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Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES [Abstract]  
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
Accounting Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Examples include share-based compensation, provisions for doubtful accounts, recoverability of notes, value added tax and other receivable balances, contract losses, estimated useful lives of property and equipment and intangible assets, impairment of property and equipment and intangible assets, valuation of deferred income taxes, and the provision for and disclosure of litigation and loss contingencies. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates in the future.


Reclassification
Reclassifications were made to the prior-period financial statements to conform to the current period presentation.  Such reclassifications include the cash flow line item, "transfer of leased gaming equipment to inventory" from previously filed reports was combined with the cash flow line item "acquisitions of property and equipment and leased gaming equipment." The statement of operations had the following reclassifications: (i) "cost of gaming operations revenue" was reclassified from "cost of equipment and system sales" and "selling, general and administrative expenses"; (ii) "research and development" was reclassified from "selling, general and administrative expenses"; and (iii) foreign exchange gains and losses have been reclassified to "other income (expense)" from "selling, general and administrative expenses". These reclassifications did not have an impact on the Company’s previously reported results of operations or earnings (loss) per share amounts.  Additionally, these reclassifications did not impact compliance with any applicable debt covenants in the Company’s credit agreement.
 
Revenue Recognition
The Company derives revenue from the following sources:
 
n
Gaming Operations
 
Participation revenue generated from the Company’s commercial products, Class III products, Native American Class II products, charity bingo and other bingo products, lottery systems and Class III back office systems
n
Gaming equipment and systems sales
 
Direct sales of player terminals, licenses, back office systems and other related equipment
n
Other
 
Maintenance and service arrangements and other
 
In accordance with the provision of ASC Topic 605, “Revenue Recognition,” the Company recognizes revenue when all of the following have been satisfied:
 
Persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists;
Delivery has occurred;
Price to the buyer is fixed or determinable; and
Collectibility is probable.
 
The majority of the Company’s gaming revenue is generated under lease participation arrangements when the Company provides its customers with player terminals, player terminal-content licenses and back-office equipment, collectively referred to as gaming equipment. Under these arrangements, the Company retains ownership of the gaming equipment installed at customer facilities, and the Company receives revenue based on a percentage of the net win per day generated by the gaming equipment or a fixed daily fee based on the number of player terminals installed at the facility. Revenue from lease participation or daily fee arrangements are considered both realizable and earned at the end of each gaming day.


Gaming revenue generated by player terminals deployed at sites under development agreements is reduced by the accretion of contract rights from those development agreements. Contract rights are amounts allocated to intangible assets for dedicated floor space resulting from development agreements, described under “Development Agreements.” The related amortization expense, or accretion of contract rights, is netted against its respective revenue category in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.
 
The Company also generates gaming revenues from back-office fees with certain customers. Back-office fees cover the service and maintenance costs for back-office servers installed in each gaming facility to run its gaming equipment, as well as the cost of related software updates. Back-office fees are considered both realizable and earned at the end of each gaming day.
 
Gaming Equipment and System Sales
The Company sells gaming equipment and gaming systems under independent sales contracts through normal credit terms or may grant extended credit terms under contracts secured by the related equipment, with interest recognized at market rates.
 
For sales arrangements with multiple deliverables, the Company applies the guidance from ASU No. 2009-13, “Revenue Recognition (Topic 605), Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements.”  ASU No. 2009-13 establishes the accounting and reporting guidance for arrangements under which the vendor will perform multiple revenue-generating activities; specifically, how to separate deliverables and how to measure and allocate arrangement consideration to one or more units of accounting.  In addition, the Company applies the guidance from ASU No. 2009-14, “Software(Topic 985), Certain Revenue Arrangements that Include Software Elements,” which affects vendors that sell or lease tangible products in an arrangement that contains software that is more than incidental to the tangible product as a whole and clarifying what guidance should be used in allocating and measuring revenue.  
 
The majority of the Company’s multiple element sales contracts are for some combination of gaming equipment, player terminals, content, system software, license fees and maintenance. ASU No. 2009-13 replaces and significantly changes the existing separation criteria for multiple-deliverable revenue arrangements by eliminating the criterion for objective and reliable evidence of fair value for the undelivered products or services to determine a unit of accounting. Instead, revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables should be divided into separate units of accounting if the deliverables meet both of the following criteria:


The delivered items have value to the customer on a stand-alone basis. The item or items have value on a stand-alone basis if they are sold separately by any vendor or the customer could resell the delivered item(s) on a stand-alone basis. In the context of a customer's ability to resell the delivered item(s), this criterion does not require the existence of an observable market for the deliverable(s); and


If the arrangement includes a general right of return relative to the delivered items, delivery or performance of the undelivered items is considered probable and substantially in the control of the vendor.


ASU No 2009-13 also eliminates the use of the residual method of allocation and requires, instead, that arrangement consideration be allocated, at the inception of the arrangement, to all deliverables based on their relative selling price (i.e., the relative selling price method). When applying the relative selling price method, a hierarchy is used for estimating the selling price based first on Vendor-Specific Objective Evidence, or VSOE, then Third-Party Evidence, or TPE, and finally management's Estimate of the Selling Price, or ESP.


Revenue related to systems arrangements that contain both software and non-software deliverables require allocation of the arrangement fee to the separate deliverables using the relative selling price method. Revenue for software deliverables is recognized under software revenue recognition guidance. Revenue resulting from the sale of non-software deliverables, such as gaming devices and other hardware, are accounted for based on other applicable revenue recognition guidance as the devices are tangible products containing both software and non-software components that function together to deliver the product's essential functionality.


In allocating the arrangement fees to separate deliverables, the Company evaluates whether it has VSOE of selling price, TPE or ESP for gaming devices, maintenance and product support fees and other revenue sources. The Company generally uses ESP to determine the selling price used in the allocation of separate deliverables, as VSOE and TPE are not available. The Company determines the ESP on separate deliverables by estimating a margin typically received on such items and applying that margin to the product cost incurred.


Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments (i.e., investments which, when purchased, have original maturities of three months or less) to be cash equivalents.


Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts related to its accounts receivable and notes receivable that have been deemed to have a high risk of uncollectibility. Management reviews its accounts receivable and notes receivable on a quarterly basis to determine if any receivables will potentially be uncollectible. Management analyzes historical collection trends and changes in its customer payment patterns, customer concentration, and creditworthiness when evaluating the adequacy of its allowance for doubtful accounts. In its overall allowance for doubtful accounts, the Company includes any receivable balances where uncertainty exists as to whether the account balance has become uncollectible. Based on the information available, management believes the allowance for doubtful accounts is adequate; however, actual write-offs might exceed the recorded allowance.
 
Inventory
The Company’s inventory consists primarily of completed player terminals, related component parts and back-office computer equipment. Inventories are stated at average costs, which approximate the lower of cost (first in, first out) or market.


Property and Equipment and Leased Gaming Equipment
Property and equipment and leased gaming equipment are stated at cost. The cost of property and equipment and leased gaming equipment is depreciated over their estimated useful lives, generally using the straight-line method for financial reporting, and regulatory acceptable methods for income tax reporting purposes. Player terminals and related components and equipment are included in the Company’s rental pool.  The rental pool can be further delineated as “rental pool – deployed,” which consists of assets deployed at customer sites under participation agreements, and “rental pool – undeployed,” which consists of assets with the Company that are available for customer use. Rental pool – undeployed consists of both new units awaiting deployment to a customer site and previously deployed units currently back with the Company to be refurbished awaiting re-deployment.  Routine maintenance of property and equipment and leased gaming equipment is expensed in the period incurred, while major component upgrades are capitalized and depreciated over the estimated remaining useful life of the component. Sales and retirements of depreciable property are recorded by removing the related cost and accumulated depreciation from the accounts. Gains or losses on sales and retirements of property are reflected in the Company’s results of operations.
 
Management reviews long-lived asset classes for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to its fair value, which considers the future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds their fair value. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or the fair value less costs of disposal. During the three month periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, in the ordinary course of business activities or upon reviewing the nature of the assets, the Company charged operations by recording reserves or writing off $113,000 and $24,000, respectively, of property and equipment and leased gaming equipment and $372,000 and $380,000, respectively, for the nine month periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010.


Development and Placement Fee Agreements
The Company enters into development and placement fee agreements to provide financing for new gaming facilities or for the expansion of existing facilities. In return, the facility dedicates a percentage of its floor space to placement of the Company's player terminals, and the Company receives a fixed percentage of those player terminals' hold per day over the term of the agreement which is generally for 48 - 83 months. Certain of the agreements contain player terminal performance standards that could allow the facility to reduce a portion of the Company's guaranteed floor space. In addition, certain development agreements allow the facilities to buy out floor space after advances that are subject to repayment have been repaid. The agreements typically provide for a portion of the amounts retained by the gaming facility for their share of the operating profits of the facility to be used to repay some or all of the advances recorded as notes receivable. Placement fees and amounts advanced in excess of those to be reimbursed by the customer for real property and land improvements are allocated to intangible assets and are generally amortized over the term of the contract, which is recorded as a reduction of revenue generated from the gaming facility. In the past and in the future, the Company may by mutual agreement and for consideration, amend these contracts to reduce its floor space at the facilities. Any proceeds received for the reduction of floor space is first applied against the intangible asset recovered for that particular development or placement fee agreement, if any, and the remaining net book value of the intangible asset is prospectively amortized on a straight-line method over the remaining estimated useful life.


Other Assets
Other assets consist of restricted cash, long-term pre-paids and refundable deposits. At June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010, the restricted cash balances were $679,000 and $737,000, respectively, representing the fair value of investments held by the Company's prize fulfillment firm related to outstanding MegaBingo® jackpot prizes.
 
Deferred Revenue
Deferred revenue represents amounts from the sale of gaming equipment and systems that have been billed, or for which notes receivable have been executed, but which transaction has not met the Company’s revenue recognition criteria. The cost of the related gaming equipment and systems has been offset against deferred revenue. Amounts are classified between current and long-term liabilities, based upon the expected period in which the revenue will be recognized.
 
Other Long-Term Liabilities
Other long-term liabilities include investments held at fair value by the Company’s prize-fulfillment firm related to outstanding MegaBingo jackpot-prize-winner annuities.  These annuities were $679,000 and $737,000 as of June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010, respectively.
 
Other Income (Expense)
Other income was $213,000 and $801,000 for the three and nine month periods ended June 30, 2011, respectively. Other income primarily resulted from a gain on the exchange of used equipment with our third party equipment suppliers, as well as gains or losses incurred on foreign currency transactions primarily related to our Mexico operations.


Other expense was $49,000 for the three month periods and other income was $64,000 for the nine month periods ended June 30, 2010, respectively. Other income (expense) resulted from gains and losses incurred on foreign currency transactions primarily related to our Mexico operations.


Research and Development Costs
Research and development costs for the three and nine month periods ended June 30, 2011 were $3.3 million and $9.7 million respectively, include hardware and software development efforts related to future gaming products and systems and enhancements to our existing product lines. Research and development costs for the three and nine month periods ended June 30, 2010 were $3.0 million and $9.0 million respectively.




Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The carrying value of financial instruments reported in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets for cash, accounts receivable, current portion of notes receivable, accounts payable, and accrued expenses payable and other liabilities, approximate fair value due to the immediate or short-term nature or maturity of these financial instruments. The carrying amount for our credit facility approximates fair value due to the fact that the underlying instrument includes provisions to adjust interest rates to approximate fair value.
 
Segment and Related Information
Although the Company has a number of operating divisions the Company reports as one segment, as these divisions meet the criteria for aggregation as permitted by ASC Topic 280, “Segment Reporting.”  ASC 280-10-50-11, “Aggregation Criteria,” allows for the aggregation of operating segments if the segments have similar economic characteristics and if the segments are similar in each of the following areas:
 
1.
The nature of the products and services
2.
The nature of the production processes
3.
The type or class of customer for their products and services
4.
The methods used to distribute their products or provide their services
5.
The nature of the regulatory environment, if applicable.


The Company is engaged in the business of designing, manufacturing and distributing gaming machines, video lottery terminals and associated systems and equipment, as well as the maintenance of these machines and equipment.   The Company also supplies the central determinant system for the video lottery terminals installed at racetracks in the State of New York. Our production process is essentially the same for the entire Company and is performed via outsourced manufacturing partners, as well as in house manufacturing performed primarily at our warehouse and assembly facility in Austin, Texas.  Our customers consist of entities in the business of operating gaming, bingo or lottery facilities, and include Native American Tribes, charity bingo operators and commercial entities licensed to conduct such business in their jurisdictions.  The distribution of our products is consistent across the entire Company and is performed via an internal fleet of vehicles, as well as third party transportation companies.  The regulatory environment is similar in every jurisdiction in that gaming is regulated and our games must meet the regulatory requirements established.  In addition, the economic characteristics of each customer arrangement are similar in that we obtain revenue via a revenue share arrangement or direct sale of product or service, depending on the customer’s need.  These sources of revenue are consistent with respect to both product line and geographic area.


In addition, discrete financial information, such as costs and expenses, operating income, net income and EBITDA (earnings before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation, amortization and accretion of contract rights), are not captured or analyzed by product line or geographic area.  Our Chief Operating Decision Maker analyzes our product performance based on average daily play on a game level basis, which is consistent across all product lines and geographic areas.  This average daily performance data along with customer needs are the key drivers for assessing how the Company allocates resources and assesses operating performance of the Company.
 
Costs of Computer Software
Software development costs have been accounted for in accordance with ASC Topic 985, “Software.”  Under ASC Topic 985, capitalization of software development costs begins upon the establishment of technological feasibility and prior to the availability of the product for general release to customers. The Company capitalized software development costs of approximately $1.3 million and $820,000 during the three month periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Software development costs primarily consist of personnel costs and gaming lab testing fees. The Company begins to amortize capitalized costs when a product is available for general release to customers. Amortization expense is determined on a product-by-product basis at a rate not less than straight-line basis over the product’s remaining estimated economic life, not to exceed five years. Amortization of software development costs is included in amortization and depreciation in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations.
 
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method and applies the provisions of ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes.” Under ASC Topic 740, deferred tax liabilities or assets arise from differences between the tax basis of liabilities or assets and their basis for financial reporting, and are subject to tests of recoverability in the case of deferred tax assets. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is provided for deferred tax assets to the extent realization is not judged to be more likely than not.  Additionally, in accordance with ASC Topic 740, in order to record any financial statement benefit, we are required to determine, based on the technical merits of the position, whether it is more likely than not (a likelihood of more than 50 percent) that a tax position will be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes. If that step is satisfied, then we must measure the tax position to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements. The tax position is measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement.
 
Treasury Stock
The Company utilizes the cost method for accounting for its treasury stock acquisitions and dispositions.
 
Share-Based Compensation
The Company accounts for share-based compensation under the provisions of ASC Topic 718, “Compensation – Stock Compensation.” Among other items, ASC Topic 718 requires the Company to recognize in the financial statements, the cost of employee services received in exchange for awards of equity instruments, based on the grant date fair value of those awards. To measure the fair value of stock option awards granted to employees, the Company currently utilizes the Black-Scholes-Merton option-pricing model. The Company applies the “modified prospective” method, under which compensation cost is recognized in the financial statements beginning with the adoption date for all share-based payments granted after that date, and for all unvested awards granted prior to the adoption date.  Expense is recognized over the required service period, which is generally the vesting period of the options.
 
The Black-Scholes-Merton model incorporates various assumptions, including expected volatility, expected life, and risk-free interest rates. The expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s common stock over the most recent period commensurate with the estimated expected life of the Company’s stock options, adjusted for the impact of unusual fluctuations not reasonably expected to recur. The expected life of an award is based on historical experience and on the terms and conditions of the stock awards granted to employees.
 
The Company granted to certain of its employees the option to purchase, in the aggregate, 66,100 shares of the Company's common stock during the three months ended June 30, 2011 at an average fair value per share price of $5.47. Total pretax share-based compensation for the three and nine month periods ended June 30, 2011 were $313,000 and $1.3 million, respectively; and $230,000 and $1.5 million, respectively, for the three and nine month periods ended June 30, 2010.  In the three and nine month periods ended June 30, 2011, the Company did not recognize an income tax benefit for stock-based compensation arrangements as we determined that it is more likely than not that we will not be able to realize the benefit of deferred tax assets in the foreseeable future. As of June 30, 2011, $5.1 million of unamortized stock compensation expense, including estimated forfeitures, remained, which will be recognized over the vesting periods of the various stock option grants.
 
Foreign Currency Translation
The Company accounts for currency translation in accordance with ASC Topic 830. “Foreign Currency Matters.”  Balance sheet accounts are translated at the exchange rate in effect at each balance sheet date. Income statement accounts are translated at the average rate of exchange prevailing during the period. Translation adjustments resulting from this process are charged or credited to other comprehensive income (loss) a component of shareholder equity, in accordance with ASC Topic 220, “Comprehensive Income.” Transactional currency gains and losses arising from transactions in currencies other than the Company’s local functional currency are included in the condensed consolidated statement of operations in accordance with ASC Topic 830.


Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Comprehensive income (loss) consists of the following:


 
 
Three months ended
 
Nine Months Ended
 
 
June 30,
 
June 30,
 
 
2011
 
2010
 
2011
 
2010
 
 
(in thousands)
 
(in thousands)
Net income (loss)
 
$
2,768


 
$
360


 
$
2,574


 
$
(9,366
)
Foreign currency translation adjustment
 
63


 
(448
)
 
686


 
617


Comprehensive income (loss)
 
$
2,831


 
$
(88
)
 
$
3,260


 
$
(8,749
)


Recent Accounting Pronouncements Issued
In April 2010, the FASB issued new accounting guidance related to accruals for casino jackpot liabilities. Specifically, the guidance clarifies that an entity should not accrue jackpot liabilities, or portions thereof, before a jackpot is won if the entity can avoid paying the jackpot. Jackpots should be accrued and charged to revenue when an entity has the obligation to pay the jackpot. The guidance applies to both base and progressive jackpots. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2010. The new guidance will be applied by recording a cumulative-effect adjustment to opening retained earnings in the period of adoption. The Company expects to adopt the guidance in fiscal year 2012 and is currently in the process of evaluating the impact the guidance will have on its consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows.


In April 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2011-02, "Receivables (Topic 310) - A Creditor's Determination of Whether a Restructuring is a Troubled Debt Restructuring" (ASU 2011-02). The guidance clarifies whether a creditor has granted a concession and whether a debtor is experiencing financial difficulties for purposes of determining whether a restructuring is a troubled debt restructuring. The new guidance is effective for interim or annual periods beginning after June 15, 2011. The Company expects to adopt the guidance in fiscal year 2012 and is currently in the process of evaluating the impact the guidance will have on its consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows.


In May 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2011-04, "Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) - Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS" (ASU 2011-04). The guidance improves the comparability of fair value measurements presented and disclosed in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and IFRS. The new guidance is effective for interim or annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company expects to adopt the guidance in fiscal year 2012 and is currently in the process of evaluating the impact the guidance will have on its consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows.


In June 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2011-05, "Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) - Presentation of Comprehensive Income" (ASU 2011-05). The guidance improves the comparability, consistency and transparency of financial reporting and increases the prominence of items reported in comprehensive income, while facilitating the convergence of U.S. GAAP and IFRS. The guidance eliminates the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of stockholders' equity, and instead requires a single continuous statement of comprehensive income as part of the statement of operations or a separate, but continuous, statement of other comprehensive income. The new guidance is effective for interim or annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company expects to adopt the guidance in fiscal year 2012, although early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect the guidance to have a material impact on its consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows, other than the presentation thereof.