SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policy)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Nature of Operations

Nature of Operations

Riviera Holdings Corporation ("RHC") and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Riviera Operating Corporation ("ROC") (RHC and ROC, together with ROC's wholly-owned subsidiaries, the "Company"), were incorporated on January 27, 1993, in order to acquire all assets and liabilities of Riviera, Inc. Casino-Hotel Division on June 30, 1993, pursuant to a plan of reorganization. The Company operates the Riviera Hotel & Casino (the "Riviera Las Vegas") on the Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In addition, the Company owned and operated the Riviera Black Hawk Casino ("Riviera Black Hawk") in Black Hawk Colorado until its sale on April 26, 2012, which is presented as discontinued operations in the accompanying statements of operations for the Successor Period and Predecessor Period while the assets and liabilities are presented as held for sale in the accompanying balance sheet as of December 31, 2011 as a result of the Stock Purchase Agreement entered into on September 29, 2011.

References in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to "Successor" refers to the Company on or after April 1, 2011. References to "Predecessor" refer to the Company prior to April 1, 2011. The accompanying consolidated statements of operations, shareholders' equity and cash flows are presented for two periods: January 1, 2011 through March 31, 2011 (the "Predecessor Period") and April 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011 (the "Successor Period"). The Predecessor Period reflects the historical accounting basis in Predecessor's assets and liabilities, while the Successor Period reflects assets and liabilities at fair value by allocating the Company's enterprise value to its assets and liabilities pursuant to accounting guidance related to business combinations.

The Company's operations are subject to extensive regulation in the states of Nevada and Colorado (prior to RBH being sold on April 26, 2012) by the respective gaming authorities and various other state and local regulatory agencies. Our management believes that the Company's procedures comply, in all material respects, with the applicable regulations for supervising casino operations, recording casino and other revenues, and granting credit.

Principles of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of RHC and its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. With the presentation of RBH as a discontinued operation ( as discussed in Note 12), the Company has one reporting segment. All inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

On September 29, 2011, RHC, ROC and Riviera Black Hawk, Inc. ("RBH"), entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with Monarch Casino and Resorts, Inc., a Nevada corporation, and its wholly-owned subsidiary Monarch Growth Inc., a Nevada corporation (collectively, the "Buyer"), pursuant to which the Buyer agreed to purchase the Company's casino in Black Hawk, Colorado by acquiring all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of RBH. This transaction was completed on April 26, 2012. The Buyer paid $76 million for the stock, subject to certain post-closing working capital adjustments. At the closing, the ROC paid or satisfied substantially all of RBH's indebtedness and was required to leave at least $2.1 million of working capital, including at least $2.1 million of "cage cash" (as defined in the Stock Purchase Agreement).

Prior Period Adjustments

Prior Period Adjustments

During the second quarter of 2012, we identified errors in our consolidated financial statements for the period April 1 through December 31, 2011 and for the three months ended March 31, 2012. The errors related to the recording of depreciation and amortization expense associated with our discontinued operation of $1,372,000 for each period, respectively, resulting in an understatement of income from discontinued operations and an overstatement of consolidated net loss for the Successor Period ended December 31, 2011 and the three months ended March 31, 2012 of $879,000 or $0.10 basic and diluted earnings per share, respectively. We have analyzed the potential impact of these errors and concluded that while the correction of these errors were significant to the three months ended June 30, 2012, their correction would not be material to the individual or aggregate periods for 2011 or for the expected full year results for the current year ending December 31, 2012, taking into account the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 108, Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements (SAB 108). In accordance with the relevant guidance, we evaluated the materiality of the errors from a qualitative and quantitative perspective. Based on such evaluation, we concluded that correcting the error of $1,372,000 for the Successor Period ended December 31, 2011 would be immaterial to the expected full year results for 2012 and correcting the error would not have had a material impact on any individual prior period financial statement or affect the trend of financial results from continuing operations. Conversely, we concluded that correcting both the error from the Successor Period and the error of $879,000, net of tax, for the three months ended March 31, 2012 in the three months ended June 30, 2012, would be material to our financial results for the three months then ended. Accordingly, we recorded a non-cash adjustment in the six months ended June 30, 2012 to increase income from discontinued operations by $879,000, net of tax. As provided by SAB 108, the portion of the error correction that impacts the results for the three months ended March 31, 2012 will not require the previously filed quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2012 to be amended and the correction is permitted to be made in the financial statements for a future period. We recast the results for discontinued operations for the three months ended March 31, 2012 in this Form 10-K.

Liquidity

Liquidity

The Company had $76.5 million in cash and cash equivalents (of which $62.6 million is restricted) as of December 31, 2012. Additionally, effective April 1, 2011, the Company generally has the ability to draw up to $10 million against its Working Capital Facility (as defined in Note 9). However, due to the default under the Series A Credit Agreement (as defined in Note 9) and the Series B Credit Agreement (as defined in Note 9), we do not currently have the ability to draw any additional funds under the Working Capital Facility until such time as the default is cured or waived. As a result of the default, the Required Lenders (as defined in the Series A Credit Agreement and the Series B Credit Agreement, respectively) have the ability to increase the interest accruing on amounts owed under the Series A Credit Agreement and the Series B Credit Agreement, respectively. An increase in the interest rate would negatively affect our available cash and results from operations. Further, the Required Lenders and administrative agent under the Series A Credit Agreement and the Series B Credit Agreement, respectively, have the right to accelerate repayment of all amounts owed under the two agreements and require us to repay them immediately. We believe that we currently have sufficient funds to do so, assuming approval by the lenders to use restricted cash to repay such amounts. However, in the event that we were to repay all such amounts owed, we would not have sufficient capital resources to cover our operating losses and would need to obtain additional capital, for example capital contributions from stockholders, if available to us. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in doing so. The inability to obtain additional capital will restrict our ability to grow and inhibit our ability to continue to conduct business operations. Any additional equity financing may result in substantial dilution to our then existing stockholders. We do not provide any guarantees or assurances that the Company will have ample liquidity and capital resources to meet future financial obligations. In the absence of acceleration of the amounts owed under the Series A Credit Agreement and the Series B Credit Agreement, we believe that the Company has sufficient liquidity and capital resources to meet debt service and normal course expenditures.

Going Concern

Going Concern

The accompanying consolidated financial statements are prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern and contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the ordinary course of business.

Subsequent to emergence from bankruptcy, the Company has generated net losses of $29.6 million and $14.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 and for the period April 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011, respectively, and has an accumulated deficit of $44.5 million at December 31, 2012. The Company has total cash and cash equivalents of $13.9 million and a net working-capital deficit of $10.1 million at December 31, 2012. The net working-capital deficit includes $50.0 million of the Company's Series A Credit Agreement and $26.9 million of the Company's Series B Credit Agreement (collectively, the "Agreements") both of which are classified as currently payable due to the defaults discussed below.

In connection with the "Agreements", we agreed to several affirmative and negative covenants. During 2012, the Company did not comply with all of the affirmative and negative covenants and is in default as of December 31, 2012 (see Note 9). The Company is currently in negotiations with its lenders, who are also shareholders, under the Agreements concerning new financial covenants and other amendments to the agreement to resolve the existing default. There can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in doing so or that such amendments will be on favorable terms to the Company. The conditions and events described above raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classifications of liabilities that may result should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

Fresh-Start Reporting

Fresh-Start Reporting

The adoption of fresh-start reporting resulted in a new reporting entity. Under fresh-start reporting, all assets and liabilities are recorded at their estimated fair values and Predecessor's accumulated deficit is eliminated. In adopting fresh-start reporting, the Company is required to determine its enterprise value, which represents the fair value of the entity before considering its interest bearing debt.

Assets Held for Sale

Assets Held for Sale

On September 29, 2011, the Company entered into an agreement to sell all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of RBH. As a result, as discussed above, RBH is presented as a discontinued operation in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations, with the assets and liabilities of RBH presented as held for sale in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets through the sale date of April 26, 2012. Cash flows of the discontinued operation have not been segregated from the cash flows of continuing operations on the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Amounts classified as cash and cash equivalents included cash held in our bank accounts and cash on-hand for operating purposes.

Restricted Cash

Restricted Cash

As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, a security deposit in the amount of$225,000 and $272,000, respectively, remaining held for the benefit of the State of Nevada Workers' Compensation Division as a requirement of our being self-insured for workers' compensation.

As of December 31, 2012, $60.1 million of the purchase price in the sale of RBH is being held in a segregated deposit account. These funds may only be invested, expended, or used with the prior written consent of the Required Lenders and Required Revolving Lenders (as such terms are defined in the Series A Credit Agreement and the Series B Credit Agreement, respectively.)

As of December 31, 2012, $2.28 million of the purchase price in the sale of RBH is being held by an unaffiliated escrow agent in an indemnity escrow account to secure the Company's indemnification obligations under the Stock Purchase Agreement. These funds become unrestricted and will be released to the Company on or about April 26, 2013 to the extent that they have not been paid to the Buyer in satisfaction of indemnification claims under the Stock Purchase Agreement before then.

Inventories

Inventories

Inventories consist primarily of food, beverage, retail and promotional items and are stated at the lower of cost (determined on a first-in, first-out basis) or market.

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost, and capitalized lease assets are stated at the present value of future minimum lease payments at the date of lease inception. Depreciation is computed by the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives or lease terms, if applicable, of the related assets with lives ranging from:

Buildings and improvements	7 to 40 years
Land improvements	15 to 20 years
Furniture, fixtures and equipment	3 to 7 years

For assets to be disposed of, we recognize the asset to be sold at the lower of carrying value or fair market value less costs of disposal. Fair market value for assets to be disposed of is generally estimated based on comparable asset sales, solicited offers or a discounted cash flow model. For assets to be held and used, we periodically assess the recoverability of property and equipment and evaluate such assets for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. As an indicator of impairment existed as of October 1, 2012, we compared the estimated future cash flows of the asset, on an undiscounted basis, to the carrying value of the asset. The undiscounted cash flows exceeded the carrying value, and an impairment charge was not required. There were no asset impairment costs in 2012, 2011 and 2010.

Other Assets

Other Assets

Other assets included deferred loan offering costs, which were amortized over the estimated life of the debt using the straight line method which approximates the effective interest rate method. Such amortized costs are included in interest expense.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company is subject to income taxes in the United States. Authoritative guidance for accounting for income taxes requires that we account for income taxes by recognizing deferred tax assets, net of applicable reserves, and deferred tax liabilities for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, operating losses and tax credit carry-forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect of a change in tax rates on the income tax provision and deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in the results of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. Authoritative guidance for accounting for income taxes also requires that we perform an assessment of positive and negative evidence regarding the realization of the deferred tax assets. This assessment includes the evaluation of the future reversal of temporary tax differences, the nature and frequency of current and cumulative losses, forecasts of future taxable income and implementation of tax planning strategies.

Significant judgment is required in evaluating the Company's tax positions and determining its provision for income taxes. Authoritative guidance regarding uncertainty in income taxes provides a two-step approach to recognizing and measuring uncertain tax positions. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates it is more-likely-than-not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount which is more than 50% likely, based solely on the technical merits, of being sustained on examinations. The Company considers many factors when evaluating and estimating its tax positions and tax benefits, which may require periodic adjustments and which may not accurately anticipate actual outcomes

Long-Term Debt

Long-Term Debt

The Company's debt instruments have been classified as current obligations as further discussed in Note 9.

Fair Value Measurement

Fair Value Measurement

The carrying values of our cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, receivables and accounts payable approximate fair value because of the short term maturities of these instruments.

Promotional Allowances

Promotional Allowances

Revenues include the estimated retail value of rooms, food, beverage and entertainment provided to customers on a complimentary basis. Such amounts are then deducted as promotional allowances. The estimated cost of providing these promotional allowances is reclassified to the casino department for the years ended December 31, as follows (in thousands):

	Successor				Predecessor
	January 1, 2012 Through		April 1, 2011 Through		January 1, 2011 Through		Year Ended
	December 31, 2012		December 31, 2011		March 31, 2011		December 31, 2010
Rooms	$	3,568	$	2,976	$	1,044	$	3,225
Food and Beverage		5,310		4,047		1,052		3,372
Entertainment		965		924		209		418
Total	$	9,843	$	7,947	$	2,305	$	7,015

Self-Insurance Reserves

Self-Insurance Reserves

The Company is self-insured for various levels of general liability and workers' compensation insurance. Insurance claims and reserves include accruals of estimated settlements for known claims as well as accrued estimates of incurred but not reported claims. In estimating these costs, the Company considers its historical claims experience and makes judgments about the expected levels of costs per claim. Changes in health care costs, accident frequency and severity and other factors can materially affect the estimate for these liabilities.

Loyalty Club Program

Loyalty Club Program

We provide our guests the opportunity to earn points redeemable for slot freeplay, complimentaries or promotions based on their level of slot gaming activities while at our properties. An accrual is recorded as points are earned based upon expected redemption rates.

Advertising

Advertising

The costs of advertising are expensed as incurred. Advertising expense was $2.3 million, $2.4 million and $0.8 million in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In July 2012, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued ASU No. 2012-02, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (ASC Topic 350) Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment. ASU No. 2012-02 amends the impairment test for indefinite-lived intangible assets by allowing companies to first assess the qualitative factors to determine if it is more- likely- than- not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset might be impaired as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative impairment test. The changes to the ASC as a result of this update are effective prospectively for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012 (January 1, 2013 for the Company). The Company does not expect that the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In June 2011, the FASB issued amendments to guidance regarding the presentation of comprehensive income. The amendments eliminate the option to present components of Other Comprehensive Income ("OCI") as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity. The amendments require that comprehensive income be presented in either a single continuous statement or in two separate but consecutive statements. In a single continuous statement, the entity would present the components of net income and total net income, the components of OCI and a total of OCI, along with the total of comprehensive income in that statement. In the two-statement approach, the entity would present components of net income and total net income in the statement of net income, and a statement of OCI would immediately follow the statement of net income and include the components of OCI and a total for OCI, along with a total for comprehensive income. The amendments also require the entity to present on the face of the financial statements any reclassification adjustments for items that are reclassified from OCI to net income in the statement(s) where the components of net income and the components of OCI are presented. The amendments do not change the items that must be reported in OCI, when an item of OCI must be reclassified to net income or the option to present components of OCI either net of related tax effects or before related tax effects. The amendments, excluding the specific requirement to present on the face of the financial statements any reclassification adjustments for items that are reclassified from OCI to net income in the statement(s) where the components of net income and the components of OCI are presented which was deferred by the FASB in December 2011, are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011 and are to be applied retrospectively. The Company adopted the guidance as of January 1, 2012 which did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

In May 2011, the FASB issued amendments to existing fair value measurement guidance in order to achieve common requirements for measuring fair value and disclosures in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and International Financial Reporting Standards. The guidance clarifies how a principal market is determined, addresses the fair value measurement of instruments with offsetting market or counterparty credit risks, addresses the concept of valuation premise and highest and best use, extends the prohibition on blockage factors to all three levels of the fair value hierarchy and requires additional disclosures. The amendments are to be applied prospectively and are effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company adopted the guidance as of January 1, 2012, which did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

A variety of proposed or otherwise potential accounting standards are currently under review and study by standard-setting organizations and certain regulatory agencies. Because of the tentative and preliminary nature of such proposed standards, we have not yet determined the effect, if any, that the implementation of any such proposed or revised standards would have on our consolidated financial statements.

Certain Risks and Uncertainties

Certain Risks and Uncertainties

The Company's operations are dependent on its continued licensing by state gaming authorities. The loss of a license, in any jurisdiction in which the Company operates, could have a material adverse effect on future results of operations.

The Company is dependent on the economy of the United States in general, and any deterioration in the national economic, energy, credit and capital markets could have a material adverse effect on future results of operations.

A significant portion of the Company's labor force is covered by collective bargaining agreements, and a dispute with covered employees or new labor agreements may lower our revenues and increase our costs. A prolonged dispute with the covered employees could have an adverse impact on our operations. In addition, wage and/or benefit increases resulting from new labor agreements may be significant and could also have an adverse impact on our results of operations. As of December 31, 2012, 733 of our 1,165 employees, or 62.9%, were covered by collective bargaining agreements. Essentially all of the labor force is covered by a collective bargaining agreement that has expired or will expire within one year.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that subject the Company to credit risk consist of cash equivalents and accounts receivable.

The Company's policy is to limit the amount of credit exposure to any one financial institution, and place investments with financial institutions evaluated as being creditworthy, or in short-term money market and tax-free bond funds which are exposed to minimal interest rate and credit risk. The Company has bank deposits and overnight repurchase agreements that exceed federally-insured limits.

Concentration of credit risk, with respect to casino receivables, is limited through the Company's credit evaluation process. The Company issues markers to approved casino customers only following credit checks and investigations of creditworthiness.

Accounts receivable are written off when management determines that an account is uncollectible. Recoveries of accounts previously written off are recorded when received. An allowance for doubtful accounts is determined to reduce the Company's receivables to their carrying value, which approximates fair value. The allowance is estimated based on historical collection experience, specific review of individual customer accounts, and current economic and business conditions.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings per Share (Successor)

Diluted earnings per share assume exercise of warrants converted into Class B Non-Voting Common Stock (as defined in Note 13, the "Class B Warrants") when the exercise of warrants is dilutive to earnings per share. The effect of dilutive securities was calculated using the treasury stock method.

Estimates and Assumptions

Estimates and Assumptions

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires our management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, 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. Significant estimates used by the Company include estimated useful lives for depreciable and amortizable assets, certain accrued liabilities and the estimated allowances for receivables, estimated fair value for stock-based compensation, estimated fair value of derivative instruments and deferred tax assets. Actual results may differ from estimates.

Casino [Member]

Revenues

Casino Revenues

Casino revenues are measured by the aggregate net difference between gaming wins and losses, with liabilities recognized for funds deposited by customers before gaming play occurs and for chips in the customers' possession. Hotel, food and beverage, entertainment and other operating revenues are recognized when services are performed. Advance deposits on rooms and advance ticket sales are recorded as customer deposits until services are provided to the customer.

Room, Food, Beverage, Entertainment and Other [Member]

Revenues

Room, Food, Beverage, Entertainment and Other Revenues

The Company recognizes room, food, beverage, entertainment and other revenue at the time that goods or services are provided.

Predecessor [Member]

Accounting for Reorganization

Accounting for Reorganization (Predecessor)

ASC Topic 852, Reorganizations provides accounting guidance for financial reporting by entities in reorganization under the United States Bankruptcy Code, including companies in Chapter 11reorganization, and generally does not change the manner in which financial statements are prepared. However, ASC Topic 852 requires that the financial statements for periods subsequent to the July 12, 2010 filing of petitions (the "Chapter 11 Cases") for relief under the provisions of Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code by RHC, ROC, and RBH distinguish transactions and events that are directly associated with the reorganization from the ongoing operations of the business. Revenues, expenses, realized gains and losses and provisions for losses that can be directly associated with the reorganization and restructuring of the business must be reported separately as reorganization items in the statement of operations. Predecessor incurred $1.4 million in reorganization items through March 31, 2011. ASC Topic 852 also requires that the balance sheet must distinguish pre-petition liabilities subject to compromise from both those pre-petition liabilities that are not subject to compromise and from post-petition liabilities and requires that cash used for reorganization items must be disclosed separately in the statement of cash flows. Predecessor adopted ASC Topic 852 on July 12, 2010 and has segregated, and Successor will segregate, those items as documented above for all reporting periods subsequent to such date.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings per Share (Predecessor)

Diluted earnings per share assume exercise of in-the-money stock options (those options with exercise prices at or below the weighted average market price for the periods presented) outstanding at the beginning of the period or at the date of the issuance. The effect of dilutive securities was calculated using the treasury stock method.