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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

NOTE 9—COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Litigation

        We are a party to various lawsuits, which have arisen in the normal course of our business. Estimated losses are accrued for these lawsuits and claims when the loss is probable and can be estimated. The current liability for the estimated losses associated with those lawsuits is not material to our consolidated financial condition and those estimated losses are not expected to have a material impact on our results of operations.

        Since the announcement of the Mergers, three putative class action lawsuits have been filed by purported stockholders of the Company challenging the Mergers. All three cases were filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery. By order of the Court of Chancery, the cases were consolidated for all purposes and a consolidated amended complaint was filed. This consolidated case, which purports to be brought as a class action on behalf of all of the Company's stockholders, excluding the members of the board of directors, alleges that the consideration that stockholders will receive in connection with the Mergers is inadequate and that the Company's directors and current President breached their fiduciary duties to stockholders in negotiating and approving the Merger Agreement. The complaints contained in the consolidated case allege that MTR, Eldorado, NewCo, Merger Sub A, Merger Sub B, Gary Carano, Thomas Reeg and Robert T. Jones aided and abetted the alleged breaches by the Company's directors and current President. The consolidated complaint seeks various forms of relief including injunctive relief that would, if granted, prevent the Mergers from being consummated in accordance with the agreed-upon terms. The Company believes that the allegations are without merit and intends to defend the actions vigorously.

        On April 17, 2010, Presque Isle Downs, Inc. initiated legal action which named as defendants Dwayne Cooper Enterprises, Inc. ("DCE"), Turner Construction Company, and Rectenwald Buehler Architects, Inc. f/k/a Weborg Rectenwald Buehler Architects, Inc. with respect to the surveillance system that was installed as part of the original construction of Presque Isle Downs which opened on February 28, 2007. Shortly after the opening of Presque Isle Downs, it was discovered that certain equipment components of the surveillance system that were installed by DCE were defective or malfunctioning. Furthermore, various components of the surveillance system that DCE was required to install were not installed. As a result, during 2008, Presque Isle Downs was required to replace certain equipment components of the surveillance system at a cost of $1.9 million, and to write-off approximately $1.5 million related to the net book value of the equipment that was replaced. On April 5, 2011, Presque Isle Downs received a default judgment in the amount of $2.7 million against DCE for the failure to answer or otherwise respond to Presque Isle Downs' complaint. We are currently in the process of attempting to enforce the judgment. Any proceeds that may be received will be recorded as the amounts are realized. Defendant Rectenwald Buehler Architects, Inc. has joined five additional vendors/subcontractors as co-defendants to the case, which filed preliminary objections. The final set of objections was denied in October 2013. Pre-trial discovery is ongoing.

        Scioto Downs, in order to protect its right to VLT gaming, successfully intervened in a lawsuit challenging certain aspects of the casino referendum and the Ohio Governor's and legislature's approval of legislation authorizing VLTs at Ohio's seven horse racetracks. Dispositive motions were filed by the Ohio Attorney General, Scioto Downs, Inc. and others on February 20, 2012, and, on May 30, 2012, the litigation was dismissed. On March 13, 2013, the appeals court affirmed the lower court decision. On April 26, 2013, the plaintiffs filed a Notice of Appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court. On July 24, 2013, the Ohio Supreme Court agreed to hear the matter as a companion case to another matter that is before the court. Oral argument has not yet been scheduled in either case.

        In October 2005, we sold all but 24 of the 229 acres of real property, known as the International Paper site, to the Greater Erie Industrial Development Corporation, a private, not-for-profit entity that is managed by the municipality (the "GEIDC"). On October 1, 2009, the GEIDC initiated legal action against Presque Isle Downs alleging breach of contract regarding clean fill dirt which the GEIDC claims was supposed to be furnished as a result of the sale. On December 14, 2011, the Erie County Court of Common Pleas ruled in favor of the GEIDC, awarding $0.7 million in damages, including interest. Presque Isle Downs timely filed its appeal on January 13, 2012; however, the judgment and related interest were accrued and reflected as part of accrued liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013. Pending the appeal process, we were required to post a surety bond in the amount of 120% of the judgment, or approximately $0.8 million, which was collateralized by a cash deposit and is reflected as part of restricted cash in the consolidated balance sheets at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013. On October 30, 2012, the appeal was argued before the Pennsylvania Superior Court and on April 8, 2013 we received a ruling from the Superior Court affirming the trial court's decision in the case. On April 22, 2013, we filed a motion for reconsideration with the Superior Court, which was granted on June 17, 2013. The Company was granted the reargument of this matter in front of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania which took place on November 19, 2013. On March 11, 2014, the Superior Court made a determination that it would not address the case on its merits which ultimately results in an affirmation of the prior judgment.

Environmental Remediation

        In October 2004, we acquired 229 acres of real property, known as the International Paper site, as an alternative site to build Presque Isle Downs. In connection with our acquisition of the International Paper site, we entered into a consent order and decree (the "Consent Order") with the PaDEP and International Paper insulating us from liability for certain pre-existing contamination, subject to compliance with the Consent Order, which included a proposed environmental remediation plan for the site, which was tied specifically to the use of the property as a racetrack. The proposed environmental remediation plan in the Consent Order was based upon a "baseline environmental report" and management estimated that such remediation would be subsumed within the cost of developing the property as a racetrack. The racetrack was never developed at this site. In October 2005, we sold approximately 205 acres to GEIDC who assumed primary responsibility for the remediation obligations under the Consent Order relating to the property they acquired. However, we were advised by the PaDEP that we were not released from our liability and responsibility under the Consent Order. We also purchased an Environmental Risk Insurance Policy in the amount of $10.0 million with respect to the property, which expires in October 2014. We believe the insurance coverage is in excess of any exposure that we may have in this matter.

Regulatory Gaming Assessments

        The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (the "PGCB"), the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue and the Pennsylvania State Police (collectively "the Borrowers"), were required to fund the costs they incurred in connection with the initial development of the infrastructure to support gaming operations in Pennsylvania as well as the initial ongoing costs of the Borrowers. The initial funding of these costs was provided from a loan from the Pennsylvania General Fund in the amount of approximately $36.1 million, and further funding was provided from additional loans from the Pennsylvania Property Tax Reserve Fund in the aggregate amount of approximately $63.8 million.

        The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue will assess all licensees, including Presque Isle Downs, their proportionate share of amounts represented by the borrowings, which are in the aggregate amount of $99.9 million, once the designated number of Pennsylvania's slot machine licensees is operational. On July 11, 2011, the PGCB issued an administrative order which established that payments associated with the $63.8 million that was borrowed from the Property Tax Reserve Fund would commence on January 1, 2012. The repayment allocation between all current licensees is based upon equal weighting of (i) cumulative gross slot revenue since inception in relation to the combined cumulative gross slot revenue for all licensees and (ii) single year gross slot revenue (during the state's fiscal year ending June 30) in relation to the combined single year gross slot revenue for all licensees; and amounts paid each year will be adjusted annually based upon changes in the licensee's proportionate share of gross slot revenue. We have estimated that our total proportionate share of the aggregate $63.8 million to be assessed to the gaming facilities will be approximately $4.2 million and will be paid quarterly over a ten-year period, which began effective January 1, 2012. For the $36.1 million that was borrowed from the General Fund, payment is scheduled to begin after all fourteen licensees are operational. Although we cannot determine when payment will begin, we have considered a similar repayment model for the General Fund borrowings and estimated that our total proportionate share of the aggregate $36.1 million to all fourteen gaming facilities will approximate $2.1 million, which has been accrued in our consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2014.

        The recorded estimate is subject to revision based upon future changes in the revenue assumptions utilized to develop the estimate. Our estimated total obligation at March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 was $5.1 million and $5.2 million, respectively, and is accrued in the respective accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The Company paid approximately $0.1 million during the three months ended March 31, 2014.