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EX-32 - EXHBIT 32.1 - Lightning Gaming, Inc.s22-17851_ex321.htm
EX-31.2 - CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER - Lightning Gaming, Inc.s22-17851_ex312.htm
EX-31.1 - CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER - Lightning Gaming, Inc.s22-17851_ex311.htm
EX-23.1 - CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM - Lightning Gaming, Inc.s22-17851_ex231.htm
EX-21.1 - SUBSIDIARIES OF LIGHTNING GAMING, INC. ( LGI ) : - Lightning Gaming, Inc.s22-17851_ex211.htm

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

(Mark One) Form 10-K

þ   ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
    For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016
OR
o   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: 000-52575

Lightning Gaming, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Nevada   20-8583866

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

     

23 Creek Circle

Boothwyn, PA

  19061
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(610) 494 5534

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None

 

Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered: None

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Common stock, par value $0.001 per share

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

 

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 o No x

 

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 x No o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes o No x

 

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

 

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

 

Large accelerated filer o   Accelerated filero  

Non-accelerated filer o

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

  Smaller reporting company x

 

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

 

There is no public market for the registrant's stock. As of March 28, 2017, there were no published bid or asked prices for the stock or sales of stock known to the registrant that would provide a basis for reporting market value. The number of shares of the registrant’s (voting) Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, outstanding as of March 28, 2017 was 4,688,474. The number of shares of the registrant’s Nonvoting Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, outstanding as of March 28, 2017 was 33,300,000. The number of shares of the registrant’s Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, outstanding as of March 28, 2017 was -0-.

 

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  TABLE OF CONTENTS
     Page
PART I - COMPANY INFORMATION
 
Item 1. Business 4
Item 1A. Risk Factors 10
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 18
Item 2. Properties 19
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 19
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 19

 

PART II - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
 
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 19
Item 6. Selected Financial Data 20
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 20
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk 28
 

Item 8.      Financial Statements  

 

1 Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 29
2 Consolidated Balance Sheets as of  December 31, 2016 and 2015; 30
3 Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015; 31
4 Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity  for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015; 32
5 Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015; 33
6 Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 35
     
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 49
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 49
Item 9B. Other Information 50

 

PART III – CORPORATE GOVERNANCE INFORMATION

 
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 50
Item 11. Executive Compensation 53
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters 54
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 55
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 56
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 57
       

  

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PART I

Item 1. Business.

Lightning Poker, Inc. (“Lightning Poker”) was incorporated in Pennsylvania in 2005 under the name Pokermatic, Inc. and succeeded to the business of Pokermatic, LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company formed in 2004. Lightning Gaming, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated on March 1, 2007 and on January 29, 2008, completed a merger with Lightning Poker (the “Merger”) which became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. Lightning Slot Machines, LLC (“Lightning Slots”) was formed in 2008 to leverage the Company’s existing gaming licenses. The Company, through Lightning Poker and Lightning Slots, manufactures and markets gaming products to casinos, card rooms, cruise ships, other gaming and lottery venues. Its executive offices are located at 23 Creek Circle, Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, 19061.

 

The following discussion of the Company’s business includes the business of Lightning Poker and Lightning Slots.

 


 

Products

 

In 2009, the Company commenced the design, manufacture, marketing, sale and operation of video slot machines to customers in various gaming jurisdictions. Our video slot machines contain games where the casino patron wagers on multiple pay lines and contain secondary bonus games. Our games combine advanced graphics and digital music to create an engaging player experience. The current slot machine products are:

 

·Popeye · Jungle Book
·Popeye’s Bonus Voyage · Jumbo Fish Stacks
·Popeye’s Seven Seas · Just Jackpots
·Olive Oyl’s Jumbo Stacks · Lightning Lotto
·Flash Gordon · Penny Palooza
·Garfield · Si Shou
·Around the World in 80 Days · Slotto
·Candy Cash · Snow White
·Cash Flow · Swamp Fever
·Cinderella · Swamp Frenzy
·Duck Dynamite · Vampires Fortune
·Fins N Wins · Year of the Horse
·Golden Egg · Ye Xian
·Hao Yun

 

 

 

We seek to develop games and gaming machines that offer high entertainment value to casino patrons and generate greater revenues for casinos than the machines offered by our competitors. Our games are based on licensed, well-recognized brands, cartoon characters and proprietary, non-branded themes.

 

When we expanded our products to include slot machines, we embarked on an initiative to market to additional Native American jurisdictions as well as the commercial casino marketplace and cruise lines. We currently have 199 video slot machines placed in 40 casinos in 53 jurisdictions. We are working to secure licensing to place our slot machines in a number of new jurisdictions across North America. The licensing process includes specific jurisdictional approvals from the appropriate testing laboratory and regulatory agency.

 

To date, we have secured 53 regulatory gaming licenses, including 38 from Native American tribes. We offer our video slot machine products in 14 state jurisdictions. We expect to be licensed in several additional jurisdictions during 2017 and over the next several years.

 

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Our first product was The Lightning Poker Table ("Poker Table"), a fully automated electronic poker table that enables up to ten players to make their wagers and game decisions via individual touch-screen betting stations. It utilizes a software application written in Java, which runs on a Linux-based multi-game table platform. Our Poker Table has received Gaming Laboratories Incorporated ("GLI") certification for a casino version of Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Omaha High/Low, and Tournament poker.

 

In 2008, we developed a newer version of the Poker Table, which eliminated the need for a separate, stand-alone cash station. The newer version allows for cash management at the table. Since inception through March 28, 2017, we have sold or leased 62 newer version Poker Tables, as described above, to domestic and international casinos, card rooms, and cruise ships.

 


 

Distribution

 

Our gaming machines are marketed in North America by our employees and internationally by outside sales representatives who are located in those areas in which we are strategically seeking market share.

 


 

Revenue Models

 

We have three different revenue models for the products that we offer to our customers:

 

Lease model
Sale model
Revenue sharing model

 

The majority of our customers utilize a lease program whereby we receive a monthly lease payment at an agreed upon daily rate per machine. Typical lease agreements involve a month-to-month term and are cancellable upon thirty days written notice.

 

In an outright sale of our gaming machines, we receive cash for the entire purchase price. We will typically use this model in situations where there is a strong customer preference for an outright purchase or in situations where leasing to a customer may be impractical due to geographic or financial reasons. All expenses pertaining to the sale are recorded as they are incurred.

 

Our third model is a revenue sharing model, where we place our gaming machines on the floor of the casino and participate in a portion of the revenue generated. Typical revenue sharing agreements involve a month-to-month term and certain agreements provide for a minimum and maximum monthly payment.

 


 

Manufacture of Products

 

We manufacture the Poker Table at our facility in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, using off-the-shelf components purchased from a variety of vendors and a table base and top manufactured to our specifications by a vendor of cabinetry products. The off-the-shelf components include touch-screen monitors for the individual player stations, a 45-inch center screen, a hard drive, memory cards, and other electronic equipment and materials. We perform final assembly of these components in our facility and then test and ship the Poker Table to our customers.

 

Cabinets for our slot machines are produced by a third-party manufacturer. The gaming software and artwork is created in our Boothwyn facility. The software and motherboard are loaded into the cabinets and the printed glass and topper are installed. The games are then tested and shipped from our Boothwyn, Pennsylvania facility.

 

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Competition

 

The gaming machine market is highly competitive and is characterized by the continual introduction of new games and new technologies. Our ability to compete successfully in this market is dependent, in large part, upon our ability to:

 

    develop and offer games with higher earnings performance than the games and gaming machines from our competitors;
    create an expanding and constantly refreshed portfolio of games;
    identify and develop or obtain rights to commercially marketable intellectual properties;
    adapt our products for use with new technologies;
    implement product innovation and reliability;
    offer mechanical and electronic reliability;
    generate brand recognition;
    implement effective marketing and customer support; and
    offer competitive prices and lease terms.

 

We estimate that about 20 companies in the world manufacture slot machines for legalized gaming markets. Of these companies, we believe that Aristocrat, International Gaming Technology PLC (“IGT”), Konami Co. Ltd., Evri Holdings, Inc., Aruze Gaming, Novomatic Group of Companies, AGS L.L.C. and Scientific Games Corporation have a majority of this worldwide market.

 

Our competitors vary in size from small companies with limited resources to large multi-national corporations with greater financial, marketing and product development resources than we have. The larger competitors have an advantage in being able to spend greater amounts to develop new technologies, games, and products that are attractive to players and customers. In addition, some of our competitors have developed, sell or otherwise provide to customers secure, centralized player tracking and accounting systems which allow casino operators to accumulate accounting and performance data about the operation of gaming machines. We do not currently offer these systems.

 

The market for electronic gaming devices is mature and characterized by a variety of competitors that create and license proprietary table games. We anticipate that established manufacturers of gaming devices will have widespread brand recognition, substantially greater resources and marketing capabilities than we have and some, if not all, of the regulatory approvals that would be required to market and sell their products in our target markets, including target markets in which we have not yet obtained regulatory approval. If we are unable to obtain all the regulatory approvals that we are seeking, or if we are unable for other reasons to compete successfully, we may be unable to establish market acceptance for our gaming devices, which may limit our revenue growth in these markets.

 


 

Intellectual Property

 

Our trademark for “Lightning Poker” is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. We have registered the www.LightningPoker.net and www.LTGaming.com Internet domain names.

 

In January 2015, we submitted a patent application for a new slot machine title, Chinese Video Poker, and are awaiting status of the application.

 

From time to time we use a number of licensed trademarks. The trademarks, logos, trade names, and product names used herein, other than ours, are the property of their respective owners.

 

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We routinely enter into license agreements for the use of intellectual properties and technologies in our products. These agreements generally provide for royalty advances and license fee payments when the agreements are signed and minimum commitments, which are cancellable in certain circumstances.

 

Currently we have exclusive license agreements with (i) Hearst Holdings, Inc. for the exclusive worldwide use of Popeye (except in the United Kingdom and Japan) and Flash Gordon (except in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia), and associated characters in gaming devices, and (ii) Paws, Inc. for the exclusive US rights and non-exclusive worldwide use of Garfield. The licensor typically must inspect and approve any use of the licensed property. In addition, each license typically provides that the licensor retains the right to exploit the licensed property for all other purposes, including the right to license the property for use with any products not related to gaming machines.

 

We believe that our use of licensed brand names and related intellectual property contributes to the appeal and success of our products, and that our future ability to license, acquire or develop new brand names is important to our success. Therefore, we continue to invest in the market positioning of our Company and the awareness and recognition of our brand names and brand names that we license.

 


 

Gaming Regulations and Licensing

 

Regulatory Overview

 

Generally, the manufacture, sale and use of gambling devices are subject to extensive federal, state, local and, in some jurisdictions, tribal regulation. In order to sell and distribute our products to our target markets we, along with our customers, must comply with the applicable regulations of each jurisdiction in which we operate, including certain foreign jurisdictions. We expect it to take up to 12 months or longer from the date of the submission of our application to obtain regulatory approval in some jurisdictions. As of March 28, 2017, we have a total of 53 regulatory gaming licenses for our products, including regulatory gaming licenses in Native American and certain foreign jurisdictions, and we are preparing to file applications for several additional licenses in North America.

 

It is possible that the approval of our gaming products will take much longer than we expect or that our gaming products will not be approved in the jurisdictions where we intend to operate, in which case we will be unable to generate revenues in such jurisdictions. The laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which we intend to operate are subject to amendment and reinterpretation from time to time, and therefore it is possible that even if our gaming products are approved at one time, their use may be restricted, conditioned or prohibited in the future.

 

A total of 40 states and provinces in Canada allow casino-type gambling. We will not sell or distribute our gaming products in states or provinces that prohibit casino gambling.

 

The following is a brief description of the material regulations that may apply to us in some of the jurisdictions in which we intend to market and sell our products.

 

If a state requires that the Company, as well as our products, obtain regulatory approval, we will be required to submit detailed financial and operating reports and furnish any other information the state may require. Our officers, directors, certain key employees and any person having a material relationship with us may also have to qualify with the state and obtain a finding of suitability. Our beneficial owners, especially beneficial owners of more than 5% of our outstanding Common Stock, may also be required to obtain a finding of suitability.

 

If a gaming authority in any jurisdiction fails to find any of our officers, directors or significant shareholders suitable, we may be prohibited from leasing, licensing or selling our products in that jurisdiction.

 

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A finding of suitability is generally determined based upon a myriad of facts and circumstances surrounding the entity or individual in question and many gaming authorities have broad discretion in determining whether a particular entity or individual is suitable. We are unaware of circumstances that would prevent a gaming authority from finding any of our officers, directors or significant shareholders suitable.

 

If any of our officers, directors or significant shareholders is not found suitable in a jurisdiction requiring a finding of suitability, we would be prevented from leasing, licensing or selling our products in that jurisdiction as long as the person in question remained an officer, director, or a significant shareholder. Such an occurrence would likely delay introduction of our products into such jurisdiction or prevent us from introducing our products in such jurisdiction altogether. Depending on how material any such jurisdictions are to our plan of operations, failure to obtain such findings of suitability could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, a finding that one of our officers, directors or significant shareholders is not suitable in any jurisdiction may hinder our ability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals in other jurisdictions. Conversely, however, a finding of suitability by one or more gaming authorities does not ensure that similar suitability determinations will be obtained from any other gaming authorities.

 

A state regulator may have the authority to disapprove a change in our officers, directors and key employees. Some corporate transactions, including those that may be advantageous to our shareholders, may require prior approval of various state regulators. These states may also require our products to undergo rigorous testing, a field trial and a determination as to whether our products meet strict technical standards set forth in the applicable state regulations.

 

The failure to comply with any requirements imposed by state regulators or required by state law could prevent us from selling our products in such state, subject us to criminal and civil penalties, substantial fines and adversely affect our business.

 

Tribal Casinos

 

Numerous Native American tribes have become engaged in or have licensed gaming activities on Native American tribal lands as a means of generating revenue for tribal governments. Gaming on Native American tribal lands, including the terms and conditions under which gaming equipment can be sold or leased to Native American tribes, is or may be subject to regulation under the laws of the tribes, the laws of the host state, and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (“IGRA”), which includes regulation and oversight by the National Indian Gaming Commission (“NIGC”) and the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior (“Interior Secretary”). Furthermore, gaming on Native American lands may also be subject to the provisions of statutes relating to contracts with Native American tribes, which are also administered by the Interior Secretary.

 

The IGRA requires that the tribe and the host state enter into a written agreement called a tribal-state compact, that specifically authorizes Class III gaming. The compact must be approved by the Interior Secretary, with the notice of approval published in the Federal Register. Tribal-state compacts vary from state to state. Many require that equipment suppliers meet ongoing registration and licensing requirements of the state and/or the tribe and some impose background check requirements on the officers, directors, principals and shareholders of gaming equipment suppliers. Under the IGRA, tribes are required to regulate gaming on their tribal lands under ordinances approved by the NIGC. These ordinances may impose standards and technical requirements on hardware and software and may impose registration, licensing and background check requirements on gaming equipment suppliers and their officers, directors, principals and shareholders.

 

We have the required licenses to manufacture and distribute our products in the Native American jurisdictions in which we do business.

 

The United States Department of Justice ("DOJ"), the primary law enforcement entity responsible for enforcing the federal law that restricts or prohibits certain gaming devices and activities, namely the Federal Gambling Devices Act of 1962, which is commonly known as the Johnson Act, has traditionally taken a broad view as to what constitutes a gambling device prohibited by the Johnson Act. We believe the Johnson Act is inapplicable to the use of our gaming products, but it is possible that the DOJ would disagree with our position. In that event, the DOJ might institute criminal and civil proceedings against us, and a court might rule that the Johnson Act prohibits the use of our gaming products by tribal casinos unless the tribe and state have entered into an appropriate tribal-state compact. Any such proceedings could interfere with our ability to obtain regulatory approvals in other jurisdictions.

 

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Additionally, certain tribes require gaming lab certification for devices such as our gaming products before the casino will agree to purchase or lease the devices. Gaming lab certification requires meeting certain technical specifications and standards and can be difficult and time consuming. It is possible this process will take longer than we anticipate for a particular jurisdiction, or we may never obtain gaming lab certification for a particular jurisdiction.

 

Federal Regulation

 

We are required to register annually with the Criminal Division of the DOJ in connection with the sale, distribution or operation of gaming equipment. The Johnson Act makes it unlawful, in general, for a person to manufacture, transport or receive gaming machines or components across state lines unless that person has first registered with the U.S. Attorney General. We also have various record-keeping and equipment-identification requirements imposed by this act. Violation of the Johnson Act may result in seizure and forfeiture of the equipment, as well as other penalties.

 

We believe the Johnson Act is inapplicable to the use of our gaming products. However, the DOJ has traditionally taken a broad view as to what constitutes a gambling device prohibited by the Johnson Act, and may disagree with our position on the Johnson Act.

 

International Regulation

 

Certain foreign countries permit the importation, sale and operation of gaming equipment in casino and non-casino environments. To market our Poker Table in these jurisdictions, our Company, our executives and certain shareholders, and the Poker Table itself must comply with each country’s applicable regulations.

 


 

Research and Development

 

We currently conduct research and development activities primarily to develop new gaming platforms and content and to add enhancements to our existing product lines. We believe our ability to deliver differentiated, appealing products and services to the marketplace is based on our research and development investments and we expect to continue to make such investments in the future. These research and development costs consist primarily of salaries and benefits and consulting fees.

 

Our research and development expenses were $404,304 and $520,051 during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

 

Significant Customers, Foreign Revenues and Foreign Assets

 

For the years 2016 and 2015, revenue from customers outside the United States accounted for approximately $-0- and $2,889 of revenues, respectively. For the years 2016 and 2015, two and three casino customers accounted for 11% and 21%, respectively, of our revenues. One customer which was a group of casinos under common control represented approximately 10% and 8% of our 2016 and 2015 revenues, respectively. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, we had no long-lived assets outside the United States. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, four and five casino customers accounted for 54% and 72%, respectively, of our net accounts receivable.

 

Employees

 

As of March 28, 2017, we had 11 full-time and 1 part-time employees as well as one consultant that provides engineering and game design services on a part-time basis. We consider our relationships with our employees to be satisfactory. None of our employees is covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors.

 

Our business is subject to a variety of risks. The following risk factors could result in a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition, results of operations, and ability to implement our business plan. Many of these events are outside of our control.

 

Risks Relating to our Business

 

We have a limited operating history on which to evaluate our business.

 

We are a company that has generated operating revenue lower than operating costs since inception and are in the early stages of switching our business focus from the manufacture of Poker Tables to slot machines. Our business model is unproven and the lack of meaningful historical financial data makes it difficult to evaluate our prospects. To the extent that we are able to implement our business plan, our business will be subject to all of the problems that typically affect a business with a limited operating history, such as unanticipated expenses, capital shortfalls, delays in program development and possible cost overruns. We are in the process of developing and testing new game software and new slot machines which may not appeal to customers. Moreover, given the decline in revenues that gaming companies have been experiencing, they might not choose to take on new gaming products that do not have a proven record of success.

 

We have a history of losses. We may be unable to generate sufficient net revenue in the future to achieve or sustain profitability.

 

We have accumulated losses of $29,626,354 through the year ended December 31, 2016. To implement our business plan and generate the increased revenues necessary to achieve profitability, we must gain broad market acceptance of our products. The market for our products is heavily regulated. We must obtain regulatory approvals for our Company and our products in many additional jurisdictions, including some jurisdictions where we have not yet filed applications. In addition to the usual risks associated with the introduction of a new product, the timing of our revenue generation will be driven, in part, by our ability to gain broad market acceptance of our products in those jurisdictions where we are able to distribute our products, our receipt of regulatory approvals in additional jurisdictions, and our entry into definitive agreements with customers in those jurisdictions. For the reasons discussed in this Risk Factors section and elsewhere in this report, we might not generate significant revenues to achieve profitability in the foreseeable future or at all. Even if we achieve profitability, we might not be able to sustain or increase it on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to do so would adversely affect our business and may require us to raise additional capital or incur additional debt, which may be very difficult given the current state of the gaming industry, capital markets and the overall economy.

 

Our success in the gaming industry depends in large part on our ability to expand further into the slot machine market and new geographical markets. Our further expansion into these markets will present new challenges and risks that could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

 

As we seek to expand further into the slot machine market and new geographical markets, we expect to encounter business, legal, operational and regulatory uncertainties, many of which are similar to those we faced in our Poker Table deployment. As a result, we may encounter legal and regulatory challenges that are difficult or impossible to foresee and which could result in an unforeseen adverse impact on planned revenues or costs associated with this expansion. If we are unable to effectively develop and operate within these new markets, then our business, operating results and financial condition would be impaired.

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Successful growth in new markets may require us to make changes to our products to ensure that they comply with applicable regulatory requirements, and will require us to obtain additional licenses. Our ability to affect these changes and obtain the required licenses is subject to a great degree of uncertainty and may never be achieved.

 

Generally, our ability to further expand into the slot machine market and enter new geographical markets involves a number of business uncertainties, including:

 

  whether our resources and expertise will enable us to effectively operate and grow in such new markets;
  whether our internal processes and controls will continue to function effectively;
  whether we have enough experience to accurately predict revenues and expenses in these new markets;
  whether we will be able to successfully compete against larger companies who dominate the markets that we are trying to enter; and
  whether we can timely perform under our agreements in these new markets because of other unforeseen obstacles.

 

If we are unable to keep pace with rapid innovations in new technologies or product design and deployment, or if we are unable to quickly adapt our development and manufacturing processes to compete, our business and results of operations could be negatively impacted.

 

Our success is dependent on our ability to develop and sell our products that are attractive not only to our customers, but also to their customers, the end players. If our gaming devices do not appeal to customers, or if our gaming devices do not meet or sustain revenue and profitability expectations, our gaming devices may be replaced by our competitors’ devices. Additionally, we may be unable to enhance existing slot machines in a timely manner in response to changing regulatory, legal or market conditions or customer requirements, or new products or new versions of our existing products may not achieve acceptance in new or existing markets. Therefore, our future success depends upon our ability to design and market technologically sophisticated products that meet our customers’ needs regarding, among other things, ease of use and adaptability, and are unique and entertaining such that they achieve high levels of player appeal and sustainability. If we fail to keep pace with our competitors, our business could be adversely affected and a decrease in demand for our products could also result in inventory obsolescence charges.

 

The demands of our customers and the preferences of the end players are continually changing. As a result, there is constant pressure to develop and market new game content and technologically innovative products. As our revenues are heavily dependent on the earning power and life span of our games and because newer game themes tend to have a shorter life span than more traditional game themes, we face increased pressure to design and deploy new and successful game themes to maintain our revenue stream and remain competitive. Our ability to develop new and innovative products could be adversely affected by:

 

  the failure of our new gaming products to become popular with end players;
  a decision by our customers in particular or the gaming industry in general to decline to purchase our new gaming devices or to cancel or return previous orders, content or systems in anticipation of newer technologies;
  an inability to roll out new games, services or systems on schedule as a result of delays in regulatory approval in the applicable jurisdictions, or otherwise; and
  an increase in the popularity of competitors' games.

 

If we cannot adapt our manufacturing infrastructure to meet the needs of our product innovations, or if we are unable to make upgrades to our production capacity in a timely manner, our business could be negatively impacted.

 

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If we fail to obtain or maintain gaming licenses and regulatory approvals, we will be unable to operate our business and license or sell our products.

 

The manufacture and distribution of gaming machines are subject to extensive federal, state, local and tribal regulation. Some jurisdictions require licenses, permits and other forms of approval for gaming devices. Most, if not all, jurisdictions also require licenses, permits and documentation of suitability, including evidence of financial stability, for the manufacturers and distributors of such gaming devices and for their officers, directors, significant shareholders and key personnel. Our failure to obtain regulatory approval in any jurisdiction will prevent us from distributing our products and generating revenue in that jurisdiction. Obtaining such approval is a time-consuming and costly process and cannot be assured. Although a manufacturer of gaming devices may pursue entity regulatory approval with regulators of tribal casinos at the same time that it pursues regulatory approval for its gaming devices, states that license commercial casinos require that a manufacturer obtain entity regulatory approval before seeking approval for gaming devices. This might result in additional time and expense associated with obtaining regulatory approvals. Even after incurring significant time and expense seeking such regulatory approvals, we may not be able to obtain them.

 

If we fail to obtain a necessary registration, license, approval or finding of suitability in a given jurisdiction, we would likely be prohibited from distributing our products in that jurisdiction. In addition, some jurisdictions require license holders to obtain government approval before engaging in some transactions, such as business combinations, reorganizations, stock offerings and repurchases. We may not be able to obtain all necessary registrations, licenses, permits, approvals or findings of suitability in a timely manner, or at all. Our failure to obtain in a timely manner regulatory approvals in jurisdictions that are material to us, whether individually or in the aggregate, would have a material adverse effect on our net revenue and delay or prevent market acceptance of our products.

 

If we fail to obtain or maintain gaming licenses and regulatory approvals for our officers, directors and significant shareholders, we might be unable to operate our business and license or sell our products.

 

Gaming authorities in some jurisdictions may investigate any individual who has a material relationship with us, and any of our shareholders, to determine whether the individual or shareholder is suitable to those gaming authorities. If a gaming authority in any jurisdiction fails to find any of our officers, directors or significant shareholders suitable, we may be prohibited from leasing, licensing or selling our products in that jurisdiction and it could adversely affect our regulatory approvals in other jurisdictions.

 

A finding of suitability is generally determined based upon a myriad of facts and circumstances involving the entity or individual in question, and many gaming authorities have broad discretion in determining suitability. If any of our officers, directors or significant shareholders are not found suitable in a jurisdiction requiring a finding of suitability, we would be prevented from leasing, licensing or selling our products in that jurisdiction as long as the individual or entity in question remained an officer, director, or significant shareholder. Such an occurrence would likely delay or prevent our introduction of our products into such jurisdiction.

 

Depending on how material such jurisdiction is to our plan of operations, failure to obtain findings of suitability could have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, a finding that one of our officers, directors or significant shareholders is not suitable in any jurisdiction may hinder our ability to obtain or retain regulatory approvals in other jurisdictions. Conversely, however, a finding of suitability by one or more gaming authorities does not ensure that similar suitability determinations will be obtained from any other gaming authorities.

 

Although we can terminate the employment of an officer or remove a director who is not found suitable, such action could disrupt the management of our Company and adversely affect our business and the results of our operations. In addition, the removal of a director may be delayed if such removal requires action on the part of our shareholders.

 

12
 

 

Most of our competitors have greater resources and other advantages, and our failure to remain competitive could adversely affect our ability to retain existing customers and obtain future business.

 

There are a number of companies that offer, manufacture and distribute automated gaming machines. Most of these companies have greater financial resources than we have.

 

The primary challenges to entering a market are the need to establish relationships with the owners and operators of casinos and card clubs, the requirements for regulatory approvals, and the development of the necessary technology for our products. Our competitors include manufacturers of gaming devices that have already established such relationships and that have received some, if not all, of the regulatory approvals needed to market and sell automated poker tables or slot machines in our target markets, and we anticipate that the number of such competitors will increase in the future. Most of our competitors have greater financial resources than we have. Therefore, we anticipate that the challenges to enter into our markets would not pose a significant obstacle for such manufacturers if they sought to compete with us.

 

Competition in the gaming industry is intense due to the number of providers, as well as the limited number of facilities and jurisdictions in which they operate. There are many companies which could introduce directly competitive products in the short term that also have established relationships, the potential to develop technology quickly and greater resources than we have. As a result of consolidation among gaming facilities and their owners, the level of competition among providers has increased significantly as the number of potential customers has decreased.

 

Additionally, our customers compete with other providers of entertainment for their end users’ entertainment budget. Consequently, our customers might not be able to spend new capital on acquiring gaming equipment. Moreover, our customers might reduce their utilization of revenue sharing agreements.

 

We operate in a very competitive business environment and if we do not adapt our approach and our products to meet this competitive environment, our business, results of operations, and/or financial condition could be adversely impacted.

 

There is intense competition in the gaming products industry, which is characterized by dynamic customer demand and rapid technological advances. We must continually adapt our approach and our products to meet this demand and match these technological advances and if we cannot do so, our business, results of operations, and/or financial condition may be adversely impacted. Conversely, the development of new competitive products or the enhancement of existing competitive products in any market in which we operate could have an adverse impact on our business, results of operations, and/or financial condition. Due to the downturn in the economy in general and particularly in the gaming industry, we may not be able to adapt to the market adequately. If we are unable to remain dynamic in the face of changes in the market, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

In general, we compete with other gaming and entertainment products for space on the casino customers’ floor, as well as for our customers' capital and operational spending. Some of the larger gaming supply companies with whom we compete are IGT, Scientific Games and Aristocrat. New competitors may also enter our key markets.

 

Adverse general worldwide economic conditions that affect the gaming industry or a reduction in demand for gaming in any of our significant markets may adversely affect our results of operations.

 

Our business operations are affected by international, national and local economic conditions. The current level of activity in the general economy, or in a region constituting a significant source of our customers, or a reduction in demand for gaming, may harm the health of casino operators and our other customers and result in fewer customers leasing or purchasing our products, which would adversely affect our results.

 

General worldwide economic conditions have been unfavorable in recent years. These conditions continue to make it difficult for our customers and us to accurately forecast and plan future business activities and they continue to cause our domestic and foreign customers to slow their spending on our products. We cannot predict the effect or duration of the current level of economic activity or the timing or strength of a subsequent economic recovery, worldwide or in the gaming industry. If the domestic markets for our products significantly deteriorate due to these macroeconomic effects, our business, financial condition and results of operations will likely be materially and adversely affected.

 

13
 

 

Our growth and ability to access capital markets are subject to a number of economic risks.

 

Financial markets in the United States continue to be cautious. It is possible that unfavorable financial market conditions will continue for a long time or that there will be an even further deterioration in financial markets and confidence in major economies.

 

These financial market conditions affect our business in a number of ways. The diminished availability of credit in financial markets adversely affects the ability of our customers to obtain financing for purchases and operations and could result in a decrease in or cancellation of orders for our products and services. Current financial market conditions could also affect our ability to raise funds in the capital and bank lending markets. If economic conditions do not improve, we might not be able to raise funds or obtain financing. This, in turn, could have a material and adverse effect on us.

 

Risks that impact our customers may impact us.

 

If fewer players visit our customers' facilities, if such players have less disposable income to spend at our customers' facilities, or if our customers are unable to devote resources to purchasing and leasing our products, there could be an adverse effect on our business. Such risks that affect our customers include, but are not limited to:

 

·adverse economic conditions in gaming markets such as those being currently experienced, including recession, economic slowdown, higher airfares and higher energy and gasoline prices;
·global geopolitical events such as terrorist attacks, other acts of war or hostility, and popular uprisings and violence such as those that have been occurring in the Middle East; and
·natural disasters such as major fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, snow storms and tsunamis and their aftermath.

 

Economic, political, legal and other risks associated with international sales and sales in Native American jurisdictions could adversely affect our operating results.

 

Our international business is affected by global economic and political conditions. Changes in economic or political conditions in any of the countries in which we conduct business could result in exchange rate movement, new currency or exchange controls, or other restrictions being imposed on our customers. We also have agreements with casinos in Native American jurisdictions, which may subject us to sovereign immunity risks and could subject us to additional compliance costs.

 

We compete in a single industry and our business may suffer if our products become obsolete or demand for them decreases, including as a result of the downturn in the gaming industry.

 

We derive substantially all of our revenues from leasing, licensing, selling and other financing arrangements of products for the gaming industry. The gaming industry is suffering from a significant downturn, with many casinos having implemented layoffs, major reductions in spending, and in some cases declaring bankruptcy. Because of this downturn, our business may materially suffer if our products become obsolete or if use of our products decreases. Our licensing agreements with our customers are typically month-to-month and provide for termination upon 30 days' prior notice by either party. Accordingly, consistent demand for and satisfaction with our products by our customers is critical to our financial condition and future success. Problems, defects or dissatisfaction with our products could cause us to lose customers or revenues from leases with minimal notice. Additionally, our success depends on our ability to keep pace with technological advances in our industry and to adapt and improve our products in response to evolving customer needs and industry trends. If demand for our products weakens due to lack of market acceptance, technological change, competition, regulatory changes, or other factors, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

14
 

 

Defects in, and fraudulent manipulation of, our products could reduce our revenue, increase our costs, burden our engineering and marketing resources, involve us in litigation and adversely affect our gaming licenses.

 

Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to avoid, detect and correct software and hardware defects and prevent fraudulent manipulation of our products. Our products are subject to rigorous internal testing, and will be subject to additional testing by regulators in certain gaming jurisdictions. We may not be able to build and maintain products that are free from defects or manipulations and that satisfy these tests. Although we have taken steps to prevent defects and manipulations, our products could suffer such defects and manipulation after they have been widely distributed.

 

Although we do not believe it is likely, it is possible that an individual could breach the security of a casino or card club and fraudulently manipulate its operations. Any such fraudulent manipulation, defects or malfunctions, or any such problems with our slot machines, could result in financial losses for our customers and, in turn, termination of leases, cancellation of orders, product returns and diversion of our resources. Even if our customers do not suffer financial losses, casinos and card clubs may replace our machines if they do not perform according to expectations. Any of these occurrences could also result in the loss of, or delay in, market acceptance of our products and loss of licenses, leases and sales.

 

In addition, the occurrence of defects in, or fraudulent manipulation of, our products may give rise to claims for lost revenues and related litigation by our customers and may subject us to investigation or other disciplinary action by regulatory authorities that could include suspension or revocation of our regulatory approvals.

 

Our failure to obtain any necessary additional financing would have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

Most of our revenue is derived from leasing our products to customers under operating leases. Until we are able to sell substantially more of our product offerings, our ability to lease our products to customers on a large scale may require us to obtain additional financing necessary for the manufacture of our products. However, sources of financing for the gaming industry have diminished dramatically during the current state of the economy. Our inability to obtain financing on terms that would allow us to license our products profitably would hamper our ability to distribute the products on a large scale and may therefore, delay our ability to obtain significant market presence as well as market acceptance of our products.

 

In addition, if our revenues are not sufficient, or if we incur more than anticipated expenses, we may need to seek additional equity or debt financing. Under current economic conditions, it is uncertain whether we could obtain such financing. Even if such financing is available, it may not be on terms that are favorable to us or in sufficient amounts to satisfy our requirements. If we need, but are unable to obtain, additional financing we may be unable to develop our products, adequately protect our intellectual property, meet customer demand for our products, withstand adverse operating results, or otherwise accomplish our business objectives. More importantly, if we are unable to obtain further financing when needed, our continued operations may have to be scaled down or even ceased and our ability to generate revenues would be negatively affected.

 

We are dependent on intellectual property rights. Therefore, infringement claims against us, patents issued to our competitors, or misappropriation of our trade secrets or other proprietary information may adversely affect us.

 

Our competitors have patents covering, among other things, gaming machine features, bonusing techniques and related technologies. If our products use processes or other subject matter that is claimed under our competitors’ patents, or if other companies obtain patents claiming subject matter that we use, those companies may bring infringement actions against us.

 

15
 

 

Whether a product infringes a patent involves complex legal and factual issues, which can be time-consuming and expensive to resolve. In addition, because patent applications can take many years to be approved, there may be applications now pending of which we are unaware, which may later result in the issuance of patents that our products may infringe upon or that may lead to infringement claims against us. If our product infringes a patent, we could be prevented from distributing the product unless and until we obtain a license or redesign the product to avoid infringement. A license may not be available or may require us to pay substantial royalties. We also may not be successful in redesigning a product to avoid infringement.

 

Infringement and other intellectual property claims, with or without merit, can be expensive and time-consuming to litigate, and we may not have the resources to defend against infringement suits brought against us. Furthermore, if we are found to have willfully infringed on another party’s patent, we might be liable for treble damages.

 

Our products utilize trademarks and other intellectual properties licensed from third parties. Our future success may depend upon our ability to obtain, retain or expand licenses for popular intellectual properties in a competitive market. If we cannot renew or expand existing licenses, we may be required to discontinue or limit our use of the products that use the licensed technology or bear the licensed marks.

 

We also rely on trade secrets and other proprietary information. We enter into confidentiality agreements with our employees and independent contractors regarding our trade secrets and proprietary information, but we cannot be assured that the obligation to maintain the confidentiality of our trade secrets or proprietary information will be honored. Despite various confidentiality agreements and other trade secret protections, our trade secrets and proprietary know-how could become known to, or independently developed by, competitors.

 

The use of our products could result in product liability claims that could be expensive and that could damage our reputation and harm our business.

 

Our business exposes us to the risk of product liability claims. Subject to contractual limitations, we will face financial exposure to product liability claims if our products fail to work properly and cause monetary damage to patrons, casinos or card clubs. In addition, defects in the design or manufacture of our products might require us to recall each product that has been leased. Although we maintain product liability insurance, the coverage limits of policies available to us may not be adequate to cover future claims. If a successful claim is brought against us in excess or outside of our insurance coverage, we may be forced to divert resources from the development of our products, the pursuit of regulatory approvals and other working capital needs in order to satisfy such claims.

 

We are dependent on the success of our customers and are subject to industry fluctuations.

 

Our success depends on our customers licensing or buying our products to expand their existing operations, replace existing gaming products or equip a new casino. Any slowdown in the replacement cycle, including as a result of the current downturn in the gaming industry, may negatively impact our operations. Additionally, to the extent existing or potential customers choose to allocate capital to expenditures other than gaming products, such as real estate acquisitions, hotel furnishings, restaurants and other improvements, or generally to reduce expenditures, particularly in response to current conditions in the gaming industry, we may suffer a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

Certain market risks may affect our business, results of operations and prospects.

 

In the normal course of our business, we are routinely subjected to a variety of market risks, examples of which include, but are not limited to, interest rate movements, fluctuating commodities markets, higher labor costs, increased fuel prices, collectability of receivables and recoverability of residual values on our assets such as those in certain international markets. Further, some of our customers may experience financial difficulties, possibly as a result of current conditions in the gaming industry, or may otherwise not pay accounts receivable when due, resulting in increased write-offs. We may incur material losses in these areas in the future.

 

16
 

 

The loss of the services of our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and our President or other key employees, or the failure to attract additional key individuals, could materially and adversely affect our business.

 

Our success will depend on retention of key executives who have been instrumental in our development thus far, and on our ability to attract and retain employees to complete the development or enhancements of our products and to market them widely. We seek to compensate and incentivize our executives and other key employees through competitive salaries and equity incentive compensation, but such compensation may not be sufficient to enable us to retain them or hire new personnel.

 

Our success will depend on the reliability and performance of third-party manufacturers and suppliers.

 

We currently obtain slot machine cabinets from a third party manufacturer. If those manufacturers are unable to meet our requirements, we would be significantly hampered in serving our customers and may miss revenue-generating opportunities. Our inability to contract with third-party manufacturers and suppliers to provide a sufficient supply of our products on acceptable terms and on a timely basis could negatively impact our relationships with existing customers and cause us to lose revenue-generating opportunities with potential customers. In addition, manufacturing costs may increase significantly and we may not be able to successfully recover these cost increases with increased pricing to our customers. Either situation could have an adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 

Attitudes and public policies regarding gaming might change, to our detriment.

 

Although poker in particular and gaming in general have been popular in the United States and abroad, gaming has historically experienced backlash from various constituencies and communities. Public tastes are unpredictable and subject to change, and they may be affected by changes in the country’s economic, political and social climate. A change in public tastes or a backlash among certain constituencies or in certain communities could result in reduced popularity of poker or gaming in general, or increased regulation of the gaming industry, either of which could significantly reduce demand.

 

We have been incurring significant additional costs since we became a publicly reporting company in 2008, and we expect this to continue.

 

Our public company compliance costs before we acquired Lightning Poker in January 2008 in the Merger were not substantial, due to our minimal operations before the Merger. Lightning Poker did not operate as a public company before the Merger. As a publicly reporting company with operations since January 2008, we have been incurring, and will continue to incur, significant legal, auditing and other expenses. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as rules implemented by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), have imposed various requirements on public companies. Our management and other personnel need to devote a substantial amount of time to these matters.

 

Our business is subject to quarterly fluctuation.

 

Our quarterly operating results may vary based on the timing of the opening of new gaming jurisdictions, the opening or closing of casinos, the expansion or contraction of existing casinos, approval or denial of our products and corporate licenses under gaming regulations, the introduction of new products, the mix of domestic versus international sales and the mix of lease versus sales revenue. As a result, our operating results could be volatile, particularly on a quarterly basis.

 

17
 

 

 

 


Risks Relating to our Common Stock

 

There is no trading market for our common stock, and liquidity of shares of our common stock is limited.

 

There is no public trading market for our common stock currently, however we are exploring means of developing a public trading market in the near term. Trading in our stock has been minimal, the number of shareholders is relatively small, and there are currently no market makers for our stock. Consequently, holders of our stock may find it difficult to liquidate their investments.

 

Our common stock might never be listed on any stock exchange.

 

We might not attempt to meet, or we might be unable to meet, the initial listing standards of NASDAQ or any other stock exchange. Even if we obtain a listing of our common stock, we might be unable to maintain that listing. Before our stock is so listed, we might seek to have our stock quoted on the OTCQB or OTC Pink marketplaces of OTC Link, where our stockholders may find it more difficult than on a stock exchange to dispose of shares or obtain accurate quotations as to trading price and trading activity. In addition, if we failed to meet criteria set forth in a trading rule issued by the SEC, that rule would impose various practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell our stock to persons other than established customers and accredited investors. This may deter broker-dealers from recommending or selling our stock, which may further reduce its liquidity. This would also make it more difficult for us to raise additional capital.

 

We have never paid dividends on our common stock.

 

We have never paid dividends on our common stock and do not intend to pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. We anticipate that any funds available for payment of dividends will instead be re-invested into the Company to further our business strategy.

 

Our authorized Preferred Stock could be issued under circumstances that would adversely affect holders of our common stock.

 

Our Articles of Incorporation authorize the issuance of up to 10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock with designations, rights and preferences determined from time to time by our Board of Directors. Accordingly, our Board of Directors is empowered, without stockholder approval, to issue those shares with dividend, liquidation, conversion, voting, or other rights which could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of holders of our common stock. For example, those shares could be utilized, under certain circumstances, as a method of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control of our company. In February 2010 we allocated 6,000,000 of these shares of Preferred Stock to a new series of stock titled Series A Nonvoting Capital Stock, which is identical to our common stock except that it is nonvoting. These shares do not have any liquidation preference over the common shares outstanding. Although no shares of Preferred Stock are currently outstanding and we have no present intention to issue any shares of Preferred Stock, there is no assurance that we will not do so in the future.

 

 


 

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

 

None.

 

 

 

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Item 2. Properties.

 

We lease office and warehouse space of 11,566 square feet located at 23 Creek Circle, Boothwyn, PA 19061 at an average rental of $90,979 per year. The lease was renewed in 2014 and expires in February 2021. This is the location of our principal offices and substantially all of our operations. The premises are in good condition and adequate for our foreseeable needs. We believe our property is adequately insured.

 

 


 

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

 

None.

 

 


 

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

 

None

 

 


  

 

PART II

 

 

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

 

Market information. There is currently no established public trading market for our common stock however we are exploring means in developing such a market in the near term. Trading in our stock to date has been minimal and we have no reliable basis for reporting trading prices or bid prices.

 

Holders of record. On March 28, 2017, there were approximately 75 shareholders of record of our common stock and one shareholder of record of our Nonvoting Common Stock. We have no information that indicates the number of beneficial owners is materially higher.

 

Dividend policy. We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our stock. We intend to retain any future earnings to finance the growth and development of our business and do not intend to pay any cash dividends on our stock in the foreseeable future. Payment of dividends in the future, if any, will be made at the discretion of our Board of Directors. Such decisions will depend on a number of factors, including our future earnings, capital requirements, financial condition and future prospects and such other factors as our Board of Directors may deem relevant.

 

19
 

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

 

The following table sets forth information, as of December 31, 2016, with respect to our stock option plan under which our common stock is authorized for issuance. We have allocated 2,500,000 shares under our 2007 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2007 Plan”) and 5,700,000 under our 2016 Stock Option Plan (the “2016 Plan”).

 

Plan Category 

Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights

(a)

 

Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights

(b)

 

Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plan (excluding securities reflected in column (a))

(c)

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders:               
2007 Plan   885,000 (1)   $1.80    1,615,000 
2016 Plan   -0-    N/A    5,700,000 

 

(1) Stock options in 2007 were granted under Lightning Poker’s 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2006 Plan”). After the Merger those options were exchanged for an equal number of the Company’s stock options under the 2007 Plan on substantially the same terms and conditions. All stock options granted after the Merger were granted under the 2007 Plan.

 


 

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

 

Not applicable.

 


 

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

 

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

 

Throughout this report we make “forward-looking statements,” as that term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements include the words “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “likely,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “continue,” “believe,” “expect,” “project” or “anticipate” or the negative of such terms and similar words and include all discussions about our ongoing or future plans, objectives or expectations.

 

We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You should read this report completely and with the understanding that actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We do not plan to update forward-looking statements unless applicable law requires us to do so, even though our situation or plans may change in the future.

 

All future written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section or elsewhere in this report. In light of these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this report might not occur. Specific factors that might cause our actual results to differ from our expectations, might cause us to modify our plans or objectives, or might affect our ability to meet our expectations include, but are not limited to those identified in Item 1A. “RISK FACTORS”. The historical financial information contained in this section has been derived from our financial statements and should be read together with the financial statements and related notes contained elsewhere in this report.

 

 

20
 

 

Overview

 

We were formed to develop and market our Poker Table, which is an electronic poker table that provides a fully automated table gaming experience without a dealer in casinos and card rooms in regulated jurisdictions worldwide. In 2009, we commenced the design, manufacture, marketing, sale and operation of video slot machines to customers in various gaming jurisdictions. The current products are:

 

·Popeye · Jungle Book
·Popeye’s Bonus Voyage · Jumbo Fish Stacks
·Popeye’s Seven Seas · Just Jackpots
·Olive Oyl’s Jumbo Stacks · Lightning Lotto
·Flash Gordon · Penny Palooza
·Garfield · Si Shou
·Around the World in 80 Days · Slotto
·Candy Cash · Snow White
·Cash Flow · Swamp Fever
·Cinderella · Swamp Frenzy
·Duck Dynamite · Vampires Fortune
·Fins N Wins · Year of the Horse
·Golden Egg · Ye Xian
·Hao Yun

 

 

When we expanded our products to include slot machines, we embarked on an initiative to market our slot machines to Native American jurisdictions as well as the commercial casino marketplace and cruise lines. Our gaming products feature advanced graphics and engaging games and are based on licensed, well-recognized brands, cartoon characters and proprietary non-branded themes.

 

Our Poker Table is designed to increase revenue and security while helping to reduce the labor costs associated with poker play. Our Poker Table achieves the goal of increasing revenue by allowing a larger number of hands to be played per hour, increasing the “rake” or per-hand fee collected by the operator commensurately. The elimination of a live dealer also reduces labor costs and permits more tables to be operational in jurisdictions where skilled poker dealers are in short supply. In 2008, we developed a newer version of the Poker Table, which eliminated the need for a separate, stand-alone cashing station. The newer version allows for cash management at the Poker Table.

 

We have generated revenues, but we have a history of losses since our inception. We incurred a net loss of $393,072 in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016.

 

We are registered as an approved vendor to distribute our gaming products in 53 jurisdictions. We must obtain regulatory approvals in many additional jurisdictions in order to fully effectuate our business plan. We may not receive any such regulatory approvals. Due to these and a variety of other factors, including those described under “RISK FACTORS” in Item 1A. of this report, we may be unable to generate significant revenues or margins, control operating expenses or achieve or sustain profitability in future years.

 

 

 

21
 

 

 

Critical Accounting Policies

 

The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosures. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate these estimates, including those related to the valuation of equity awards issued. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

 

We believe that of our significant accounting policies, which are described in Note 1 to our financial statements appearing elsewhere in this report, the following accounting policies involve a greater degree of judgment and complexity. Accordingly, these are the policies we believe are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our consolidated financial condition and results of operations.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

We generate revenue from leasing and selling our slot machines and Poker Tables. We recognize revenue on sales of our products, net of rebates, discounts and allowances, when persuasive evidence of an agreement exists, the sales price is fixed or determinable, our products are delivered and our ability to collect is reasonably assured. We recognize revenue generated under operating leases when the ability to collect is reasonably assured. The lease agreements are based on either a fixed daily or monthly rate, or a pre-determined percentage of the monthly net “rake” revenue collected for each Poker Table and slot machine, subject to monthly minimums and maximums.

 

If multiple units of our products are included in any one sale or lease agreement, we allocate revenue to each unit based upon its respective fair value against the total contract value and defer revenue recognition on those units where we have not met all requirements of revenue recognition. There are also instances in which a lease may be offered to a customer with the option to convert to a sale upon the completion of certain obligations such as a pre-determined paid or reduced-rate lease term and/or a free-trial period. In addition, circumstances may arise in which a customer wishes to purchase machines after being on lease at their facility. In all of these situations, the initial revenue is recorded as lease revenue and the agreed upon sales price is shown as sales revenue when the lease is converted to a sale.

 

Research and Development

 

We expense internally-developed software costs in accordance with guidance by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) with respect to research and development costs. All employee and product costs associated with the development of our products are expensed until technological feasibility is reached. Technological feasibility is established when a product design and a working model of the software product have been completed and the completeness of the working model and its consistency with the product design have been confirmed by testing.

 

Equity-based Compensation

 

We account for our stock-based employee compensation awards in accordance with FASB issued guidance on transactions in which an entity exchanges its equity instruments for goods or services. The FASB guidance also addresses transactions in which an entity incurs liabilities in exchange for goods or services that are based on the fair value of the entity’s equity instruments. We value stock options issued based upon the Black-Scholes option-pricing model and recognize this value as an expense over the period in which the options vest.

 

We estimate the fair value of each option award on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Expected volatility is based upon publicly traded companies with similar characteristics. We use historical data to estimate option exercise and employee termination within the valuation model. The expected term of options granted represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of the option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. There were no options granted during 2016.

 

22
 

 

Income Taxes

 

We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the period that includes the enactment date. The accounting for income taxes involves significant judgments and estimates and deals with complex tax regulations. When recognizable, the recoverability of certain deferred tax assets is based in part on estimates of future income and the timing of temporary differences, and the failure to fully realize such deferred tax assets could result in a higher tax provision in future periods. If, based on available data, future estimated tax liabilities differ materially from our estimates, the resulting difference will be recorded in the period in which they become known.

 

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

 

The Company reviews its long-lived assets, including property and equipment and license fees, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable. To determine the recoverability of its long-lived assets, including definite lived license fees, the Company evaluates the probability that future undiscounted net cash flows, without interest charges, will be less than the carrying amount of the assets or for identifiable intangibles with finite useful lives. In addition, the Company considers changes in our business strategy and the industry as a whole in assessing recoverability of its long-lived assets. Any resulting impairment loss will be measured and recognized in the period in which the impairment becomes known.

 

Assessment of Going Concern

 

According to recently effective accounting pronouncements, the Company is required to evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern for a period of one year after the date that the financial statements are issued, taking into consideration the Company’s current financial condition, conditional and unconditional obligations due within one year and the funds and cash flow necessary to maintain operations. It is management’s responsibility to perform an evaluation for every reporting period presented. The financial statements contained herein were prepared on a going concern basis. The going concern basis assumes that the company will continue in operation for at least the next twelve months from the date our financial statements are issued and based on management’s evaluation, will be able to realize its assets, discharge its liabilities and commitments, and maintain positive working capital in the normal course of business.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In May 2014, the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) issued converged guidance on recognizing revenue from contracts with customers. The new guidance removes inconsistencies in current revenue recognition requirements, provides a framework for addressing revenue issues, improves comparability of revenue recognition across industries, entities and jurisdictions, and provides more useful information to users of financial statements through improved disclosure requirements. This guidance replaces the numerous GAAP revenue recognition requirements that are industry specific and establishes the principles to report about the nature, timing, and uncertainty of revenue from contracts with customers to users of financial statements.

 

23
 

 

 

Additions to this update were issued by the FASB and IASB in March 2016, clarifying the operability and understandability on principal versus agent considerations. In April 2016, further clarifications were issued on two aspects: identifying performance obligations and clarifying the licensing implementation guidance. An additional update was issued in May 2016, which included a technical correction, clarifying the objective of assessing the collectability criterion, the presentation of sales and other similar taxes collected from customers, specifying that the measurement date for noncash consideration is at contract inception, and practical guidance for applying contract modifications and completed contracts at the transition date. Additional technical corrections and improvements to clarify and correct unintended application of the guidance were issued in December 2016. These updates do not change the core principles of this guidance but rather provide clarification and implementation within the scope of this topic.

 

The guidance is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and the Company is assessing the impact it will have on our financial statements.

 

In August 2014, the FASB issued guidance regarding disclosures in the presentation of financial statements when the uncertainty exists about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. The update provides guidance in GAAP about management’s responsibility to evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures. Along with requiring management’s assessment of the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, the guidance provides:

 

  a definition for the term “substantial doubt”;
  requires an evaluation every reporting period including interim periods;
  provides principles for considering the mitigating effect of management’s plans;
  requires certain disclosures when substantial doubt is alleviated as a result of consideration of management’s plans;
  requires an express statement and other disclosures when substantial doubt is not alleviated; and
  requires an assessment for a period of one year after the date that the financial statements are issued.

 

The amendment became effective for the annual and interim periods ending after December 15, 2016 and did not have a material impact on our financial statements.

 

In July 2015, the FASB issued an update under the inventory topic which more clearly articulates the requirements for the measurement and disclosure of inventory, stating that an entity should measure inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Net realizable value is defined as the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. The amendments in this update do not apply to inventory that is measured using last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) or the retail inventory method. The amendment is effective for the fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is assessing the impact this guidance may have on our financial statements.

 

In November 2015, the FASB issued an update under the income taxes topic, simplifying the presentation of deferred income taxes, requiring that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. This update aligns the presentation of deferred income tax assets and liabilities with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). The amendments in this update are effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and the Company is assessing the impact this guidance may have on our financial statements.

 

In February 2016, the FASB finalized the accounting standard and issued an update under the Leases topic. The update provides for major changes by lessees in that a lessee must recognize on its statement of financial position both an asset (“right-of-use”), representing its right to use the underlying asset, and a lease liability for all leases, other than short-term leases with terms of twelve months or less. The guidance defines a lease as a contract, or part of a contract, that conveys the right to control the use of identified property, plant, or equipment (an identified asset) for a period of time in exchange for consideration. Control over the use of the identified asset means that the customer has both (1) the right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefits from the use of the asset and (2) the right to direct the use of the asset. Differentiation between finance and operating leases still remains however the most notable difference from previous guidance is recognizing the asset and liability on the statement of financial position for operating leases.

 

24
 

 

For finance leases, lessees are required to:

  1. Recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability in the statement of financial position which is initially measured at the present value of the lease payments;
  2. Recognize interest in the statement of comprehensive income on the lease liability separately from amortization of the right-of-use asset; and
  3. Classify in the statement of cash flows repayments of the principal portion of the lease liability within financing activities and payments of interest on the lease liability and variable lease payments within operating activities.

 

For operating leases, lessees are required to:

  1. Recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability in the statement of financial position which is initially measured at the present value of the lease payments;
  2. Recognize a single lease cost, generally allocated over the lease term on a straight-line basis; and
  3. Classify all cash payments in the statement of cash flows as operating activities.

 

Under the update, lessor accounting for leases remains largely unchanged providing that lessor accounting is aligned with changes made to the lessee accounting guidance and key aspects under the revenue recognition guidance.

 

The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and the Company is assessing the impact this guidance will have on our financial statements.

 

In March 2016, the FASB issued an update on the stock compensation topic, simplifying several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including income tax consequences, balance sheet classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and statement of cash flows classification. While the amendments in the update are effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016, certain aspects of the amendment, such as those relating to the timing of excess tax benefits recognized, minimum statutory withholding requirements, forfeitures, and cash flow classification must be applied retrospectively. The Company is assessing the impact this guidance will have on our financial statements.

 


 

Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2016 Compared to Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2015

(All amounts are rounded to the nearest $1,000)

 

Revenue

 

The Company’s revenues for the year ended December 31, 2016 were $3,036,000 compared to $4,054,000 for the prior year, a decrease of $1,018,000. The decrease in revenues was the result of a $334,000 decrease in slot machine and parts sales and a decrease in Poker Table and slot machine lease and license revenues of $684,000. There was one large slot machine parts sale in 2015 for $495,000 which accounted for the decrease in part and unit sales. The decrease in lease and license revenues was due to the reduction in the installed slot machine base experienced during mid to late 2015. Pressure on casinos to reduce lease expense and cut costs, consolidations and mergers in the industry creating mega-corporations that undercut pricing to gain market share and eliminate competition, and casinos increasing hold percentages that reduce win percentages on which revenue-share fees are based were several of the reasons for the reduction in the revenue and the recurring revenue base. In addition, while the for-sale market of our slot machines is successfully generating revenue and cash flow, it is reducing the recurring revenue install base. The for-sale market reduced recurring revenue machines by 20 in 2015 and an additional 30 in 2016.

 

25
 

 

Cost of Products Sold

 

For the year ended December 31, 2016, cost of products sold decreased $382,000 to $173,000 from $555,000 for the year ended December 31, 2015. This decrease is the direct result of large slot machine parts sale that occurred in 2015.

 

Operating Expenses

 

Operating expenses decreased by $188,000 to $538,000 for the year ended December 31, 2016, from $726,000 for the year ended December 31, 2015. This decrease was the result of the reduction in salaries and associated payroll costs from the vacancy in the operations manager position and the reduction of costs directly associated with the slot machine activity during the year, i.e. freight, conversions and installation.

 

Research and Development Expenses

 

Research and development expenses decreased by $116,000 to $404,000 for the year ended December 31, 2016, from $520,000 for the year ended December 31, 2015. Research and development expenses are related to the development of gaming equipment and consist mainly of payroll and related expenses for programmers and graphic artists and the costs to acquire new brands. This decrease is primarily attributable to the reduction in the number of programmers on staff and consultants used during the year.

 

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $2,024,000 for the year ended December 31, 2016, a decrease of $48,000 from $2,072,000 for the year ended December 31, 2015. This decrease was the net result of reductions in personnel costs in marketing and compliance as well as lower lab costs during the year, offset by the increase in professional fees related to the annual SEC audit requirements and the common area maintenance (“CAM”) cost adjustment associated with the building lease incurred in 2016 based on the lessor’s 2015 CAM reconciliation.

 

Depreciation and Amortization

 

Depreciation and amortization decreased by $225,000 to $290,000 for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $515,000 for the year ended December 31, 2015 as a result of assets built and placed in gaming venues in prior years that are now fully depreciated or sold, as well as licenses that are fully amortized.

 

Net Interest Expense

 

Net interest expense decreased $295,000 from $295,000 for the year ended December 31, 2015 to $-0- for the year ended December 31, 2016. This decrease was as a result of the agreement by the lender to discontinue the accrual of interest effective April 1, 2015, and the conversion of the lender’s debt into stockholders’ equity of the Company in August 2015.

 

Change in Fair Value of Warrants and Convertibility Feature of Long Term Debt

 

The change in fair value of our warrants of $6,000 for the year ended December 31, 2015 was mainly due to the declines in the remaining life of the warrant and the estimated fair market value of our common stock.

 

26
 


 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

We have incurred net losses since inception. We have historically funded our operating costs, research and development activities, working capital investments and capital expenditures associated with our growth strategy with proceeds from the issuances of our stock and loans however in 2016 and 2015, we were able to fund these costs with the proceeds from the sales of our gaming products. These transactions are described in more detail following the discussion of cash flows below:

 

Discussion of Statement of Cash Flows

  2016  2015  Change
          
Net cash used in operating activities  $(123,000)  $(87,000)  $(36,000)
Net cash provided by investing activities   18,000    174,000    (156,000)
Net cash used in financing activities   —      (4,000)   4,000 
Net increase (decrease) in cash   (105,000)   83,000   $(188,000)
Cash, beginning of year   358,000    275,000      
Cash, end of period  $253,000   $358,000      

 

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, net cash used in operating activities increased $36,000 to $123,000 as compared to $87,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015. The increase in cash used in operating activities was primarily due to the net loss experienced in 2016 and the timing of receipts from customers, as well as the timing of payments to creditors, suppliers and vendors.

 

Net cash provided by investing activities decreased by $156,000 to $18,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, from $174,000 provided by investing activities for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015. Cash is used in investing activities to produce slot machines and acquire brand and software licenses for our slot products. Conversely, cash is provided by investing activities when our previously leased slot and Poker Table products are sold. This decrease in cash provided by investing activities was the result of the $178,000 reduction in proceeds from the sale of slot machines and parts offset by the reduction of investments in property and equipment and brand licenses of $22,000.

 

Net cash used in financing activities was $4,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 and was the result of common stock purchased for the treasury for $5,000 offset by the issuance of common stock of $1,000, resulting in the $4,000 positive cash swing as shown in the table above.

 

 

Operations and Liquidity Management

 

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, we incurred a net loss of $393,000 and used $123,000 of cash in operating activities. At December 31, 2016, our cash balance was $253,000. The generation of cash flow sufficient to meet our cash needs in the future will depend on our ability to distribute our products and successfully market them to casinos and card clubs.

 

Our current gross cash requirements are approximately $260,000 to $300,000 per month, principally for salaries, professional services, licenses, marketing, office expenses and the purchase of the hardware components for our products. Based on our cash flow projections and anticipated revenues, we believe we have sufficient cash flow to support our operations during 2017.

 

In addition, our ability to sell or license our products on a large scale in the future may require additional financing for working capital. There is no assurance that such additional financing would be available to us, if at all, on reasonable terms, particularly for the reasons discussed above in the “RISK FACTORS” item. Our inability to obtain such financing on terms that allow us to lease our products profitably would hamper our ability to distribute our products on a large scale.

 

 

 

27
 

 

 

Contractual Obligations

 

The table below sets forth our known contractual obligations as of December 31, 2016:

 

  Total 

Less than

1 year

  1 - 3 years  3 - 5 years 

More than

5 years

                          
Operating lease obligations (1)  $430,623   $99,337   $206,187   $125,099   $—   
                          

 

 

(1) Represents operating lease agreements for office and warehouse facilities.

 


 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

As of December 31, 2016, there were no off-balance sheet arrangements.

 


 

 

 

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.

 

Not Applicable.

 


 

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The following is a list of financial statements filed herewith:

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

 

 

28
 

 

 


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

Board of Directors and Stockholders

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and subsidiaries

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Lightning Gaming, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for years then ended. Our audit also included the financial statement schedule of Lightning Gaming, Inc. listed in item 15(a). These financial statements and the financial statement schedule are the responsibility of the entity’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and the financial statement schedule based on our audits.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Lightning Gaming, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also, in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in related to the basic consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all material respects the information set forth therein.

 

  

 
/s/ Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP  
Wyomissing, Pennsylvania  
March 28, 2017  

 

 

29
 

 


Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

 

December 31,

 2016

 

December 31,

2015

Assets          
Current Assets          
       Cash  $252,306   $357,477 
Accounts receivable, net   452,190    621,894 
Inventory   127,753    143,805 
Prepaid expenses   95,581    140,941 
Total Current Assets   927,830    1,264,117 
           
Property and Equipment, net   148,467    407,064 
           
Other assets   8,193    8,193 
License fees, net of accumulated amortization   37,907    51,682 
           
Total Assets  $1,122,397   $1,731,056 
           

 

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

          
Current Liabilities          
       Accounts payable  $194,939   $444,637 
       Accrued expenses   134,007    93,961 
Total Current Liabilities   328,946    538,598 
           
Long-Term Liabilities   51,543    57,478 
           
Commitments (Note 6)          
           
Stockholders' Equity          
Preferred stock: $0.001 par value; authorized 10,000,000 shares, Series A Nonvoting capital stock 6,000,000 shares authorized, -0- shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2016 and 2015   —      —   
           
Common stock: $0.001 par value; authorized 90,000,000 shares; 4,916,285 shares issued at December 31, 2016 and 2015, 4,688,474 shares outstanding at December 31, 2016 and 2015   4,917    4,917 
           
Nonvoting common stock: $0.001 par value; authorized 50,000,000 shares; 33,300,000 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016 and 2015   33,300    33,300 
           
Additional paid in capital   30,348,856    30,348,856 
       Accumulated deficit   (29,626,354)   (29,233,282)
Treasury stock, 227,811 shares, at cost, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015   (18,811)   (18,811)
Total Stockholders’ Equity   741,908    1,134,980 
           
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity  $1,122,397   $1,731,056 
           
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements          

 

 


 

 

30
 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Operations

 

 

  Year Ended
  

December 31,
2016

 

December 31,

2015

       
Revenues          
       Lease, license and service fees  $2,503,520   $3,187,136 
       Sales of gaming products and parts   532,658    866,497 
Total revenues   3,036,178    4,053,633 
           
Costs and operating expenses          
       Cost of products sold   172,773    554,880 
       Operating expenses   538,036    725,972 
       Research and development   404,304    520,051 
       Selling, general and administrative expenses   2,024,229    2,071,770 
       Depreciation and amortization   289,908    515,223 
Total costs and operating expenses   3,429,250    4,387,896 
           
Operating loss   (393,072)   (334,263)
           
Non-operating income (expense)          
       Net interest expense   —      (294,967)
       Change in fair value of warrants   —      6,424 
Net loss  $(393,072)  $(622,806)
Net loss per share, including Nonvoting Common and Series A Nonvoting shares-basic and diluted  $(0.01)  $(0.03)
Weighted average Series A Nonvoting shares outstanding-basic and diluted   —      2,675,342 
Weighted average Common shares outstanding-basic and diluted   4,688,474    4,661,482 
Weighted average Nonvoting Common shares outstanding-basic and diluted   33,300,000    13,502,466 
           
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements          

 

 


 

 

 

31
 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity

Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

 

  

    Series A Nonvoting
Capital Stock
    Common Stock    

Non voting

Common Stock

    

        Treasury Stock     
    Shares    Amount    Shares    Amount    Shares    

Amount

    

Additional Paid

In Capital

    Accumulated Deficit    Shares    Amount    Total 
Balance January 1, 2015   4,500,000   $4,500    4,660,285   $4,661    -     $-     $7,633,255   $(28,610,476)   127,811   $(13,811)  $(20,981,871)
Net Loss   -      -      -      -      -      -      -      (622,806)   -      -      (622,806)
Issuance of Stock   -      -      256,000    256    28,800,000    28,800    22,715,010    -      -      -      22,744,066 
Exchange of Stock   (4,500,000)   (4,500)   -      -      4,500,000    4,500    -      -      -      -      -   
Purchase of stock for the treasury   -      -      -      -      -      -      -      -      100,000    (5,000)   (5,000)
Stock based compensation   -      -      -      -      -      -      591    -      -      -      591 
Balance December 31, 2015   -     $-      4,916,285   $4,917     33,300,000   $ 33,300    $30,348,865   $(29,233,282)   127,811   $(18,811)  $1,134,980
Net Loss   -      -      -      -           -      -      (393,072)   -      -      (393,072)
Balance December 31, 2016   -     $-      4,916,285   $4,917    33,300,000   $33,300   $30,348,856   $(29,626,354)   227,811   $(18,811)  $741,908 

 

 

 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

 


 

 

 

32
 

 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

 

  Year Ended
 
 
 
 
December 31,
2016
 
 
December 31,
2015

 

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

          
Net loss  $(393,072)  $(622,806)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:          
Gain on sale of equipment   (35,855)   (233,636)
Depreciation and amortization   289,908    515,223 
Stock based compensation   —      591 
Decrease in fair value of warrants and convertible feature of long-term debt   —      (6,424)
Changes in Assets and Liabilities          
(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable   169,704    (262,408)
(Increase) decrease in inventory   16,052    (11,244)
Decrease in prepaid expenses and other assets   45,360    61,562 
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable   (249,698)   285,972 
Increase in interest payable and other liabilities   —      294,969 
Increase (decrease) in accrued expenses   40,046    (119,998)
Increase (decrease) in other long-term liabilities   (5,935)   11,165 

 

Net cash used in operating activities

   (123,490)   (87,034)
           
Cash flows from investing activities          
Purchase of equipment   (82,224)   (75,554)
Proceeds from sale of equipment   96,768    274,267 
Increase (decrease) in license fees   3,775    (24,499)
           
Net cash provided by investing activities   18,319    174,214 
           
Cash flows from financing activities          
Issuance of stock   —      750 
Purchase of treasury stock   —      (5,000)

 

Net cash used in financing activities

   —      (4,250)
           
Net increase (decrease) in cash   (105,171)   82,930 

 

Cash beginning

   357,477    274,547 

 

Cash ending

  $252,306   $357,477 
           

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 


 

 

33
 

 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Continued)

 

  Year Ended
 
 
 
 
December 31,
2016
 
 
December 31,
2015
       
Supplemental Disclosure of Non-Cash Financing Activities:          
 Non-cash transactions from conversion of debt, accrued interest, and warrants to stockholders’ equity          
Issuance of common stock  $—     $181 
Issuance of nonvoting common stock   —      28,800 
Extinguishment of loan principal   —      (14,750,000)
Extinguishment of accrued interest on loans   —      (7,972,795)
Conversion of warrants   —      (20,521)
Contribution of additional paid in capital from conversion   —      22,714,335 
   $—     $—   
           

 

 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

 

 


 

 

 

34
 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

Note 1. Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Nature of Business: Lightning Gaming, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated on March 1, 2007 and on January 29, 2008, completed a merger with Lightning Poker, Inc. (“Lightning Poker”) which became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.

 

Lightning Poker was formed to manufacture and market a fully automated, proprietary electronic poker table (the “Poker Table”) to commercial and tribal casinos, card clubs, and other gaming and lottery venues. Lightning Poker’s Poker Table is designed to improve economics for casino operators while improving overall player experience.

 

In 2008, the Company, as the sole member, established Lightning Slot Machines, LLC (“Lightning Slots”) through which it commenced the design, manufacture, marketing, sale and operation of video slot machines to customers in various gaming jurisdictions. The current slot machine products are:

 

·Popeye · Jungle Book
·Popeye’s Bonus Voyage · Jumbo Fish Stacks
·Popeye’s Seven Seas · Just Jackpots
·Olive Oyl’s Jumbo Stacks · Lightning Lotto
·Flash Gordon · Penny Palooza
·Garfield · Si Shou
·Around the World in 80 Days · Slotto
·Candy Cash · Snow White
·Cash Flow · Swamp Fever
·Cinderella · Swamp Frenzy
·Duck Dynamite · Vampires Fortune
·Fins N Wins · Year of the Horse
·Golden Egg · Ye Xian
·Hao Yun

 

 

 

Our gaming products feature advanced graphics and engaging games based on licensed, well-recognized brands, cartoon characters and proprietary non-branded themes.

 

Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, including Lightning Poker and Lightning Slots. All inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which assumes realization of all assets and settlement or payment of all liabilities in the ordinary course of business. The Company has had net operating losses and negative cash flows from operations however it has maintained and sustained working capital surpluses. An increase in sales contracts is an indication that conditions have recently been improving and the Company expects these conditions to continue to improve, however the generation of cash flow sufficient to meet the Company’s cash needs in the future will depend on the Company’s ability to distribute its products and successfully market them to more casinos and card clubs. Based on our current financial condition, cash flow projections and anticipated revenues, we believe we have sufficient cash flows to support our operations for the next twelve months, however if supplemental financing becomes necessary, there is no assurance that the Company would be able to obtain such financing, on reasonable and feasible terms, or at all. If the Company needs additional funding and is unable to obtain it, its financial condition would be adversely affected. In that event, it would have to postpone or discontinue planned operations and projects for expansion. The Company’s continuance as a going concern is dependent upon these factors, among others. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

 

35
 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

 

Note 1. Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

 

A summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies is as follows:

 

Revenue Recognition: The Company generates revenue from leasing and selling our Poker Table and slot machines. The Company recognizes revenue on sales of our products, net of rebates, discounts and allowances, when persuasive evidence of an agreement exists, the sales price is fixed or determinable, our products are delivered and our ability to collect is reasonably assured. The recognition of revenue generated under operating leases occurs when the ability to collect is reasonably assured. The license agreements are based on either a fixed monthly price or a pre-determined percentage of the monthly net “rake” revenue collected for each Poker Table and daily revenue collected for each slot machine, subject to daily minimums and maximums.

 

If multiple units of our products are included in any one sale or lease agreement, revenue is allocated to each unit based upon its respective fair value against the total contract value and revenue recognition is deferred on those units where all requirements of revenue recognition have not been met.

 

There are also instances in which a lease may be offered to a customer with the option to convert to a sale upon the completion of certain obligations such as a pre-determined paid or reduced-rate lease term and/or a free-trial period. In addition, circumstances may arise in which a customer wishes to purchase machines after being on lease at their facility. In all of these situations, the initial revenue is recorded as lease revenue and the agreed upon sales price is shown as sales revenue when the lease is converted to a sale.

 

For the years 2016 and 2015 revenue from customers outside the United States accounted for approximately $-0- and $2,889 of revenues, respectively. Two and three casino customers accounted for 11% and 21% of our revenues for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. One casino group represented 10% and 8% of total revenues for each of the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

 

Use of Estimates: The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates include the recoverable value of long-lived assets, projected cash flows, and the fair market value of warrants and the convertible feature of long-term debt, if applicable. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Cash: For the purposes of reporting the statement of cash flows, the Company considers all cash accounts and highly liquid debt instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company maintained and will maintain cash balances with highly reputable financial institutions, which at times throughout the year exceeded the federally-insured amount. The Company has not experienced any losses from deposits above the federally-insured amount.

 

Concentrations of Credit Risk: Financial instruments that subject us to credit risk primarily consist of cash and trade receivables. The Company’s credit risk is managed by investing cash primarily in high-quality financial institutions. Accounts receivable include amounts owed by various customers and groups of customers. No collateral is required. Accounts receivable are not sold or factored. The Company regularly reviews its trade receivables in determining its allowance for doubtful accounts and believes its credit and collection polices mitigate its credit risk relative to accounts receivable.

 

Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts: The Company regularly evaluates the collectability of its trade receivable balances based on a combination of factors. When a customer’s account becomes past due, dialogue is initiated with the customer to determine the cause. If it is determined that the customer will be unable to meet its financial obligation to us, such as in the case of a bankruptcy filing, deterioration in

 

36
 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

 

Note 1. Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

 

the customer’s operating results or financial position or other material events impacting its business, a specific reserve is recorded for bad debts to reduce the related receivable to the amount expected to be recovered, given all information presently available. The Company has a reserve of $12,331 and $18,000 as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Except for this reserve, the Company believes its receivables are collectible. If circumstances related to specific customers change, our estimates of the recoverability of receivables could materially change. Recoveries of receivables previously written off are recorded as revenue when recovered. Delinquency of accounts receivable is determined based on contractual terms. The Company does not charge interest on its past due receivables.

 

At December 31, 2016 and 2015, accounts receivable from four and five casino customers, respectively, represented 54% and 72%, respectively, of total accounts receivable. One customer represented 20% of the total accounts receivable balance as of December 31, 2016 and one customer represented 40% of the accounts receivable balance as of December 31, 2015.

 

License Fees: Licensee fees are amortized on a straight-line basis over the life of the respective license, which ranges from one to three years.

 

Patents: The Company expenses legal fees and application costs related to its patent application process. There is a high degree of uncertainty in the outcome of approval for any of our patents. Once the patents are approved, any costs incurred to defend and register these patents will be capitalized.

 

Research and Development: Research and development costs are charged to expense when incurred and are included in the Statement of Operations until technological feasibility is reached. Technological feasibility is established when a product design and a working model of the software product have been completed and the completeness of the working model and its consistency with the product design have been confirmed by testing. These expenses include internally-developed software costs as well as employee and product costs associated with the development of our products. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, no amounts had been capitalized.

 

Inventory: Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or market using the first-in, first-out method.

 

Fair Value Measurements: Given their short-term nature and expected maturity, the carrying amounts reported in these financial statements for cash, prepaid and other current assets, accounts payable, and accrued expenses approximate fair value.

 

Property and Equipment: Property and equipment are recorded at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives of three to five years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the life of the lease or the useful life of the improvement if less.

 

Income Taxes: Deferred taxes are provided on a liability method whereby deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences. Temporary differences are the differences between the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in tax laws and rates on the date of enactment.

 

The Company has assessed its tax position and does not believe there are any uncertain tax positions. Our policy is to record interest and penalties associated with unrecognized tax benefits as additional income taxes in the Statement of Operations. The Company has determined that there are no unrecognized tax benefits, and accordingly, has not recognized any interest or penalties during 2016 and 2015 related to unrecognized tax benefits. There is no accrual for interest or penalties as of December 31, 2016 and 2015.

 

37
 

 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

 

Note 1. Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

 

The Company files U.S. income tax returns and multiple state and foreign income tax returns. With few exceptions, the U.S. and state income tax returns filed for the tax years ending on December 31, 2013 and thereafter are subject to examination by the relevant taxing authorities.

 

Advertising: The Company expenses advertising costs as incurred. There was no advertising expense in 2016 or 2015.

 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets: The Company reviews its long-lived assets, including property and equipment and license fees, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable. To determine the recoverability of its long-lived assets, including definite lived license fees, the Company evaluates the probability that future undiscounted net cash flows, without interest charges, will be less than the carrying amount of the assets or for identifiable intangibles with finite useful lives.

 

Going Concern: The Company evaluates whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern for a period of one year after the date that the financial statements are issued, taking into consideration the quantitative and qualitative information regarding the Company’s current financial condition, conditional and unconditional obligations due and the funds and cash flow necessary to maintain operations within that time period. Based on management’s evaluation, the Company will be able to continue in operation on a going concern basis for at least the next twelve months from the date these financial statements are issued.

 

Stock Option Plans: The Company has equity-based compensation plans which are more fully described in Note 7. Compensation expense is recognized over the required service period. All options have been granted with an exercise price equal to the fair value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant.

 

Earnings (loss) per share: The Company computes earnings (loss) per share in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles which require presentation of both basic and diluted earnings per share ("EPS") on the face of the Statement of Operations. Basic EPS is computed by dividing net income (loss) available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the period. Diluted EPS reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted to common stock. In computing diluted EPS, the average stock price for the period is used in determining the number of shares assumed to be purchased from the exercise of stock options or warrants. Diluted EPS for loss periods excludes all potential dilutive shares due to their anti-dilutive effect.

 

The Company uses the two-class method in computing earnings per share. Under the two-class method, undistributed earnings are allocated among common and participating shares to the extent each security may share in such earnings.

 

In computing earnings per share, the Company's Nonvoting Stock is considered a participating security. Each share of Nonvoting Stock has identical rights, powers, limitations and restrictions in all respects as each share of common stock of the Company including the right to receive the same consideration per share payable in respect of each share of common stock, except that holders of Nonvoting Stock shall have no voting rights or powers whatsoever.

 

The following table summarizes the number of dilutive shares, which may dilute future earnings per share, outstanding for each of the periods presented, but not included in the calculation of diluted loss per share:

 

  December 31, 2016  December 31, 2015
Stock options   885,000    1,198,000 
           

 

38
 

 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

 

Note 2. Inventory

 

Inventory consisted of the following:

 

  December 31,
2016
 

December 31,

2015

Finished products  $19,989   $1,685 
Raw materials   107,764    142,120 
Inventory  $127,753   $143,805 

 

Note 3. Property and Equipment

 

Property and equipment consisted of the following:

 

  

December 31,

2016

 

December 31,

2015

Equipment, principally gaming equipment  $3,956,072   $4,108,598 
Delivery truck   28,140    28,140 
Furniture and fixtures   92,237    90,525 
Leasehold improvements   91,794    91,794 
Property and equipment   4,168,243    4,319,057 
Less accumulated depreciation   (4,019,776)   (3,911,993)
Property and equipment, net  $148,467   $407,064 

 

Depreciation expense related to the property and equipment included in the consolidated Statements of Operations was $279,908 and $447,348 for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

 

Note 4. License Fees

 

License fees consist of the following:

 

  

December 31,

2016

 

December 31,

2015

Purchased licenses  $363,229   $367,004 
Less accumulated amortization   (325,322)   (315,322)
License fees, net  $37,907   $51,682 

 

The weighted average useful life of purchased licenses is 3 years. Amortization expense included in the consolidated Statements of Operations and relating to the purchased licenses was $10,000 and $67,875 for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

 

Estimated amortization expense related to recorded license fees is as follows:

 

Year Ending
December 31,
  Amount
 2017   $32,073 
 2018    5,834 
     $37,907 

 

 

 

39
 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

 

Note 5. Debt

 

On August 6, 2015, the Company entered into an agreement with The Co-Investment Fund II, L.P. (“CI II”) in which the entire principal and accrued interest on promissory notes and other related loan agreements outstanding and due to CI II, including warrants to purchase a maximum of 12,151,385 shares of Company stock, as well as the 4,500,000 shares of Preferred Series A Nonvoting Capital Stock then outstanding, were converted into181,000 shares of (voting) Common Stock, par value $0.001, and 33,300,000 shares of Nonvoting Common Stock, par value $0.001, of the Company. Upon the conversion, all notes, loans, accrued interest, and warrants due to CI II were terminated in their entirety and all obligations were extinguished.

 

Prior to conversion, substantially all of the Company’s assets had been pledged as collateral on debt and all of the notes were due on June 30, 2017 with interest at 8% on each note payable at maturity. In May 2015, the lender agreed to suspend the accrual of interest on all of the notes outstanding, effective April 1, 2015, in anticipation of converting its debt and related obligations to equity in the transaction described above.

 

See Note 7, Stockholders’ Equity and Note 9, Related Party Transactions for more information on debt and warrant transactions.

 

Note 6. Commitments

 

In November 2009, the Company entered into a lease agreement for its corporate offices which became effective in January 2010 for a term of sixty-seven months. In September 2014, the lease was amended to include the following: 1) an extension of the lease term to February 28, 2021; 2) modification of the minimum annual and monthly rents for the extended lease term; 3) a rent abatement period of six months commencing October 1, 2014; and 4) an option to extend the term for a period of five years.

 

Rental expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease and is recorded as a deferred rent obligation during the abatement period. The deferred rent is reduced by the difference between the rent due and the straight-line expense upon commencement of the rental payments. Rental expense under this lease for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 was $153,026 and $141,086, respectively.

 

Future minimum lease payments are as follows:

 

Year Ending December 31,  Amount
 2017   $99,337 
 2018    101,821 
 2019    104,366 
 2020    106,975 
 2021 and thereafter    18,124 
     $430,623 

 

 

The Company routinely enters into license agreements for the use of intellectual properties and technologies. These agreements generally provide for royalty advances and license fee payments when the agreements are signed and minimum commitments which are cancelable in certain circumstances.

 

In October 2009, the Company entered into an exclusive license agreement with Hearst Holdings, Inc. and King Features Syndicate Division to use the brands POPEYE and related family of characters in gaming devices distributed worldwide excluding the United Kingdom and Japan. The initial term of the agreement was for one year with the Company’s right to extend the agreement for eight additional one-year terms upon payment of minimum royalties. The Company paid the minimum royalties and extended the term of the agreement to December 2013. In April 2013, the Company was granted the right to sublicense the POPEYE brand for distribution to bar and salon customers only in Spain for the

 

40
 

 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

 

Note 6. Commitments (Continued)

 

remainder of the renewal term. In December 2013, the Company and Hearst Holdings entered into a second renewal agreement extending the license and sublicense renewal term from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016, and a third renewal agreement extending the license and sublicense renewal term from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018. The third renewal agreement is subject to a guaranteed minimum royalty of $50,000, $25,000 payable on or before December 31, 2017 and $25,000 payable on or before December 31, 2018.

 

In June 2011, the Company entered into a license agreement with Hearst Holdings, Inc. to use the brand Blondie and related family of characters in gaming devices distributed worldwide. The initial term of the agreement was for two years with the Company’s right to extend the agreement for eight additional one- year terms upon payment of minimum royalties. The Company and Hearst Holdings entered into a renewal agreement extending the renewal term from June 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015. The renewal period has expired and all royalty obligations have been paid in full.

 

In November 2011, the Company entered into a license agreement with Hearst Holdings, Inc. to use the brand Beetle Bailey and related family of characters in gaming devices distributed worldwide. The initial term of the agreement was for two years with the Company’s right to extend the agreement for eight additional one-year terms upon payment of minimum royalties during the term of the agreement. The Company and Hearst Holdings entered into a renewal agreement extending the renewal term from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2015. The renewal period has expired and all royalty obligations have been paid in full.

 

In March 2013, the Company entered into a license agreement with Hearst Holdings, Inc. to use the brand Hagar the Horrible and related family of characters in gaming devices distributed worldwide. The initial term of the agreement ran from April 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015. The Company had the right to extend the agreement for eight additional one-year terms upon payment of $50,000 in minimum royalties. The Company opted not to extend the agreement and all royalty obligations have been paid in full.

 

In October 2014, the Company entered into a license agreement with Paws, Inc. to use the brand Garfield and associated family of characters in gaming devices distributed worldwide, except in the embargo countries of Cuba, Iran and Sudan. The initial term of the agreement runs from December 1, 2014 to November 30, 2017 and is subject to a guaranteed minimum royalty of $75,000. In December 2014, 2015, and 2016, the Company paid $25,000 as non-refundable advances against the guaranteed royalty. The guaranteed advanced payments are recoupable out of royalties earned on the license.

 

In November 2014, the Company entered into a license agreement with Hearst Holdings, Inc. for the worldwide distribution of gaming devices using Flash Gordon and associated family of characters. The initial term of the agreement runs from November 1, 2014 to October 31, 2017 with royalties based on a percentage of revenues earned on the license, payable on a quarterly basis which commenced on January 31, 2016.

 

In July 2016, the Company entered into a license agreement with Ainsworth Game Technology Ltd for the intellectual property rights to use certain game technology in slot machines titled as Flash Gordon, Ye Xian and Cash Flow. The term of the agreement runs from July 1, 2016 to May 30, 2018 with royalties based on a percentage of revenues earned on the slot machines running the aforementioned titles, payable on a quarterly basis with the first royalty payment due October 31, 2016.

 

 

41
 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

 

Note 6. Commitments (Continued)

 

At December 31, 2016, the Company had total license fee commitments and advance payments made as follows:

 

Minimum
Commitments 

  
Total royalty and license fee commitments  $81,250 
Advances made   (81,250)
Potential future payments  $—   

 

As of December 31, 2016, the Company estimates that all potential future royalty payments have been paid.

 

Note 7. Stockholders’ Equity

 

Stock Option Plans: On March 8, 2006, Lightning Poker adopted an equity incentive plan to enable Lightning Poker to offer key employees, consultants and directors equity interests in Lightning Poker, thereby helping to attract, retain and motivate such persons to exercise their best efforts on behalf of Lightning Poker. After the Merger, the options previously granted by Lightning Poker were exchanged for options to buy the Company's stock under the Company's 2007 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2007 Plan") having substantially the same terms. The options are granted at the discretion of the Board of Directors and, at December 31, 2016, the maximum aggregate number of shares issuable under the Stock Plan was 2,500,000. The purchase price of each option will be determined by the Board of Directors at the time the option is granted, but in no event will be less than 100% of the fair market value of the common stock at the time of grant. Options granted will not be exercisable after 10 years from the grant date.

 

Options generally vest at 20% per year starting from the grant date and are fully vested after five years. The options can be exercised in partial or full amounts upon a change in control and at such other times as specified in the award agreements.

 

In order to provide an incentive to designated employees, officers, directors, consultants, independent contractors and other service providers who perform services contributing to the growth of the Company, and by aligning the interests of participants with the interests of stockholders, the Board declared it advisable and in the Company’s best interest and on May 25, 2016, approved the 2016 Stock Option Plan (the “2016 Plan”). The 2016 Plan will permit the granting of nonqualified stock options. The shares underlying the options will be shares of the Company’s nonvoting common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and the total aggregate number of shares that may be issued under the 2016 Plan is 5,700,000 shares. The purchase price of each option will be determined by the Board at the time the option is granted, but in no event will be less than 100% of the fair market value of the common stock at the time of grant. Options granted will not be exercisable after 10 years from the grant date. As of December 31, 2016, there were no options granted under the 2016 Plan.

 

Expense relating to the stock option plans was $-0- and $591 for the years ended December 31, 2016, and 2015, respectively.

 

 

42
 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

 

Note 7. Stockholders’ Equity (Continued)

 

Stock Option Plans (Continued)

 

A summary of option transactions in 2016 and 2015 under the 2007 Plan is as follows:

  Shares 

Weighted

Average

Exercise
Price

Options at January 1, 2015   1,198,000    $1.64 
Options granted   —      —   
Options cancelled   —      —   
Options at December 31, 2015   1,198,000    1.64 
Options granted   —      —   
Options cancelled   (313,000)   1.17 
Options at December 31, 2016   885,000    1.80 
Options exercisable at December 31, 2016   885,000    1.80 
Shares available for grant at December 31, 2016   1,615,000      
           
Shares available for grant at December 31, 2016 under the 2016 Plan   5,700,000      

 

The fair value of each option award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Expected volatility is based upon publicly traded companies with similar characteristics. The Company uses historical data to estimate option exercise and employee termination within the valuation model. The expected term of options granted represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of the option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. There were no options granted during 2016 or 2015.

 

Stock-based compensation expense is recognized in the Statements of Operations based on awards ultimately expected to vest and may be reduced for estimated forfeitures. There was no adjustment in 2016 or 2015 with respect to forfeited awards.

 

The following table summarizes information with respect to stock options outstanding at December 31, 2016 under the 2007 Plan:

 

Options Outstanding   Vested Options
 
 
 
 
Number
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (Years)
 
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
 
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Number
 
Weighted
Average
Contractual
Term (Years)
 
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
 
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
885,000 1.3 $1.80 -   885,000 1.3 $1.80 -
     
     
The following table summarizes information with respect to stock options outstanding at December 31, 2015 under the 2007 Plan:
     
Options Outstanding   Vested Options
 
 
 
 
Number
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (Years)
 
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
 
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Number
 
Weighted
Average
Contractual
Term (Years)
 
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
 
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
1,198,000 2.0 $1.64 -   1,198,000 2.0 $1.64 -

 

 

43
 

 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

 

Note 7. Stockholders’ Equity (Continued)

 

Stock Option Plans (Continued)

 

As of December 31, 2016, all compensation costs related to share-based compensation arrangements granted under the 2007 Plan had been fully recognized.

 

Warrants: In accordance with the loans obtained by the Company, the lender previously held warrants to purchase 12,151,385 shares of the Company’s Common Stock at a price of $1.00 per share, expiring at various times from April 2016 through October 2019. The purchase price was subject to adjustment from time to time pursuant to the respective provisions of the warrant agreements. The Company calculated the value of warrants at the time of issuance using a Binomial pricing model.

 

On August 6, 2015, the Company entered into an agreement with CI II in which the entire principal and accrued interest on promissory notes and other related loan agreements outstanding and due to CI II, including the warrants described above, as well as the 4,500,000 shares of Preferred Series A Nonvoting Capital Stock then outstanding, were converted into 181,000 shares of (voting) Common Stock, par value $0.001, and 33,300,000 shares of Nonvoting Common Stock, par value $0.001, of the Company.

 

The following table is a summary of the Company’s warrant activity for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 

 

Warrants

Outstanding

 

Weighted

Average

Exercise

Price

Outstanding at January 1, 2015   12,151,385    1.00 
Warrants granted   —      —   
Warrants exercised   —      —   
Warrants cancelled   (12,151,385)   1.00 
Warrants at December 31, 2015   —      —   
Warrants exercisable at December 31, 2016 and 2015   —        
           

 

The fair value of each warrant is estimated using the Binomial pricing model. The following assumptions were used to determine the fair value of the options prior to their termination on August 6, 2015:

 

  2015
Weighted average volatility   40.7%
Expected dividend yield   —   
Expected term (in years)   1.1 
Weighted average risk free interest rate   .4%

 

The fair value of the warrants was recognized currently in earnings and included in other long-term liabilities in the accompanying Balance Sheets prior to conversion. Also, certain notes had contained a right to convert the principal amount of the note and accrued interest into shares of common stock.

 

The Company accounted for the value of the warrants and the debt conversion right in the same manner used for stock-based compensation. In accordance with FASB guidance, warrants and the debt conversion feature are classified within Level 3 because they are valued using the Binomial model. Some of the inputs to these valuations are unobservable in the market and are significant.

 

 

 

44
 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

 

Note 7. Stockholders’ Equity (Continued)

 

Warrants (Continued)

 

The changes in Level 3 liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized as follows:

 

  Fair Value of
Debt Conversion Feature
  Fair Value of
Warrants
Balance January 1, 2015  $—     $26,945 
Net change in fair value   —      (6,424)
Warrants converted   —      (20,521)
Balance December 31, 2015  $—     $—   

 

 

Note 8. Income Taxes

 

The components of the income tax provision (benefit) for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 are as follows:

   2016  2015
Current tax expense:      
Federal  $ -  $ -
State  -  -
  $ -  $ -
       
Deferred tax benefit (expense):          
Federal  $(3,469,000)  $(549,000)
State   (1,121,000)   (178,000)
Valuation reserve   4,590,000    727,000 
   $—     $—   

 

Net deferred tax assets consist of the following components as of December 31, 2016 and 2015:

 

  2016  2015
Deferred tax asset:          
Net operating loss carryforward  $5,491,000   $10,176,000 
Accounts receivable reserves   5,000    7,000 
Property and equipment   (126,000)   (125,000)
Accrued expenses   86,000    (34,000)
Impairment charge   296,000    296,000 
Start-up costs   24,000    28,000 
Stock based compensation   62,000    62,000 
Inventory reserves   4,000    4,000 
Other   49,000    67,000 
    5,891,000    10,481,000 
Less valuation allowance   (5,891,000)   (10,481,000)
Net deferred taxes  $—     $—   

 

 

 

 

45
 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

 

Note 8. Income Taxes (Continued)

 

A reconciliation of income tax expense at statutory rates to the income tax expense reported in the Statements of Operations is as follows for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015.

 

  Year ended December 31,
   2016  2015
Federal tax benefit at statutory rate  $(133,000)  $(212,000)
State tax benefit net of federal taxes   (26,000)   (41,000)
Warrant valuation   —      (2,000)
Cancellation of debt   4,735,000    966,000 
Other   14,000    16,000 
Decrease in valuation allowance   (4,590,000)   (727,000)
Income tax expense  $—     $—   

 

 

As of December 31, 2016, the Company has available, for federal and state income tax purposes, net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of approximately $13,548,000, which expire at various times through 2036. As a result of the cancellation of debt and accrued interest on debt on August 6, 2015 and the correction of interest expense previously deferred for tax purposes, the Company recognized an attribute reduction of the NOL carryforward effective January 1, 2016 of approximately $11,978,000, reducing the NOL carryforward available as of that date from $25,104,000 to $13,126,000. The utilization of the NOL carryforwards is dependent upon the ability of the Company to generate sufficient taxable income during the carryforward periods. The NOL carryforwards are also subject to certain limitations on their utilization should changes in Company ownership occur. The Company has not recognized any NOL carryforward benefits or other net deferred tax assets in the current financial statements.

 

Note 9. Related Party Transactions

 

In May 2015, CI II agreed to suspend the accrual of interest on all of the notes outstanding, effective April 1, 2015, in anticipation of entering into an agreement with the Company to convert its debt outstanding into equity. On August 6, 2015, the Company entered into an agreement with CI II in which the entire principal and accrued interest on promissory notes and other related loan agreements outstanding and due to CI II, including warrants to purchase a maximum of 12,151,385 shares of Company stock, as well as the 4,500,000 shares of Preferred Series A Nonvoting Capital Stock then outstanding, were converted into 181,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 33,300,000 shares of the Company’s Nonvoting Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share. Upon the conversion, all notes, loans, accrued interest, and warrants due to CI II were terminated in their entirety and all obligations were extinguished.

 

During the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, interest on all of the loans amounted to $-0- and $294,970. During 2015, the Company made no principal or interest payments on those loans and on August 6, 2015, the loans were converted into equity in the transaction as described above.

 

Note 10. Recently Issued Pronouncements

 

In May 2014, the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board issued converged guidance on recognizing revenue from contracts with customers. The new guidance removes inconsistencies in current revenue recognition requirements, provides a framework for addressing revenue issues, improves comparability of revenue recognition across industries, entities and jurisdictions, and provides more useful information to users of financial statements through improved disclosure requirements. This guidance replaces the numerous GAAP revenue recognition requirements that are industry specific and establishes the principles to report about the nature, timing, and uncertainty of revenue from contracts with customers to users of financial statements.

 

 

46
 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

 

Note 10. Recently Issued Pronouncements (Continued)

 

Additions to this update were issued by the FASB and IASB in March 2016, clarifying the operability and understandability on principal versus agent considerations. In April 2016, further clarifications were issued on two aspects: identifying performance obligations and clarifying the licensing implementation guidance. An additional update was issued in May 2016, which included a technical correction, clarifying the objective of assessing the collectability criterion, the presentation of sales and other similar taxes collected from customers, specifying that the measurement date for noncash consideration is at contract inception, and practical guidance for applying contract modifications and completed contracts at the transition date. Additional technical corrections and improvements to clarify and correct unintended application of the guidance were issued in December 2016. These updates do not change the core principles of this guidance but rather provide clarification and implementation within the scope of this topic.

 

The guidance is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and the Company is assessing the impact it will have on our financial statements.

 

In August 2014, the FASB issued guidance regarding disclosures in the presentation of financial statements when the uncertainty exists about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. The update provides guidance in GAAP about management’s responsibility to evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures. Along with requiring management’s assessment of the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, the guidance provides:

 

  a definition for the term “substantial doubt”;
  requires an evaluation every reporting period including interim periods;
  provides principles for considering the mitigating effect of management’s plans;
  requires certain disclosures when substantial doubt is alleviated as a result of consideration of management’s plans;
  requires an express statement and other disclosures when substantial doubt is not alleviated; and
  requires an assessment for a period of one year after the date that the financial statements are issued.

 

The amendment became effective for the annual and interim periods ending after December 15, 2016 and did not have a material impact on our financial statements.

 

In July 2015, the FASB issued an update under the inventory topic which more clearly articulates the requirements for the measurement and disclosure of inventory, stating that an entity should measure inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Net realizable value is defined as the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. The amendments in this update do not apply to inventory that is measured using last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) or the retail inventory method. The amendment is effective for the fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is assessing the impact this guidance may have on our financial statements.

 

In November 2015, the FASB issued an update under the income taxes topic, simplifying the presentation of deferred income taxes, requiring that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. This update aligns the presentation of deferred income tax assets and liabilities with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). The amendments in this update are effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and the Company is assessing the impact this guidance may have on our financial statements.

 

 

47
 

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

 

Note 10. Recently Issued Pronouncements (Continued)

 

In February 2016, the FASB finalized the accounting standard and issued an update under the Leases topic. The update provides for major changes by lessees in that a lessee must recognize on its statement of financial position both an asset (“right-of-use”), representing its right to use the underlying asset, and a lease liability for all leases, other than short-term leases with terms of twelve months or less. The guidance defines a lease as a contract, or part of a contract, that conveys the right to control the use of identified property, plant, or equipment (an identified asset) for a period of time in exchange for consideration. Control over the use of the identified asset means that the customer has both (1) the right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefits from the use of the asset and (2) the right to direct the use of the asset. Differentiation between finance and operating leases still remains however the most notable difference from previous guidance is recognizing the asset and liability on the statement of financial position for operating leases.

 

For finance leases, lessees are required to:

1.Recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability in the statement of financial position which is initially measured at the present value of the lease payments;
2.Recognize interest in the statement of comprehensive income on the lease liability separately from amortization of the right-of-use asset; and
 3.Classify in the statement of cash flows repayments of the principal portion of the lease liability within financing activities and payments of interest on the lease liability and variable lease payments within operating activities.

 

For operating leases, lessees are required to:

1.Recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability in the statement of financial position which is initially measured at the present value of the lease payments;
2.Recognize a single lease cost, generally allocated over the lease term on a straight-line basis; and
3.Classify all cash payments in the statement of cash flows as operating activities.

 

Under the update, lessor accounting for leases remains largely unchanged providing that lessor accounting is aligned with changes made to the lessee accounting guidance and key aspects under the revenue recognition guidance.

 

The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and the Company is assessing the impact this guidance will have on our financial statements.

 

In March 2016, the FASB issued an update on the stock compensation topic, simplifying several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including income tax consequences, balance sheet classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and statement of cash flows classification. While the amendments in the update are effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016, certain aspects of the amendment, such as those relating to the timing of excess tax benefits recognized, minimum statutory withholding requirements, forfeitures, and cash flow classification must be applied retrospectively. The Company is assessing the impact this guidance will have on our financial statements.

 

Note 11. Subsequent Event

 

On March 8, 2017, the Board of Directors approved by unanimous written consent, the authorization to grant to employees with at least one year of service, non-qualified stock options to purchase 4,015,000 shares of nonvoting common stock of the Company under its 2016 Plan. The options were issued at an exercise price of $.28 per share and vest ratably over five years. The options are subject to the terms and conditions of the 2016 Plan and each individual’s stock option agreement.

 


 

 

48
 

 

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

 

We have no disagreements, transactions or events to report under this item.

 


 

 

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

 

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act are recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management including our CEO, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

 

In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, our management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management necessarily is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

 

As of December 31, 2016, we conducted an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management including our CEO and Controller, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based on that evaluation, our CEO and Controller have concluded that as of December 31, 2016, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

 

Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

Internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) refers to the process designed by, or under the supervision of, our CEO and Controller, or affected by our Board of Directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over our financial reporting.

 

All internal controls, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations and may not prevent or detect all misstatements and fraud. Even those internal controls that are determined to be effective can only provide reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. Additionally, judgments in decision-making can be faulty and breakdowns in internal control can occur because of simple errors or mistakes that are not detected on a timely basis. Furthermore, over time, controls that were previously determined to be effective may become inadequate due to changes in conditions or deterioration in the degree of compliance with internal policies and procedures.

 

We have evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016. This evaluation was performed using the criteria set forth in the Internal Control - Integrated Framework (the “Framework”) developed by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) updated in 2013. Based on such evaluation, our management has concluded that, as of such date, our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2016.

 

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the year ended December 31, 2016 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

This annual report does not include an attestation report of the Company’s registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by the Company’s registered public accounting firm pursuant to Regulation S-K Item 308(b) that permits the Company to provide only management’s report in this annual report.

49
 

 


 

 

Item 9B. Other Information.

 

None.

 


PART III

 

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

 

Below is certain information regarding our directors and executive officers. All of the Company’s directors took office on January 29, 2008, except Mr. Haveson, who became a director of the Company on September 6, 2007. Mr. Strano became president of the Company in December 2009.

 

Name   Age   Position Held with the Company
Brian Haveson   53   Chairman, CEO,  Director
Christopher Strano   44   President of Lightning Gaming, Inc.
Donald Caldwell   70   Director
Frederick Tecce   81   Director

 

Brian Haveson

 

Mr. Haveson has served as CEO of the Company since August 2007, CEO of Lightning Poker since October 1, 2006, President of the Company from August 2007 to December 2009, President of Lightning Poker from March 2008 to December 2009 and a director of Lightning Poker since June 2005. From 1994 through 2002, Mr. Haveson served as CFO and CEO of Nutri/System, Inc. Prior to that he was a manager for 4 years with Arthur Andersen in its Turnaround Group. Mr. Haveson received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland and a Masters in Management from Purdue University. Mr. Haveson’s successful tenure as the CEO of Nutri/System and his consulting role at Arthur Andersen provide our Company with a seasoned and experienced CEO.

 

Christopher Strano

 

Mr. Strano was appointed President of the Company in December 2009, and previously served as Chief Marketing Officer from June 2009 to December 2009. Prior to joining Lightning Poker, Mr. Strano was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for AC Coin & Slot, from June 2004 to June 2009. Mr. Strano served as Director of Marketing for Franklin Electronic Publishers, Inc. from October 2000 to June 2004. Mr. Strano holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Drexel University's LeBow School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree from Trenton State College.

 

Donald Caldwell

 

Mr. Caldwell has been a director of Lightning Gaming, Inc. (formerly Lightning Poker) since June 2005. He is the founder, Chairman and CEO of Cross Atlantic Capital Partners Inc. ("Cross Atlantic") and has oversight responsibility for its multiple funds.

 

Mr. Caldwell serves on the board of several publicly and privately held companies and civic organizations, including: Quaker Chemical Corporation (NYSE); Rubicon Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ); InsPro Technologies Corporation (OTC); Amber Road1 (NYSE); Fox Chase Bancorp, Inc.2 (NASDAQ); RootStock Software; Sagence Group, Inc.; Voxware, Inc.; Haverford Trust Company; StoneRidge Investment Partners, LLC; the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (Chairman Emeritus); and the Committee for Economic Development. In addition to his role of director, Mr. Caldwell serves as Chairman and CEO of InsPro Technologies Corporation.

50
 

 

 

Until March 1, 1999, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of Safeguard Scientifics, Inc., where he also previously served as Executive Vice President. Prior to joining Safeguard in 1993, Mr. Caldwell held a number of executive and financial positions, including Chief Administrative Officer of Cambridge Technology Partners, Inc. (Massachusetts), a provider of information technology consulting and software development; Executive Vice President and then President of Atlantic Financial; and as a partner in the national office of Arthur Young & Co., a predecessor to Ernst & Young, LLP. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Babson College and a Master of Business Administration from the Graduate School of Business at Harvard University.

 

Mr. Caldwell’s extensive experience in the financial markets, venture capital arena and service on corporate boards provide us with significant, well-respected financial and management leadership in addition to his strong corporate governance background.

 

1Mr. Caldwell resigned from the Amber Road Board on December 22, 2016.

2Mr. Caldwell resigned from the Fox Chase Bancorp, Inc. when it was acquired by Univest of Pennsylvania on July 1, 2016.

 

Frederick Tecce

 

Mr. Tecce has been a director since June 2005. Mr. Tecce is a managing director and Of Counsel to Cross Atlantic. Mr. Tecce works closely with Mr. Caldwell on fundraising, as well as overseeing Cross Atlantic's legal issues, including contracts and intellectual property rights. Mr. Tecce is also Of Counsel to the law firm Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney PC.

 

Mr. Tecce has served on the board of the Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System Board, where he was appointed by Governor Tom Ridge in 1995, serving as chairman of the finance committee for five years. Mr. Tecce also serves on the board of another publicly-reporting company, InsPro Technologies Corp.

 

Most of Mr. Tecce's professional career has been spent as a principal in a company that pioneered and licensed new technology in the textile industry. This involved managing a long-term, complex, multi-party lawsuit directed to enforcing patent rights. His experience in managing complex litigation was also the basis for his engagement with two other significant businesses whose existence was threatened by lawsuit disputes. In addition, Mr. Tecce has launched several new businesses from the seed stage and has been an investor and active participant in several emerging growth companies.

 

Mr. Tecce holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law of Pennsylvania State University. Mr. Tecce’s broad legal and business experience brings insight and a seasoned view to our board.

 

Director Independence

 

The NASDAQ listing standards define an "independent director" generally as a person, other than an executive officer or employee of the Company or an individual who has a relationship that, in the opinion of the Company's Board of Directors, would interfere with the director's exercise of independent judgment. Under NASDAQ Rule 4350(c), a Controlled Company is exempt from certain independent director requirements set forth in this rule. The Company is relying on the Controlled Company exemption under NASDAQ Rule 4350(c) with respect to Mr. Caldwell and Mr. Tecce and as such, the independent director requirements do not apply.

 

Mr. Caldwell and Mr. Tecce serve as the members of the audit committee of the Board of Directors.

 

 

51
 

 

Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings

 

To the best of our knowledge, during the past ten years, none of the following occurred with respect to our directors or executive officers: (1) any bankruptcy petition filed by or against any business of which such person was a general partner or executive officer at or within two years before the time of the filing; (2) any conviction in a criminal proceeding or being subject to a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses); (3) being subject to any order, judgment or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of competent jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily enjoining, barring, suspending or otherwise limiting his involvement in any type of business, securities, commodities or banking activities; (4) being found by a court of competent jurisdiction (in a civil action), the SEC or the Commodities Futures Trading Commission to have violated a federal or state securities or commodities law, and the judgment has not been reversed, suspended or vacated; (5) being the subject of, or party to, a judicial or administrative order, judgment, decree or finding, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, relating to an alleged violation of law or regulation pertaining to securities or commodities, financial institution or insurance company regulation, or mail or wire fraud or fraud in connection with any business entity; or (6) being the subject of, or party to any sanction or order, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any self-regulatory organization ( as defined in the Exchange Act), registered entity (as defined in the Commodities Exchange Act) or equivalent exchange, association, entity or organization.

 

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

 

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors and executive officers and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of our common stock (“10% Shareholders”) to file with the SEC certain reports regarding their stock ownership and stock transactions (“Section 16(a) Reports”). Such persons are required to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) Reports they file. Based solely on our review of such reports (and amendments thereto) that were furnished to us and written representations made to us by reporting persons in connection with certain of these reporting requirements, we believe that all reporting persons met their Section 16(a) reporting obligations on a timely basis during our last fiscal year.

 

Code of Ethics

 

We have adopted a code of ethics that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. We undertake to provide to any person without charge, upon request, a copy of our code of ethics. Such request should be directed to us in writing as follows: Mr. Brian Haveson, Chief Executive Officer, Lightning Gaming, Inc., 23 Creek Circle, Suite 400, Boothwyn, PA 19061.

 

Audit Committee

 

We have a separately-designated standing audit committee. Mr. Caldwell and Mr. Tecce are the audit committee members. The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Caldwell is an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined in Item 407(d)(5)(ii) of SEC Regulation S-K.

 

 

52
 


 

Item 11. Executive Compensation.

 

The following Summary Compensation Table reports compensation we paid in 2016 and 2015 to Brian Haveson, our and Lightning Poker’s principal executive officer, and Christopher Strano, President of Lightning Gaming (collectively, our “named executive officers”).

 

SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

 

Name & Principal Position  Year  Salary
($)
  Bonus
($) (1)
  Stock Awards
($)
  Option Awards
($)
  Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation
($)
  Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings
($)
  All Other Compensation
($) (2)
  Total
($)
Brian  Haveson,
Chairman and CEO
  2016
2015
  $250,000
$250,000
  $-

($12,164

) $-
$-
  $-
$-
  $-
$-
  $-
$-
   $3,750
$3,750
 

 $253,750

$241,586

                            
Christopher Strano, President of Lightning Gaming (3)  2016
2015
  $214,550
$210,800
 

$-

($10,256


)
$-
$-
  $-
$-
  $-
$-
  $-
$-
   $4,556
$4,608
  $219,106
$205,152
                            

   

NOTES:

   
(1) Bonus was calculated as a pool at 20% on Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (“EBITDA”) for 2014 for all non-sales employees and allocated based on gross annual wages. During the second quarter of 2015, it was determined that it would be in the Company’s best interest to reverse the 2014 accrued bonuses and suspend the bonus accrual for the remainder of the year. There was no bonus awarded or accrued in 2016.
(2) Includes employer contributions to 401K plan that is available to all employees. Does not include premiums for health insurance that is available on a non-discriminatory basis to all salaried employees.
(3) Mr. Strano's employment contract provides for, among other things, (a) monthly base salary of $17,568, (b) one year's severance pay if his employment terminates other than for cause and he does not accept employment with a gaming company during the one-year period, (c) options for 250,000 shares at an exercise price of $.27 per share under the 2007 Plan and (d) an incentive compensation plan that guaranteed at least $25,000 after one year of employment. On August 22, 2016, by unanimous vote of the Executive Committee of Board of Directors, Mr. Strano received an annual salary increase of $10,000 effective August 16, 2016.

 

53
 

 

 

 

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

 

The following table contains information concerning all unexercised common stock options granted to our named executive officers, which were outstanding on December 31, 2016.

 

OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END

 

   Options Awards
                
Name  Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable  Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Unexercisable 

Equity Incentive

Plan Awards:

Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Unearned Options (#)

 

Option

Exercise Price ($)

 

Option Expiration Date

(day/mo/year)

Brian Haveson (1)   500,000    —      —     $2.56    08/08/2017
Christopher Strano (2)   250,000    —      —     $0.28    29/06/2019

 

NOTES:

(1) At December 31, 2016, Mr. Haveson held options to purchase an aggregate of 500,000 shares under the 2007 Plan which were fully vested as of August 2013.
   
(2) At December 31, 2016, Mr. Strano held options to purchase 250,000 shares under the 2007 Plan which were fully vested as of June 2014.

All options granted prior to the Merger were granted under the 2006 Plan and were exchanged for options to purchase the Company’s common stock under the 2007 Plan after the Merger, on substantially the same terms and conditions. The exercise price was the price determined by the Board of Directors of the granting entity to be not less than 100% (110% for an owner of more than 10% of the outstanding stock) of the fair market value of the underlying shares at the time of the grant of the option. Options are not exercisable after ten years (five years for an owner of more than 10% of the outstanding stock) from the date of grant. There were no options granted under the 2016 Plan.

 


 

Director Compensation

 

Our directors, excluding directors who are named executive officers, did not receive compensation during 2016.

 

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

 

The following table indicates how many shares of our (voting) Common Stock and Nonvoting Common Stock were beneficially owned as of March 28, 2017 by (1) each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our common stock (“5% Shareholder”), (2) our directors, (3) our executive officers, and (4) all of our directors and executive officers as a group. In general, “beneficial ownership” includes those shares a person has sole or shared power to vote or transfer (whether or not owned directly) and rights to acquire such power, such as through the exercise of options, warrants, or convertible debt within 60 days. Except as indicated otherwise below, to our knowledge the persons named in the table below have sole voting power (for common stock) and investment power with respect to all shares shown as beneficially owned by them. To calculate the percentage of outstanding common stock owned by each named person or the group reported in the table below, we added shares of common stock that the named person or group (as the case may be) can acquire within 60 days to both (a) the number of shares of common stock actually outstanding (4,688,474) and (b) the number of other shares of common stock (if any) actually held by that named person or the group (as the case may be).

 

See Part II, Item 5 of this report for further information on securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plan.

 

The address of each of the directors and executive officers listed below is c/o Lightning Gaming, Inc., 23 Creek Circle, Suite 400, Boothwyn, Pennsylvania 19061.

 

 

54
 

 

 

  Common Stock  Nonvoting Common Stock
Directors and Executive Officers:  Number of Shares Beneficially Owned  Percent of Class  Number of Shares Beneficially Owned  Percent of Class
Donald Caldwell (1)    1,021,000(2)  18.3%  33,300,000  100.0%
Fredrick C. Tecce 611,000(2)  11.0%  33,300,000  100.0%
   (3)         
Brian Haveson      1,238,409(4)  22.0%   
Christopher Strano         250,000(5)  4.5%   
All directors and executive officers as a group (4 persons)     2,939,409(7)  52.7%  33,300,000  100.0%
             
5% Shareholder:            
CI II and related parties (1) (2)     181,000 (6)  3.2%  33,300,000  100.0%
               

 

(1) CI II is managed by Cross Atlantic of which Mr. Caldwell is Chairman and CEO and Mr. Tecce is a managing director and counsel. Consequently, Cross Atlantic, Mr. Caldwell, and Mr. Tecce may be deemed the beneficial owners of the shares that CI II beneficially owns.
(2) Includes 181,000 shares owned by CI II.
(3) Includes 50,000 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Tecce’s wife.
(4) Includes options to purchase 500,000 shares.
(5) Consists of options to purchase shares.
(6) The address of CI II and its manager, Cross Atlantic, is 150 North Radnor-Chester Road, Suite B101, Radnor, PA 19087.
(7) Includes an aggregate of 750,000 shares that can be acquired through the exercise of options.

 

 

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

 

We are reporting the transactions below based on the following relationships: (1) CI II is managed by Cross Atlantic and is a 5% Shareholder; and (2) Mr. Caldwell is the founder and CEO and Mr. Tecce is a managing director and counsel to Cross Atlantic.

 

Our Nonvoting Common Stock participates with, and is identical to, our common stock except for the lack of voting rights.

 

On August 6, 2015, the Company entered into an agreement with CI II in which the entire principal and accrued interest on promissory notes and other related loan agreements outstanding and due to CI II, including warrants to purchase a maximum of 12,151,385 shares of Company stock, as well as the 4,500,000 shares of Preferred Series A Nonvoting Capital Stock then outstanding, were converted into 181,000 shares of (voting) Common Stock, par value $0.001, and 33,300,000 shares of Nonvoting Common Stock, par value $0.001, of the Company. Upon the conversion, all notes, loans, accrued interest, and warrants due to CI II were terminated in their entirety and all obligations were extinguished.

 

Substantially all of the Company’s assets had been pledged as collateral on debt and all of the notes were due on June 30, 2017 with interest at 8% on each note payable at maturity. In May 2015, the lender agreed to suspend the accrual of interest on all of the notes outstanding, effective April 1, 2015, in anticipation of converting its debt and related obligations to equity in the transaction described above.

 

For 2015, interest on the notes held by CI II prior to the conversion amounted to $294,970. During 2015, we made no principal or interest payments on the notes.

 


 

55
 

 

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

 

On November 16, 2015, our Board of Directors dismissed RSM US LLP (formerly known as McGladrey LLP) (“RSM”) as its independent registered public accounting firm. The audit reports of RSM on the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries as of and for the year ended December 31, 2014 did not contain any adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, nor were they qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2014 and the subsequent interim period through November 16, 2015, there were no (1) disagreements between the Company and RSM on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or auditing scope or procedures, which disagreements, if not resolved to their satisfaction, would have caused them to make reference thereto in their reports on the consolidated financial statements for such year or (2) “reportable events” (as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K). RSM furnished the Company with a letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) agreeing with statements made by us in response to Item 304(a) of Regulation S-K on November 18, 2015.

 

On November 17, 2015, our audit committee selected and our Board of Directors approved the firm of Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP (“Baker Tilly”) as our principal accountant and registered public accounting firm to audit our annual consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015. Our audit committee selected and our Board of Directors approved the firm of Baker Tilly as our principal accountant to audit our annual consolidated financial statements and perform quarterly financial statement review services for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016.

 

Our policy is that before we engage our principal accountants annually to render audit or non-audit services, the engagement is reviewed and approved by our audit committee. All of our principal accountant’s services for our last two fiscal years, which consisted solely of audit services, were within the scope of the engagement that our audit committee approved before we entered into the engagement. The aggregate fees billed to us by Baker Tilly in 2016 and in 2015 were $92,737 and $93,606, respectively. All of Baker Tilly’s billings were for audit services, which consisted of the audits of our annual consolidated financial statements and review of our quarterly consolidated financial statements included in our Form 10-Q filings during 2016.

 

The aggregate fees billed to us by RSM in 2015 were $94,624. All of RSM’s billings were for audit services, which consisted of the audits of our annual consolidated financial statements and review of our quarterly consolidated financial statements included in our Form 10-Q filings during 2015.

 


 

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Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

 

(a)(1) Financial Statements

Included in Part II of this report:

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2016 and 2015

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

(a)(2) and (c) Financial Statement Schedules

II Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

All other schedules are omitted because of the absence of conditions under which they are required or because the required information is given in the financial statements or notes thereto.

 

(a)(3) and (b) Exhibits

 

EXHIBIT NUMBER   EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION
2.1*   Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among Lightning Gaming, Inc. (the “Company”), LPI Acquisition Corp. and Lightning Poker, Inc.(“Lightning Poker”) (see Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed October 4, 2007)
3.1*   Articles of Incorporation of the Company (see Exhibit 3.1 to Form 10-K filed March 31, 2010)
3.2*   Bylaws of the Company (see Exhibit 3.2 to Form 10-SB filed April 23, 2007)

3.3*

 

  Certificate of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation (See Exhibit 3.1 to Form 8-K filed on July 27, 2015)
10.1*   Distribution Agreement dated January 22, 2007, between Lightning Poker and Shuffle Master, Inc. (see Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed January 30, 2008) [Portions have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment.]
10.2*   Lease Agreement with Windsor at Namaan’s Creek LP for office and warehouse at 23 Creek Circle, Boothwyn, Pa 19061 (see Exhibit 10.2 to Form 10-K filed March 31, 2010)
10.3*(A)   2007 Equity Incentive Plan of the Company (see Exhibit A to Schedule 14C filed October 29, 2007)
10.4*   Lightning Poker Warrant for Stock issued to Lance Funston dated April 19, 2007 (see Exhibit 10.8 to Form 8-K filed January 30, 2008)
10.5*   Lightning Poker Warrant for Stock issued to Robert Paul dated April 19, 2007 (see Exhibit 10.9 to Form 8-K filed January 30, 2008)
10.6*   Lightning Poker Warrant for Stock (30,000 shares) issued to Frederick A. Tecce dated July 23, 2007 (see Exhibit 10.15 to Form 8-K filed January 30, 2008)

10.7*(A)

 

  The Company's 2007 Equity Incentive Plan form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement (see Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q filed August 14, 2008)
10.8*(A)   The Company's 2007 Equity Incentive Plan form of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement (see Exhibit 10.2 to Form 10-Q filed August 14, 2008)

10.9*(A)

 

  Lightning Poker employment agreement with Christopher Strano dated June 9 - June 15, 2009 (see Exhibit 10.31 to Form 10-K filed March 31, 2010)

10.10*

 

  Modification of Distribution Agreement, dated January 22, 2007, between Lightning Poker and Shuffle Master, Inc., referenced in Exhibit 10.1 to this Form 10-K (see Exhibit 10.54 to Form 10-K filed April 7, 2011) [Portions have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment.]
10.11*   Debt Conversion Agreement between the Company and CI II dated August 6, 2015 (see Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed August 6, 2015)

 

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10.12*   Amended and Restated Voting Agreement between the Company and the Stock Holders dated August 6, 2015 (see Exhibit 10.2 to Form 8-K filed August 6, 2015)
10.13*   Cancellation of Amended and Restated Voting Agreement between the Company and the Stock Holders dated September 28, 2015 (see Exhibit 10.1 for Form 8-K filed September 28, 2015)
10.14*   Changes in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant, Dismissal of Previous Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm dated November 16, 2015 and Engagement of New Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm dated November 17, 2015 (see Exhibit 16.1 for form 8-K/A as amended filed November 23, 2015)
10.15*(A)   2016 Stock Option Plan of the Company (see Exhibit A to Schedule 14C filed August 9, 2016)
21.1   List of subsidiaries
23.1   Consent of Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP
31.1   Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a)
31.2   Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a)
32.1   Certification of Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(b) and 18 U.S.C. 1350
101   The following materials from this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 formatted in XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language): (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations, (iii) Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Deficit), (iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, and (v) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

(A) Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

 

* These documents are incorporated herein by reference as exhibits hereto. Following the description of each such exhibit is a reference to the document as it appeared in a specified report previously filed with the SEC, to which there have been no amendments or changes unless otherwise indicated. The Commission File No. for all such filings is 000-52575.

 


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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

Lightning Gaming, Inc.  
By: /s/ Brian Haveson    
Brian Haveson, President and Chief Executive Officer  

 

 

Dated: March 28, 2017

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature   Title   Date
         
/s/ Brian Haveson   Chief Executive Officer, Director   March 28, 2017
Brian Haveson   (Principal Executive Officer)    
         
/s/ Brian Haveson   Chief Financial Officer   March 28, 2017
Brian Haveson   (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)    
         
/s/ Donald Caldwell   Director   March 28, 2017
Donald Caldwell        
         
/s/ Frederick C. Tecce   Director   March 28, 2017
Fredrick C. Tecce        

 

 


 

 

Schedule II- Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

 

 

   Years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015
   Balance at Beginning of period  Additions Charges to Costs and Expenses  Deductions Writeoffs  Balance at End of Period
Year ended December 31, 2015            
             
Allowance for deferred taxes  $11,208,000   $(727,000)   —     $10,481,000 
Allowance for doubtful accounts  $4,000   $14,000   $—     $18,000 
                     
Year ended December 31, 2016                    
                     
Allowance for deferred taxes  $10,481,000   $(4,590,000)  $—     $5,891,000 
Allowance for doubtful accounts  $18,000   $9,667   $15,336   $12,331 

 

 


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