Item 1A. Risk Factors
ITEM
1A. RISK FACTORS.
Our
business is subject to a high degree of risk. You should carefully read and assess our discussion of the risk factors facing our business,
below. Any of these risks could materially and adversely affect our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects, and
cause the value of our common stock to decline, which could cause investors in our common stock to lose all or part of their investments.
Summary
of Risk Factors
Our
business is subject to a number of risks, including risks that may prevent us from achieving our business objectives or may adversely
affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and prospects. These risks are discussed more fully below
and include, but are not limited to, risks related to the following:
●
We have identified material
weaknesses in our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, which we are in the process of remediating. Failure to remediate these material
weaknesses or any other material weaknesses that we identify in the future could result in material misstatements in our financial
statements.
●
Particularly in our Virtuals
business, we rely on a relatively small number of customers for a significant portion of our sales, and the loss of, or material
reduction in, sales to any of our top customers could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition
and prospects.
●
We are dependent on our
relationships with key suppliers to obtain equipment and other supplies for our business on acceptable terms.
●
We operate in a highly
competitive industry and our success depends upon our ability to effectively compete with numerous worldwide businesses.
●
One of the major risks
to our business is the use of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) by malicious actors. AI-powered bots can imitate human players
in online gambling platforms, potentially undermining the fairness and integrity of games. These bots can be programmed to try and
exploit vulnerabilities in a gambling platform’s security infrastructure, can launch advanced phishing attacks, malware, and ransomware,
and pose a significant threat to the security of online gambling platforms. These attacks can lead to substantial financial losses,
compromise game, financial or user data, and damage the company’s reputation.
●
Data privacy and
security laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we do business could increase the cost of our operations and subject
us to possible sanctions and other penalties.
●
Our results of operations
fluctuate due to seasonality and other factors and, therefore, our periodic operating results are not guarantees of future performance.
●
Our industry is subject
to strict government regulations that could limit our existing operations and have a negative impact on our ability to grow. A majority
of our income is generated through the licensing and supply of software and technology to B2C operators. Our business is therefore
highly dependent on the laws and regulations relating to the supply of gaming services, which laws and regulations are complex and
inconsistent across jurisdictions and are subject to change.
●
Our industry is subject
to regulations that set parameters for levels of gaming or wagering duty, tax, stake, prize and return to player.
●
Our ability to provide
our software to gaming operators depends upon the integrity, reliability and operational performance of our systems, games and products.
●
Because tax laws and regulations
are subject to interpretation and uncertainty, tax payments may ultimately differ from amounts currently recorded by us. Our operations
in non-European markets means withholding taxes are payable on royalty, interest and/or dividend which may impact cash flow and/or
profitability;
●
We may be adversely affected
by disruptions to our transaction gaming and lottery systems, as well as disruptions to our internal enterprise and information technology
systems.
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●
Our directors and key personnel are subject to the
approval of certain regulatory authorities, which, if withheld, would require us to sever our relationship with non-approved individuals,
which could adversely impact our operations.
●
Licensing and gaming authorities have significant control
over our operations and ownership and could cause us to redeem certain stockholders on potentially disadvantageous terms.
●
Certain of our executive officers and directors could
be affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those conducted by us in the future and, accordingly, may have
conflicts of interest in determining whether a particular business opportunity should be presented to us or to another entity.
●
Licensing and gaming authorities have significant control
over our operations and ownership and could cause us to redeem certain stockholders on potentially disadvantageous terms.
●
We have operations and assets in a variety of countries,
which subjects us to additional geopolitical risks.
●
Our business is capital intensive and our ability to
retain customers may be influenced by our ability to deploy additional capital.
●
We may be unable to develop sufficient new products
and product lines and integrate them into our existing business, which may adversely affect our ability to compete; our expansion
into new sectors may present competitive and regulatory challenges that differ from current ones.
●
We may be required to recognize impairment charges
related to goodwill, identified intangible assets and property and equipment or to take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring
or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and stock price,
which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s net assets.
●
Volatility or disruption in the financial markets could
materially adversely affect our business and the trading price of our common stock.
●
Global economic conditions could have an adverse effect
on our business, operating results and financial condition.
Risks
Relating to Our Business and Industry
We
have identified material weaknesses in our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting which we are working to remediate.
Failure to remediate these material weaknesses or any other material weaknesses that we identify in the future could result in
material misstatements in our financial statements.
Pursuant
to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, our management is required to report on, and our independent registered
public accounting firm is required to attest to, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. The rules governing
the standards that must be met for management to assess our internal control over financial reporting are complex and require significant
documentation, testing and possible remediation. Annually, we perform activities that include reviewing, documenting and testing our
internal control over financial reporting. In addition, if we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting,
we will not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. If we fail to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment, we could
suffer misstatements in our financial statements and fail to meet our reporting obligations, which would likely cause investors to lose
confidence in our reported financial information.
A
material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is
a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented
or detected on a timely basis. Our management may be unable to conclude in future periods that our disclosure controls and procedures
are effective due to the effects of various factors, which may, in part, include unremediated material weaknesses in internal control
over financial reporting. For further discussion of the material weaknesses, see Item 4, Controls and Procedures.
Management
is committed to maintaining a strong internal control environment and is working towards achieving effective controls. Management anticipates
that the new controls, as implemented and when tested for a sufficient period of time, will remediate the material weaknesses. We may
not be successful in promptly remediating the material weaknesses identified by management, or be able to identify and remediate additional
control deficiencies, including material weaknesses, in the future. If not remediated, our failure to establish and maintain effective
disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could result in material misstatements in our financial
statements and a failure to meet our reporting and financial obligations, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial
condition and as a result, our stockholders could lose confidence in our financial results, which could harm our business and the value
of our shares.
Particularly in our Virtuals business, we rely
on a relatively small number of customers for a significant portion of our sales, and the loss of, or material reduction in, sales to
any of our top customers could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
Certain key customers, including
certain UK, Italian and Greek gaming terminal customers and certain Virtual Sports customers, make a significant contribution to our revenue
and profitability. Our top ten customers generated approximately 49% of total revenue, however, no customers generated more than 10% of
total revenue in the year ended December 31, 2024. We expect that these customers will continue to represent a significant portion of
our sales in the future. However, the loss of any of our top customers, whether through contract expiry and non-renewal, breach of contract
or other adverse factors could materially adversely affect our revenue or return on capital and leave us with surplus terminals. Moreover,
if any of these customers experience reduced revenue, such reduction could adversely affect any revenue-sharing arrangements we have with
those customers, reduce our own revenue and adversely affect our financial results.
We are dependent on our relationships with key
suppliers to obtain equipment and other supplies for our business on acceptable terms.
We have achieved significant cost
savings through our centralization of equipment and non-equipment purchases. However, as a result, we are exposed to the credit and other
risks of a group of key suppliers. While we make every effort to evaluate our counterparties prior to entering into long-term and other
significant procurement contracts, we cannot predict the impact on our suppliers of the current economic environment and other developments
in their respective businesses. Insolvency, financial difficulties, supply chain delays or other factors may result in our suppliers not
being able to fulfill the terms of their agreements with us. Further, such factors may render suppliers unwilling to extend contracts
that provide favorable terms to us, or may force them to seek to renegotiate existing contracts with us. In addition, our business has
signed a number of significant contracts whose performance depends upon third party suppliers delivering equipment on schedule for us
to meet its contract commitments. Failure of the suppliers to meet their delivery commitments could result in us being in breach of and
subsequently losing those contracts. Although we believe we have alternative sources of supply for the equipment and other supplies used
in our business, concentration in the number of our suppliers could lead to delays in the delivery of products or components, and possible
resultant breaches of contracts that we have entered into with our customers; increases in the prices we must pay for products or components;
problems with product quality or components coming to the end of their life; and other concerns.
Disruption
of our supply chain or distribution capabilities have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our
ability to manufacture and ship machines is critical to our success. We are subject to damage or disruption to supplies of parts or our
manufacturing or distribution capabilities (in particular, to the extent that our parts are sourced globally) due to weather, including
any potential effects of climate change, natural disaster, fire, terrorism, adverse changes in political conditions or political unrest,
pandemic, strikes, labor shortages, freight transportation availability, disruption in logistics, import restrictions, or other factors
that impair our ability to manufacture or sell our machines. Failure to take adequate steps to mitigate the likelihood or potential impact
of such events, or to effectively manage such events if they occur, adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of
operations, as well as require additional resources to restore our supply chain.
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Our
results of operations could be adversely affected by labor shortages, turnover, and labor cost increases.
Inflationary
pressures, shortages in the labor market, and increased competition within and outside our industry for talented employees have
increased our labor costs, which could negatively impact our profitability. Labor shortages or lack of skilled labor, and
current UK policy have led to increases in costs to meet demand as we roll out
incremental programs to attract and retain talent. Further taxes may be introduced in the UK which may further increase labor
costs . Labor shortages may also negatively impact
us from servicing all demand that exists for our products or operating our service operations and manufacturing facilities
efficiently.
We
operate in a highly competitive industry and our success depends upon our ability to effectively compete with numerous worldwide businesses.
We
face competition from a number of businesses, including worldwide businesses, many of which have substantially greater financial resources
and operating scale than we do, or which may operate in countries which have lower labor costs . Such competition could adversely affect our ability to win new contracts and sales and renew existing
contracts. We operate in a period of intense price-based competition in some key sectors, which could affect the profitability of the
contracts and sales we do win.
In
certain sectors, our businesses also face competition from suppliers, operators or licensees who offer products for internet gaming in
illegal or unregulated sectors, but are still able or permitted to supply products and compete with us in regulated sectors. These competitors
often have substantially greater financial resources and operating scale than we do.
If
we cannot successfully compete in our industry and business segments, our business, results, financial condition and prospects could
suffer.
We
are heavily dependent on our ability to renew our long-term contracts with our customers and we could lose substantial revenue if we
are unable to renew certain of these contracts, or to renew them on substantially similar terms.
Generally,
customer contracts in our Gaming, Virtual Sports and Interactive business segments are for initial terms of three to five years, but
longer in certain territories, with renewals at the customer’s option. Generally, our customer contracts within the Leisure business
segment are for terms of four to six years (although in certain cases they are longer), but certain customers have options for early
termination under certain circumstances or to reduce machines volumes in certain circumstances, and we may face pressure to renew or
upgrade terminals during the lives of these contracts, which could adversely affect revenue or our return on capital and leave us with
surplus terminals. At any given time, we have multiple substantial customer contracts that have years to run and others that may be nearing
expiration or renewal, which we may lose if we cannot compete effectively to retain their business.
There
can be no assurance that current contracts will be extended or that we will be awarded contract extensions or new contracts as a result
of competitive bidding processes or otherwise. The termination, expiration or failure to renew one or more of our contracts could cause
us to lose substantial revenue.
We
could lose substantial revenue due to introduction or increase of gaming taxes, levies, withholding taxes and other local taxes.
Changes
in applicable gambling regulations or taxation regimes may affect the revenue or profits generated by the contracts we enter into with
our customers. Many of the contracts we have with our customers are on revenue-sharing (net of gaming taxes) terms, and therefore changes
which adversely affect our customers are likely to adversely affect us. In addition, any such changes may cause our customers to seek to renegotiate
their contracts, may alter the terms on which such customers are prepared to renew their contracts and may affect their ability or willingness
to renew their contracts. Finally, revenues generated in third party countries (i.e. outside of the EU or the UK) often attract withholding
and/or other local sales taxes which, even if recoverable, may impact short - term
cashflow. Mandatory levies are and can be introduced in certain places, such as the UK, to fund research into the prevention, treatment,
and prevention of gambling related harm .
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Our
ability to bid on new contracts may be dependent upon our ability to fund any required up-front capital expenditures through our cash
from operations, the incurrence of indebtedness or the raising of additional equity capital.
Our
Gaming and Leisure terminal contracts in the UK, Italy and Greece often require significant up-front capital expenditures for terminal
assembly, software customization and implementation, systems and equipment installation and telecommunications configuration. Historically,
we have funded these up-front costs through cash flows generated from operations and external borrowings. Our ability to continue to
procure new contracts, including in new jurisdictions, will depend upon, among other things, our liquidity levels at the time or our
ability to obtain additional debt or equity funding at commercially acceptable terms to finance the initial up-front costs. If we do
not have adequate liquidity or are unable to obtain other funding for these up-front costs on favorable terms or at all, we may not be
able to bid on certain contracts, which could restrict our ability to grow and have an adverse effect on our ability to retain existing
contracts and therefore on future profitability. Certain contracts within the Leisure business segment also require injections of capital during the term for new or replacement hardware.
Our
business depends on our ability to prevent or mitigate the effects of a cybersecurity attack.
Our
information technology may be subject to cyber-attacks, security breaches or computer hacking, including a widespread ransomware attack
encrypting corporate IT equipment, a directed motivated attack against us or a data breach or cyber incident happening to a third-party
network and affecting us. Regardless of our efforts, there may still be a breach and the costs to eliminate, mitigate or address the
aforementioned threats and vulnerabilities before or after a cyber incident could be significant. Any such breaches or attacks could
result in interruptions, delays or cessation of service, and loss of existing or potential suppliers or customers. In addition, breaches
of our security measures and the unauthorized dissemination of sensitive personal, proprietary or confidential information about the
Company, our business partners or other third parties could expose us to significant potential liability and reputational harm. We could
also be negatively impacted by existing and proposed laws and regulations, and government policies and practices related to cybersecurity,
data privacy, data localization and data protection. The risk of cyber attacks may also increase owing to current trends worldwide.
On November 8, 2023, we
detected a ransomware attack on our information technology (“IT”) systems. The attack impacted and disrupted certain of the
Company’s corporate IT systems but did not impact any product systems. As part of its cyber security, by design and physical separation,
the product systems were separated from the corporate systems and therefore protected from attack. On November 15, 2023, the company
also became aware that Company data (including in the form of personal data) had been exfiltrated. The Company has continued to work
to improve its defences against cybersecurity incidents, its educational programs for its employees and consultants in this area, and
to comply with all recommendations from the Information Commissioners Office.
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Although
we continually take significant steps to mitigate cybersecurity risk across a range of functions, such measures can never eliminate
the risk entirely or provide absolute security, and the Company has experienced and expects to continue to experience attempts at
cyberattacks on its information systems. While there have not been cybersecurity incidents or vulnerabilities that have had a
material adverse effect on the company, there is no assurance that there will not be cybersecurity incidents or vulnerabilities that
will have a material adverse effect in the future.
One of the major risks to
our business is the use of AI by malicious actors. AI-powered bots can imitate human players in online gambling platforms, potentially
undermining the fairness and integrity of games. These bots can be programmed to try and exploit vulnerabilities in a gambling platform’s
security infrastructure, can launch advanced phishing attacks, malware, and ransomware, imitate human players in online gambling platforms,
potentially undermining the fairness and integrity of games, and pose a significant threat to the security of online gambling platforms.
These attacks can lead to substantial financial losses, compromise game, financial or user data, and damage the company’s reputation.
Detecting fraudulent or
malicious activity can be difficult. Although we have implemented measures intended to detect and reduce the occurrence of
fraudulent activities, including click fraud, we cannot guarantee that we will be fully successful in doing so. If we fail to detect
or prevent fraudulent or other malicious activity, it may result in dissuading sellers and customers alike from engaging with our
products and services. Any actual or alleged future fraudulent activity may damage our reputation, or diminish the value of our
brand name, either of which could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our
business depends upon the protection of our intellectual property and proprietary information.
We
believe that our success depends, in part, on protecting our intellectual property in the UK and in other countries. Our intellectual
property includes certain trademarks relating to our systems, as well as certain patents and proprietary or confidential information
that is not subject to patent or similar protection. Our intellectual property protects the integrity of our games, systems, products
and services, which is a core value of the industries in which we operate. Protecting our intellectual property can be expensive and
time-consuming, may not always be successful depending on local laws or other circumstances, and we also may choose not to pursue registrations
in certain countries. Competitors may independently develop similar or superior products, software, systems or business models. In cases
where our intellectual property is not protected by an enforceable patent, or other intellectual property protection, such independent
development may result in a significant diminution in the value of our intellectual property.
There
can be no assurance that we will be able to protect our intellectual property. We enter into confidentiality and license agreements with
our employees, vendors, consultants and, to the extent legally permissible, our customers, and generally control access to, and the distribution
of, our game designs, systems and other software documentation and other proprietary information, as well as the designs, systems and
other software documentation and other information we license from others. Despite our effort to protect these proprietary rights, parties
may try to copy our gaming products, business models or systems, use certain of our confidential information to develop competing products,
or independently develop or otherwise obtain and use our gaming products or technology, any of which could have an adverse effect on
our business. Policing unauthorized use of our technology is difficult and expensive, particularly because of the global nature of our
operations. The laws of some countries may not adequately protect our intellectual property.
There
can be no assurance that our business activities, games, products and systems will not infringe upon, misappropriate of otherwise violate
the proprietary rights of others, or that other parties will not assert infringement or misappropriation claims against us. Any such
claim and any resulting litigation, should it occur, could subject us to significant liability for costs and damages and could result
in invalidation of our proprietary rights, distract management, and/or require us to enter into costly and burdensome royalty and licensing
agreements. Such royalty and licensing agreements, if required, may not be available on terms acceptable to us, or may not be available
at all. In the future, we may also need to file lawsuits to defend the validity of our intellectual property rights and trade secrets,
or to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others. Such litigation, whether successful or unsuccessful, could
result in substantial costs and diversion of resources.
We
also rely on certain products and technologies that we license from third parties. Proprietary licenses typically limit our use of intellectual
property to specific uses and for specific time periods. There can be no assurance that these third-party licenses, or the support for
such licenses, will continue to be available to us on commercially reasonable terms. In the event that we cannot renew and/or expand
existing licenses, we may be required to discontinue or limit our use of the products that include, incorporate, or rely on licensed
intellectual property.
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Data
privacy and security laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we do business could increase the cost of our operations and
subject us to possible sanctions and other penalties.
Our
business is subject to a number of federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations governing data privacy and security, including
with respect to the collection, storage, use, transmission and protection of personal information. In particular, we are subject to the
EU General Data Protection Regulation (the “EU GDPR”) where we are established in the EEA or where we are not established
in the EEA but process personal data of individuals in the EEA in relation to the offering of goods or services to, or the monitoring
the behavior of, individuals in the EEA.
Following
the end of the Brexit Transition Period on December 31, 2020, the EU GDPR has been implemented in the UK as the “UK GDPR”.
The requirements of the UK GDPR are (for the time being) virtually identical to those of the EU GDPR.
The
EU GDPR and the UK GDPR (collectively the “GDPR”) set out a number of requirements that must be complied with when handling
personal data including (amongst others): (i) accountability and transparency requirements, and enhanced requirements for obtaining valid
consent; (ii) obligations to consider data protection as any new products or services are developed and to limit the amount of personal
data processed; (iii) obligations to comply with data protection rights of data subjects; and (iv) reporting of personal data breaches
to the supervisory authority without undue delay (and no later than 72 hours where feasible).
The
GDPR also prohibits the international transfer of personal data from the EEA/UK to countries outside of the EEA/UK unless made to a country
deemed to have adequate data privacy laws by the European Commission or UK Government or a data transfer mechanism has been put in place.
In July 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) in its Schrems II ruling invalidated the EU-US Privacy
Shield framework, a self-certification mechanism that facilitated the lawful transfer of personal data from the EEA/UK to the U.S., with immediate effect. The CJEU upheld the validity of standard contractual clauses (“SCCs”) as a legal mechanism
to transfer personal data but companies relying on SCCs will need to carry out a transfer privacy impact assessment, which among other
things, assesses laws governing access to personal data in the recipient country and considers whether supplementary measures that provide
privacy protections additional to those provided under SCCs will need to be implemented to ensure an essentially equivalent level of
data protection to that afforded in the EU. This may have implications for our cross-border data flows and may result in compliance costs.
In
addition, Brexit has implications for transfers of personal data between the UK and the EU and vice versa. Transfers of personal data
from the UK to the EU are unrestricted and do not require additional safeguards as the UK has approved the adequacy of the EU and all
12 nations deemed adequate by the EU. As regards transfers of personal data from the EEA to the UK, under the terms of the Trade and
Cooperation Agreement agreed between the EU and UK on December 24, 2020, such data flows remain unrestricted as the European Commission
granted the UK an “adequacy decision” meaning transfers of personal data from the EEA to the UK may continue unrestricted
and would not require any additional safeguards. We are also required to sign up to standard contractual clauses for protection
of customer data in third countries, and to comply with local data protection requirements in places where the end users of our companies
are established, as for example, Brazil.
Compliance
with the GDPR in each required jurisdiction incurs compliance and operational costs. In addition, a data supervisory authority may find our data processing practices
and compliance steps to be inconsistent with the GDPR’s application in their respective jurisdiction. Data supervisory authorities
also have the power to issue fines for non-compliance of the GDPR of up to 4% of an organization’s annual worldwide turnover or
€20m (£17.5 million under the UK GDPR), whichever is higher. Data subjects also have a right to compensation as a result of
an organization’s breach of the GDPR that has affected them, for financial or non-financial losses (e.g., distress).
Our
results of operations fluctuate due to seasonality and other factors and, therefore, our periodic operating results are not guarantees
of future performance.
Our
revenue is subject to a number of variations. Equipment sales and software license revenue usually reflect a limited number of large
transactions, which may not recur on an annual basis. Consequently, revenue and operating results can vary substantially from period
to period as a result of the timing of equipment sales and software licensing. In addition, revenue may vary depending on the timing
of contract awards and renewals, changes in customer budgets and general economic conditions. A proportion of our revenue is subject
to regular seasonal variations of the sort often related to seasonal consumer behavior, income from the Leisure business segment is generally
strongest in the spring and summer, predominantly in Leisure parks, and in Italy and Greece we experience reductions in revenue in the
summer.
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Our
industry is subject to strict government regulations that could limit our existing operations and have a negative impact on our ability
to grow.
In
certain jurisdictions, forms of wagering, betting and lottery may be expressly authorized and governed by law and in other jurisdictions
forms of wagering, betting and lottery may be expressly prohibited by law. If expressly authorized, such activities are typically subject
to extensive and evolving governmental regulation. Gaming regulatory requirements vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Therefore,
we are subject to a wide range of complex gaming laws, rules and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we are licensed or may seek
to be licensed. Most jurisdictions require that we are licensed or authorized, that our key personnel and certain of our security holders
are found to be suitable or are licensed, and that our products are reviewed, tested and certified or approved before placement. If a
license, approval, certification or finding of suitability is required by a regulatory or national authority and we fail to seek or do
not receive the necessary approval, license, certification or finding of suitability, or if it is revoked, then we may be prohibited
from distributing our products for use in the respective jurisdiction. Additionally, such prohibition could trigger reviews of our Company
by regulatory bodies in other jurisdictions and adversely affect our ability to obtain or retain the required licenses and approvals
in those jurisdictions.
The
regulatory environment in any particular jurisdiction may change in the future, and any such change could have an adverse effect on our
results of operations or business in general. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the operation of SBG terminals, Video Lottery
Terminals or other Terminals, Virtual Sports betting, betting online, lottery or other forms of wagering systems will be approved, certified
or found suitable by additional jurisdictions or that those jurisdictions in which these activities are currently permitted will continue
to permit such activities in their existing forms (stricter regulations, including regulation relating to age verification, could come
into force which could have adverse impacts on the Company) or at all. While we believe that we have the means to continue to develop
procedures and policies designed to comply with and monitor the requirements of evolving laws, there can be no assurance that law enforcement
agencies, governmental agencies or gaming regulatory authorities, whether in existing or new jurisdictions, will not seek to restrict
our business or otherwise institute enforcement proceedings or other legal claims against the Company. Moreover, in addition to the risk
of such enforcement actions or claims, we are also at risk from loss of business reputation in the event of any potential legal or regulatory
investigation whether or not we are ultimately accused of or found to have committed any violations.
We
supply our products to operators of gaming venues, platforms and websites who typically must themselves be licensed by gaming regulators.
If any one of these operators fails to maintain its gaming licenses, or violates gaming laws or regulations, our business may suffer,
due to our loss of a viable customer and, in instances where we have a revenue-sharing arrangement with the operator, due to our loss
of our shares of the revenue generated by that operator’s business.
We supply certain of our products to operators of gaming websites as well
as to aggregators that provide content to other gaming operators utilizing the internet to offer services. Despite warranties from counterparties
in our contracts, there is some risk that our products may be used by platforms or by customers who may take bets from customers in jurisdictions
where no gaming laws or regulations exist or even where the provision of online gaming is ineffectively regulated. Although the Company
seeks to ensure that its content is available through operators where online gaming is legal, if claims are made that any of those operators
or software platforms are not operating solely in jurisdictions where gaming is legal, the operators may be subjected to investigation
or enforcement action by regulatory authorities. An adverse determination could result in the operator being subject to penalties ranging
from special conditions being applied to its licenses, license suspension, license loss, or the operator otherwise withdrawing from or
curtailing its activities in its sector or being subjected to fines, penalties or other legal consequences. Any such developments could
adversely affect such operator’s revenue and have adverse effects on the Company, including loss of earnings from such operators
or platforms, or the Company’s ability to operate in such jurisdiction or in other jurisdictions. The Company may also itself be
subject to investigations or enforcement action (if and to the extent that local laws or the laws of other jurisdictions in which the
Company operates impose liability on suppliers for the activities of the customers that they supply or for receiving funds that are deemed
to be illegal because of such activities). Although we attempt to protect ourselves against any such liability for the activities of the
operators that we supply, including by contractually requiring those operators to operate in accordance with all applicable laws, not
to operate in certain territories and only supplying operators whose activities have been reviewed to ascertain compliance with the requisite
standards of regulatory and legal compliance, nonetheless, there is a risk that we may fail to undertake sufficient due diligence, or
fail to receive accurate information on which to conduct due diligence. There is also a risk that there is a change in the operations
by such operators, and a risk of lack of appropriate oversight by aggregator platforms. Our good relationships with gaming regulators,
and our compliance with gaming laws and regulations is critical to our business. Any determination that we have, directly or indirectly,
been engaged in unlawful activity relating to gaming may adversely affect our standing with gaming regulators, and our ability to obtain
and retain required licenses and other approvals in such jurisdiction or other jurisdictions.
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We
may be required to obtain and maintain licenses and certifications from various state and local jurisdictions in order to operate certain
aspects of our business and we and our key personnel and certain security holders may be subject to extensive background investigations
and suitability standards. We may also become subject to regulation in any other jurisdiction where our customers are permitted to operate
in the future. Licenses and ongoing regulatory compliance can be costly. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain new
licenses or renew any of our existing licenses, and the loss, denial or non-renewal of any of our licenses could have an adverse effect
on our business. Generally, regulatory authorities have broad discretion when granting, renewing or revoking approvals and licenses.
Our failure, or the failure of any of our key personnel, systems or machines, in obtaining or retaining a required license or approval
in one jurisdiction could have a negative impact on our ability (or the ability of any of our key personnel, systems or gaming machines)
to obtain or retain required licenses and approvals in other jurisdictions. The failure to obtain or retain a required license or approval
in any jurisdiction would decrease the geographic area where we may operate and generate revenue, decrease our share in the gaming marketplace
and put us at a disadvantage compared with our competitors. In addition, the levy of substantial fines or forfeiture of assets could
significantly harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Some
jurisdictions also require extensive personal and financial disclosure and background checks from persons and entities beneficially owning
a specified percentage, typically 5%, of equity securities of licensed or regulated businesses. The failure of beneficial owners of our common stock
to submit to such background checks and provide required disclosure could jeopardize our business. In light of these regulations and
the potential impact on our business, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides for the prohibition of stock
ownership by persons or entities who fail to comply with informational or other regulatory requirements under applicable gaming law,
who are found unsuitable to hold our stock by gaming authorities or whose stock ownership adversely affects our ability to obtain, maintain,
renew or qualify for a license, contract, franchise or other regulatory approval from a gaming authority. The licensing procedures and
background investigations of the authorities that regulate our businesses and the proposed amendment may inhibit potential investors
from becoming significant stockholders or inhibit existing stockholders from retaining or increasing their ownership.
We may be subject to disciplinary
action if, after we receive notice that a person is unsuitable to be a stockholder or to have any other relationship with us or any of
our subsidiaries, we:
(i)
pay that person any dividend or interest upon our voting securities,
(ii)
allow that person to exercise, directly or indirectly, any voting right conferred through securities held by that person,
(iii)
pay remuneration in any form to that person for services rendered or otherwise, or
(iv)
fail to pursue all lawful efforts to require such unsuitable person to relinquish voting securities including, if necessary, the immediate
purchase of said voting securities for cash at fair market value.
Our
businesses are subject to a number of federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations governing data privacy and security, including
with respect to the collection, storage, use, transmission and protection of personal information and other consumer data. In particular,
the EU has adopted strict data privacy regulations. Following recent developments such as the European Court of Justice’s 2015
ruling that the transfer of personal data from the EU to the U.S. under the EU/U.S. Safe Harbor was an invalid mechanism of personal
data transfer, the adoption of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield as a replacement for the Safe Harbor (which has since been declared invalid
by Schrems II), and coming into effect of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, data privacy and security compliance in
the EU are increasingly complex and challenging. The scope of data privacy and security regulations continues to evolve, and we believe
that the adoption of increasingly restrictive regulations in this area is likely within the U.S. and other jurisdictions. Compliance
with data privacy and security restrictions could increase the cost of our operations and failure to comply with such restrictions could
subject us to criminal and civil sanctions as well as other penalties.
We
are subject to the provisions of the UK Bribery Act 2010, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption laws. The
UK Bribery Act generally prohibits giving a financial or other advantage to another person with the intention of inducing that person
to improperly perform a relevant function or activity. The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act generally prohibits U.S. persons and companies
and their agents from offering, promising, authorizing or making improper payments to foreign government officials for the purpose of
obtaining or retaining business. Certain of these anti-corruption laws also contain provisions that require accurate record keeping and
further require companies to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls. Because a significant percentage
of our revenue derives from foreign sources, and our business activities involve continuing relationships with governmental regulators,
there exists a risk that certain provisions of these anti-corruption laws may be breached. We are also subject to anti-money laundering
and anti-terrorist financing laws and regulations, and to economic and trade sanctions programs administered by the Office of Foreign
Assets Control (OFAC) in the U.S. relating to our ability to engage in transactions with entities that are domiciled in countries
or territories subject to comprehensive OFAC trade sanctions (currently, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Crimea), or that are included
on OFAC’s list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons. Although we have policies and controls in place that are
designed to ensure compliance with these laws, if those controls are ineffective or an employee or intermediary fails to comply with
the applicable regulations, we may be subject to criminal and civil sanctions as well as other penalties. Any such violation could disrupt
our business and adversely affect our reputation, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
22
We
review and develop our internal compliance programs in an effort to ensure that we comply with legal requirements imposed in connection
with our business activities. The compliance program is run on a day-to-day basis by our in-house legal department with compliance and
technical advice provided by our compliance manager and outside professionals. There can be no assurance that such steps will prevent
the violation of one or more laws or regulations, or that a violation by us or an employee will not result in the imposition of administrative,
civil and even criminal sanctions, monetary fines or suspension or revocation of one or more of our licenses.
Our
industry is subject to regulations that set parameters for levels of gaming or wagering duty, tax, stakes, prize, technology
certifications and return to player percentages.
In
most jurisdictions in which we operate or expect to seek to operate, the level of duty or taxation, the stakes, prizes and return to
player percentages of wagering, betting and lottery games and the speed at which players can participate in gaming, or technology certifications are, or may be, defined by
government regulations, according to each jurisdiction and remain subject to change. Those regulations may also affect the premises in which gaming activities may
take place (i.e., by limiting the number of gaming machines which may be housed in a licensed gaming location, or by restricting the
locations in which licensed gaming premises may be situated). Once authorized, such parameters are subject to extensive and evolving
governmental regulation. Moreover, such gaming regulatory requirements vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Therefore, we are
subject to a wide range of complex gaming parameters in the jurisdictions in which we are licensed. If a key parameter is changed,
such as the level of taxation or duty or the maximum stake or prize or return to player of a game, then it may be to the detriment
of our business, financial condition, results and prospects or we may be unable to distribute our products profitably.
Our
business is subject to evolving technology.
The
sectors for our products are affected by changing technology, new regulations and evolving industry standards. Our ability to anticipate
or respond to such changes and to develop and introduce new and enhanced products and services on a timely basis will be a significant
factor in our ability to expand, remain competitive, attract new customers and retain existing contracts. For example, some of our contracts
with customers require that the technology being licensed by the customer remain compliant with applicable regulations. Because regulatory
changes cannot always be foreseen, such contractual requirements can from time-to-time result in us having to incur unforeseen costs
to adapt our technology to changes in regulation.
Generally,
there can be no assurance that we will achieve the necessary technological advances, have the financial resources, introduce new products
or services on a timely basis or otherwise have the ability to compete effectively on a technological basis in the sectors we serve.
Our
business competes on the basis of the stability, security and integrity of our software, networks, systems, games and products.
We
believe that our success depends, in significant part, on providing secure products and systems to our vendors and customers with high
levels of uptime, quality and availability. Attempts to penetrate security measures may come from various combinations of customers,
retailers, vendors, players, employees and others. Our ability to monitor and ensure quality of our products is continually reviewed
and enhanced. There can be no assurance that our business might not be affected by a security breach, virus, Denial of Service attack,
or technical error, failure or lapse which could have an adverse impact on our business.
Additionally,
we maintain a large number of games and terminals and jackpot systems, which rely on algorithms and software designed to pay out winnings
to players at certain ratios. Our systems, testing and processes to monitor and ensure the payout of games are continually reviewed and
enhanced, and are additionally reviewed and tested by third-party expert test houses. There can be no assurance that our business might
not be affected by a malicious or unintentional breach or technical error, failure or lapse which could have an adverse impact on payout
ratios which would consequently have an adverse effect on our business in the form of lost revenue or penalty payments to players or
customers. Gaming regulators may take enforcement action against us (including the imposition of significant fines) where the payout
ratios fall below the ratios advertised to customers, or our software, networks, systems, games and/or products otherwise suffer from
technical error, failure or lapse.
23
We
may be adversely affected by disruptions to our transaction gaming and lottery systems, as well as disruptions to our internal enterprise
and information technology systems.
Our
operations are dependent upon our transactional gaming, lottery and information technology systems. We rely upon such systems to manage
customer systems on a timely basis, to coordinate our sales and installation activities across all of our locations and to manage invoicing.
A substantial disruption in our transactional gaming, lottery and information technology systems for any prolonged time period (arising
from, for example, system capacity limits from unexpected increases in our volume of business, outages, computer viruses, unauthorized
access or delays in its service) could result in delays in serving our customers, which could adversely affect our reputation and customer
relationships and could result in monetary penalties pursuant to the terms of customer contracts. Our systems might be damaged or interrupted
by natural or man-made events or by computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins, or similar disruptions affecting the Internet
and our disaster recovery plan may be ineffective at mitigating the effects of these risks. Such delays, problems or costs could have
an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Because
tax laws and regulations are subject to interpretation and uncertainty, tax payments may ultimately differ from amounts currently recorded
by the Company.
We
are subject to income taxes as well as non-income based taxes, in both the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. The determination
of the Company’s worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities requires judgment and is based on diverse legislative
and regulatory structures that exist in the various jurisdictions where the company operates. The ultimate tax outcome may differ from
the amounts recorded in the Company’s financial statements and may adversely affect the Company’s financial results for the
period when such determination is made. Tax authorities may disagree with certain positions we have taken and assess additional taxes
via tax audit. We work with local tax experts to support our tax provisions in line with our tax strategy. However, there can be no assurance
that we will not be subject to challenge and the future outcome of any potential audits could adversely affect our results of operations,
financial condition and cash flows.
Gaming
opponents persist in their efforts to curtail legalized gaming, which, if successful, could limit our existing operations.
Legalized
gaming is subject to opposition from gaming opponents, including in the UK, Italy and other sectors where we are active. There can be
no assurance that this opposition will not succeed in either preventing the legalization of gaming in jurisdictions where these activities
are presently prohibited or prohibiting or limiting the expansion or continuance of gaming where it is currently permitted, in either
case to the detriment of our business, financial condition, results and prospects.
Our
directors and key personnel are subject to the approval of certain regulatory authorities, which, if withheld, would require us to sever
our relationship with non-approved individuals, which could adversely impact our operations.
Our
members, managers, directors, officers and key employees must be approved by certain government and state regulatory authorities. If
such regulatory authorities were to find a person occupying any such position unsuitable, we would be required to sever our relationship
with that person. We may thereby lose key personnel which would have a negative effect on our operations. Certain public and private
issuances of securities and certain other transactions by us also require the approval of certain state regulatory authorities. Further,
our gaming regulators can require us to disassociate ourselves from suppliers or business partners found unsuitable by the regulators.
The regulatory environment in any particular jurisdiction may change in the future and any such change could have an adverse effect on
our results of operations. In addition, we are subject to various gaming taxes, which are subject to increase at any time.
24
Licensing
and gaming authorities have significant control over our operations and ownership, and could cause us to redeem certain stockholders
on potentially disadvantageous terms.
Regulatory
authorities have broad powers to request detailed financial and other information, to limit, condition, suspend or revoke a registration,
gaming license or related approval and to approve changes in our operations. Some jurisdictions also require extensive personal and financial
disclosure and background checks from persons and entities beneficially owning a specified percentage of equity securities of licensed
or regulated businesses. For example, in the UK, an entity holding a gambling license must notify the Gambling Commission of the identity
of any stockholder holding, directly or indirectly, 3% or more of its equity or voting rights, and must apply for permission to continue
to rely on its operating license whenever a new person acquires, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of its equity or voting rights.
The failure of beneficial owners of our common stock to submit to such background checks and provide required disclosure could jeopardize
our business. Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, to the extent required by the gaming authority
making the determination of unsuitability or to the extent the Board of Directors determines, in its sole discretion, that a person is
likely to jeopardize the Company’s or any affiliate’s application for, receipt of, approval for, right to the use of, or
entitlement to, any gaming license, shares of our capital stock that are owned or controlled by an unsuitable person or its affiliates
are subject to mandatory redemption by us. The redemption price may be paid in cash, by promissory note, or both, as required, and pursuant
to the terms established by, the applicable gaming authority and, if not, as we elect. Such a redemption could occur on terms or at a
time that a stockholder believes to be disadvantageous.
Changes
in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with, or liabilities under, any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business,
investments and results of operations.
We
are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional, state and local governments, including non-U.S. governments. Compliance
with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and
their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have an adverse effect on our business,
investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied,
or liabilities thereunder, could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Certain
of our executive officers and directors may become affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those conducted
by us (or may enter into similar business activities in the future) and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining whether
a particular business opportunity should be presented to us or to another entity.
Certain
of our executive officers and directors may become affiliated with entities that are engaged in businesses similar to the ones we operate
(or may enter into similar business activities in the future). As a result, any of them may become aware of business opportunities which
may be appropriate for presentation to us and to other entities to which they owe certain fiduciary or contractual duties. Accordingly,
they may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented — to us
or to another entity. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential business opportunity may be presented to another
entity prior to its presentation to us. Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we renounce our interest
in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in
his or her capacity as a director or officer of our Company and such opportunity is one that we are legally and contractually permitted
to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue.
We
are a holding company and conduct all of our operations through our subsidiaries.
We
are a holding company and derive all of our operating income from our subsidiaries. Other than any cash we retain, all of our assets
are held by our direct and indirect subsidiaries. We rely on the earnings and cash flows of our subsidiaries, which are paid to us by
our subsidiaries, if and only to the extent available, in the form of dividends and other payments or distributions, to meet our debt
service obligations. The ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other payments or distributions to us will depend upon
their respective operating results and may be restricted by, among other things, the laws of their jurisdiction of organization (which
may limit the amount of funds available for the payment of dividends and other distributions to us), the terms of existing and future
indebtedness and other agreements of our subsidiaries and the covenants of any future outstanding indebtedness we or our subsidiaries
incur.
25
Our
inability to complete future acquisitions of gaming and related businesses we acquire in the future could limit our future growth, if
any.
We
continue to pursue expansion and acquisition opportunities in gaming and related businesses. There can be no assurance that acquisition
opportunities will be available on acceptable terms or at all or that we will be able to obtain necessary financing or regulatory approvals
to complete potential acquisitions. Our ability to succeed in implementing our strategy will depend upon the ability of our management
to identify, complete and successfully integrate commercially viable acquisitions. Acquisition transactions may disrupt our ongoing business
and distract management from other responsibilities. Any future acquisition transactions involving the use of company stock would dilute
our existing stockholders and earnings per share.
Our
business may be affected by changes in general and local economic and political conditions.
The
demand for our services is sensitive to general and local economic conditions over which we have no control, including changes in the
levels of consumer disposable income and geographic exposure to macro-economic trends and taxation. In addition, the economic stability
of certain Eurozone countries where we conduct or intend to conduct business may become affected by sovereign debt crises or other general
and local economic and political conditions. Adverse changes in economic conditions may affect our business generally or may be more
prevalent or concentrated in particular sectors in which we operate. Any deterioration in economic conditions or the continuation of
uncertain economic conditions could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Other economic risks which may adversely affect our performance include high interest rates, inflation and volatile foreign exchange
markets, and effects arising from Great Britain’s exit from the European Union (“Brexit”).
The
performance of our business may also be subject to political risks in certain jurisdictions where we operate, including change of government,
political unrest, war or terrorism.
Our
revenue can vary substantially from period to period and you should not rely upon our periodic operating results as indications of future
performance.
Our
revenues are subject to variations. Wagering equipment sales and software license revenue usually reflect a limited number of large transactions,
which may not recur on an annual basis. Consequently, revenue and operating results can vary substantially from period to period as a
result of the timing of major equipment sales and software license revenue. In addition, revenue may vary depending on the timing of
contract awards and renewals, changes in customer budgets and general economic conditions. Revenue may also vary based on adverse sequences
of payouts of prizes, unusual jackpot wins, and other variations in game margin.
Our
business could also be affected by natural or man-made disasters such as floods, storms or terrorist attacks. We have taken steps to
have disaster recovery plans in place but there can be no assurance that such an event would not have a significant adverse impact on
our business.
We
have operations in a variety of countries, which subjects us to additional risks.
We
are a global business and derived substantially all of our revenue outside the U.S. during the year ended December 31, 2024.
In the year ended December 31, 2024, we earned approximately 73% of our revenue from our operations in the UK, 7% of our revenue from
our operations in Greece, and 20% of our revenue from our operations in the rest of the world. Our business in foreign markets subjects
us to risks customarily associated with such operations, including:
●
foreign
withholding taxes on, or bank regulatory restrictions on expatriating, our subsidiaries’ earnings that could reduce cash flow
available to meet our required debt service and other obligations;
●
the
complexity of foreign laws, regulations and markets;
26
●
the
impact of foreign labor laws and disputes;
●
potential
risks relating to our ability to manage our foreign operations, monitor our customers’ activities or our partners’ activities
which may subject us to risks involving such other entities’ financial condition or to inconsistent interests or goals;
●
gaming tax increases;
●
other
economic, tax and regulatory policies of foreign governments; and
●
the
ability to attract and retain key personnel in foreign jurisdictions.
Our
consolidated financial results are significantly affected by foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Foreign currency exchange rate
exposures arise from current transactions and anticipated transactions denominated in currencies other than U.S. Dollars, and from the
translation of foreign currency balance sheet accounts into GBP-denominated or USD-denominated balance sheet accounts. Exposure to currency
exchange rate fluctuations exists and will continue because a significant portion of our revenue is denominated in currencies other than
the USD, particularly the British pound (“GBP”) and the Euro. Exchange rate fluctuations have in the past adversely affected
operating results and cash flows and may continue to adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows and the value of assets.
As
a result of the geographic concentration of our operations in the UK, Italy and Greece, our operating results and cash flow depend significantly
on economic conditions and the other factors listed above in these sector areas. There can be no assurance that we will be able to operate
on a continuing successful basis in these sectors or in any combination of different geographical sectors.
Our
business could be negatively affected by ownership changes and consolidation in the gaming industry.
Because
a substantial part of our revenue is recurring in nature, our medium to long term results of operations, cash flows and financial condition
could be negatively affected if any of our customers were sold to or merged with other customers, or if consolidation in the gaming industry
were otherwise affected. Consolidation among gaming operators could result in our customers using more products and services of our competitors
or reducing their spending on our products, or could otherwise cause downward pricing pressures, any of which outcomes could negatively
affect our business.
We
may not be able to capitalize on the expansion of interactive gaming or other trends and changes in the gaming and lottery industries,
including due to laws and regulations governing these industries, and other factors.
We
participate in new and evolving aspects of the interactive gaming and lottery industries. Part of our strategy is to take advantage of
the liberalization of regulations covering these industries on a global basis. These industries involve significant risks and uncertainties,
including legal, business and financial risks. The fast-changing environment in these industries can make it difficult to plan strategically
and can provide opportunities for competitors to grow their businesses at our expense. Consequently, our future results of operations,
cash flows and financial condition are difficult to predict and may not grow at the rates we expect.
Laws
relating to interactive gaming are evolving. To varying degrees, governments have taken steps to change the regulation of interactive
wagering through the implementation of new or revised licensing and taxation regimes, including the possible imposition of sanctions
on unlicensed providers. We cannot predict the timing, scope or terms of the implementation or revision of any such state, federal or
foreign laws or regulations, or the extent to which any such laws and regulations may facilitate or hinder our strategy.
In
jurisdictions that authorize interactive gaming, we cannot assure that we will be successful in offering our technology, content and
services to interactive gaming operators, because we expect to face intense competition from our traditional competitors in the gaming
and lottery industries as well as a number of other domestic and foreign competitors (and, in some cases, the operators themselves),
many of which have substantially greater financial resources or experience in this area than we do.
27
Know-your-customer
and geo-location programs and technologies supplied by third parties are an important aspect of certain interactive gaming products and
services, because they can confirm certain information with respect to players and prospective players, such as age, identity and location.
Payment processing programs and technologies, typically provided by third parties, are also a necessary feature of interactive wagering
products and services. These programs and technologies are costly, and our use of them may have an adverse impact on our results of operations,
cash flows and financial condition. Additionally, we cannot assure that products or services containing these programs and technologies
will be available to us on commercially reasonable terms, if at all, or that they will perform accurately or otherwise in accordance
with required specifications.
Our
business is capital intensive and our ability to retain customers may be influenced by our ability to deploy additional capital.
Customers
of our SBG products may request us to incur capital expenditures to provide gaming terminals to support their land-based operations.
While we seek to obtain what we believe to be satisfactory rates of return on such investments, these capital expenditures can be meaningful
and may be concentrated within short periods of time. To the extent that we have insufficient access to capital or liquidity at the time
that a customer, or prospective customer, makes such a request, we may be at a competitive disadvantage in retaining or attracting such
customer. Such a circumstance could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
We
may be subject to claims arising from the operations of our various businesses for periods prior to the dates we acquired them.
We
may be subject to claims or liabilities arising from the ownership or operation businesses we have acquired for the periods prior to
our acquisition of them, including environmental, employee-related and other liabilities and claims not covered by insurance.
Our
success depends upon our key personnel.
Our
business results depend largely upon the continued contributions of various members of our management team, as well as certain key technical
specialists, game designers, operational experts and other developers and operators of key intellectual property and processes. If we
lose the services of one or more members of our management team or key employees, our business, financial condition and results of operations,
as well as the market price of our securities, could be adversely affected.
The
long-term performance of our business relies on our ability to attract, develop and retain talented personnel and our labor force while
controlling our labor costs.
To
be successful, we must attract, develop and retain highly qualified and talented personnel who have the experience, knowledge and expertise
to successfully implement our key business strategies. We also must attract, develop and retain our labor force while maintaining labor
costs. We compete for employees, including sales people, regional management, executive officers and others, with a broad range of employers
in many different industries, including large multinational firms, and we invest significant resources in recruiting, developing, motivating
and retaining them. The failure to attract and retain key employees, or to develop effective succession planning to assure smooth transitions
of those employees and the knowledge, customer relationships and expertise they possess, could negatively affect our competitive position
and our operating results. Further, if we are unable to cost-effectively recruit, train and retain sufficient skilled personnel, we may
not be able to adequately satisfy increased demand for our products and services, which could adversely affect our operating results.
28
Restrictions
in our existing borrowings, including covenants set forth in our existing debt facilities, or any other indebtedness we may incur in
the future, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations, and our ability to make distributions
to stockholders and the value of our common stock.
Our
existing borrowings, and any other indebtedness we may enter into, may limit our ability to, among other things:
●
incur
or guarantee additional debt;
●
make
distributions or dividends on or redeem or repurchase shares of common stock;
●
make
certain investments and acquisitions;
●
make
capital expenditures;
●
incur
certain liens or permit them to exist;
●
enter
into certain types of transactions with affiliates;
●
acquire,
merge or consolidate with another company; and
●
transfer,
sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets.
The
provisions of our existing borrowings may affect our ability to obtain future financing and pursue attractive business opportunities
and our flexibility in planning for, and reacting to, changes in business conditions.
As
of December 31, 2024, our senior debt consisted of an aggregate of £235.0 million ($294.4 million) of Senior Secured Notes
(carrying an interest rate of 7.875% per annum, and maturing on June 1, 2026), and we had £20.0 million ($25.1 million) of
credit facility borrowings available under the RCF Agreement, with £15.0 million ($18.8 million) drawn as of December 31, 2024
(see Note 13 to our audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, included elsewhere in this Report).
The
Indenture governing the Senior Secured Notes contains incurrence covenants that limit the ability of the Company and the Company’s
restricted subsidiaries to, among other things, (i) incur or guarantee additional debt and issue certain preferred stock of restricted
subsidiaries; (ii) create or incur certain liens; (iii) make restricted payments, including dividends or distributions to the Company’s
stockholders or repurchase the Company’s stock; (iv) prepay or redeem subordinated debt; (v) make certain investments, including
participating joint ventures; (vi) create encumbrances or restrictions on the payment of dividends or other distributions by restricted
subsidiaries; (vii) sell assets, or consolidate or merge with or into other companies; (viii) sell or transfer all or substantially all
of the Company’s assets or those of the Company’s subsidiaries on a consolidated basis; (ix) engage in certain transactions
with affiliates; and (x) create unrestricted subsidiaries. Certain of these covenants will be suspended if and for so long as the Senior
Secured Notes have investment grade ratings from any two of Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., Standard & Poor’s Investors
Ratings Services and Fitch Ratings, Inc. These covenants are subject to exceptions and qualifications as set forth in the Indenture.
The
RCF Agreement governing credit facility borrowings contains various covenants (which include restrictions regarding the incurrence of
liens, the incurrence of indebtedness by the Company’s subsidiaries and fundamental changes, subject in each case to certain exceptions),
representations, warranties, limitations and events of default (which include non-payment, breach of obligations under the financing
documents, cross-default, insolvency and litigation) customary for similar facilities for similarly rated borrowers and subject to customary
carve-outs and grace periods. Following the occurrence of an event of default which has not been waived or remedied, the Lenders who
represent more than 66.67% of total commitments under the RCF may, subject to the terms of an intercreditor agreement (which governs
the relationship between the Lenders and the holders of the Senior Secured Notes), instruct the agent to (i) accelerate the RCF Loans,
(ii) instruct the security agent to enforce the transaction security and/or (iii) exercise any other remedies available to the Lenders.
29
The
RCF Agreement requires that the Company maintain a maximum consolidated senior secured net leverage ratio of 6.25x on the test date for
the relevant period ended June 30, 2022, stepping down to 6.0x on March 31, 2022, 5.75x on March 31, 2023 and 5.50x from March 31, 2024
and thereafter (the “RCF Financial Covenant”). The RCF Financial Covenant is calculated as the ratio of consolidated senior
secured net debt to consolidated pro forma EBITDA (defined as net loss excluding depreciation and amortization, interest expense, interest
income and income tax expense) for the 12-month period preceding the relevant quarterly testing date and is tested quarterly on a rolling
basis, subject to the Initial Facility (as defined in the RCF Agreement) being drawn on the relevant test date. The RCF Agreement does
not include a minimum interest coverage ratio or other financial covenants.
We
may have future capital needs and may not be able to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms.
Economic
and credit market conditions, the performance of the gaming industry and our financial performance, as well as other factors, may constrain
our financing abilities. Our ability to secure additional financing, if available, and to satisfy our financial obligations under indebtedness
outstanding from time to time will depend upon our future operating performance, the availability of credit, economic conditions and
financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.
We
may require additional financing to fund our operations and growth. The failure to secure additional financing could have an adverse
effect on our continued development or growth. None of our officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to
us.
We
may be unable to identify and develop sufficient new products and product lines and integrate them into our existing business, which
may adversely affect our ability to compete; our expansion into new sectors may present competitive and regulatory challenges that
differ from current ones.
Our
business depends in part on our ability to identify and develop future products and product lines that complement existing products and
product lines and that respond to our customers’ and players’ needs. We may not be able to compete effectively unless our
product selection keeps up with trends in the sectors in which it competes or trends in new products. If our new products and product
lines do not meet our customers’ and players’ expectations, or if they are not brought to market in a timely and effective
manner, our revenue (especially our revenue under revenue participation-based contracts) and financial performance will be negatively
affected. In addition to market factors, our ability to develop new products and their ability to achieve commercial success will depend
on a number of factors, including our ability to:
●
effectively
market our games to our customers and to existing and new players;
●
adapt
to changing customer needs and player preferences;
●
adapt
to new technologies;
●
adapt
game features and contents for an increasingly diverse set of devices and specifications;
●
minimize
launch delays and cost overruns on the development of new products and features;
●
expand
and enhance games and content after their initial release;
●
attract,
retain and motivate talented and experienced game designers, product managers and engineers;
●
achieve
and maintain player engagement;
●
develop
games that can build upon or become franchise games;
●
maintain
quality content and game experience;
●
compete
successfully against a large and growing number of market participants;
●
integrate
new products and product lines into our existing business; and
●
minimize
and quickly resolve bugs or outages.
30
In
addition, if new technologies are protected by the intellectual property rights of others, including our competitors, we may be prevented
from introducing new products and product lines based on these technologies or expanding into sectors created by these technologies.
Even if we are able to develop new products and product lines that achieve success, it is possible that these products and product lines
could divert players of our other games without growing our overall user base, which could harm our operating results. Furthermore, the
success of new products and product lines will depend upon market demand and there is a risk that new products and product lines will
not deliver expected results, which could adversely affect our future sales and results of operations. It is difficult to know whether
we will succeed in continuing to develop successful new products and product lines.
Our
expansion into new sectors may present competitive, distribution and regulatory challenges that differ from current ones. We may be less
familiar with new product categories and may face different or additional risks, as well as increased or unexpected costs, compared to
existing operations.
Changes
in customer and player preferences could adversely affect our results of operations.
Competition
in the gaming industry is intense and subject to rapid change, including changes from evolving customer and player preferences. Accordingly,
our success in the gaming industry is dependent on our ability to offer attractive products to our customers and players. In the markets
in which we operate, we compete with various other gaming vendors and our customers and players now have access to many other forms of
recreational and leisure activities. Our participation-based revenue will depend on the appeal of our gaming offerings to our customers
and players relative to our competitors. If we are not able to anticipate and react to changes in customer and player preferences, our
competitive and financial position may be adversely affected.
In
addition, our future success will also depend on the success of the gaming industry as a whole in attracting and retaining players. Gaming
may lose popularity as new leisure activities arise or as other leisure activities become more popular. Alternatively, changes in social
mores and demographics could result in reduced acceptance of gaming as a leisure activity. If the popularity of gaming declines for any
reason, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
Our
financial success is dependent on our customers’ ability to attract and maintain players.
We
have a participation-driven business model, whereby a significant amount of our revenue is generated from the gaming revenue of our customers,
typically as a percentage of gross revenue. Accordingly, our results of operation and financial condition have been and are expected
to continue to be influenced by the ability of our customers to attract and maintain players. The ability of our customers to attract
and maintain players depends on a number of factors, including player gaming preferences, marketing of our products and player perceptions
of our customers. If we are unable to provide our customers with products that players find engaging or fail to perform our obligations
in maintaining the products we provide to our customers, players may reduce the amount they spend with our customers, which in turn may
have an adverse effect on our results of operations (see “— We may be unable to identify and develop sufficient new products
and product lines and integrate them into our existing business, which may adversely affect our ability to compete; our expansion
into new sectors may present competitive and regulatory challenges that differ from current ones .”). Under most of our contracts,
our customers are under no obligation to market our products and therefore we are dependent on our customers in promoting our products
to maintain and attract players. Failure by our customers to effectively market our products may result in decreased gaming revenue for
our customers from our products, which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Player perception of our customers may
also impact the willingness of players to engage with our customers, which in turn may have an adverse effect on our results of operation.
31
Risks
Relating to Our Status as a Public Company and Ownership of Our Common Stock
We
may be required to recognize impairment charges related to goodwill, identified intangible assets and property and equipment or to take
write-downs or write-offs, restructuring or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results
of operations and stock price, which could have an adverse effect on our common stock and your investment.
We
are required to test goodwill and any other intangible asset with an indefinite life for possible impairment on the same date each year
and on an interim basis if there are indicators of a possible impairment. We are also required to evaluate amortizable intangible assets
and property and equipment for impairment if there are indicators of a possible impairment. There is significant judgment required in
the analysis of a potential impairment of goodwill, identified intangible assets and property and equipment. If, as a result of a general
economic slowdown, deterioration in one or more of the sectors in which we operate or impairment in our financial performance and/or
future outlook, the estimated fair value of our long-lived assets decreases, we may determine that one or more of our long-lived assets
is impaired. An impairment charge would be determined based on the estimated fair value of the assets and any such impairment charge
could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Even
though these charges may be non-cash items and would not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of
this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about the Company or our securities. In addition, charges of this nature
may cause us to be unable to obtain future financing on favorable terms or at all.
The
liquidity of the trading markets for our securities and other factors may adversely affect the price of our securities.
The
price of our securities may be affected by the light volume of the trading markets for our securities as well as a variety of other factors
including due to general economic conditions and forecasts, our general business condition and the release of our financial reports.
If our results do not meet the expectations of investors or securities analysts, the market price of our securities may decline. In addition,
fluctuations in the price of our securities could contribute to the loss of all or part of your investment. Any of the factors listed
below could have an adverse effect on the price of our securities, and our securities may trade at prices significantly below the price
you paid for them. In such circumstances, the trading price of our securities may not recover and may experience a further decline.
Factors
affecting the trading price of the Company’s securities may include:
●
market
conditions affecting the gaming industry;
●
quarterly
variations in our results of operations;
●
changes
in government regulations;
●
the
announcement of acquisitions by us or our competitors;
●
changes
in general economic and political conditions;
●
volatility
in the financial markets;
●
results
of our operations and the operations of others in our industry;
●
changes
in interest rates;
●
threatened
or actual litigation and government investigations;
●
the
addition or departure of key personnel;
●
actions
taken by our stockholders, including the sale or disposition of their shares of our common stock; and
●
differences
between our actual financial and operating results and those expected by investors and analysts and changes in analysts’ recommendations
or projections.
32
Broad
market and industry factors may materially harm the market price of our securities irrespective of our operating performance. The stock
market in general, and NASDAQ in particular, have experienced price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate
to the operating performance of the particular companies affected. The trading prices and valuations of these stocks, and of our securities,
may not be predictable. A loss of investor confidence in the market for retail stocks or the stocks of other companies which investors
perceive to be similar to the Company could depress our stock price regardless of our business, prospects, financial condition or results
of operations. A decline in the market price of our securities also could adversely affect our ability to issue additional securities
and our ability to obtain additional financing in the future.
Depending
on the number of shares you hold and other factors, you may not be able to sell your shares at the times you prefer at desirable market
prices.
We
do not currently intend to pay dividends on our common stock.
We
do not currently expect to pay cash dividends on our common stock and have not paid cash dividends on our common stock to date. Any future
dividend payments are within the absolute discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon, among other things, our results
of operations, working capital requirements, capital expenditure requirements, financial condition, level of indebtedness, contractual
restrictions with respect to payment of dividends, business opportunities, anticipated cash needs, provisions of applicable law and other
factors that our Board of Directors may deem relevant.
Our
business and stock price may suffer if securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about the
Company, our business, or our sector, or if they change their recommendations regarding our common stock adversely, the price and trading
volume of our common stock could decline.
The
trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about
us, our business, our sector, or our competitors. If securities or industry analysts do not continue to cover the Company, our stock
price and trading volume would likely be negatively affected. If any of the analysts who may cover the Company change their recommendation
regarding our stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, the price of our common stock
would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover the Company were to cease coverage of the Company or fail to regularly publish reports
on the Company, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.
We
may issue a significant number of shares of our common stock or other securities from time to time.
We
may issue shares of our common stock or other securities from time to time as consideration for, or to finance, future acquisitions
and investments or for other capital needs. We cannot predict the size of future issuances of our shares or the effect, if any, that
future sales and issuances of shares would have on the market price of our common stock. If any such acquisition or investment is
significant, the number of shares of common stock or the number or aggregate principal amount, as the case may be, of other
securities that we may issue may in turn be substantial and may result in additional dilution to our stockholders. We may also grant
registration rights covering shares of our common stock or other securities that we may issue in connection with any such
acquisitions and investments. On May 17, 2021, the Company filed a registration statement on Form S-3, pursuant to which the Company
may offer and sell from time to time, in one or more series, any one of the following securities of our company, for total gross
proceeds up to $300,000,000:
●
common
stock;
●
preferred
stock;
●
secured
or unsecured debt securities consisting of notes, debentures or other evidence of indebtedness which may be senior debt securities,
senior subordinated debt securities or subordinated debt securities, each of which may be convertible into equity securities;
●
warrants
to purchase our securities;
33
●
rights
to purchase any of the foregoing securities; or
●
units
comprised of, or other combinations of, the foregoing securities.
Although the registration statement has expired, we
may in the future file additional registration statements in order to register similar securities as those listed above, upon which the
market price of our securities could drop significantly if the holders of these securities sell them or are perceived by the market as
intending to sell them.
Anti-takeover
provisions contained in our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws, as well as provisions of Delaware law,
could impair a takeover attempt.
Our
second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that could have the effect of delaying or preventing
changes in control or changes in our management without the consent of our Board of Directors. These provisions include:
●
no
cumulative voting in the election of directors, which limits the ability of minority stockholders to elect director candidates;
●
the
exclusive right of our Board of Directors to elect a director to fill a vacancy created by the expansion of the Board of Directors
or the resignation, death, or removal of a director with or without cause by stockholders, which prevents stockholders from being
able to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors;
●
the
ability of our Board of Directors to determine whether to issue shares of our preferred stock and to determine the price and other
terms of those shares, including preferences and voting rights, without stockholder approval, which could be used to significantly
dilute the ownership of a hostile acquirer;
●
limiting
the liability of, and providing indemnification to, our directors and officers;
●
designating
the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the exclusive forum for adjudication of disputes;
●
controlling
the procedures for the conduct and scheduling of stockholder meetings; and
●
advance
notice procedures that stockholders must comply with in order to nominate candidates to our Board of Directors or to propose matters
to be acted upon at a stockholders’ meeting, which may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation
of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of the Company.
These
provisions, alone or together, could delay or dissuade hostile takeovers and changes in control of the Company or changes in our
Board of Directors and management.
As
a Delaware corporation, we are also subject to provisions of Delaware law, including Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation
Law, which prevents some stockholders holding more than 15% of our outstanding common stock from engaging in certain business combinations
without approval of the holders of substantially all of our outstanding common stock. Any provision of our second amended and restated
certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying or deterring a change in control could limit
the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock and could also affect the price that some
investors are willing to pay for our common stock.
Risks
Relating to Economic and Political Conditions
Volatility
or disruption in the financial markets could materially adversely affect our business and the trading price of our common stock.
Our
business relies on stable and efficient financial markets. Any disruption in the credit and capital markets could adversely impact our
ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms. Volatility in the financial markets could also result in difficulties for financial
institutions and other parties that we do business with, which could potentially affect the ability to access financing under existing
arrangements. We are exposed to the impact of any global or domestic economic disruption. Our ability to continue to
fund operating expenses, capital expenditures and other cash requirements over the long term may require access to additional sources
of funds, including equity and debt capital markets, and market volatility and general economic conditions may adversely affect our ability
to access capital markets. In addition, the inability of our vendors to access capital and liquidity with which to maintain their inventory,
production levels and product quality and to operate their businesses, or the insolvency of our vendors, could lead to their failure
to deliver merchandise. If we are unable to purchase products when needed, our sales could be materially adversely affected. Accordingly,
volatility or disruption in the financial markets could impair our ability to execute our growth strategy and could have an adverse effect
on the trading price of our common stock.
34
Currency
exchange rate fluctuations could result in lower revenue, higher costs and decreased margins and earnings.
We
conduct purchase and sale transactions in various currencies, which increases our exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange
rates globally. International revenue and expenses generally are derived from sales and operations in various foreign
currencies, and this revenue and these expenses could be affected by currency fluctuations, specifically amounts recorded in foreign
currencies and translated into USD for consolidated financial reporting, as weakening of foreign currencies relative to the USD will
adversely affect the USD value of the Company’s foreign currency-denominated sales and earnings. Currency exchange rate fluctuations
could also disrupt the business of the independent manufacturers that produce our products by making their purchases of raw materials
more expensive and more difficult to finance. Foreign currency fluctuations could have an adverse effect on our results of operations
and financial condition.
We
may hedge other foreign currency exposures to lessen and delay, but not to completely eliminate, the effects of foreign currency fluctuations
on our financial results. Since the hedging activities are designed to lessen volatility, they not only reduce the negative impact of
a stronger USD or other trading currency, but they also reduce the positive impact of a weaker USD or other trading currency. Our future
financial results could be significantly affected by the value of the USD in relation to the foreign currencies in which we conduct business.
The degree to which our financial results are affected for any given time period will depend in part upon our hedging activities, and
there can be no assurance that our hedging activities will be effective.
Global
economic conditions could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
The
uncertain state of the global economy continues to affect businesses around the world, most acutely in emerging markets and developing
economies. If global economic and financial market conditions do not improve or deteriorate, the following factors could have an adverse
effect on our business, operating results and financial condition:
●
Slower
consumer spending may result in reduced demand for our products, reduced orders from retailers for our products, order cancellations,
lower revenue, higher discounts, increased inventories and lower gross margins;
●
In
the future, we may be unable to access financing in the credit and capital markets at reasonable rates in the event we find it desirable
to do so;
●
We
conduct transactions in various currencies, which increases our exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates relative
to the USD. Continued volatility in the markets and exchange rates for foreign currencies and contracts in foreign currencies could
have a significant impact on our reported operating results and financial condition;
35
●
Continued
volatility in the availability and prices for commodities and raw materials we use in our products and in our supply chain could
have an adverse effect on our costs, gross margins and profitability;
●
If
operators or distributors of our products experience declining revenue or experience difficulty obtaining financing in the capital
and credit markets to purchase our products, this could result in reduced orders for our products, order cancellations, late retailer
payments, extended payment terms, higher accounts receivable, reduced cash flows, greater expense associated with collection efforts
and increased bad debt expense;
●
If
operators or distributors of our products experience severe financial difficulty, some may become insolvent and cease business operations,
which could negatively affect the sale of our products to consumers; and
●
If
contract manufacturers of our products or other participants in our supply chain experience difficulty obtaining financing in the
capital and credit markets to purchase raw materials or to finance capital equipment and other general working capital needs, it
may result in delays or non-delivery of shipments of our products.
International
hostilities, terrorist or cyber-terrorist activities, natural disasters, pandemics, and infrastructure disruptions could prevent us from
effectively serving our customers and thus adversely affect our results of operations.
Acts
of terrorist violence, cyber-terrorism, political unrest, armed regional and international hostilities and international responses to
these hostilities, natural disasters, including hurricanes or floods, global health risks or pandemics or the threat
of or perceived potential for these events could have a negative impact on us. These events could adversely affect our customers’
levels of business activity (or involve government mandated shutdowns of our venues) and precipitate sudden significant changes in regional
and global economic conditions and cycles. These events also pose significant risks to our employees and our physical facilities and
operations around the world, whether the facilities are ours or those of our third-party service providers or customers. By disrupting
communications and travel and increasing the difficulty of obtaining and retaining highly skilled and qualified personnel, these events
could make it difficult or impossible for us to deliver products and services to our customers. Extended disruptions of electricity,
other public utilities or network services at our facilities, as well as system failures at our facilities or otherwise, could also adversely
affect our ability to serve our customers. We may be unable to protect our employees, facilities and systems against all such occurrences.
We generally do not have insurance for losses and interruptions caused by terrorist attacks, conflicts and wars. If these disruptions
prevent us from effectively serving our customers, our results of operations could be adversely affected.