Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements (Notes)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued the following authoritative guidance amending the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”).

In 2018, we adopted the following ASUs:


•	ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (see Note 12).


•	ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes (see Note 14).

In 2018, the following ASUs became effective, but there was no effect on our financial statements:


•	ASU 2018-09, Codification Improvements.


•	ASU 2018-05, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118.


•	ASU 2018-04, Investments — Debt Securities (Topic 320) and Regulated Operations (Topic 980): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 117 and SEC Release No. 33-9273.


•	ASU 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation.


•	ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations.


•	ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows.


•	ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall.

The following ASUs are not yet effective:

Codification Improvements - July 2018: Amended guidance provides miscellaneous changes to clarify, correct errors in, or make minor improvements to the ASC. These amendments make the ASC easier to understand and easier to apply by eliminating inconsistencies and providing clarifications. Many of the amendments in this update do not have transition guidance and were effective upon issuance of the update. We assessed these updates and noted no applicability to Caesars. However, several amendments in this update do have transition guidance with effective dates for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018 for public business entities. We are currently assessing the effect the adoption of the remaining amendments in this standard will have on our financial statements.

Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software - August 2018: Amended guidance aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. The accounting for the service element of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract is not affected. The amendments in this update are effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently assessing the effect the adoption of this standard will have on our financial statements.

Compensation - Retirement Benefits - August 2018: Amended guidance modifies the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement benefit plans including (i) removing certain disclosure requirements such as the amount and timing of plan assets expected to be returned to the employer, (ii) adding certain disclosure requirements such as an explanation of the reasons for significant gains and losses related to changes in the benefit obligation for the period, and (iii) clarifying certain disclosure requirements such as disclosing the projected benefit obligation (“PBO”) and fair value of plan assets for plans with PBOs in excess of plan assets. The amendments in this update are effective for public entities for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. We do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on our financial statements.

Fair Value Measurement - August 2018: Amended guidance modifies fair value measurement disclosure requirements including (i) removing certain disclosure requirements such as the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, (ii) modifying certain disclosure requirements, and (iii) adding certain disclosure requirements such as changes in unrealized gains and losses for the period included in other comprehensive income for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements held at the end of the reporting period. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently assessing the effect the adoption of this standard will have on our financial statements.

Previously Disclosed

Compensation - Stock Compensation - June 2018: Amended guidance expands the scope of employee share-based payments to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees. Equity-classified share-based payment awards issued to nonemployees will be measured on the grant date, instead of the previous requirement to remeasure the awards through the performance completion date. This amended guidance also clarifies that any share-based payment awards issued to customers should be evaluated under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The amendments in this update are effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that fiscal year. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently assessing the effect the adoption of this standard will have on our financial statements.

Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income - February 2018 : Amendments in this update allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings effectively eliminating the stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the U.S. federal government enacted a tax bill, H.R.1, An Act to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Titles II and V of the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2018) (the “Tax Act”). Because the amendments only relate to the reclassification of the income tax effects of the Tax Act, the underlying guidance that requires that the effect of a change in tax laws or rates be included in income from continuing operations is not impacted. The amendments in this update are effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. Amendments in this update should be applied either in the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period (or periods) in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate in the Tax Act is recognized. We are currently assessing the effect the adoption of this standard will have on our financial statements.

Leases - February 2016 (amended through July 2018): The amended guidance is intended to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by requiring additional disclosures to reflect the significance of an entity’s leasing arrangements and by recognizing right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet. Many long-term operating leases, including agreements relating to real estate, may be recorded on the balance sheet as an ROU asset with a corresponding lease liability, which will be amortized using the effective interest rate method as payments are made. Certain leases embedded in other arrangements, such as service and supplier contracts, may be accounted for separately by allocating payments between lease and non-lease components.

This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. We will adopt the new standard on January 1, 2019, and we have elected to apply the guidance as of the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. Under this method, comparative periods will continue to be reported under legacy lease accounting guidance consistent with previously issued financial statements. We are currently assessing the effects the guidance will have on our financial statements and related disclosures.

Financial Instruments - Credit Losses - June 2016 (amended January 2017): Amended guidance replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. Amendments affect entities holding financial assets and net investments in leases that are not accounted for at fair value through net income. The amendments affect loans, debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, off-balance-sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables and any other financial assets not excluded from the scope that have the contractual right to receive cash. Amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently assessing the effect the adoption of this standard will have on our financial statements.