facility.
In 2002, we transferred title of the Churchill Downs Racetrack facility to the City of Louisville, Kentucky and entered into a 30-year lease for the facility as part of the financing of improvements to the Churchill Downs Racetrack facility. We can reacquire the facility at any time for $1.00 subject to the terms of the lease.
In April 2020, we completed a state-of-the-art equine medical center and quarantine barns on the backside area of Churchill Downs Racetrack which reinforces our ongoing commitment to equine and jockey safety and supports our long-term international growth strategy.
In July 2021, we announced three major multi-year capital investments to transform key areas of Churchill Downs Racetrack: The Homestretch Club, the Turn 1 Experience, and the Paddock and Under the Spires projects.
The Company is investing $45.0 million in the Homestretch Club project. The Homestretch Club will replace the grandstand area below the Jockey Club suites and alongside the Winner’s Circle suites on the homestretch. The Homestretch Club project will convert 5,200 outdoor bleacher seats into 3,250 premium reserved seats with all-inclusive amenities. Plans for the new area include 2,610 stadium club seats, 66 covered terraced dining tables for up to 440 guests, 30 Trackside Lounges for up to 200 guests offering a “courtside seat” experience, five private 60-person VIP Hospitality Lounges as upgrades and an 18,600 square-foot indoor hospitality space with a grand staircase and 100-foot feature bar. The Company is planning to debut the new area in May 2022 for the 148th Kentucky Derby.
The Company is investing $90.0 million in the Turn 1 Experience project. The Turn 1 Experience will provide additional permanent stadium seating and a new track-level hospitality club replacing current temporary Oaks and Derby seating at the first turn of the racetrack. Plans for the new area will replace 3,400 temporary seats with 5,100 permanent covered stadium seats and a new 50,000 square-foot climate-controlled hospitality venue with reserved dining room tables, a trackside viewing terrace, and two new seating concourses to allow for better guest circulation and amenities for an incremental 2,000 reserved seats. The Company is planning to debut the new area in May 2023 for the 149th Kentucky Derby.
The Company is also developing a newly designed Paddock and Under the Spires area to enhance the experience for nearly every guest. The redesigned area will improve the flow of guests throughout the Paddock. The project will create a larger paddock walking ring for viewing the horses prior to the races, a new Paddock Club in the area on the first floor under the Twin Spires that will provide views of the paddock and views of the tunnel that the horses walk through, new hospitality and other amenities for guests in certain areas of the 3rd floor clubhouse seats, and new terraces including a new Turf Club balcony overlooking the Paddock. The Company is planning to debut these new areas in May 2024 for the 150th Kentucky Derby.
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Derby City Gaming
Derby City Gaming is an 85,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art HRM facility that was opened in September 2018 at the Churchill Downs Racetrack auxiliary training facility in Louisville, Kentucky. Derby City Gaming operates under the Churchill Downs Racetrack pari-mutuel racing license, and has approximately 1,225 HRMs, a simulcast center, and a dining facility.
In July 2021, we announced plans to invest $76.0 million at Derby City Gaming to expand our gaming facility for up to 450 additional gaming positions and to build a five-story hotel with 123 rooms including amenities to better serve and attract guests. Plans for the project will add 135,000 square feet to the facility and the new gaming space will open with 200 additional gaming positions. The new gaming expansion will include a VIP gaming area, a new sports bar, a stage for live entertainment and an upscale-casual restaurant and bar to create a variety of new food and beverage options for gaming and hotel guests throughout the entire day. The new gaming space expansion is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2022 and the hotel is scheduled for completion by second quarter of 2023.
Derby City Gaming Downtown
In September 2021, we announced plans to invest $80.0 million to build a new HRM entertainment venue called Derby City Gaming Downtown ("DCG Downtown") in an existing building in downtown Louisville. Plans for DCG Downtown will include 500 HRMs, three unique bar concepts and over 200 onsite parking spaces. The new entertainment venue will provide guests, including locals, tourists, and convention attendees, a main-level sports bar with a stage for music and live entertainment, a premium bourbon library and an elegant wine and charcuterie lounge. A retail and merchandise store will be located on the street level where guests can shop for Kentucky Derby-themed merchandise. The Company completed the purchase of the building and property in December 2021 for $5.2 million. DCG Downtown is anticipated to open in mid-2023.
Oak Grove
Oak Grove is a premier state-of-the-art live harness racing and historical racing entertainment venue located on 240 acres approximately one-hour north of Nashville, Tennessee in Oak Grove, Kentucky. Oak Grove owns and operates a 5/8-mile harness racing track. In September 2020, the Company opened the simulcast and HRM facility with approximately 1,325 HRMs, event center and food and beverage venues. The 128-room hotel opened in October 2020. Oak Grove also has a 1,200-person grandstand, 3,000-person capacity outdoor amphitheater and stage, a state-of-the-art equestrian center, and a recreational vehicle park.
Turfway Park
In October 2019, the Company purchased Turfway Park which is located on 197 acres in Florence, Kentucky. The Company is investing up to $148.0 million to build a 155,000 square foot state-of-the-art live thoroughbred racing and historical racing entertainment venue facility including a grandstand, sports bar, food offerings, and up to 1,200 HRMs, which we plan to open in September 2022.
Newport
On October 2, 2020, the Company opened Newport, located in Newport, Kentucky, after investing approximately $33.1 million to create a premier entertainment experience as an extension of Turfway Park. Newport has a pari-mutuel simulcast area, an approximately 23,000 square-foot gaming floor with approximately 500 HRMs, and a feature bar.
TwinSpires
The TwinSpires segment includes the revenue and expenses for the TwinSpires Horse Racing and the TwinSpires Sports and Casino businesses. Both businesses are headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.
Horse Racing
TwinSpires Horse Racing operates the online horse racing wagering business for TwinSpires.com, BetAmerica.com, and other white-label platforms; facilitates high dollar wagering by international customers (through Velocity); and provides the Bloodstock Research Information Services platform for horse racing statistical data.
TwinSpires is one of the largest and most profitable legal online horse racing wagering platforms in the U.S. TwinSpires accepts pari-mutuel wagers through advance deposit wagering ("ADW") from customers residing in certain states who establish and fund an account from which these customers may place wagers via telephone, mobile applications or through the Internet. This business is licensed as a multi-jurisdictional simulcasting and interactive wagering hub in the state of Oregon. This business also offers customers streaming video of live horse races, replays, and an assortment of racing and handicapping information. BetAmerica.com is an online wagering business licensed under TwinSpires that offers wagering on horse racing throughout the U.S. We also provide technology services to third parties, and we earn commissions from white label ADW products and services. Under these arrangements, we typically provide an ADW platform and related operational services while the third party typically provides the brand, marketing and limited customer functions.
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Sports and Casino
Our TwinSpires Sports and Casino business operates our sports betting platform in multiple states, including Colorado, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Arizona. Our casino iGaming platform is operated in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The Sports and Casino business includes the results of mobile sports betting, online sports betting, casino iGaming, and our retail sportsbooks. We operate eight retail sportsbooks in Colorado, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi, four of which operate under a third party’s casino license. River Casino Des Plaines ("Rivers Des Plaines") retail and online BetRivers sportsbook are included in the Gaming segment.
Gaming
The Gaming segment includes revenue and expenses for the casino properties and associated racetrack or jai alai facilities which support the casino license. The Gaming segment has approximately 11,000 slot machines and VLTs and 200 table games located in eight states.
The Gaming segment revenue and Adjusted EBITDA includes the following properties:
◦Calder Casino and Racing ("Calder")
◦Fair Grounds Slots, Fair Grounds Race Course, and Video Services, LLC ("VSI") (collectively, "Fair Grounds and VSI")
◦Harlow’s Casino Resort and Spa ("Harlow's")
◦Ocean Downs Casino and Racetrack ("Ocean Downs")
◦Oxford Casino and Hotel ("Oxford")
◦Presque Isle Downs and Casino ("Presque Isle")
◦Riverwalk Casino Hotel ("Riverwalk")
◦Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin ("Lady Luck Nemacolin") management agreement
The Gaming segment Adjusted EBITDA also includes the Adjusted EBITDA related to the Company’s equity investments in the following:
◦61.3% equity investment in Rivers Des Plaines
◦50% equity investment in Miami Valley Gaming and Racing ("MVG")
The Gaming segment generates revenue and expenses from slot machines, table games, VLTs, video poker, ancillary food and beverage services, hotel services, commission on pari-mutuel wagering, racing event-related services, and other miscellaneous operations.
Calder
Calder owns and operates a 106,000 square foot casino with approximately 1,100 slot machines and two dining facilities. Calder also has an entertainment venue, a one-mile dirt track, a 7/8-mile turf track, barns, and stabling facilities for thoroughbred horse racing. Calder is located on 170 acres of land in Miami Gardens, Florida near Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins.
On November 22, 2021, the Company announced an agreement to sell 115.7 acres of land near Calder Casino for $291.0 million or approximately $2.5 million per acre to Link Logistics Real Estate, a Blackstone portfolio company. The closing of the sale of the property is subject to the satisfaction of various closing conditions. The Company anticipates closing the sale of the property in the first half of 2022.
Fair Grounds and VSI
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots is located on 145 acres in New Orleans, Louisiana. Fair Grounds Slots owns and operates a 33,000 square-foot slot facility with approximately 600 slot machines, two concession areas, a bar, a simulcast facility, and other amenities. The Fair Grounds Race Course consists of a one-mile dirt track, a 7/8-mile turf track, a grandstand, and a stabling area. The facility includes clubhouse and grandstand seating for approximately 5,000 guests, a general admissions area, and dining facilities. The stable area consists of barns that can accommodate approximately 1,900 horses and living quarters for approximately 130 people. Fair Grounds Race Course also operates pari-mutuel wagering in 15 off-track betting facilities ("OTBs") and VSI is the owner and operator of approximately 1,000 video poker machines in 12 OTBs in Louisiana.
In August 2021, Hurricane Ida caused damage to portions of Louisiana, including Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, and 15 OTBs. All the Fair Grounds and VSI operations were reopened as of December 31, 2021, except for two OTBs.
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Harlow’s
Harlow’s owns and operates a 33,000 square-foot casino with approximately 700 slot machines, 15 table games, a retail sportsbook, a 105-room hotel, a 5,600 square-foot multi-functional event center, and four dining facilities located on 85 acres of leased land in Greenville, Mississippi.
Ocean Downs
Ocean Downs is located on 167 acres near Ocean City, Maryland. Ocean Downs owns and operates a 70,000 square-foot casino with approximately 900 VLTs, 18 table games, a retail sportsbook, and three dining facilities. Ocean Downs also conducts approximately 40 live harness racing days each year.
Oxford
Oxford owns and operates a 27,000 square-foot casino with approximately 950 slot machines, 30 table games, a 100-room hotel, and three dining facilities located on 97 acres in Oxford, Maine.
Presque Isle
Presque Isle owns and operates a 153,000 square-foot casino with approximately 1,550 slot machines, 34 table games, a retail sportsbook, a poker room, and four dining facilities located on 270 acres in Erie, Pennsylvania. Presque Isle also conducts 100 live thoroughbred racing days each year.
Riverwalk
Riverwalk owns and operates a 25,000 square-foot casino with approximately 650 slot machines, 15 table games, a retail sportsbook, a five-story 80-room hotel, and two dining facilities on 22 acres in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Lady Luck Nemacolin
The Company manages Lady Luck Nemacolin, which is in Farmington, Pennsylvania, approximately one mile from the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. Lady Luck Nemacolin has approximately 600 slot machines, 27 table games, and a dining facility.
Terre Haute
In November 2021, we announced the Indiana Gaming Commission ("IGC") selected our application for a casino owner's license to develop the Queen of Terre Haute Casino Resort (the "Queen of Terre Haute") in Vigo County, Indiana. Our up to $260.0 million investment in the Queen of Terre Haute will feature a total of 400,000 square-feet space with 1,000 slot machines, 50 table games, a 125-room luxury hotel, a retail sportsbook, and several food and beverage offerings. We paid the $5.0 million license fee to the IGC in January 2022. The expected completion of the Queen of Terre Haute is scheduled for the second half of 2023.
Rivers Des Plaines
Rivers Des Plaines owns and operates a 140,000 square-foot casino with approximately 1,000 slot machines and 69 table games, seven dining and entertainment facilities, and an approximate 5,000 square-foot state-of-the-art BetRivers Sports Bar on 21 acres in Des Plaines, Illinois. We acquired 61.3% equity ownership in Midwest Gaming Holdings, LLC ("Midwest Gaming"), the parent company of Rivers Des Plaines, in March 2019. In the third quarter of 2020, Rivers Des Plaines completed the expansion of the parking garage. Rivers Des Plaines is investing $87.0 million in a 78,000 square-foot expansion between the existing casino building and the recently enlarged parking garage. Plans for the two-story addition include a new restaurant and an expanded gaming floor on the first floor, as well as a 24-table poker room, a 10,000 square-foot ballroom for private events and live entertainment, and a slot machine gaming area on the second floor. The expansion will also add approximately 725 additional gaming positions. The expected completion of the expansion is scheduled for the first half of 2022.
Miami Valley Gaming
MVG owns and operates a 186,000 square-foot casino with approximately 1,950 VLTs, four dining facilities, a racing simulcast center, and a 5/8-mile harness racetrack located on 120 acres in Lebanon, Ohio. We have a 50% equity investment in MVG.
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All Other
We have aggregated the following businesses as well as certain corporate operations, and other immaterial joint ventures in "All Other" to reconcile to consolidated results:
•Arlington International Racecourse ("Arlington")
•United Tote
•Corporate
Arlington
Arlington is located on 326 acres in Arlington Heights, Illinois. On September 29, 2021, the Company announced an agreement to sell the property to the Chicago Bears for $197.2 million. The closing of the sale of the property is subject to the satisfaction of various closing conditions. The Company anticipates closing the sale of the Arlington Property in early 2023.
United Tote
United Tote manufactures and operates pari-mutuel wagering systems for racetracks, OTBs and other pari-mutuel wagering businesses. United Tote provides totalisator services which accumulate wagers, record sales, calculate payoffs and display wagering data to patrons who wager on horse races. United Tote has contracts to provide totalisator services to several third-party racetracks, OTBs and other pari-mutuel wagering businesses and also provides these services at our facilities.
Corporate
Corporate includes miscellaneous and other revenue, compensation expense, professional fees and other general and administrative expense not allocated to our segments.
Competition
Overview
We operate in a highly competitive industry with many participants, some of which have financial and other resources that are greater than ours. The industry faces competition from a variety of sources for discretionary consumer spending, including spectator sports, fantasy sports and other entertainment and gaming options. Our brick-and-mortar casinos compete with traditional and Native American casinos, video lottery terminals, state-sponsored lotteries, and other forms of legalized gaming in the U.S. and other jurisdictions.
Legalized gambling is currently permitted in various forms in many states and Canada. Other jurisdictions could legalize gambling in the future, and established gaming jurisdictions could award additional gaming licenses or permit the expansion of existing gaming operations. If additional gaming opportunities become available near our racing or gaming operations, such gaming operations could have a material adverse impact on our business.
In May 2018, the United States Supreme Court struck down the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which had effectively banned sports wagering in most states. Removal of the ban gives states the authority to authorize sports wagering.
Live and Historical Racing
In 2021, approximately 34,000 thoroughbred horse races were conducted in the U.S., which was up 21% compared to 2020 due to the impact of almost all of the racetracks across the U.S. being closed for a portion of the prior year as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic. As a racetrack operator, we compete for horses with other racetracks running live racing meets at or near the same time as our races. Our ability to compete is substantially dependent on the racing calendar, number of horses racing and purse sizes. As a content provider, we compete for wagering dollars in the simulcast market with other racetracks conducting races at or near the same times as our races. In recent years, competition has increased as more states legalize gaming and allow slot machines at racetracks with mandatory purse contributions. Derby City Gaming, Oak Grove, Turfway Park, and Newport compete with regional casinos in the area and other forms of legal and illegal gaming.
TwinSpires
Horse Racing
Our TwinSpires Horse Racing business competes with other ADW businesses for both customers and racing content, as well as brick-and-mortar racetracks, casinos, OTBs, and other forms of legal and illegal sports betting.
Sports and Casino
Our TwinSpires Sports and Casino business competes for customers with retail, mobile and online offerings from commercial brick-and-mortar casinos and racetracks. We also compete with daily fantasy sports gaming companies that are expanding into mobile and online sports betting and iGaming, international sports betting businesses looking to expand into the U.S. market, and other forms of legal and illegal sports betting and iGaming operations.
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Gaming
Our Gaming properties operate in highly competitive environments and primarily compete for customers with other casinos in the surrounding regional gaming markets. Our Gaming properties compete to a lesser extent with state-sponsored lotteries, off-track wagering, card parlors, online gambling, and other forms of legalized gaming in the U.S.
Human Capital
We believe our human capital is material to our operations and core to the long-term success of the Company as an industry-leading racing, online wagering and gaming entertainment company anchored by our iconic flagship event, The Kentucky Derby. Our focus is on attracting innovative and collaborative team members who want to build their skills in a successful and growing set of businesses focused on creating unique experiences for our guests.
Our People
As of December 31, 2021, we had a total of approximately 5,000 team members, of which 3,800 are full-time employees. As of December 31, 2021, the Live and Historical Racing segment had 1,200 team members, the TwinSpires segment had 300 team members; and the Gaming segment had 3,100 team members. Nearly one-quarter of the Live and Historical Racing segment team members are full-time employees and nearly all the TwinSpires and Gaming segment team members are full-time employees. The Company’s corporate staff consists of approximately 200 full-time employees. The number of seasonal employees fluctuates significantly through the course of the year primarily due to the seasonal nature of our businesses. We have the highest level of seasonal team members during the second quarter when we traditionally run the Kentucky Derby.
As of December 31, 2021, approximately 550 full-time employees were covered by 18 collective bargaining agreements. We have experienced no material interruptions of operations due to disputes with our team members.
Diversity and Inclusion
We believe that a diverse workforce fosters innovation and cultivates a high-performance culture that leverages the unique perspectives of every team member to profitably grow our businesses. The Company’s Board of Directors and executive management team includes diverse individuals based on gender and race and benefit from the diverse experiences of our directors and management that individually and collectively create a high-performance culture focused on executing our strategic priorities to protect and grow our businesses effectively and efficiently.
We believe diversity and inclusion helps the Company attract the best talent to grow our businesses and enables our businesses to attract and delight customers and consumers. The Kentucky Derby is a pillar of our community that provides the opportunity for our team members and the community to raise significant funding for charities that support important aspects of our broader communities including fostering diversity and inclusion, food, shelter, education, and health related non-profits. The Company also provides donations to non-profit organizations that support these initiatives within our communities.
Talent Acquisition, Development and Retention
We invest in attracting, developing, and retaining our team members. Our philosophy is to communicate a clear purpose and strategy, set challenging goals, drive accountability, continuously assess, develop, and advance talent, and to embrace a leadership-driven talent strategy. Our Company enables team members to grow in their current roles as well as to have opportunities to build new skills in other parts of the Company. We review talent and succession plans with our Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors periodically throughout the year. The process focuses on accelerating talent development, strengthening succession pipelines, and advancing diversity in gender, race, and experience.
Compensation, Benefits, Safety and Wellness
We strive to offer market competitive salaries and wages for our team members and we offer comprehensive health and retirement benefits to eligible employees. Our core health and welfare benefits are supplemented with specific programs to manage or improve common health conditions and to provide a variety of voluntary benefits and paid time away from work programs. We also provide several innovative programs designed to promote physical, emotional, and financial well-being. Our commitment to the safety of our employees, customers, and community remains a top priority and we have safety programs at all our properties to facilitate identification and implementation of safety practices.
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Governmental Regulations and Potential Legislative Changes
We are subject to various federal, state, local, and international laws and regulations that affect our businesses. The ownership, operation and management of our Live and Historical Racing, TwinSpires, and Gaming segments, as well as our other operations, are subject to regulation under the laws and regulations of each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. The ownership, operation and management of our businesses and properties are also subject to legislative actions at both the federal and state level.
Live and Historical Racing Regulations
Horse racing is a highly regulated industry. In the U.S., interstate pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing is subject to the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, as amended in 2000 ("IHA"). Under the IHA, racetracks and ADWs can accept interstate off-track wagers if the racetracks and ADWs have approvals from (1) the host horse racetrack including a written agreement with the horsemen’s group, if applicable; (2) the host racing commission, and (3) the off-track racing commission. If these requirements are met, racetracks can commingle wagers from different racetracks and wagering facilities and broadcast horse racing events to other licensed establishments.
In the U.S., individual states control the operations of racetracks located within their respective jurisdictions with the intent to, among other things, protect the public from unfair and illegal gambling practices, generate tax revenue, license racetracks and operators and prevent organized crime from being involved in the industry. Although the specific form may vary, states that regulate horse racing generally do so through a horse racing commission or other gambling regulatory authority. In general, regulatory authorities perform background checks on all racetrack owners prior to granting the necessary operating licenses. Horse owners, trainers, jockeys, drivers, stewards, judges, and backstretch personnel are also subject to licensing by governmental authorities. State regulation of horse races extends to virtually every aspect of racing including the presence and placement of specific race officials such as timers, placing judges, starters, and patrol judges.
The total number of days on which each racetrack conducts live racing fluctuates annually according to each calendar year and the determination of applicable regulatory authorities.
Kentucky
In Kentucky, horse racing racetracks and HRM facilities are subject to the licensing and regulation of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission ("KHRC"), which is responsible for overseeing horse racing and regulating the state equine industry and overseeing the annual licensing and operations of HRMs in Kentucky. Licenses to conduct live thoroughbred and standardbred racing meets, to participate in simulcasting, and to accept advance deposit wagers from Kentucky residents are approved annually by the KHRC based upon applications submitted by the racetracks in Kentucky.
Derby City Gaming, Oak Grove, and Newport are subject to extensive state and local laws and to licensing and regulatory control by the KHRC. Changes in Kentucky laws or regulations may limit or otherwise materially affect the types of HRMs that may be conducted and such changes, if enacted, could have an adverse impact on our Kentucky HRM operations. The failure to comply with the rules and regulations of the KHRC could have a material adverse impact on our business.
Florida
During the second quarter of 2021, the Florida Legislature passed a bill to decouple jai alai from gaming activities. Under this new law, jai alai facilities can operate slots and cardrooms without conducting jai alai games. The decoupling legislative action went into effect when the U.S. Department of the Interior approved the compact on August 6, 2021. This legislative action is expected to have a favorable impact on our business.
TwinSpires Regulations and Potential Legislative Changes
TwinSpires is licensed in Oregon under a multi-jurisdictional simulcasting and interactive wagering totalisator hub license issued by the Oregon Racing Commission in accordance with Oregon law and the IHA. We also hold advance deposit wagering licenses in certain other states where appropriate. Changes in the form of new legislation or regulatory activity at the state or federal level could adversely impact our mobile and online ADW business.
Sports Betting and iGaming Regulations and Potential Legislative Changes
In May 2018, the United States Supreme Court struck down the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which had effectively banned sports wagering in most states. Removal of the ban gave states the authority to authorize sports wagering. Thirty-three states have authorized sports betting and thirty of these states have sports betting operational as of December 31, 2021. Each state has different structures for the number of allowable industry participants, license fees, taxes, and other operational requirements.
As of December 31, 2021. the Company is operational in seven states for retail sports betting, seven states for online sports betting, and three states for iGaming.
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Gaming Regulations and Potential Legislative Changes
The gaming industry is a highly regulated industry. In the U.S., gaming laws are generally designed to protect consumers and the viability and integrity of the industry. Gaming laws may also be designed to protect and maximize state and local revenue derived through taxes and licensing fees imposed on industry participants as well as to enhance economic development and tourism. To accomplish these public policy goals, gaming laws establish procedures to ensure that participants in the industry meet certain standards of character and fitness. Gaming laws require industry participants to:
•Ensure that unsuitable individuals and organizations have no role in gaming operations,
•Establish procedures designed to prevent cheating and fraudulent practices,
•Establish and maintain responsible accounting practices and procedures,
•Maintain effective controls over financial practices, including establishment of minimum procedures for internal fiscal affairs and the safeguarding of assets and revenue,
•Maintain systems for reliable record keeping,
•File periodic reports with gaming regulators,
•Ensure that contracts and financial transactions are commercially reasonable, reflect fair market value and are arms-length transactions,
•Establish programs to promote responsible gambling and inform patrons of the availability of help for problem gambling, and
•Enforce minimum age requirements.
A state regulatory environment is established by statute and administered by a regulatory agency with broad discretion to regulate the affairs of owners, managers and persons with financial interests in gaming operations. Gaming authorities in the various jurisdictions in which we operate:
•Adopt rules and regulations under the implementing statutes,
•Interpret and enforce gaming laws,
•Impose disciplinary sanctions for violations, including fines and penalties,
•Review the character and fitness of participants in gaming operations and make determinations regarding suitability or qualification for licensure,
•Grant licenses for participation in gaming operations,
•Collect and review reports and information submitted by participants in gaming operations,
•Review and approve transactions, such as acquisitions or change-of-control transactions of gaming industry participants, securities offerings and debt transactions engaged in by such participants, and
•Establish and collect fees and taxes.
Any change in the gaming laws or regulations of a jurisdiction could have a material adverse impact on our gaming operations.
Licensing and Suitability Determinations
Gaming laws require us, each of our subsidiaries engaged in gaming operations, certain of our directors, officers and employees, and in some cases, certain of our shareholders, to obtain licenses from gaming authorities. Licenses typically require a determination that the applicant qualifies or is suitable to hold the license. Gaming authorities have very broad discretion in determining whether an applicant qualifies for licensing or should be deemed suitable. Criteria used in determining whether to grant a license to conduct gaming operations, while varying between jurisdictions, generally include consideration of factors such as the good character, honesty and integrity of the applicant; the financial stability, integrity and responsibility of the applicant, including whether the operation is adequately capitalized in the state and exhibits the ability to maintain adequate insurance levels; the quality of the applicant’s gaming facilities; the amount of revenue to be derived by the applicable state from the operation of the applicant’s gaming facility; the applicant’s practices with respect to minority hiring and training; and the effect on competition and general impact on the community.
In evaluating individual applicants, gaming authorities consider the individual’s business experience and reputation for good character, the individual’s criminal history and the character of those with whom the individual associates.
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Many gaming jurisdictions limit the number of licenses granted to operate gaming facilities within the state and some states limit the number of licenses granted to any one gaming operator. Licenses under gaming laws are generally not transferable without approval. Licenses in most of the jurisdictions in which we conduct gaming operations are granted for limited durations and require renewal from time to time. There can be no assurance that any of our licenses will be renewed. The failure to renew any of our licenses could have a material adverse impact on our gaming operations.
Gaming authorities may investigate any subsidiary engaged in gaming operations and may investigate any individual who has a material relationship to or material involvement with any of these entities to determine whether such individual is suitable or should be licensed as a business associate of a gaming licensee. Our officers, directors and certain key employees must file applications with the gaming authorities and may be required to be licensed, qualify or be found suitable in many jurisdictions. Gaming authorities may deny an application for licensing for any cause that they deem reasonable. Qualification and suitability determinations require submission of detailed personal and financial information followed by a thorough investigation. Changes in licensed positions must be reported to gaming authorities. Gaming authorities have the ability to deny a license, qualification or finding of suitability and have jurisdiction to disapprove a change in a corporate position.
If one or more gaming authorities were to find that an officer, director or key employee fails to qualify or is unsuitable for licensing or unsuitable to continue having a relationship with us, we would be required to sever all relationships with such person. Gaming authorities may also require us to terminate the employment of any person who refuses to file appropriate applications.
In many jurisdictions, certain of our shareholders may be required to undergo a suitability investigation similar to that described above. Many jurisdictions require any person who acquires beneficial ownership of more than a certain percentage of our voting securities, typically 5%, to report the acquisition to gaming authorities, and may be required to apply for qualification or a finding of suitability. Most gaming authorities, however, allow an "institutional investor" to apply for a waiver.
Any person who fails or refuses to apply for a finding of suitability or a license within the prescribed period after being advised it is required by gaming authorities may be denied a license or found unsuitable, as applicable. Any shareholder found unsuitable or denied a license and who holds, directly or indirectly, any beneficial ownership of our voting securities beyond such period of time as may be prescribed by the applicable gaming authorities may be guilty of a criminal offense. We may be subject to disciplinary action if, after we receive notice that a person is unsuitable to be a shareholder or to have any other relationship with us or any of our subsidiaries, we:
(i) pay that person any dividend or interest upon our voting securities,
(ii) allow that person to exercise, directly or indirectly, any voting right conferred through securities held by that person,
(iii) pay remuneration in any form to that person for services rendered or otherwise, or
(iv) fail to pursue all lawful efforts to require such unsuitable person to relinquish voting securities including, if necessary, the immediate purchase of said voting securities for cash at fair market value.
Violations of Gaming Laws
If we violate applicable gaming laws, our gaming licenses could be limited, conditioned, suspended or revoked by gaming authorities, and we and any other persons involved could be subject to substantial fines. A supervisor or conservator can be appointed by gaming authorities to operate our gaming properties, or in some jurisdictions, take title to our gaming assets in the jurisdiction, and under certain circumstances, income generated during such appointment could be forfeited to the applicable state or states. Violations of laws in one jurisdiction could result in disciplinary action in other jurisdictions. As a result, violations by us of applicable gaming laws could have a material adverse impact on our gaming operations.
Some jurisdictions prohibit certain types of political activity by a gaming licensee, officers, directors and key employees. A violation of such a prohibition may subject the offender to criminal and/or disciplinary action.
Reporting and Record-keeping Requirements
We are required periodically to submit detailed financial and operating reports and furnish any other information that gaming authorities may require. Under federal law, we are required to record and submit detailed reports of currency transactions involving greater than $10,000 at our gaming facilities and racetracks as well as any suspicious activity that may occur at such facilities. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in fines or cessation of operations. We are required to maintain a current stock ledger that may be examined by gaming authorities at any time. If any securities are held in trust by an agent or by a nominee, the record holder may be required to disclose the identity of the beneficial owner to gaming authorities.
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A failure to make such disclosure may be grounds for finding the record holder unsuitable. Gaming authorities may require certificates for our securities to bear a legend indicating that the securities are subject to specified gaming laws.
Review and Approval of Transactions
Substantially all material loans, leases, sales of securities and similar financing transactions must be reported to and in some cases approved by gaming authorities. We may not make a public offering of securities without the prior approval of certain gaming authorities. Changes in control through merger, consolidation, stock or asset acquisitions, management or consulting agreements, or otherwise are subject to receipt of prior approval of gaming authorities. Entities seeking to acquire control of us or one of our subsidiaries must satisfy gaming authorities with respect to a variety of stringent standards prior to assuming control. Gaming authorities may also require controlling shareholders, officers, directors and other persons having a material relationship or involvement with the entity proposing to acquire control, to be investigated and licensed as part of the approval process relating to the transaction.
License Fees and Gaming Taxes
We pay substantial license fees and taxes in many jurisdictions in connection with our gaming operations which are computed in various ways depending on the type of gambling or activity involved. Depending upon the particular fee or tax involved, these fees and taxes are payable with varying frequency. License fees and taxes are based upon such factors as a percentage of the gaming revenue received; the number of gambling devices and table games operated; or a one-time fee payable upon the initial receipt of license and fees in connection with the renewal of license. In some jurisdictions, casino tax rates are graduated such that the tax rates increase as gaming revenue increases. Tax rates are subject to change, sometimes with little notice, and such changes could have a material adverse impact on our gaming operations.
Operational Requirements
In most jurisdictions, we are subject to certain requirements and restrictions on how we must conduct our gaming operations. In certain states, we are required to give preference to local suppliers and include minority and women-owned businesses and organized labor in construction projects to the maximum extent practicable. We may be required to give employment preference to minorities, women and in-state residents in certain jurisdictions. Our ability to conduct certain types of games, introduce new games or move existing games within our facilities may be restricted or subject to regulatory review and approval. Some of our operations are subject to restrictions on the number of gaming positions we may have, and the maximum wagers allowed to be placed by our customers.
Other Specific State Regulations and Potential Legislative Changes
Louisiana
During the second quarter of 2021, the Louisiana State Legislature passed a bill that was signed by Governor Edwards to allow HRMs in off-track betting facilities with oversight from the Louisiana Gaming Commission. Fair Grounds anticipates adding up to 50 HRMs per facility or approximately 600 HRMs in total across 14 facilities under this new law in 2022.
Maryland
During the second quarter of 2021, the Maryland Gaming Control Board adopted statutory changes to allow Ocean Downs to build a hotel. The Company is evaluating the economics and potential timing of building a hotel at Ocean Downs which may have a positive impact on our Company.
Environmental Matters
We are subject to various federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations that govern activities that may have adverse environmental effects, such as discharges to air and water, as well as the management and disposal of solid, animal and hazardous wastes and exposure to hazardous materials. These laws and regulations, which are complex and subject to change, include the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") and state laws and regulations that address the impacts of manure and wastewater generated by Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations ("CAFO") on water quality, including, but not limited to, storm and sanitary water discharges. CAFO and other water discharge regulations include permit requirements and water quality discharge standards. Enforcement of these regulations has been receiving increased governmental attention. Compliance with these and other environmental laws can, in some circumstances, require significant capital expenditures. We may incur future costs under existing and new laws and regulations pertaining to storm water and wastewater management at our racetracks. Violations can result in significant penalties and, in some instances, interruption or cessation of operations.
We also are subject to laws and regulations that create liability and cleanup responsibility for releases of hazardous substances into the environment. Under certain of these laws and regulations, a current or previous owner or operator of property may be liable for the costs of remediating hazardous substances or petroleum products on its property, without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or caused, the presence of the contaminants, and regardless of whether the practices that resulted in
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the contamination were legal at the time the contamination occurred. The presence of, or failure to remediate properly, such substances may materially adversely affect the ability to sell or rent such property or to borrow funds using such property as collateral. The owner of a property may be subject to claims by third parties based on damages and costs resulting from environmental contamination emanating from the property.
Marks and Internet Properties
We hold numerous state and federal service mark registrations on specific names and designs in various categories including the entertainment business, apparel, paper goods, printed matter, housewares and glass. We license the use of these service marks and derive revenue from such license agreements.
Available Information
Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and other Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings, and any amendments to those reports and any other filings that we file with or furnish to the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are made available free of charge on our website (www.churchilldownsincorporated.com) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the materials with the SEC and are also available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
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ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORS
Our operations and financial results are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including those described below, that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and the trading price of our common stock.
Economic and External Risks
The current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic has adversely affected, and could continue to adversely affect our business, financial condition and financial results. Other major public health issues could adversely affect our business, financial condition and financial results in the future
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. Considerable uncertainty still surrounds the continued effects of the COVID-19 virus, including the emergence of variant strains, and the extent of and effectiveness of responses taken on international, national and local levels. The long-term impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. and world economies and continued impact on our business remains uncertain, the duration and scope of which cannot currently be predicted.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken by national, state, and local authorities in response have adversely affected and could in the future materially adversely impact the Company's business, results of operations, and financial condition. Our operating results depend, in large part, on revenues derived from customers visiting our casinos and racetracks. The introduction of vaccine and facemask mandates in certain locations may further impact the number of customers visiting our properties. During the course of the pandemic, we experienced temporary suspension of operations of all of our wholly-owned gaming properties, certain wholly-owned racing operations, and the two casino properties related to our equity investments. Although all of our properties are now open to customers, certain locations continue to operate with certain restrictions and limitations on amenities, and the continued impact of the pandemic could result in further suspension of operations.
The Company continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation and take appropriate actions in accordance with the recommendations and requirements of relevant authorities. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may impact the Company's operational and financial performance remains uncertain and will depend on many factors outside the Company's control, including the timing, extent, trajectory, and duration of the pandemic, the emergence of new variants, the development, availability, distribution, and effectiveness of vaccines and treatments, the imposition of protective public safety measures, and the impact of the pandemic on the global economy.
Our business could be adversely affected by the occurrence of extraordinary events, such as terrorist attacks, public health threats, civil unrest, and inclement weather, including as a result of climate change
Our operating results depend, in large part, on revenues derived from customers visiting our casinos and racetracks, which is subject to the occurrence and threat of extraordinary events that may discourage attendance or expose us to substantial liability. Terrorist activity, including acts of domestic terrorism, civil unrest or other actions that discourage attendance at other locations, or even the threat of such activity, including public concerns regarding air travel, military actions, safety and additional national or local catastrophic incidents, could result in reduced attendance at Churchill Downs Racetrack and at our other locations. A major epidemic or pandemic, outbreak of a contagious equine disease, or the threat of such an event, could also adversely affect attendance and could impact the supply chain for our major construction projects resulting in higher costs and delays of the projects. The COVID-19 global pandemic resulted in the temporary suspension of operations of all of our wholly-owned gaming properties, certain wholly-owned racing operations, and the two casino properties related to our equity investments. While we are constantly evaluating our security precautions in an effort to ensure the safety of the public, no security measures can guarantee safety and there can be no assurances of avoiding potential liabilities.
Since horse racing is conducted outdoors, unfavorable weather conditions, including extremely high and low temperatures, heavy rains, high winds, storms, tornadoes and hurricanes, could cause events to be canceled and/or attendance to be lower, resulting in reduced wagering. Climate change could have an impact on longer-term natural weather trends. Extreme weather events that are linked to rising temperatures, changing global weather patterns, sea, land and air temperatures, as well as sea levels, rain and snow could result in increased occurrence and severity of adverse weather events. Our operations are subject to reduced patronage, disruptions or complete cessation of operations due to weather conditions, natural disasters and other casualties. The occurrence or threat of any such extraordinary event at our locations, particularly at Churchill Downs Racetrack and Kentucky Derby and Oaks week, could have a material negative effect on our business and results of operations.
Our business is sensitive to economic conditions which may affect consumer confidence, consumers’ discretionary spending, or our access to credit in a manner that adversely impacts our operations
Economic trends can impact consumer confidence and consumers’ discretionary spending, including:
•Negative economic conditions and the persistence of elevated levels of unemployment can impact consumers’ disposable incomes and, therefore, impact the demand for entertainment and leisure activities.
•Declines in the residential real estate market, increases in individual tax rates and other factors that we cannot accurately predict may reduce the disposable income of our customers.
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•Decreases in consumer discretionary spending could affect us even if such decreases occur in other markets. For example, reduced wagering levels and profitability at racetracks from which we carry racing content could cause certain racetracks to cancel races or cease operations and therefore reduce the content we could provide to our customers.
Lower consumer confidence or reductions in consumers’ discretionary spending could result in fewer patrons spending money at our racetracks, our online wagering sites and gaming and wagering facilities, and reduced consumer spending overall.
Our access to and the cost of credit may be impacted to the extent global and U.S. credit markets are affected by downward economic trends. Economic trends can also impact the financial viability of other industry constituents, making collection of amounts owed to us uncertain. Our ability to respond to periods of economic contraction may be limited, as certain of our costs remain fixed or even increase when revenue declines.
We are vulnerable to additional or increased taxes and fees
We believe that the prospect of raising significant additional revenue through taxes and fees is one of the primary reasons that certain jurisdictions permit legalized gaming. As a result, gaming companies are typically subject to significant taxes and fees in addition to the normal federal, state, provincial and local income taxes and such taxes and fees may be increased at any time. From time to time, legislators and officials have proposed changes in tax laws or in the administration of laws affecting the horse racing, online wagering and casino industries. Many states and municipalities, including ones in which we operate, are currently experiencing budgetary pressures that may make it more likely they would seek to impose additional taxes and fees on our operations. We are subject to tax in multiple U.S. tax jurisdictions and judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets or liabilities and in evaluating our tax positions. It is not possible to determine the likelihood, extent or impact of any future changes in tax laws or fees, or changes in the administration of such laws; however, if enacted, such changes could have a material adverse impact on our business.
Strategic Risks
A lack of confidence in the integrity of our core businesses or any deterioration in our reputation could affect our ability to retain our customers and engage with new customers
Horse racing, pari-mutuel wagering and casino gaming businesses depend on the public perception of integrity and fairness in their operations. To prevent cheating or erroneous payouts, necessary oversight processes must be in place to ensure that such activities cannot be manipulated. A lack or loss of confidence in the fairness of our industries could have a material adverse impact on our business.
Acts of fraud or cheating in our gaming businesses through the use of counterfeit chips, covert schemes and other tactics, possibly in collusion with our employees, may be attempted or committed by our gaming customers with the aim of increasing their winnings. Our gaming customers, visitors and employees may also commit crimes such as theft in order to obtain chips not belonging to them. We have taken measures to safeguard our interests including the implementation of systems, processes and technologies to mitigate against these risks, extensive employee training, surveillance, security and investigation operations and adoption of appropriate security features on our chips such as embedded radio frequency identification tags. Despite our efforts, we may not be successful in preventing or detecting such culpable behavior and schemes in a timely manner and the relevant insurance we have obtained may not be sufficient to cover our losses depending on the incident, which could result in losses to our gaming operations and generate negative publicity, both of which could have an adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations and cash flows.
Other factors that could influence our reputation include the quality of the services we offer and our actions with regard to social issues such as diversity, human rights and support for local communities. Broad access to social media makes it easy for anyone to provide public feedback that can influence perceptions of us or our properties. It may be difficult to control or effectively manage negative publicity, regardless of whether it is accurate. Negative events and publicity could quickly and materially damage perceptions of us, our properties, or our industries, which, in turn, could adversely impact our business, financial condition or results of operations through loss of customers, loss of business opportunities, lack of acceptance of our company to operate in host communities, employee retention or recruiting difficulties or other difficulties.
An inability to attract and retain key and highly-qualified and skilled personnel, as well as disruptions in the general labor market, could impact our ability to successfully develop, operate, and grow our business
We believe that our success depends in part on our ability to hire, develop, motivate and retain highly-qualified and skilled employees throughout our organization. If we do not successfully hire, develop, motivate and retain highly qualified and skilled employees, it is likely that we could experience significant disruptions in our operations and our ability to successfully develop, operate, and grow our business could be impacted.
Competition for the type of talent we seek to hire is increasingly intense in the geographic areas in which we operate. As a result, we may incur significant costs to attract and retain highly skilled employees. We may be unable to attract and retain the personnel necessary to sustain our business or support future growth.
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Certain of our key employees are required to file applications with the gaming authorities in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate and are required to be licensed or found suitable by these gaming authorities. If the gaming authorities were to find a key employee unsuitable for licensing, we may be required to sever the employee relationship, or the gaming authorities may require us to terminate the employment of any person who refuses to file appropriate applications. Either result could significantly impact our operations.
We have observed an increasingly competitive labor market. Increased employee turnover, changes in the availability of our workers, or labor shortages in our supply chain could result in increased costs and impact our ability to fully staff our operations, which could negatively affect our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
Our Company faces significant competition, and we expect competition levels to increase
We face an increasingly high degree of competition among a large number of participants operating from physical locations and/or through online or mobile platforms, including destination casinos, riverboat casinos; dockside casinos; land-based casinos; video lottery; iGaming; sports betting; gaming at taverns in certain states, such as Illinois; gaming at truck stop establishments in certain states, such as Louisiana and Pennsylvania; historical horse racing in Kentucky; sweepstakes and poker machines not located in casinos; fantasy sports; Native American gaming; and other forms of gaming in the U.S. Furthermore, competition from internet lotteries, sweepstakes, illegal slot machines and skill games, fantasy sports and internet or mobile-based gaming platforms, which allow their customers to wager on a wide variety of sporting events and/or play Las Vegas-style casino games from home or in non-casino settings could divert customers from our properties and thus adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Currently, there are proposals that would legalize internet poker, sports betting and other varieties of iGaming in a number of states. Expansion of land-based and iGaming in other jurisdictions (both regulated and unregulated) could further compete with our traditional and iGaming operations, which could have an adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Legalized gaming is currently permitted in various forms throughout the U.S. and on various lands taken into trust for the benefit of certain Native Americans in the U.S. and Canada. Other jurisdictions, including states adjacent to states in which we currently have properties, have recently legalized, implemented and expanded gaming. Established gaming jurisdictions could award additional gaming licenses or permit the expansion or relocation of existing gaming operations. Voters and state legislatures may seek to supplement traditional tax revenue sources of state governments by authorizing or expanding gaming in the states that we operate in or the states that are adjacent to or near our existing properties. New, relocated or expanded operations by other persons could increase competition for our operations and could have a material adverse impact on us.
Our operations also face competition from other leisure and entertainment activities, including shopping, athletic events, television and movies, concerts and travel.
Our Churchill Downs Racetrack and the Kentucky Derby may be adversely affected by changes in consumer preferences, attendance, wagering, and sponsorships
Our Churchill Downs Racetrack is dependent upon the number of people attending and wagering on live horse races. If interest in horse racing is lower in the future, it may have a negative impact on revenue and profitability in our Live and Historical Racing segment. In addition, accidents and adverse events that may occur at our race track and any reputational damage as a result may negatively impact attendance at our live horse races. If attendance at and wagering on live horse racing declines, it could have a material adverse impact on our business.
The number and level of sponsorships are important to the success of the Kentucky Derby. Our ability to retain sponsors, acquire new sponsors, and compete for sponsorships and advertising dollars could have a material adverse impact on our business.
We are subject to significant risks associated with our equity investments, strategic alliances and other third-party agreements
We pursue certain license opportunities, development projects and other strategic business opportunities through equity investments, joint ventures, license arrangements and other alliances with third-parties.
Our equity investments are governed by mutually established agreements that we entered into with our co-investors and therefore, we do not unilaterally control the applicable entity or other initiatives. The terms of the equity investments and the rights of our co-investors may preclude us from taking actions that we believe to be in the best interests of the Company. Disagreements with our co-investors could result in delays in project development, including construction delays, and ultimate failure of the project. Our co-investors also may not be able to provide capital to the applicable entity on the terms agreed to or at all, and the applicable entity may be unable to obtain external financing to finance their operations. Also, our ability to exit the equity investments may be subject to contractual and other limitations.
With any third-party arrangement, there is a risk that our partners’ economic, business or legal interests or objectives may not be aligned with ours, leading to potential disagreements and/or failure of the applicable project or initiative. We are also
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subject to risks relating to our co-investors’ failure to satisfy contractual obligations, conflicts arising between us and any of our partners and changes in the ownership of any of our co-investors.
Any of these risks could have a material adverse impact on our business.
We may not be able to respond to rapid technological changes in a timely manner, which may cause customer dissatisfaction
Our TwinSpires and Gaming segments are characterized by the rapid development of new technologies and the continuous introduction of new products. Our main technological advantage versus potential competitors is our software lead-time in the market and our experience in operating an Internet-based wagering network. It may be difficult to maintain our competitive technological position against current and potential competitors, especially those with greater financial resources. Our success depends upon new product development and technological advancements, including the development of new wagering platforms and features. While we expend resources on research and development and product enhancement, we may not be able to continue to improve and market our existing products or technologies or develop and market new products in a timely manner. Further technological developments may cause our products or technologies to become obsolete or noncompetitive.
The concentration and evolution of the slot machine and HRM manufacturing industry or other technological conditions could impose additional costs on us
A significant amount of our revenue is attributable to slot, HRM, VLTs, and video poker machines operated by us at our properties, and there are a limited number of slot machine and HRM manufacturers servicing the industry. It is important for competitive reasons that we offer the most popular and up-to-date machine games with the latest technology to our guests. A substantial majority of the slot machines sold in the U.S. in recent years were manufactured by a few select companies, and there has been extensive consolidation activity within the gaming equipment sector. Recently, the prices of new machines have escalated faster than the rate of inflation and slot machine manufacturers have occasionally refused to sell slot machines featuring the most popular games, instead requiring participating lease arrangements in order to acquire the machines. Participation slot machine leasing arrangements typically require the payment of a fixed daily rental. Such agreements may also include a percentage payment of coin-in or net win. Generally, a participating lease is substantially more expensive over the long term than the cost to purchase a new machine. For competitive reasons, we may be forced to purchase new slot machines or enter into participating lease arrangements that are more expensive than the costs associated with the continued operation of our existing slot machines. If the newer slot machines do not result in sufficient incremental revenue to offset the increased investment, it could adversely affect our operations and profitability.
We rely on a variety of hardware and software products to maximize revenue and efficiency in our operations. Technology in the gaming industry is developing rapidly, and we may need to invest substantial amounts to acquire the most current gaming and hotel technology and equipment in order to remain competitive in the markets in which we operate. We rely on a limited number of vendors to provide video poker and slot machines and any loss of our equipment suppliers could impact our operations. Ensuring the successful implementation and maintenance of any new technology acquired is an additional risk.
Our operations in certain jurisdictions depend on agreements with industry constituents including horsemen and other racetracks, and the failure to enter into or maintain these agreements on terms acceptable to us could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition
Our operations in certain jurisdictions depend on agreements with third parties. If we are unable to renew these agreements on satisfactory terms as they expire, our business may be disrupted. For example, the Interstate Horseracing Act, as well as various state racing laws, require that we have written agreements with the horsemen at our racetracks in order to simulcast races, and, in some cases, conduct live racing. Certain industry groups negotiate these agreements on behalf of the horsemen (the "Horsemen’s Groups"). These agreements provide that we must receive the consent of the Horsemen’s Groups at the racetrack conducting live races before we may allow third parties to accept wagers on those races. We currently negotiate formal agreements with the applicable Horsemen’s Groups at our racetracks on an annual basis. The failure to maintain agreements with, or obtain consents from, the Horsemen's Groups on satisfactory terms or the refusal by a Horsemen’s Group to consent to third parties accepting wagers on our races or our accepting wagers on third-parties’ races could have a material adverse impact on our business, as such failure will result in our inability to conduct live racing and export and import simulcasting.
From time to time, certain Horsemen’s Groups have withheld their consent to send or receive racing signals among racetracks. Failure to receive the consent of these Horsemen’s Groups for new and renewing simulcast agreements could have a material adverse impact on our business. We also have written agreements with certain Horsemen’s Groups with regards to the proceeds of gaming machines in certain states that may be required to operate such gaming.
We have agreements with other racetracks for the distribution of racing content through both the import of other racetracks’ signals for wagering at our properties and the export of our racing signal for wagering at other racetracks’ facilities, OTBs, and ADWs. From time to time, we may be unable to reach agreements on terms acceptable to us. As a result, we may be unable to distribute our racing content to other locations or to receive other racetracks’ racing content for wagering at our racetracks. The
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inability to distribute our racing content could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We intend to focus on market access and our retail operations for our TwinSpires Sports and Casino business and there can be no assurance that we will be able to compete effectively or that we will generate sufficient returns on our investment
During the second quarter of 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports betting. As a result, several jurisdictions in which we operate legalized sports betting and additional jurisdictions may do so in the future. The market for sports betting and online gaming is rapidly evolving and highly competitive with an increasing number of competitors. The success of our retail and online sportsbook and online casino operations are dependent on a number of factors that are beyond our control, including:
•the timing of adoption of regulations authorizing betting and gaming activities,
•operating requirements and other restrictions,
•the number of allowable industry participants,
•the license fees and tax rates,
•our ability to gain market share in a newly developing market,
•the potential that the market does not develop as we anticipate,
•our ability to compete with new entrants in the market,
•changes in consumer demographics and public tastes and preferences, and
•the availability and popularity of other forms of entertainment.
There can be no assurance as to the returns that we will receive from our current and anticipated retail and online sports betting and online casino operations.
Operational Risks
Our business is subject to online security risk, including cyber-security breaches. Loss or misuse of our stored information as a result of such a breach, including customers’ personal information, could lead to government enforcement actions or other litigation, potential liability, or otherwise harm our business
We receive, process, store and use personal information and other customer and employee data by maintaining and transmitting customers’ personal and financial information, credit card settlements, credit card funds transmissions, mailing lists and reservations information. Our collection of such data is subject to extensive regulation by private groups, such as the payment card industry, as well as governmental authorities, including gaming authorities.
There are numerous federal, state and local laws regarding privacy and the storing, sharing, use, processing, disclosure and protection of personal information and other data, and such privacy laws and regulations continue to evolve. Many states have passed laws requiring notification to customers when there is a security breach for personal data, such as the 2002 amendment to California’s Information Practices Act or requiring the adoption of minimum information security standards that are often vaguely defined and difficult to implement. California has adopted the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (the "CCPA"), which went into effect on January 1, 2020, providing California consumers greater control of the information collected, stored, and sold, and other states are considering similar legislation. The CCPA provides a private right of action (in addition to statutory damages) for California residents whose sensitive personal information was breached as a result of a business’s violation of its duty to reasonably secure such information. The costs of compliance with these laws may increase as a result of changes in interpretation or changes in law. Any failure on our part to comply with these laws or our privacy policies may subject us to significant liabilities, including governmental enforcement actions or litigation.
Our systems and processes that are designed to protect customer information and prevent data loss and other security breaches, including systems and processes designed to reduce the impact of a security breach at a third-party vendor, may not be successful. Interruptions in our services or a breach of a customer’s secure data could cause current or potential users to believe that our systems are unreliable, which could permanently harm our reputation and brand. These interruptions could also increase the burden on our engineering staff, which, in turn, could delay our introduction of new features and services on our websites and in our casinos. Such incidents could give rise to remediation costs, monetary fines and other penalties, which could be significant. We attempt to protect against this risk with our property and business interruption insurance, which covers damage or interruption of our systems, although there is no assurance that such insurance will be adequate to cover all potential losses.
Third-parties we work with, such as vendors, may violate applicable laws or our privacy policies, and such violations may also put our customers’ information at risk and could in turn have an adverse impact on our business. We are also subject to payment card association rules and obligations under each association’s contracts with payment card processors. Under these rules and obligations, if information is compromised, we could be liable to payment card issuers for the associated expense and
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penalties. If we fail to follow payment card industry security standards, even if no customer information is compromised, we could incur significant fines or experience a significant increase in payment card transaction costs.
Security breaches, computer malware and computer hacking attacks have become more prevalent in our industry, and hackers and data thieves are increasingly sophisticated and operate large-scale and complex automated attacks. Many companies, including ours, have been the targets of such attacks. Any security breach caused by hacking which involves efforts to gain unauthorized access to information or systems, or to cause intentional malfunctions or loss or corruption of data, software, hardware or other computer equipment, and the inadvertent transmission of computer viruses could harm our business. Though it is difficult to determine what harm may directly result from any specific interruption or breach, any failure to maintain performance, reliability, security and availability of our network infrastructure to the satisfaction of our players may harm our reputation and our ability to retain existing players and attract new players.
The costs to eliminate or address the foregoing security threats and vulnerabilities before or after a cyber-incident could be significant. Our remediation efforts may not be successful and could result in interruptions, delays or cessation of service, and loss of existing or potential suppliers or customers. As threats related to cyber-attacks develop and grow, we may also find it necessary to make further investments to protect our data and infrastructure, which may impact our results of operations. We have insurance coverage for protection against cyber-attacks, which is designed to cover expenses around notification, credit monitoring, investigation, crisis management, public relations, and legal advice. This insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover all possible claims, and we could suffer losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems, change frequently and often are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures.
Our operations rely heavily on technology services, and catastrophic events and system failures with respect to these technology services could cause a significant and continued disruption to our operations
We rely on information technology and other systems to manage our business. A disruption or failure in our technology systems or operations in the event of a cyber-attack, major earthquake, weather event, terrorist attack or other catastrophic event could interrupt our operations, damage our properties and reduce the number of customers who visit our facilities in the affected areas. Security breaches could expose the Company to a risk of loss or misuse of our or our customers’ information, litigation and potential liability. In addition, cyber incidents that impact the availability, reliability, speed, accuracy or other proper functioning of our technology systems could impact our operations. A significant cyber incident, including system failure, security breach, disruption by malware or other damage could interrupt or delay our operations, result in a violation of applicable privacy and other laws, damage our reputation, subject us to litigation, cause a loss of customers or give rise to remediation costs, monetary fines and other penalties, which could be significant.
Our online wagering, HRM and brick-and-mortar casino businesses depend upon our communications hardware and our computer hardware. We have built certain redundancies into our systems to attempt to avoid downtime in the event of outages, system failures or damage. Our systems also remain vulnerable to damage or interruption from floods, fires, power loss, telecommunication failures, terrorist cyber-attacks, hardware or software error, computer viruses, computer denial-of-service attacks and similar events. Despite any precautions we may take, the occurrence of a natural disaster or other unanticipated problems could result in lengthy interruptions in our services. Any unscheduled interruption in the availability of our websites and our services could result in an immediate, and possibly substantial, loss of revenue.
We may not be able to identify and / or complete acquisitions, divestitures, development of new venues or the expansion of existing facilities on time, on budget or as planned
We pursue acquisitions, divestitures, development of new venues and expansion of existing facilities to grow our business.
We face challenges in identifying and completing acquisitions or divestiture opportunities or other development or expansion projects that fit with our strategic objectives. These projects require significant capital commitments and the incurrence of additional debt. These projects also have risks associated with managing and integrating the acquisition or expansion project.
We signed a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment LLC ("P2E") for total consideration of $2.485 billion. Important factors for the proposed P2E transaction include the receipt of regulatory approvals on terms desired or anticipated, unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to the proposed transaction, including, without limitation, difficulties that result in the failure to realize expected synergies, efficiencies and cost savings from the proposed transaction within the expected time period (if at all), our ability to obtain financing on the anticipated terms and schedule, disruptions of our or P2E’s current plans, operations and relationships with customers and suppliers caused by the announcement and pendency of the proposed transaction, and our and P2E’s ability to consummate a sale-leaseback transaction with respect to the Hard Rock Sioux City on terms desired or anticipated.
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Supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressure related to these projects could lead to delays and higher project costs. The acquisition or divestiture of businesses may be delayed by external factors beyond our control including federal, state, and local issues.
The impact of these risks may cause us to realize the intended benefits of these capital investments which could have a material adverse impact on our business.
We may experience difficulty in integrating recent or future acquisitions into our operations
We have completed acquisition transactions in the past, and we may pursue acquisitions from time to time in the future. The successful integration of newly acquired businesses into our operations has required and will continue to require the expenditure of substantial managerial, operating, financial and other resources and may also lead to a diversion of our attention from our ongoing business concerns. We may not be able to successfully integrate new businesses, manage the combined operations or realize projected revenue gains, cost savings and synergies in connection with those acquisitions on the timetable contemplated, if at all. Management of the new business operations, especially those in new lines of business or different geographic areas, may require that we increase our managerial resources. The process of integrating new operations may also interrupt the activities of those businesses, which could have a material adverse impact on our business. The costs of integrating businesses we acquire could significantly impact our short-term operating results. These costs could include the following:
•restructuring charges associated with the acquisitions,
•non-recurring transaction costs, including accounting and legal fees, investment banking fees and recognition of transaction-related costs or liabilities, and
•costs of imposing financial and management controls and operating, administrative and information systems.
We perform financial, operational and legal diligence on the businesses we purchase; however, an unavoidable level of risk remains regarding the actual condition of these businesses and our ability to continue to operate these businesses successfully and integrate them into our existing operations. In any acquisition we make, we face risks that include the following:
•the risk that the acquired business may not further our business strategy or that we paid more than the business was worth,
•the risk that the financial performance of the acquired business declines or fails to meet our expectations from and after the date of acquisition,
•the potential adverse impact on our relationships with partner companies or third-party providers of technology or products,
•the possibility that we have acquired substantial undisclosed liabilities for which we may have no recourse against the sellers or third-party insurers,
•costs and complications in maintaining required regulatory approvals or obtaining further regulatory approvals necessary to implement the acquisition in accordance with our strategy,
•the risks of acquiring businesses and/or entering markets in which we have limited or no prior experience,
•the potential loss of key employees or customers,
•the possibility that we may be unable to retain or recruit employees with the necessary skills to manage the acquired businesses, and
•changes to legal and regulatory guidelines which may negatively affect acquisitions.
If we are unsuccessful in overcoming these risks, it could have a material adverse impact on our business.
The development of new venues and the expansion of existing facilities is costly and susceptible to delays, cost overruns and other uncertainties
We may decide to develop, construct and open hotels, casinos, other gaming venues, or racetracks in response to opportunities that may arise. For example, in July 2021, we announced three major multi-year capital investments to transform key areas of Churchill Downs Racetrack: the Homestretch Club, the Turn 1 Experience, and the Paddock and Under the Spires projects. Future development projects may require significant capital commitments and the incurrence of additional debt, which could
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have a material adverse impact on our business. In addition, we may not receive the intended benefits of such capital investments.
Ownership and development of our real estate requires significant expenditures and ownership of such properties is subject to risk, including risks related to environmental liabilities
We own extensive real estate holdings and make significant capital investments to grow our operations. All real estate investments are subject to risks including the following: general economic conditions, such as the availability and cost of financing; local and national real estate conditions, such as an oversupply of residential, office, retail or warehousing space, or a reduction in demand for real estate in the area; governmental regulation, including taxation of property and environmental legislation; and the attractiveness of properties to potential purchasers or tenants. Significant expenditures, including property taxes, debt repayments, maintenance costs, insurance costs and related charges, must be made throughout the period of ownership of real property. Such expenditures may negatively impact our operating results.
We are subject to a variety of federal, state and local governmental laws and regulations relating to the use, storage, discharge, emission and disposal of hazardous materials. Environmental laws and regulations could hold us responsible for the cost of cleaning up hazardous materials contaminating real property that we own or operate (or previously owned or operated) or properties at which we have disposed of hazardous materials, even if we did not cause the contamination. Some of our facilities are subject to CAFO regulations. If we fail to comply with environmental laws or if contamination is discovered, a court or government agency could impose severe penalties or restrictions on our operations or assess us with the costs of taking remedial actions. Enforcement of such regulations have been receiving increased governmental attention and compliance with these and other environmental laws can, in some circumstances, require significant capital expenditures (including with respect to fines).
Horse racing is an inherently dangerous sport and our racetracks are subject to personal injury litigation
Personal injuries and injuries to horses have occurred during races or workouts, and may continue to occur, which could subject us to negative publicity and / or litigation. Negative publicity may lead some customers to avoid the Company’s properties or could cause horse owners to avoid racing their horses at our racetracks. Any litigation resulting from injuries at our properties could be costly and time consuming and could divert our management and key personnel from our business operations. We buy insurance for all of our racetracks; however, our coverage may not be sufficient for all losses. Due to the potential impact of negative publicity and inherent uncertainty related to the outcome of litigation, there can be no assurance that the resolution of any particular claim or proceeding would not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position or liquidity.
Any violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, other similar laws and regulations, or applicable anti-money laundering regulations could have a negative impact on us
We are subject to risks associated with doing business outside of the U.S., including exposure to complex foreign and U.S. regulations such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the "FCPA") and other anti-corruption laws which generally prohibit U.S. companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Violations of the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws may result in severe criminal and civil sanctions and other penalties. It may be difficult to oversee the conduct of any contractors, third-party partners, representatives or agents who are not our employees, potentially exposing us to greater risk from their actions. If our employees or agents fail to comply with applicable laws or company policies governing our international operations, we may face legal proceedings and actions which could result in civil penalties, administration actions and criminal sanctions.
Any determination that we have violated any anti-corruption laws could have a material adverse impact on our business. We also deal with significant amounts of cash in our operations and are subject to various reporting and anti-money laundering regulations. Any violation of anti-money laundering laws or regulations by any of our properties could have a material adverse impact on our business.
We are subject to payment-related risks, such as risk associated with the fraudulent use of credit or debit cards which could have adverse effects on our business due to chargebacks from customers
We allow funding and payments to accounts using a variety of methods, including electronic funds transfer ("EFT") and credit and debit cards. As we continue to introduce new funding or payment options to our players, we may be subject to additional regulatory and compliance requirements. We also may be subject to the risk of fraudulent use of credit or debit cards, or other funding and/or payment options. For certain funding or payment options, including credit and debit cards, we may pay interchange and other fees which may increase over time and, therefore, raise operating costs and reduce profitability. We rely on third parties to provide payment-processing services and it could disrupt our business if these companies become unwilling or unable to provide these services to us. We are also subject to rules and requirements governing EFT which could change or be reinterpreted to make it difficult or impossible for us to comply. If we fail to comply with these rules or requirements, we may be subject to fines and higher transaction fees or possibly lose our ability to accept credit or debit cards, or other forms of payment from customers which could have a material adverse impact on our business.
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Chargebacks occur when customers seek to void credit card or other payment transactions. Cardholders are intended to be able to reverse card transactions only if there has been unauthorized use of the card or the services contracted for have not been provided. In our business, customers occasionally seek to reverse online gaming losses through chargebacks. Our control procedures to protect from chargebacks may not be sufficient to protect us from adverse effects on our business or results of operations.
Work stoppages and other labor problems could negatively impact our future plans and limit our operational flexibility
Some of our employees are represented by labor unions. A strike or other work stoppage at one of our properties could have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations. From time to time, we have also experienced attempts to unionize certain of our non-union employees. We may experience additional union activity in the future. Any such union organization efforts could cause disruptions in our business and result in significant costs.
Legal and Regulatory Risks
We face risks related to pending or future legal proceedings and other actions
From time to time, we are a party in various lawsuits and judicial and governmental actions. No assurance can be provided as to the outcome of these lawsuits and actions which can be expensive and time consuming. We may not be successful in the defense or prosecution of these lawsuits or actions, which could result in settlements, costs or damages that could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and reputation. Such matters may include investigations or litigation from various parties, including vendors, customers, state and federal agencies, stockholders and employees relating to intellectual property, employment, consumer, personal injury, corporate governance, commercial or other matters arising in the ordinary course of business.
We have also been subject to claims in cases concerning or similar to class action allegations. Plaintiffs in such lawsuits often seek recovery of very large or indeterminate amounts, and the magnitude of the potential loss and defense costs relating to such lawsuits may not be accurately estimated. We evaluate all of the claims and proceedings involving us to assess the expected outcome, and where possible, we estimate the potential losses we may incur. In many cases, including class action matters, we may not be able to estimate the potential losses we will incur and/or our estimates may prove to be insufficient. These assessments are made by management based on the information available at the time made and require the use of a significant amount of judgment, and actual outcomes or losses may materially differ. Regardless of whether any claims against us are valid, or whether we are ultimately held liable, such litigation may be expensive to defend and may divert resources away from our operations and negatively impact earnings. We may not be able to obtain adequate insurance to protect us from these types of litigation matters or extraordinary business losses.
Our operations are highly regulated and changes in the regulatory environment could adversely affect our business
We conduct live and historical pari-mutuel wagering, online pari-mutuel wagering through ADWs, casino gaming, online gaming, and sports betting operations, which are subject to extensive state and for some local regulation. These regulatory authorities have broad discretion, and may, for any reason set forth in the applicable legislation, rules and regulations, limit, condition, suspend, fail to renew or revoke a license or registration to conduct our operations or prevent another person from owning an equity interest in the Company. Regulatory authorities have input into our operations, such as hours of operation, location or relocation of a facility, and numbers and types of machines. Regulators may also levy substantial fines against or seize our assets, the assets of our subsidiaries or the people involved in violating gaming laws or regulations.
There can be no assurance that we will be able to retain our existing governmental licenses, registrations, permits or approvals necessary to operate our existing businesses or demonstrate suitability to obtain any licenses, registrations, permits, or approvals. The loss of a license in one jurisdiction could trigger the loss of a license or affect our eligibility for a license in another jurisdiction. As we expand our operations in our existing jurisdictions or to new areas, we may have to meet additional suitability requirements and obtain additional licenses, registrations, permits and approvals from authorities in these jurisdictions. The approval process can be time-consuming and costly, and we cannot be sure that we will be successful.
Our Live and Historical Racing segment is subject to extensive state and local regulation, and we depend on continued state approval of legalized pari-mutuel wagering in states where we operate. Our wagering and racing (including HRM) facilities must meet the licensing requirements of various regulatory authorities. We have obtained all governmental licenses, registrations, permits and approvals necessary for operation. However, we may be unable to maintain our existing licenses. The failure to obtain such licenses in the future or the loss of or material change in our business licenses, registrations, permits or approvals may materially limit the number of races we conduct or our racing (including HRM) operation. The loss of a license in one jurisdiction could trigger the loss of a license or affect our eligibility for a license in another jurisdiction.
Regulatory authorities also have input into important aspects of our operations, including hours of operation, location or relocation of a facility, and numbers and types of HRMs. Regulators may also levy substantial fines against or seize our assets or the assets of our subsidiaries or the people involved in violating pari-mutuel laws or regulations.
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TwinSpires accepts ADWs from customers of certain states who set up and fund accounts from which they may place wagers via telephone, mobile device or through the Internet pursuant to the Interstate Horseracing Act and relevant licenses and consents. The online horse racing wagering business is heavily regulated, and laws governing ADW pari-mutuel wagering vary from state to state. State attorney generals, regulators, and other law enforcement officials may interpret state laws, federal laws, constitutional principles, and the related regulations in a different manner than we do.
States may take affirmative action to make ADW expressly unlawful. We may not be successful in lobbying state legislatures or regulatory bodies to obtain or renew required legislation, licenses, registrations, permits and approvals necessary to facilitate the operation or expansion of our online horse racing wagering business or in any legal challenge to the validity of any restrictions on ADW. Legal challenges and regulatory and legislative processes can be lengthy, costly and uncertain.
Many states have considered and are considering interactive and Internet gaming legislation and regulations which may inhibit our ability to do business in such states or increase competition for online wagering. Anti-gaming conclusions and recommendations of other governmental or quasi-governmental bodies could form the basis for new laws, regulations, and enforcement policies. The extensive regulation by both state and federal authorities of gaming activities also can be significantly affected by changes in the political climate and changes in economic and regulatory policies.
Any of these events could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Financial Risks
Our debt facilities contain restrictions that limit our flexibility in operating our business
Our debt facilities contain a number of covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on our business, including restrictions on our ability to, among other things, take the following actions:
•incur additional debt or issue certain preferred shares,
•pay dividends on or make distributions in respect of our capital stock, repurchase common shares or make other restricted payments,
•make certain investments,
•sell certain assets or consolidate, merge, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets,
•create liens on certain assets,
•enter into certain transactions with our affiliates, and
•designate our subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries.
As a result of these covenants, we are limited in the manner in which we conduct our business, and we may be unable to engage in favorable business activities or finance future operations or capital needs.
Any failure to comply with the financial ratios and other covenants in our debt facilities and other indebtedness could have a material adverse impact on our business
Under our debt facilities, we are required to satisfy and maintain specified financial ratios. Our ability to meet those financial ratios can be affected by events beyond our control, and as a result, we may be unable to meet those ratios. A failure to comply with the financial ratios and other covenants contained in our debt facilities or our other indebtedness could result in an event of default which, if not cured or waived, could have a material adverse impact on our business and financial condition. In the event of any default under our debt facilities or our other indebtedness, the lenders thereunder:
•will not be required to lend any additional amounts to us,
•could elect to declare all borrowings outstanding, together with accrued and unpaid interest and fees, to be due and payable and could terminate all commitments to extend further credit, or
•could require us to apply all of our available cash to repay these borrowings.
We have pledged a significant portion of our assets as collateral under our debt facilities. If any of these lenders accelerate the repayment of borrowings, we may not have sufficient assets to repay our indebtedness and our lenders could exercise their rights against the collateral we have granted them.
Disruptions in the credit markets or changes to our credit ratings may adversely affect our business.
While we currently generate significant cash flows from ongoing operations and have access to global credit markets through our various financing activities, a disruption in the credit markets, interest rate increases, changes that may result from the implementation of new benchmark rates that replace the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or changes to our credit
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ratings could negatively impact the availability or cost of funding. Reduced access to credit or increased costs could adversely affect our liquidity and capital resources or significantly increase our cost of capital.
Our insurance costs may increase, we may not be able to obtain similar insurance coverage in the future, and the extent to which we can recover under our insurance policies for damages sustained at our operating properties in the event of inclement weather and casualty events, all could adversely affect our business
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 additional exclusions from our coverage. If we are unable to obtain sufficient insurance coverage, we could be at risk for increased potential losses, which could be substantial. Our debt instruments and other material agreements require us to meet certain standards related to insurance coverage. If we are unable to obtain sufficient insurance coverage to satisfy these requirements, an event of default could result under these debt instruments or material agreements.
Portions of our business are difficult or impracticable to insure. After carefully weighing the costs, risks, and benefits of retaining versus insuring various risks, as well as the availability of certain types of insurance coverage, we may opt to retain certain risks not covered by our insurance policies. Retained risks are associated with deductible limits or self-insured retentions, partial self-insurance programs and insurance policy coverage ceilings.
Flooding, blizzards, windstorms, earthquakes, hurricanes or other weather conditions could adversely affect our casino and horse racing locations. We maintain insurance coverage that may cover certain costs that we incur as a result of some natural disasters, which coverage is subject to deductibles, exclusions and limits on maximum benefits. We may not be able to fully collect, if at all, on any claims resulting from extreme weather conditions or other disasters. If any of our properties are damaged or if our operations are disrupted or face prolonged closure as a result of weather conditions in the future, or if weather conditions adversely impact general economic or other conditions in the areas in which our properties are located or from which we draw our patrons, the disruption could have a material adverse impact on our business.
We have "all risk" property insurance coverage for our operating properties which covers damage caused by a casualty loss (such as fire, natural disasters, acts of war, or terrorism). Our level of property insurance coverage, which is subject to policy maximum limits and certain exclusions, may not be adequate to cover all losses in the event of a major casualty. In addition, certain casualty events may not be covered at all under our policies. Therefore, certain acts could expose us to substantial uninsured losses. Any losses we incur that are not adequately covered by insurance may decrease our future operating income, require us to fund replacements or repairs for destroyed property and reduce the funds available for payment of our obligations.
ITEM 1B.UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 2.PROPERTIES
We own the following real property:
Live and Historical Racing
•100 acres at Churchill Downs and our auxiliary training facility at Derby City Gaming in Louisville, Kentucky
•Derby City Gaming in Louisville, Kentucky
•Oak Grove Racing and Gaming in Oak Grove, Kentucky
•Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky
•Derby City Gaming Downtown in Louisville, Kentucky
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Gaming
•Oxford in Oxford, Maine
•Riverwalk in Vicksburg, Mississippi
•Calder in Miami Gardens, Florida
•Fair Grounds and certain VSI properties in New Orleans, Louisiana
•Ocean Downs in Ocean City, Maryland
•Presque Isle in Erie, Pennsylvania
All Other
•Arlington International Race Course in Arlington Heights, Illinois
We lease the following real property:
Live and Historical Racing
•Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky - we lease 158 acres under a 30-year lease entered into in 2002 where we transferred title of the facility to the City of Louisville, Kentucky, and retained the right to re-acquire the facility at any time for $1.00, subject to the terms of the lease as part of the financing of the improvements to the facility.
•Newport Racing and Gaming in Newport, Kentucky
TwinSpires
•TwinSpires.com and Brisnet in Lexington, Kentucky
•TwinSpires office in Vancouver, Canada and Toms River, New Jersey
Gaming
•Harlow's in Greenville, Mississippi - we lease the land on which the casino and hotel are located
•Certain VSI properties in New Orleans, Louisiana
•Lady Luck Nemacolin in Farmington, Pennsylvania - we lease the building as part of the management agreement
All Other
•United Tote in Louisville, Kentucky; San Diego, California; and Portland, Oregon
•Corporate and TwinSpires headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky
ITEM 3.LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
In addition to the matters described below, we are also involved in ordinary routine litigation matters which are incidental to our business.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, et al. v. The Family Trust Foundation of Kentucky, Inc.
In 2010, all Kentucky racetracks and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (the "KHRC" and together with the Kentucky racetracks, the "Joint Petitioners") sought a declaration from the Franklin Circuit Court (the "Court") that: (i) the KHRC’s historical racing regulations are valid under Kentucky law, and (ii) operating historical racing machines ("HRMs") pursuant to a license issued by KHRC would not run afoul of any criminal gaming statutes. The Family Trust Foundation of Kentucky, Inc. (the "Family Foundation") intervened, and the Court subsequently granted summary judgment to the Joint Petitioners holding that the KHRC's historical racing regulations are valid under Kentucky law. Following an appeal to the Kentucky Court of Appeals, in February 2014 the Supreme Court of Kentucky affirmed the Court’s decision that the regulations are valid under Kentucky law, but remanded the case to the Court to determine whether operation of HRMs that were licensed during the pendency of the litigation constitute pari-mutuel wagering. On October 24, 2018, the Court ruled that the HRMs in question are a pari-mutuel system of wagering legally permitted under Kentucky law. On September 24, 2020, the Kentucky Supreme Court reversed the Court’s opinion.
On February 22, 2021, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky signed into law Senate Bill 120 which created a statutory definition of pari-mutuel wagering that includes historical horse racing approved by the KHRC and addressed the Supreme Court of Kentucky's opinion. On remand, the Court entered final judgment on March 17, 2021, holding (i) that the Exacta system is not a form of pari-mutuel wagering under the laws that were in effect at the time of the Kentucky Supreme Court’s September 24, 2020, opinion, (ii) the final judgment would not be applied retroactively because the associations were authorized and permitted to operate the Exacta system by the KHRC, and (iii) any prospective application of the final judgment would be subject to Senate Bill 120. Although the Family Foundation filed a notice of appeal of the final judgment, it moved to dismiss the appeal on September 13, 2021. The Kentucky Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal on January 12, 2022, and no further action is expected in this matter.
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Lassiter v. Kentucky Downs, LLC, et al.
On December 18, 2020, Robert and Patricia Lassiter filed a complaint against Kentucky Downs, LLC, Keeneland Association, Inc., Turfway Park, LLC, Players Bluegrass Downs, LLC, Appalachian Racing, LLC, Ellis Park Race Course, Inc., The Lexington Trots Breeders Association, Inc., and Churchill Downs Incorporated (“Defendants”). Plaintiffs allege that Defendants’ HRMs constitute illegal gambling and assert that they can recover for their losses and the losses of all patrons at those facilities with HRMs over a five-year period under Kentucky Revised Statutes 372.010. The Company filed a motion to dismiss on March 31, 2021. On August 30, 2021, plaintiffs filed a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Petition with the Western District of Kentucky, and filed a notice of automatic stay in the matter pending against the Company. The Company’s motion to dismiss was remanded because of the automatic stay, which has ended. On February 9, 2022, the Company filed a motion for oral argument on the motions to dismiss. The Company intends to defend this matter vigorously and believes that there are meritorious legal and factual defenses against the plaintiffs' allegations and requests for relief.
Louisiana Environmental Protection Agency Non-Compliance Issue
On December 6, 2013, we received a notice from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the "EPA") regarding alleged Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) non-compliance at Fair Grounds Race Course. On October 21, 2019, we reached an agreement in principle, subject to final agreement and regulatory and court approval. On September 29, 2020, the EPA filed a complaint and proposed consent decree, which was agreed to by both parties. On October 5, 2021, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana granted the EPA’s unopposed motion to approve the consent decree. Pursuant to the consent decree, Fair Grounds paid a $2.8 million penalty, which was accrued in our consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the year ended December 31, 2019, and accrued expense and other current liabilities in our accompanying consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2020. The consent decree also requires corrective measures to ensure compliance with applicable federal laws and regulations.
Louisiana Horsemen's Purses Class Action Suit
On April 21, 2014, John L. Soileau and other individuals filed a Petition for Declaratory Judgment, Permanent Injunction, and Damages-Class Action styled John L. Soileau, et. al. versus Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing, LLC, Churchill Downs Louisiana Video Poker Company, LLC (Suit No. 14-3873) in the Parish of Orleans Civil District Court, State of Louisiana (the "District Court"). The petition defined the "alleged plaintiff class" as quarter horse owners, trainers and jockeys that have won purses at the "Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots" facility in New Orleans, Louisiana since the first effective date of La. R.S. 27:438 and specifically since 2008. The petition alleged that Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing, LLC and Churchill Downs Louisiana Video Poker Company, LLC ("Fair Grounds Defendants") have collected certain monies through video draw poker devices that constitute monies earned for purse supplements and all of those supplemental purse monies have been paid to thoroughbred horsemen during Fair Grounds’ live thoroughbred horse meets. La. R.S. 27:438 requires a portion of those supplemental purse monies to be paid to quarter-horse horsemen during Fair Grounds’ live quarter-horse meets. The petition requested that the District Court declare that Fair Grounds Defendants violated La. R.S. 27:438, issue a permanent and mandatory injunction ordering Fair Grounds Defendants to pay all future supplements due to the plaintiff class pursuant to La. R.S. 27:438, and to pay the plaintiff class such sums as it finds to reasonably represent the value of the sums due to the plaintiff class. The Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the Louisiana Racing Commission’s previous ruling that the plaintiffs did not have standing and remanded the matter to the Louisiana Racing Commission for further proceedings on June 13, 2018.
The Company established an accrual for an immaterial amount in the third quarter of 2019. The parties submitted a settlement agreement to the District Court on February 14, 2020, following the Louisiana Racing Commission’s approval to transfer the matter to the District Court for approval and administration of the settlement agreement. On February 18, 2020, the District Court granted preliminary approval of the settlement agreement. The settlement agreement requires, among other items, the Fair Grounds Defendants to (i) pay a certain out-of-pocket amount that is within the amount for which we established an accrual in the third quarter of 2019, and (ii) support legislation that allocates a specified amount of video poker purse funds to quarter horse purses for races at Fair Grounds with maximum annual payout caps that are not deemed material. On June 13, 2020, the legislation addressed in the settlement agreement was passed by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor of Louisiana. The settlement includes a release of claims against the Fair Grounds Defendants in connection with the proceeding, although individual plaintiffs may opt-out. Objecting plaintiffs have filed a notice of appeal of the February 2020 Order appointing class counsel certifying a class for settlement purposes. On January 28, 2021, the District Court issued a Final Order and Judgement approving the settlement. Their objectors filed a notice of appeal of the Final Order and Judgment that was consolidated with the earlier-filed appeal of the February 2020 order appointing class counsel and certifying a class for settlement purposes. On December 22, 2021, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal entered an order affirming the orders of the District Court and approving the settlement. On January 7, 2022, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal denied the objectors’ motion for remand and application for rehearing. On February 6, 2022, the objectors filed a writ of certiorari with the Louisiana Supreme Court.
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ITEM 4.MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
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PART II
ITEM 5.MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market for Common Stock
The Company's common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CHDN. As of February 16, 2022, there were approximately 2,300 shareholders of record.
Dividends
Since joining The Nasdaq Global Select Market in 1993, we have declared and paid cash dividends on an annual basis at the discretion of our Board of Directors. The payment and amount of future dividends will be determined by the Board of Directors and will depend upon, among other things, our operating results, financial condition, cash requirements and general business conditions at the time such payment is considered. We declared a dividend of $0.667 in December 2021, which was paid in January 2022, and we declared a dividend of $0.622 in December 2020, which was paid in January 2021.
Issuer Purchases of Common Stock
The following table provides information with respect to shares of common stock that we repurchased during the quarter ended December 31, 2021:
| Period | Total Number of Shares Purchased | Average Price Paid Per Share | Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs | Approximate Dollar Value of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased under the Plans or Programs (in millions) (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 2021 | 100,873 | $ | 248.65 | 100,535 | $ | 474.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 2021 | 106,619 | $ | 234.46 | 106,619 | 449.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 2021 | 28,396 | $ | 232.03 | 15,900 | 445.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 235,888 | $ | 240.24 | 223,054 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(1)On September 29, 2021, the Board of Directors of the Company approved a common stock repurchase program of up to $500.0 million ("2021 Stock Repurchase Program"). The 2021 stock repurchase program includes and is not in addition to the unspent amount remaining under the prior 2018 Stock Purchase Program authorization. The repurchase program has no time limit and may be suspended or discontinued at any time. For more information, refer to Note 11, Shareholders' Equity, to the notes to consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Shareholder Return Performance Graph
The following performance graph and related information shall not be deemed "soliciting material" nor to be "filed" with the SEC, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future filings under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended, except to the extent we specifically incorporate it by reference into such filing.
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The following graph depicts the cumulative total shareholder return, assuming reinvestment of dividends, for the periods indicated for our Common Stock compared to the Russell 1000 Index, Russell 2000 Index, S&P Midcap 400 Index, and the S&P 500 Index. During 2021, our Company moved from the Russell 2000 Index to the Russell 1000 Index due to our increase in market capitalization. We now consider the Russell 1000 Index to be our most comparable peer group index. We added the S&P Midcap 400 Index as a comparison beginning in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. The S&P Midcap 400 Index includes the Company's results and also reflects companies which have a more comparable market capitalization than the S&P 500 Index.
| 12/31/2016 | 12/31/2017 | 12/31/2018 | 12/31/2019 | 12/31/2020 | 12/31/2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Churchill Downs Incorporated | $ | 100.00 | $ | 155.67 | $ | 164.18 | $ | 278.26 | $ | 396.41 | $ | 491.66 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Russell 1000 Index | $ | 100.00 | $ | 121.69 | $ | 115.87 | $ | 152.28 | $ | 184.20 | $ | 232.93 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Russell 2000 Index | $ | 100.00 | $ | 114.65 | $ | 102.02 | $ | 128.06 | $ | 153.63 | $ | 176.39 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| S&P Midcap 400 Index | $ | 100.00 | $ | 116.24 | $ | 103.36 | $ | 130.44 | $ | 148.26 | $ | 184.97 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| S&P 500 Index | $ | 100.00 | $ | 121.83 | $ | 116.49 | $ | 153.17 | $ | 181.35 | $ | 233.40 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
NOTE 1: Index Data: Copyright Russell Investments. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
NOTE 2: Index Data: Copyright Standard and Poor’s, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
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ITEM 6.[RESERVED]
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ITEM 7.MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis of our consolidated financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. The following discussion provides an analysis of our results of operations and reasons for material changes therein for 2021 as compared to 2020. Discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for 2020 as compared to 2019 is included in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on February 24, 2021.
Our Business
The Company is an industry-leading racing, online wagering and gaming entertainment company anchored by our iconic flagship event, the Kentucky Derby. We own and operate three pari-mutuel gaming entertainment venues with approximately 3,050 historical racing machines ("HRMs") in Kentucky. We also own and operate TwinSpires, one of the largest and most profitable online wagering platforms for horse racing, sports and iGaming in the U.S. and we have nine retail sportsbooks. We are also a leader in brick-and-mortar casino gaming in eight states with approximately 11,000 slot machines and video lottery terminals ("VLTs") and 200 table games. We were organized as a Kentucky corporation in 1928, and our principal executive offices are in Louisville, Kentucky.
During the first quarter of 2021, we updated our operating segments to reflect the internal management reporting used by our chief operating decision maker to evaluate results of operations and to assess performance and allocate resources. Our internal management reporting changed primarily due to the continued growth from Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel ("Oak Grove") and Turfway Park Racing & Gaming (“Turfway Park”), which opened its annex HRM facility, Newport Racing & Gaming ("Newport"), in October 2020, which resulted in our chief operating decision maker's decision to include Oak Grove, Turfway Park and Newport in the new Live and Historical Racing segment. The Live and Historical Racing segment now includes Churchill Downs Racetrack, Derby City Gaming, Oak Grove, Turfway Park, and Newport. We also realigned our retail sports betting results at our wholly owned casinos from our Gaming segment to our TwinSpires segment. As a result of this realignment, our operating segments that meet the requirements to be disclosed separately as reportable segments are: Live and Historical Racing, TwinSpires, and Gaming. For additional information, refer to Note 22 to the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Impact of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. The COVID-19 global pandemic resulted in travel limitations and business and government shutdowns which had a significant negative economic impact in the United States and to our business. Although vaccines are available, we cannot predict the duration of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic, including the emergence of variant strains, will continue to impact the Company remains uncertain and will depend on many factors that are not within our control.
In March 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, we temporarily suspended operations at our wholly owned and managed gaming properties, announced the temporary furlough of our employees at these properties and certain racing operations and implemented a temporary salary reduction for all remaining non-furloughed salaried employees based on a percentage that varied dependent upon the amount of each employee’s salary. The most senior level of executive management received the largest salary decrease, based on both percentage and dollar amount.
In May 2020, we began to reopen our properties with patron restrictions and gaming limitations. One property suspended operations again in July 2020 and reopened in August 2020, and three properties suspended operations in December 2020 and reopened in January 2021. All of our gaming properties have remained open since January 2021.
The 146th Kentucky Oaks and Derby were held in the third quarter of 2020 without spectators. During the second quarter of 2021, we held the 147th Kentucky Oaks and Derby with capacity restrictions in compliance with Kentucky venue limitations at that time. The capacity restrictions limited reserved seating in each area to approximately 40% to 60% capacity and limited general admission tickets. Due to such restrictions, our revenues from the Kentucky Oaks and Derby in each year were significantly less than we would otherwise expect.
Assets Held for Sale
On September 29, 2021, the Company announced an agreement to sell the 326-acre property in Arlington Heights, Illinois (the "Arlington Property"), which is the current home of Arlington International Racecourse ("Arlington"), to the Chicago Bears for $197.2 million. The closing of the sale of the Arlington Property is subject to the satisfaction of various closing conditions. The Company anticipates closing the sale of the Arlington Property in early 2023.
The Company has classified certain assets of Arlington totaling $81.5 million as held for sale as of December 31, 2021, on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Arlington’s operations and assets are included in All Other in our consolidated
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results. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recorded $1.4 million of severance costs and $3.9 million related to our multi-employer pension liability in conjunction with the announced sale of the Arlington Property.
On November 22, 2021, the Company announced an agreement to sell 115.7 acres of land near Calder Casino for $291.0 million or approximately $2.5 million per acre to Link Logistics Real Estate, a Blackstone portfolio company. The closing of the sale of the property is subject to the satisfaction of various closing conditions. The Company anticipates closing the sale of the property in the first half of 2022.
The Company has classified certain assets of Calder totaling $6.3 million as held for sale as of December 31, 2021, on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Calder's operations and assets are included in Gaming in our consolidated results.
Natural Disaster
In August 2021, Hurricane Ida caused damage to portions of Louisiana, including Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, and 15 off-track betting facilities ("OTBs") owned by Video Services, LLC ("VSI") (collectively, "Fair Grounds and VSI"). All of the Fair Grounds and VSI operations were reopened as of December 31, 2021, with the exception of two OTBs.
The Company carries property and casualty insurance, as well as business interruption insurance subject to certain deductibles. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has recorded a reduction of property and equipment, net of $2.8 million and incurred $2.5 million in operating expenses. Through December 31, 2021, the Company has received $2.7 million in insurance recoveries from our carriers, and has an insurance recovery receivable of $2.6 million at December 31, 2021. The Company is currently working with its insurance carriers to finalize its claim. We continue to assess damages and insurance coverage, and we currently do not expect our losses to exceed the applicable insurance recoveries.
Key Indicators to Evaluate Business Results and Financial Condition
Our management monitors a variety of key indicators to evaluate our business results and financial condition. These indicators include changes in net revenue, operating expense, operating income, earnings per share, outstanding debt balance, operating cash flow and capital spend.
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). We also use non-GAAP measures, including EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and Adjusted EBITDA. We believe that the use of Adjusted EBITDA as a key performance measure of results of operations enables management and investors to evaluate and compare from period to period our operating performance in a meaningful and consistent manner. Our chief operating decision maker utilizes Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate segment performance, develop strategy and allocate resources. Adjusted EBITDA is a supplemental measure of our performance that is not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net income (as determined in accordance with GAAP) as a measure of our operating results.
Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted for the following:
Adjusted EBITDA includes our portion of EBITDA from our equity investments.
Adjusted EBITDA excludes:
•Transaction expense, net which includes:
–Acquisition, disposition, and land sale related charges; and
–Other transaction expense, including legal, accounting and other deal-related expense.
•Stock-based compensation expense;
•Rivers Des Plaines' impact on our investments in unconsolidated affiliates from:
–The impact of changes in fair value of interest rate swaps, and
–Legal reserves and transaction costs.
•Asset impairments,
•Legal reserves,
•Pre-opening expense, and
•Other charges, recoveries and expenses
For segment reporting, Adjusted EBITDA includes intercompany revenue and expense totals that are eliminated in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss). See the Reconciliation of Comprehensive Income (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDA included in this section for additional information.
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Business Highlights
In 2021, we delivered strong performance while continuing the execution of a number of organic investments that we believe will provide long-term sustainable value creation. We delivered strong growth in net revenue, operating income, net income, and Adjusted EBITDA:
•Net revenue was $1.6 billion, up $543.2 million, or 51.5% from fiscal year 2020;
•Operating income was $284.4 million, up $224.2 million from fiscal year 2020;
•Net income attributable to Churchill Downs Incorporated was $249.1 million, up $331.0 million from fiscal year 2020; and
•Adjusted EBITDA was $627.0 million, up $340.5 million, or 118.8% from fiscal year 2020.
Live and Historical Racing Segment:
•Adjusted EBITDA was $175.0 million, up $135.9 million compared to 2020.
•Derby Week returned to its traditional spring dates at Churchill Downs Racetrack with the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks with over 51,000 fans gathered in person to watch the most exciting two minutes in sports on the first Saturday in May.
•In July 2021, we announced three major multi-year capital investments at Churchill Downs Racetrack: The Homestretch Club, the Turn 1 Experience, and the Paddock and Under the Spires projects.
•Derby City Gaming delivered record net revenue and Adjusted EBITDA. We also announced plans to invest $76.0 million at Derby City Gaming to expand the facility for up to 450 additional gaming positions and to build a new five-story hotel with 123 rooms including amenities to better serve and attract guests.
•Oak Grove delivered strong growth in net revenue and Adjusted EBITDA in its first full year of operation. We successfully completed and opened the final components of the facility including the equestrian center, outdoor concert venue, and RV Park in the first quarter of 2021.
•We continued building the new HRM and grandstand facility at Turfway Park and are on schedule to open the new entertainment venue in September 2022.
•Announced plans to open Derby City Gaming Downtown in downtown Louisville, Kentucky as a new entertainment venue with 500 HRMs.
•Legislation was developed and approved by the Kentucky legislative bodies and signed by the Governor on February 22, 2021 that resolved the legality of historical horse racing.
TwinSpires Segment:
•Adjusted EBITDA was $78.0 million, down $34.9 million compared to 2020.
–Horse Racing Adjusted EBITDA was down $7.8 million compared to 2020; and
–Sports and Casino Adjusted EBITDA was a $27.1 million increased loss compared to 2020.
•We launched mobile sports betting and iGaming in Michigan in January 2021, and mobile sports betting in Tennessee in March 2021, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Colorado in April 2021 and Arizona in September 2021, and we launched a retail sportsbook at Ocean Downs in December 2021.
Gaming
•The Gaming Segment delivered a record $411.9 million of Adjusted EBITDA, an increase of $238.8 million, or 138.0%, compared to 2020, despite restrictions at our properties during the year and disruption from Hurricane Ida at Fair Grounds and VSI.
•The team delivered record wholly-owned casino margins of 36.6% in 2021, up 1110 basis points from 2020.
•Our equity investments, Rivers Des Plaines and MVG, contributed 43.0% of the Adjusted EBITDA growth compared to 2020.
•We were selected by the Indiana Gaming Commission to develop the Queen of Terre Haute Casino Resort in Vigo County, Indiana. We will be investing up to $260.0 million in a new entertainment venue with 1,000 slot machines, 50 tables games, a 125-room luxury hotel, a state-of-the-art TwinSpires Sportsbook and other food and beverage offerings.
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•During the second quarter of 2021, the Louisiana State Legislature passed a bill that was signed by the Governor that allows Fair Grounds to have up to 50 HRMs in its OTBs. Fair Grounds currently operates 15 OTBs and is developing plans to incorporate a total of approximately 600 HRMs into 14 of its existing OTBs.
•We announced an announced an agreement to sell 115.7 acres of land near Calder Casino for $291.0 million or approximately $2.5 million per acre to Link Logistics Real Estate in the second quarter of 2022.
All Other
•We announced an agreement to sell Arlington Park, our 326-acre property in Arlington Heights, Illinois, for $197.2 million to the Chicago Bears in early 2023.
•We repurchased one million shares of our common stock from The Duchossois Group for $193.94 per share ($193.9 million total) in a privately negotiated transaction.
We signed a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment LLC for total consideration of $2.485 billion.
The Company’s total shareholder return was 24% for 2021 compared to 26% for the Russell 1000 and 29% for the S&P 500. The Company’s five-year total shareholder return for 2021 was 392% compared to 133% for both the Russell 1000 and the S&P 500. The preceding shareholder return calculations assume dividends are reinvested.
We are committed to delivering strong financial results and long-term sustainable growth. We have strong cash flow and a solid balance sheet that supports organic growth as well as potential strategic acquisitions that we believe will create long-term value for our shareholders.
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Our Operations
We manage our operations through three reportable segments: Live and Historical Racing, TwinSpires, and Gaming.
Refer to Part I, Item 1. Business, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information on our segments and a description of our competition and government regulations and potential legislative changes that affect our business.
Consolidated Financial Results
The following table reflects our net revenue, operating income, net income (loss), Adjusted EBITDA, and certain other financial information:
| Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Net revenue | $ | 1,597.2 | $ | 1,054.0 | $ | 543.2 | |||||||||||
| Operating income | 284.4 | 60.2 | 224.2 | ||||||||||||||
| Operating income margin | 17.8 | % | 5.7 | % | |||||||||||||
| Net income from continuing operations | $ | 249.1 | $ | 13.3 | $ | 235.8 | |||||||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to Churchill Downs Incorporated | 249.1 | (81.9) | 331.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | 627.0 | 286.5 | 340.5 | ||||||||||||||
Year Ended December 31, 2021, Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2020
•Net revenue increased $543.2 million driven by a $260.1 million increase from Gaming due to the temporary suspension of operations of all of our Gaming properties in the prior year; a $239.5 million increase from Live and Historical Racing primarily due to the running the 147th Kentucky Oaks and Derby with capacity restrictions in 2021 compared to the running of the 146th Kentucky Oaks and Derby in 2020 without spectators, the temporary suspension of operations at Derby City Gaming in the prior year, and the opening of Oak Grove HRM facility in September 2020 and Newport in October 2020; a $26.4 million increase from All Other primarily due to the temporary suspension of operations in the prior year at Arlington and United Tote; and a $17.2 million increase in TwinSpires primarily due to our expansion in additional states related to our Sports and Casino business.
•Operating income increased $224.2 million due to a $141.7 million increase from Gaming due to the increase in net revenue and increased operating efficiencies; a $129.6 million increase in Live and Historical primarily due to the increase in net revenue and increased operating efficiencies at Derby City Gaming; a $13.7 million increase in All Other due to the increase in net revenue at Arlington and United Tote; and a $2.2 million decrease in asset impairments. Partially offsetting these increases were a $32.4 million decrease in TwinSpires primarily due to additional marketing spend related to the Sports and Casino business; a $23.7 million increase in selling, general and administrative expense primarily due to an increase in accrued bonuses in the current year; and a $6.9 million increase in transaction expense, net due an increase in land sale related costs.
•Net income from continuing operations increased $235.8 million. The following items impacted comparability of the Company's net income from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the prior year: a $18.9 million after-tax expense decrease related to our equity portion of the non-cash change in the fair value of Rivers Des Plaines' interest rate swaps; a $1.9 million non-cash tax decrease related to the re-measurement of our net deferred tax liabilities based on the impact of revenue related to states with higher tax rates in 2020 that did not recur in the current year; and a $1.0 million non-cash after-tax decrease in asset impairments. Partially offsetting these decreases were a $13.3 million tax benefit related to our net operating loss in 2020 that did not recur in the current year; a $7.1 million after-tax increase related to our equity portion of the Rivers Des Plaines' transaction costs and legal reserves; and a $0.4 million after-tax increase in transaction, pre-opening and other expenses. Excluding these items, net income from continuing operations increased $234.8 million primarily due to a $236.5 million after-tax increase driven by the results of our operations and equity income from our unconsolidated affiliates, partially offset by a $1.7 million after-tax increase in interest expense associated with higher outstanding debt balances.
•Our net income attributable to Churchill Downs Incorporated increased $331.0 million due to a $235.8 million increase in net income from continuing operations discussed above and a $95.4 million net loss from discontinued operations in 2020 that did not recur in the current year, partially offset by $0.2 million decrease from other sources.
•Our Adjusted EBITDA increased $340.5 million driven by a $238.8 million increase from Gaming primarily due to the increased operating efficiencies at our wholly-owned properties and equity investments and temporary suspension of operations in the prior year; a $135.9 million increase from Live and Historical Racing primarily due to the running the 147th Kentucky Oaks and Derby with capacity restrictions in 2021 compared to the running of the 146th Kentucky
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Oaks and Derby in 2020 without spectators, the increased operating efficiencies and the temporary suspension of operations at Derby City Gaming in the prior year, and the opening of Oak Grove HRM facility in September 2020; and a $0.7 million increase from All Other primarily due to the temporary suspension of operations at Arlington and United Tote in the prior year, partially offset by a decrease in Corporate primarily due to an increase in accrued bonus in the current year. Partially offsetting these increases was a $34.9 million decrease from TwinSpires primarily due to increased marketing and promotional activities from Sports and Casino and a decrease in net revenue from Horse Racing.
Financial Results by Segment
Net Revenue by Segment
The following table presents net revenue for our segments, including intercompany revenue:
| Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Live and Historical Racing: | |||||||||||||||||
| Churchill Downs Racetrack | $ | 148.0 | $ | 81.1 | $ | 66.9 | |||||||||||
| Derby City Gaming | 154.3 | 79.5 | 74.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Oak Grove | 100.7 | 16.6 | 84.1 | ||||||||||||||
| Newport | 17.9 | 3.1 | 14.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Turfway Park | 9.7 | 8.5 | 1.2 | ||||||||||||||
| Total Live and Historical Racing | 430.6 | 188.8 | 241.8 | ||||||||||||||
| TwinSpires: | |||||||||||||||||
| Horse Racing | 398.3 | 404.7 | (6.4) | ||||||||||||||
| Sports and Casino | 34.8 | 11.3 | 23.5 | ||||||||||||||
| Total TwinSpires | 433.1 | 416.0 | 17.1 | ||||||||||||||
| Gaming: | |||||||||||||||||
| Fair Grounds Slots and VSI | 136.2 | 99.9 | 36.3 | ||||||||||||||
| Presque Isle | 119.9 | 73.3 | 46.6 | ||||||||||||||
| Ocean Downs | 100.6 | 60.2 | 40.4 | ||||||||||||||
| Calder | 100.1 | 51.8 | 48.3 | ||||||||||||||
| Oxford | 99.8 | 44.9 | 54.9 | ||||||||||||||
| Riverwalk | 61.2 | 46.3 | 14.9 | ||||||||||||||
| Harlow's | 56.1 | 40.7 | 15.4 | ||||||||||||||
| Lady Luck Nemacolin | 24.5 | 20.7 | 3.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Total Gaming | 698.4 | 437.8 | 260.6 | ||||||||||||||
| All Other | 73.9 | 46.4 | 27.5 | ||||||||||||||
| Eliminations | (38.8) | (35.0) | (3.8) | ||||||||||||||
| Net Revenue | $ | 1,597.2 | $ | 1,054.0 | $ | 543.2 | |||||||||||
Year Ended December 31, 2021, Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2020
•Live and Historical revenue increased $241.8 million primarily due to a $84.1 million increase at Oak Grove as a result of the opening of the HRM facility in September 2020 and the hotel in October 2020; a $74.8 million increase at Derby City Gaming primarily due to the temporary suspension of operations during the prior year and the completion of their second outdoor patio which added an additional 225 HRMs in September 2020; a $66.9 million increase at Churchill Downs Racetrack due to the running of the 147th Kentucky Oaks and Derby with capacity restrictions in 2021 compared to the running of the 146th Kentucky Oaks and Derby in 2020 without spectators, a $14.8 million increase at Newport due to the opening of the facility in October 2020; and a $1.2 million increase at Turfway Park primarily due to the temporary suspension of operations during the prior year.
•TwinSpires revenue increased $17.1 million from the prior year primarily due to a $23.5 million increase from Sports and Casino driven by the expansion in additional states and marketing and promotional activities. Horse Racing
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revenue decreased $6.4 million, or 1.6%, as a portion of our patrons returned to wagering at brick-and-mortar facilities in 2021 instead of wagering online..
•Gaming revenue increased $260.6 million primarily due to the temporary suspension of operations of all of our Gaming properties and the loss of revenue at each property during 2020.
•All Other revenue increased $27.5 million primarily due to an increase of $21.7 million at Arlington and a $5.4 million increase at United Tote, both of which were due to the temporary suspension of operations in the prior year, and a $0.4 million increase from other sources.
Consolidated Operating Expense
The following table is a summary of our consolidated operating expense:
| Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Taxes and purses | $ | 434.5 | $ | 268.3 | $ | 166.2 | |||||||||||
| Content expense | 182.6 | 178.4 | 4.2 | ||||||||||||||
| Salaries and benefits | 170.3 | 140.5 | 29.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expense | 138.5 | 114.8 | 23.7 | ||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 103.2 | 92.9 | 10.3 | ||||||||||||||
| Marketing and advertising expense | 74.5 | 31.4 | 43.1 | ||||||||||||||
| Asset impairments | 15.3 | 17.5 | (2.2) | ||||||||||||||
| Transaction expense, net | 7.9 | 1.0 | 6.9 | ||||||||||||||
| Other operating expense | 186.0 | 149.0 | 37.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Total expense | $ | 1,312.8 | $ | 993.8 | $ | 319.0 | |||||||||||
| Percent of revenue | 82 | % | 94 | % | |||||||||||||
Year Ended December 31, 2021, Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Significant items affecting comparability of consolidated operating expense include:
•Taxes and purses increased $166.2 million driven by the temporary suspension of operations in 2020, and the opening of the Oak Grove HRM facility in September 2020 and Newport in October 2020.
•Content expense increased $4.2 million primarily due to an increase in certain host fees and source market fees for our TwinSpires Horse Racing business.
•Salaries and benefits expense increased $29.8 million driven by the temporary suspension of operations in 2020, and the opening of the Oak Grove HRM facility in September 2020 and Newport in October 2020.
•Selling, general and administrative expense increased $23.7 million primarily driven from an increase in our accrued bonuses in 2021 compared to the prior year due to the temporary suspension of operations in the prior year.
•Depreciation and amortization expense increased $10.3 million primarily driven by the opening of the Oak Grove HRM facility in September 2020 and Newport in October 2020.
•Marketing and advertising expense increased $43.1 million primarily due to increased marketing by our TwinSpires segment, and the temporary suspension of operations in the prior year.
•Asset impairments decreased $2.2 million driven by an $11.2 million non-cash asset impairment at Churchill Downs Racetrack related to revised capital plans associated with the first turn project during 2021 and a $4.1 million non-cash impairment charge related to certain assets in the TwinSpires segment where the carrying value exceeded the estimated fair value, offset by the $17.5 million non-cash intangible asset impairment in 2020 that did not recur in the current year.
•Transaction expense, net increased $6.9 million due to increased legal and professional expenses and land sale related costs associated with Arlington and Calder.
•Other operating expense includes maintenance, utilities, food and beverage costs, property taxes and insurance and other operating expenses. Other operating expense increased $37.0 million primarily driven by the temporary
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suspension of operations at our properties during 2020, and the opening of the Oak Grove HRM facility in September 2020 and Newport in October 2020.
Adjusted EBITDA
We believe that the use of Adjusted EBITDA as a key performance measure of the results of operations enables management and investors to evaluate and compare from period to period our operating performance in a meaningful and consistent manner. Adjusted EBITDA is a supplemental measure of our performance that is not required by or presented in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net income (as determined in accordance with GAAP) as a measure of our operating results.
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Live and Historical Racing | $ | 175.0 | $ | 39.1 | $ | 135.9 | |||||||||||
| TwinSpires | 78.0 | 112.9 | (34.9) | ||||||||||||||
| Gaming | 411.9 | 173.1 | 238.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Total segment Adjusted EBITDA | 664.9 | 325.1 | 339.8 | ||||||||||||||
| All Other | (37.9) | (38.6) | 0.7 | ||||||||||||||
| Total Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 627.0 | $ | 286.5 | $ | 340.5 | |||||||||||
Year Ended December 31, 2021, Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2020
•Live and Historical Racing Adjusted EBITDA increased $135.9 million due to a $52.1 million increase at Churchill Downs Racetrack primarily due to the running of the 147th Kentucky Oaks and Derby with capacity restrictions in 2021 compared to the running of the 146th Kentucky Oaks and Derby in 2020 without spectators; a $47.1 million increase at Derby City Gaming due to the increase in net revenue, increased operating efficiencies, and the temporary suspension of operations during 2021; a $33.2 million increase at Oak Grove as a result of the opening of the HRM facility in September 2020; a $2.8 million increase at Newport due to the opening of the facility in October 2020; and a $0.7 million increase at Turfway due to the temporary suspension of operations during 2020.
•TwinSpires Adjusted EBITDA decreased $34.9 million primarily due to a $27.1 million increase in the loss from our Sports and Casino business due to increased marketing and promotional activities and a $7.8 million decrease from Horse Racing primarily due to the decrease in net revenue.
•Gaming Adjusted EBITDA increased $238.8 million driven by an $136.0 million increase at our wholly-owned Gaming properties and a $102.8 million increase from our equity investments, both of which are due to the temporary suspension of operations of all of our Gaming properties in 2020.
•All Other Adjusted EBITDA increased $0.7 million primarily due to an $11.1 million increase at Arlington and $1.7 million increase at United Tote, both of which were due to the temporary suspension of operations in 2020, partially offset by a $11.9 million decrease at Corporate primarily due to an increase in accrued bonus in the current year, and a $0.2 million decrease from other sources.
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Reconciliation of Comprehensive Income (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDA
| Years Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) and comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Churchill Downs Incorporated | $ | 249.1 | $ | (81.9) | $ | 331.0 | |||||||||||
| Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest | — | 0.2 | (0.2) | ||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | 249.1 | (82.1) | 331.2 | ||||||||||||||
| Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax | — | 95.4 | (95.4) | ||||||||||||||
| Income from continuing operations, net of tax | 249.1 | 13.3 | 235.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Additions: | |||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 103.2 | 92.9 | 10.3 | ||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | 84.7 | 80.0 | 4.7 | ||||||||||||||
| Income tax provision (benefit) | 94.5 | (5.3) | 99.8 | ||||||||||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 531.5 | $ | 180.9 | $ | 350.6 | |||||||||||
| Adjustments to EBITDA: | |||||||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative: | |||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation expense | $ | 27.8 | $ | 23.7 | $ | 4.1 | |||||||||||
| Other charges | 0.2 | 0.8 | (0.6) | ||||||||||||||
| Pre-opening expense and other expense | 5.8 | 11.2 | (5.4) | ||||||||||||||
| Other income, expense: | |||||||||||||||||
| Interest, depreciation and amortization expense related to equity investments | 41.5 | 38.5 | 3.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Changes in fair value of Rivers Des Plaines' interest rate swaps | (12.9) | 12.9 | (25.8) | ||||||||||||||
| Rivers Des Plaines' legal reserves and transactions costs | 9.9 | — | 9.9 | ||||||||||||||
| Transaction expense, net | 7.9 | 1.0 | 6.9 | ||||||||||||||
| Asset impairments | 15.3 | 17.5 | (2.2) | ||||||||||||||
| Total adjustments to EBITDA | 95.5 | 105.6 | (10.1) | ||||||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 627.0 | $ | 286.5 | $ | 340.5 | |||||||||||
Consolidated Balance Sheet
The following table is a summary of our overall financial position:
| As of December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Total assets | $ | 2,981.6 | $ | 2,686.4 | $ | 295.2 | |||||||||||
| Total liabilities | 2,674.8 | 2,319.3 | 355.5 | ||||||||||||||
| Total shareholders’ equity | 306.8 | 367.1 | (60.3) | ||||||||||||||
•Total assets increased $295.2 million driven by a $223.9 million increase in cash and cash equivalents primarily due to the net proceeds from the new Term Loan B-1 and Additional 2028 Notes and the increase in operating income for the year; a $33.0 million increase in investment in and advances to unconsolidated affiliates due to the Company's interest in Rivers Des Plaines and MVG; a $16.6 million increase in income taxes receivable due to the payment of the Kater and Thimmegowda litigation settlements in 2021 partially offset by our current year taxable income; and a $21.7 million increase in all other assets.
•Total liabilities increased $355.5 million driven by a $204.6 million increase in notes payable due to the proceeds from our Additional 2028 Notes; a $138.1 million increase in long-term debt due to the proceeds from the new Term Loan B-1 under our Credit Agreement; a $64.8 million increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities driven by an increase in accrued bonuses, purses payable due to timing, and increased account wagering deposits with TwinSpires;
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a $39.0 million increase in deferred income taxes primarily driven by the payment of the Kater and Thimmegowda litigation settlements in 2021; a $14.9 million increase in current deferred revenue due to an increase in cash receipts related to the 2022 Kentucky Oaks and Derby; and an $18.1 million increase in all other liabilities. Partially offsetting these increases was a $124.0 million decrease in current liabilities of discontinued operations due to the payment of the Kater and Thimmegowda litigation settlements.
•Total shareholders’ equity decreased $60.3 million driven by $297.5 million in repurchases of common stock, $26.1 million from our annual dividend declared in December 2021, and $16.1 million in taxes paid related to net share settlement of stock awards. Partially offsetting these decreases were $249.1 million current year net income attributable to Churchill Downs Incorporated, $27.8 million from stock-based compensation, and $2.5 million from other sources.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our primary sources of liquidity and capital resources have been and will continue to be cash flow from operations, borrowings under our Credit Facility, and proceeds from the issuance of debt securities. Our ongoing liquidity will depend on a number of factors, including available cash resources, cash flow from operations, acquisitions or equity investments, funding of construction for development projects, and our compliance with our covenants under our Credit Facility.
The following table is a summary of our liquidity and cash flows:
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Cash Flows from: | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating activities | $ | 459.5 | $ | 143.2 | $ | 316.3 | |||||||||||
| Investing activities | (100.4) | (239.4) | 139.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Financing activities | (0.5) | 76.0 | (76.5) | ||||||||||||||
Operating Cash Flow
Cash provided by operating activities increased $316.3 million driven by a $224.2 million increase in operating income related to continuing operations, a $78.7 million increase in distributions from unconsolidated affiliates, and a $13.4 million increase from all other operating activities. We anticipate that cash flows from operations over the next twelve months will be adequate to fund our business operations and capital expenditures.
Investing Cash Flow
Cash used in investing activities decreased $139.0 million driven by $158.9 million decrease in capital project expenditures due to reduced capital project spending in 2021 compared to prior year. Partially offsetting this decrease was a $16.5 million increase in capital maintenance expenditures and a $3.4 million increase from all other investing activities.
Financing Cash Flow
Cash provided by financing activities decreased $76.5 million driven by a $269.1 million increase in common stock repurchases and a $11.6 million decrease from all other financing activities. Partially offsetting this decrease was a $204.2 million increase in net borrowings from long-term debt.
Capital Expenditures
Included in cash flows from investing activities are capital maintenance expenditures and capital project expenditures. Capital maintenance expenditures relate to the replacement of existing fixed assets with a useful life greater than one year that are obsolete, exhausted, or no longer cost effective to repair. Capital project expenditures represent fixed asset additions related to land or building improvements to new or existing assets or purchases of new (non-replacement) equipment or software related to specific projects deemed necessary expenditures.
We have announced several project capital investments during the past year, including the following: Churchill Downs Racetrack Homestretch Club, Churchill Downs Racetrack Turn I Experience, Derby City Gaming Expansion and Hotel, Derby City Gaming Downtown, Turfway Park HRM Facility and Grandstand, the Queen of Terre Haute Casino Resort, and Louisiana HRMs in our OTBs. We are currently estimating that we will spend between $300 million and $350 million for project capital in 2022, although this amount may vary significantly based on the timing of work completed, unanticipated delays, and timing of payments to third parties.
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Common Stock Repurchase Program
On September 29, 2021, the Board of Directors of the Company approved a common stock repurchase program of up to $500.0 million (“2021 Stock Repurchase Program”). The 2021 Stock Repurchase Program includes and is not in addition to the unspent amount remaining under the prior 2018 Stock Purchase Program authorization. Repurchases may be made at management’s discretion from time to time on the open market (either with or without a 10b5-1 plan) or through privately negotiated transactions. The repurchase program has no time limit and may be suspended or discontinued at any time. We had $445.6 million of repurchase authority remaining under this program at December 31, 2021.
Dividends
On October 26, 2021, the Company's Board of Directors approved an annual cash dividend on our common stock of $0.667 per outstanding share, which represented a 7% increase over the prior year. The dividend was payable on January 7, 2022 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 3, 2021. The 7% increase marked the 11th consecutive year that the Company has increased the dividend. The payment and amount of future dividends will be determined by the Board of Directors and will depend upon, among other things, our operating results, financial condition, cash requirements and general business conditions at the time such payment is considered.
Credit Facilities and Indebtedness
The following table presents our debt outstanding, bond premium and debt issuance costs:
| As of December 31, | Change | ||||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Term Loan B due 2024 | $ | 384.0 | $ | 388.0 | $ | (4.0) | |||||||||||
| Term Loan B-1 due 2028 | 297.8 | — | 297.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Revolver | — | 149.7 | (149.7) | ||||||||||||||
| 2027 Senior Notes | 600.0 | 600.0 | — | ||||||||||||||
| 2028 Senior Notes | 700.0 | 500.0 | 200.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Total Debt | 1,981.8 | 1,637.7 | 344.1 | ||||||||||||||
| Current maturities of long-term debt | 7.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Total debt, net of current maturities | 1,974.8 | 1,633.7 | 341.1 | ||||||||||||||
| Issuance cost and fees | (13.8) | (15.4) | 1.6 | ||||||||||||||
| Total debt | $ | 1,961.0 | $ | 1,618.3 | $ | 342.7 | |||||||||||
Credit Agreement
On December 27, 2017, we entered into a senior secured credit agreement (as amended, the "Credit Agreement") with a syndicate of lenders. The Credit Agreement provides for a $700.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility due 2024 (the "Revolver") and a $400.0 million Senior Secured Term Loan B due 2024 (the "Term Loan B"). Included in the maximum borrowing of $700.0 million under the Revolver is a letter of credit sub facility not to exceed $50.0 million and a swing line commitment up to a maximum principal amount of $50.0 million. The Credit Agreement is collateralized by substantially all of the wholly-owned assets of the Company. The Company capitalized debt issuance costs of $1.6 million associated with the Revolver and $5.1 million associated with the Term Loan B, both of which are being amortized over the respective debt period.
The Term Loan B requires quarterly payments of 0.25% of the original $400.0 million balance, or $1.0 million per quarter. The Term Loan B may be subject to additional mandatory prepayment from excess cash flow on an annual basis per the provisions of the 2017 Credit Agreement. The Company is required to pay a commitment fee on the unused portion of the Revolver determined by a pricing grid based on the consolidated total net leverage ratio of the Company. For the period ended December 31, 2021, the Company's commitment fee rate was 0.20%.
On April 28, 2020, the Company entered into a Second Amendment to the Credit Agreement, which (i) provided for a financial covenant relief period through the date on which the Company delivered the Company's quarterly financial statements and compliance certificate for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2021, subject to certain exceptions (the "Financial Covenant Relief Period"), (ii) amended the definition of "Consolidated EBITDA" in the Credit Agreement with respect to the calculation of Consolidated EBITDA for the first two fiscal quarters after the termination of the Financial Covenant Relief Period, (iii) extended certain deadlines and makes certain other amendments to the Company’s financial reporting obligations, (iv) placed certain restrictions on restricted payments during the Financial Covenant Relief Period, and (v) amended the definitions of "Material Adverse Effect" and "License Revocation" in the Credit Agreement to take into consideration COVID-19.
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On February 1, 2021, the Company entered into the Third Amendment to the Credit Agreement to increase the restricted payments capacity during the Financial Covenant Relief Period from $26.0 million to $226.0 million to accommodate a share repurchase from an affiliate of The Duchossois Group, Inc. Refer to Note 11, Shareholders' Equity, of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding this transaction.
On March 17, 2021, the Company entered into the Incremental Joinder Agreement No. 1 (the "Joinder") to its Credit Agreement which provided $300.0 million in New Term Loan Commitments ("Term Loan B-1") as a new tranche of term loans under the existing Credit Agreement (as conformed to recognize the new loan), and carries a maturity date of March 17, 2028. The Term Loan B-1 bears interest at LIBOR plus 200 basis points and requires quarterly payments of 0.25% of the original $300.0 million balance. The Term Loan B-1 may be subject to additional mandatory prepayment from excess cash flow on an annual basis per the provisions of the Credit Agreement. The Company capitalized $3.5 million of debt issuance costs associated with the Joinder which are being amortized as interest expense over the 7-year term of the Term Loan B-1.
The interest rate on the Revolver on December 31, 2021 was LIBOR plus 137.5 basis points based on the Revolver pricing grid in the Second Amendment and the Company's net leverage ratio as of September 30, 2021. The Term Loan B and Term Loan B-1 bear interest at LIBOR plus 200 basis points.
The Credit Agreement contains certain customary affirmative and negative covenants, which include limitations on liens, investments, indebtedness, dispositions, mergers and acquisitions, the making of restricted payments, changes in the nature of business, changes in fiscal year, and transactions with affiliates. The Credit Agreement also contains financial covenants providing for the maintenance of a maximum consolidated secured net leverage ratio and maintenance of a minimum consolidated interest coverage ratio.
| Actual | Requirement | ||||||||||||||||
| Interest coverage ratio | 6.6 to 1.0 | > 2.5 to 1.0 | |||||||||||||||
| Consolidated total secured net leverage ratio | 0.9 to 1.0 | < 4.0 to 1.0 | |||||||||||||||
The Company was compliant with all applicable covenants on December 31, 2021.
2027 Senior Notes
On March 25, 2019, we completed an offering of $600.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.50% Senior Unsecured Notes that mature on April 1, 2027 (the "2027 Senior Notes") in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and to certain non-U.S. persons in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. The 2027 Senior Notes were issued at par, with interest payable on April 1st and October 1st of each year, commencing on October 1, 2019. The Company used the net proceeds from the offering to repay our outstanding balance on the Revolver portion of our Credit Agreement. In connection with the offering, we capitalized $8.9 million of debt issuance costs which are being amortized as interest expense over the term of the 2027 Senior Notes.
The 2027 Senior Notes were issued pursuant to an indenture, dated March 25, 2019 (the "2027 Indenture"), among the Company, certain subsidiaries of the Company as guarantors (the "2027 Guarantors"), and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. The Company may redeem some or all of the 2027 Senior Notes at any time at redemption prices set forth in the 2027 Indenture. The terms of the 2027 Indenture, among other things, limit the ability of the Company to: (i) incur additional debt and issue preferred stock; (ii) pay dividends or make other restricted payments; (iii) make certain investments; (iv) create liens; (v) allow restrictions on the ability of certain of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other payments; (vi) sell assets; (vii) merge or consolidate with other entities; and (viii) enter into transactions with affiliates.
2028 Senior Notes
On December 27, 2017, we completed an offering of $500.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.75% Senior Unsecured Notes that mature on January 15, 2028 (the "Existing 2028 Senior Notes") in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act, and to certain non-U.S. persons in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Existing 2028 Senior Notes were issued at par, with interest payable on January 15th and July 15th of each year, commencing on July 15, 2018. The Company used the net proceeds from the offering to repay a portion of our $600.0 million 5.375% Senior Unsecured Notes. In connection with the offering, we capitalized $7.7 million of debt issuance costs which are being amortized as interest expense over the term of the Existing 2028 Senior Notes.
The Existing 2028 Senior Notes were issued pursuant to an indenture, dated December 27, 2017 (the "2028 Indenture"), among the Company, certain subsidiaries of the Company as guarantors (the "2028 Guarantors"), and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. The Company may redeem some or all of the Existing 2028 Senior Notes at any time at redemption prices set forth in the 2028 Indenture. The terms of the 2028 Indenture, among other things, limit the ability of the Company to: (i) incur additional debt and issue preferred stock; (ii) pay dividends or make other restricted payments; (iii) make certain investments;
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(iv) create liens; (v) allow restrictions on the ability of certain of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other payments; (vi) sell assets; (vii) merge or consolidate with other entities; and (viii) enter into transactions with affiliates.
On March 17, 2021, the Company completed an offering of $200.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.75% Senior Unsecured Notes that mature on January 15, 2028 (the "Additional 2028 Notes") in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act, and to certain non-U.S. persons in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Additional 2028 Notes were offered under the indenture dated as of December 27, 2017, governing the Existing 2028 Senior Notes and form a part of the same series for purposes of the indenture. In connection with the offering, we capitalized $3.4 million of debt issuance costs which are being amortized as interest expense over the term of the Additional 2028 Notes. Upon completion of this offering, the aggregate principal amount outstanding of the Existing 2028 Notes, together with the Additional 2028 Notes (collectively the "2028 Senior Notes") is $700 million.
The Additional 2028 Notes were issued at 103.25% of the principal amount, plus interest deemed to have accrued from January 15, 2021, with interest payable on January 15th and July 15th of each year, commencing on July 15, 2021. The 2028 Senior Notes will vote as one class under the indenture governing the 2028 Senior Notes. The 3.25% premium will be amortized through interest expense, net over the term of the Additional 2028 Notes.
The Company used the net proceeds from the Additional 2028 Notes and the Term Loan B-1 (i) to repay indebtedness outstanding under our Revolving Credit Facility, (ii) to fund related transaction fees and expenses and (iii) for working capital and other general corporate purposes.
The Company may redeem some or all of the Additional 2028 Notes at any time as set forth in the 2028 Offering Memorandum.
In connection with the issuance of the Additional 2028 Notes, the Company and the 2028 Guarantors entered into a Registration Rights Agreement to register any 2028 Senior Notes under the Securities Act for resale that are not freely tradable 366 days from March 17, 2021.
Contractual Obligations
Our commitments to make future payments as of December 31, 2021, are estimated as follows:
| (in millions) | 2022 | 2023-2024 | 2025-2026 | Thereafter | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dividends | $ | 26.0 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 26.0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Term Loan B | 4.0 | 380.0 | — | — | 384.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Interest on Term Loan B (1) | 8.1 | 15.9 | — | — | 24.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Term Loan B-1 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 282.8 | 297.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Interest on Term Loan B-1 (1) | 6.4 | 12.6 | 12.3 | 7.3 | 38.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2027 Senior Notes | — | — | — | 600.0 | 600.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2028 Senior Notes | — | — | — | 700.0 | 700.0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest on 2027 Senior Notes | 33.0 | 66.0 | 66.0 | 16.5 | 181.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest on 2028 Senior Notes | 33.3 | 66.5 | 66.5 | 49.9 | 216.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating and Finance Leases | 6.7 | 12.2 | 11.0 | 14.5 | 44.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minimum Guarantees (2) | 12.6 | 25.6 | 19.9 | 26.3 | 84.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 133.1 | $ | 584.8 | $ | 181.7 | $ | 1,697.3 | $ | 2,596.9 | |||||||||||||||||||
(1) Interest includes the estimated contractual payments under our Credit Facility assuming no change in the weighted average borrowing rate of 2.11%, which was the rate in place as of December 31, 2021.
(2) Includes the maximum estimated exposure where we are contingently obligated to make future minimum payments.
As of December 31, 2021, we had approximately $3.9 million of unrecognized tax benefits.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our significant accounting policies and recently adopted accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2 to the notes to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP, which requires management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that we believe are reasonable based on our historical experience, contract terms,
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observance of known trends in our Company and the industry as a whole and information available from other outside sources. Our estimates affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from those initial estimates.
Our critical accounting estimates relate to goodwill and certain indefinite-lived intangible assets.
Goodwill and certain indefinite-lived intangible assets
Acquisition of certain identifiable indefinite-lived intangible assets
In conjunction with the acquisition of a business, the Company records identifiable indefinite-lived intangible assets acquired at their respective fair values as of the date of acquisition. Our indefinite-lived intangible assets primarily consist of gaming rights and trademarks. Gaming rights and trademarks are considered indefinite-lived intangible assets that do not require amortization based on our future expectations to operate our gaming facilities and use the trademarks indefinitely, and our historical experience in renewing these intangible assets at minimal cost with various state gaming commissions.
We use various valuation methods to determine initial fair value of our indefinite-lived intangible assets, including the Greenfield Method and relief-from-royalty method of the income approach, all of which use significant unobservable inputs, or Level 3 inputs, as defined by the fair value hierarchy. The use of these valuation methods requires us to make significant estimates and assumptions about future revenue and operating expenses, expected start-up costs, capital expenditures, royalty rate, and the discount rate. The fair values of gaming rights are generally determined using the Greenfield Method, which is an income approach methodology that calculates the present value based on a projected cash flow stream. This method assumes that the gaming rights provides the opportunity to develop a casino in a specified region, and that the present value of the projected cash flows are a result of the realization of advantages contained in these rights. Under this methodology, the acquirer is expected to absorb all start-up costs, as well as incur all expenses pertaining to the acquisition and/or the creation of all tangible and intangible assets. The estimated future revenue and operating expenses, start-up costs of the acquired business, and the discount rate are the primary assumptions and estimates used in these valuations. The fair values of trademarks are generally determined using the relief-from-royalty method of the income approach, which estimates the fair value of the intangible asset by discounting the fair value of the hypothetical royalty payments a market participant would be willing to pay to enjoy the benefits of the trademarks. The estimated future revenue, royalty rate, and the discount rate are the primary assumptions and estimates used in these valuations. The discount rates used to discount expected future cash flows to present value are generally derived from the weighted average cost of capital analysis and adjusted for the size and/or risk of the asset.
Assessments of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets
We perform our annual review for impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets on April 1 of each fiscal year, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not the asset is impaired. Adverse industry or economic trends, lower projections of profitability, or a sustained decline in our market capitalization, among other items, may be indications of potential impairment issues which are triggering events requiring the testing of an asset’s carrying value for recoverability.
Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are required to be tested annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that an asset is impaired. An entity may first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to complete the impairment test using a more likely than not criteria. If an entity believes it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is greater than the reporting unit's carrying value, including goodwill, the quantitative impairment test can be bypassed. Alternatively, an entity has an unconditional option to bypass the qualitative assessment and proceed directly to performing the quantitative impairment test. If a quantitative impairment test of goodwill is required, we generally determine the fair value under the market and income valuation approaches using inputs primarily related to discounted projected cash flows and price multiples of publicly traded comparable companies. If a quantitative impairment test of our indefinite-lived intangible assets is required, we generally determine the fair value using the Greenfield Method for gaming rights and relief-from-royalty method of the income approach for trademarks. Qualitative factors include macroeconomic conditions, industry and market conditions, cost factors and overall financial performance, among others. These factors require significant judgments and estimates, and application of alternative assumptions could produce materially different results. Evaluations of possible impairment require us to estimate, among other factors, forecasts of future operating results, revenue growth, operating expense, tax rates, start-up costs, capital expenditures, depreciation, working capital, discount rates, long-term growth rates, risk premiums, royalty rates, terminal values, and fair values of our reporting units and assets. The impairment tests for goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are subject to uncertainties arising from such events as changes in competitive conditions, the current economic environment, material changes in growth rate assumptions that could positively or negatively impact anticipated future operating conditions and cash flows, changes in the discount rate, and the impact of strategic decisions. If any of these factors were to materially change, such change may require a reevaluation of our goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets. Changes in estimates or the application of alternative assumptions could produce significantly different results.
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ITEM 7A.QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We are exposed to market risks arising from adverse changes in:
•general economic trends; and
•interest rate and credit risk.
General economic trends
Our business is sensitive to consumer confidence and reductions in consumers' discretionary spending, which may result from challenging economic conditions, unemployment levels and other changes in the economy. Demand for entertainment and leisure activities is sensitive to consumers’ disposable incomes, which can be adversely affected by economic conditions and unemployment levels. This could result in fewer patrons visiting our racetracks, gaming and wagering facilities, and online wagering sites and/or may impact our customers’ ability to wager with the same frequency and to maintain wagering levels.
Interest rate and credit risk
Our primary exposure to market risk relates to changes in interest rates. On December 31, 2021, we had $681.8 million outstanding under our Credit Agreement, which bears interest at LIBOR based variable rates. We are exposed to market risk on variable rate debt due to potential adverse changes in these rates. Assuming the outstanding balance of the debt facility remains constant, a one-percentage point increase in the LIBOR rate would reduce net income and cash flows from operating activities by $4.9 million. LIBOR is anticipated to be phased out by the end of 2023. The Credit Agreement includes a general process for establishing an alternative reference rate to the extent LIBOR is phased out. The impact of the use of alternative reference rates is not expected to have a material impact on our exposure to interest rate risk at this time.
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ITEM 8.FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
CHURCHILL DOWNS INCORPORATED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
for the years ended December 31,
| (in millions, except per common share data) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||||||||
| Net revenue: | |||||||||||||||||
| Live and Historical Racing | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
| TwinSpires | |||||||||||||||||
| Gaming | |||||||||||||||||
| All Other | |||||||||||||||||
| Total net revenue | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating expense: | |||||||||||||||||
| Live and Historical Racing | |||||||||||||||||
| TwinSpires | |||||||||||||||||
| Gaming | |||||||||||||||||
| All Other | |||||||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expense | |||||||||||||||||
| Asset impairments | |||||||||||||||||
| Transaction expense, net | |||||||||||||||||
| Total operating expense | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating income | |||||||||||||||||
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