2. Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the following entities:

Name of entity	State of Incorporation	Relationship
Black Ridge Oil and Gas, Inc.	Nevada	Parent
Black Ridge Acquisition Corp.	Delaware	Subsidiary(1)

⁽¹⁾Wholly-owned subsidiary through October 10, 2017, the date of BRAC’s IPO, after which it was consolidated as a variable interest entity through August 9, 2019, the date of BRAC’s business combination. BRAC was renamed Allied Esports Entertainment, Inc. (‘AESE”) on the date of its business combination and all references to the surviving entity following the business combination are hereafter referred to as such.

The Company had determined that AESE, following its IPO, was a variable interest entity (“VIE”) and that the Company was the primary beneficiary of the VIE. The Company determined that, due to the redemption feature associated with the IPO shares, that the IPO shareholders were indirectly protected from the operating expenses of BRAC and it had the power to direct the activities of BRAC through the date BRAC afforded the stockholders the opportunity to vote to approve the proposed business combination. Therefore, BRAC’s operations are included in the BROG’s consolidated financial statements herein through August 9 2019. BRAC’s IPO shareholders are reflected in our Consolidated Financial Statements as a non-controlling interest through BRAC’s business combination on August 9, 2019. Under guidance in ASC 810-10-05-8 (“Consolidation of VIEs”) the Company’s management has determined that BRAC, following its merger, should no longer be consolidated for financial statement purposes as the Company no longer had the power to direct the activities of BRAC. Following BRAC’s business combination, the Company’s investment in AESE is accounted for using the cost method as AESE no longer was considered a VIE and the Company now owned 12.4% of the outstanding common stock of AESE. All significant inter-company transactions have been eliminated in the preparation of these financial statements.

The parent company, BROG, and BRAC, for the period it was consolidated, are collectively referred to herein as the “Company” or “Black Ridge”. The Company’s headquarters is in Minneapolis, Minnesota and substantially all of its operations are in the United States.

Reclassifications

Reclassifications

In the current year, the income, expense and cash flows from BRAC during the period they were consolidated have been classified as discontinued operations. For comparative purposes amounts in the prior periods have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation. Additionally, the assets and liabilities from BRAC are shown on the balance sheet as assets and liabilities for discontinued operations.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amount of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Environmental Liabilities

Environmental Liabilities

The Company was formerly a direct owner of assets in the oil and gas industry. The oil and gas industry is subject, by its nature, to environmental hazards and clean-up costs. At this time, management knows of no substantial losses from environmental accidents or events which would have a material effect on the Company.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents include money market accounts which have maturities of three months or less. For the purpose of the statements of cash flows, all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less are considered to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are stated at cost plus accrued interest, which approximates market value. Cash equivalents on hand at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were $-0- and $2,312, respectively.

Restricted cash and securities held in Trust Account

Restricted Cash and Securities held in Trust Account

The Company had $2,312 of cash equivalents and $141,304,995 of marketable securities on December 31, 2018 held in the Trust Account which was restricted for the benefit of the AESE’s IPO shareholders to be available for those shareholders in the event they elected to redeem their shares following an approved business combination.

Cash in Excess of FDIC Insured Limits

Cash in Excess of FDIC Limits

The Company maintains its cash in bank deposit accounts which, at times, may exceed federally insured limits. Accounts are guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) up to $250,000 and $500,000, respectively, under current regulations. The Company had approximately $-0- and $1,119,770 in excess of FDIC and SIPC insured limits at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities based on differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities using the enacted tax rates and laws that are expected to be in effect when the differences are expected to be recovered. The Company provides a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets for which it does not consider realization of such assets to be more likely than not.

Basic and Diluted Loss Per Share

Basic and Diluted Loss Per Share

The basic net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss (the numerator) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period (the denominator). Diluted net loss per common share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of common shares and potential common shares outstanding (if dilutive) during each period. Potential common shares include stock options, warrants and restricted stock. The number of potential common shares outstanding relating to stock options, warrants and restricted stock is computed using the treasury stock method.

The reconciliation of the denominators used to calculate basic EPS and diluted EPS for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 are as follows:

	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 30,				September 30,
	2019		2018		2019		2018
Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic		479,844,900		479,821,911		479,844,900		479,807,318
Plus: Potentially dilutive common shares:
Stock options and warrants		245,019		221,053		273,929		237,953
Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted		480,089,919		480,042,964		480,118,829		480,045,271

Stock options and warrants excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS because their effect was anti-dilutive were 10,646,500 and 10,835,300 for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and 10,646,500 and 10,835,300 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Under FASB ASC 820-10-05, the Financial Accounting Standards Board establishes a framework for measuring fair value in generally accepted accounting principles and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. This Statement reaffirms that fair value is the relevant measurement attribute. The adoption of this standard did not have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements as reflected herein. The carrying amounts of cash, accounts payable and accrued expenses reported on the balance sheets are estimated by management to approximate fair value primarily due to the short-term nature of the instruments. The Company had no items that required fair value measurement on a recurring basis.

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives of three to seven years. Expenditures for replacements, renewals, and betterments are capitalized. Maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred. Long-lived assets are evaluated for impairment to determine if current circumstances and market conditions indicate the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Depreciation expense was $754 and $7,650 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes management fee income as services are provided.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company adopted FASB guidance on stock-based compensation upon inception at April 9, 2010. Under FASB ASC 718-10-30-2, all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, are recognized in the income statement based on their fair values. Expense related to common stock and stock options issued for services and compensation totaled $83,705 and $244,664 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, using the Black-Scholes options pricing model and an effective term of 6 to 6.5 years based on the weighted average of the vesting periods and the stated term of the option grants and the discount rate on 5 to 7 year U.S. Treasury securities at the grant date.

Uncertain Tax Positions

Uncertain Tax Positions

Effective upon inception at April 9, 2010, the Company adopted standards for accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. These standards prescribe a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. These standards also provide guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure, and transition.

Various taxing authorities may periodically audit the Company’s income tax returns. These audits include questions regarding the Company’s tax filing positions, including the timing and amount of deductions and the allocation of income to various tax jurisdictions. In evaluating the exposures connected with these various tax filing positions, including state and local taxes, the Company records allowances for probable exposures. A number of years may elapse before a particular matter, for which an allowance has been established, is audited and fully resolved. Black Ridge Oil & Gas, Inc. has not yet undergone an examination by any taxing authorities.

The assessment of the Company’s tax position relies on the judgment of management to estimate the exposures associated with the Company’s various filing positions.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

New accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) that are adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date. If not discussed below, management believes there have been no developments to recently issued accounting standards, including expected dates of adoption and estimated effects on our financial statements, from those disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.

In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-10, Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases. The amendments in ASU 2018-10 provide additional clarification and implementation guidance on certain aspects of the previously issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”) and have the same effective and transition requirements as ASU 2016-02. Upon the effective date, ASU 2018-10 will supersede the current lease guidance in ASC Topic 840, Leases. Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize for all leases, with the exception of short-term leases, a lease liability, which is a lessee’s obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis. Concurrently, lessees will be required to recognize a right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. ASU 2018-10 is effective for private companies and emerging growth public companies for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The guidance is required to be applied using a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative periods presented in the financial statements. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2019, and the standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s combined financial statements and related disclosures.