New Accounting Pronouncements

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

New Accounting Pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements

3. New Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting Pronouncements Implemented in 2017

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) – Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.”  The amendments are intended to improve the accounting for employee share-based payments and affect all organizations that issue share-based payment awards to their employees.  Several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment award transactions are simplified, including: (a) income tax consequences; (b) classification of awards as either equity or liabilities; and (c) classification on the statement of cash flows.  The Company adopted this change in accounting principle effective January 1, 2017.  As a result of adopting the change to accounting for income taxes, for the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company recognized an income tax benefit of $0.6 million related to excess tax deductions that would have previously been recognized as additional paid in capital within Shareholders Deficit.  The Company did not record a cumulative effect adjustment to Retained Earnings due to having a full valuation allowance against all deferred tax assets.  Deferred tax assets and the valuation allowance increased by $16.4 million at January 1, 2017 for the tax effect previously unrecognized for excess tax deductions.  The Company has elected to present the change in classification of excess /(deficient) tax deductions from a financing activity to a operating activity within its consolidated statement of cash flows on a retrospective basis.  The impact to the comparative period ended March 31, 2016 was an increase to net cash provided by operating activities and an increase in cash used in financing activities of $0.7 million, respectively.  The Company has also made an accounting policy election to account for forfeitures when they occur which had no cumulative effect to retained earnings.  Finally, effective January 1, 2017, the Company adopted the change related to diluted EPS on a prospective basis such that the net benefit/ (deficiency) attributable to taxes is no longer included in the computation of assumed proceeds.

New Accounting Pronouncements to be Implemented

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606),” which impacts virtually all aspects of an entity’s revenue recognition. The core principle of Topic 606 is that revenue should be recognized to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In July 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of the standard by one year which results in the new standard being effective for the Company at the beginning of its first quarter of fiscal year 2018. In addition, during March, April and May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing and ASU 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, respectively, which clarified the guidance on certain items such as reporting revenue as a principal versus agent, identifying performance obligations, accounting for intellectual property licenses, assessing collectability and presentation of sales taxes. Management has not yet completed its assessment of the impact of the new standard on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.  Although the Company is currently assessing the impact that the adoption of the new standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures, we believe one area that will result in changes is our accounting for loyalty points which are earned by our customers. The Company’s Marquee Rewards program allows members to utilize their rewards membership card to earn promotional points that are redeemable for slot play and complimentaries. The accumulated points can be redeemed for food and beverages at our restaurants, and products offered at our retail stores across the vast majority of Penn’s casino properties. The estimated liability for unredeemed points is currently accrued based on expected redemption rates and the estimated costs of the services or merchandise to be provided.  Under the new standard, we will need to defer the full retail value of the complimentaries until the future revenue transaction occurs.  Although the exact amount of the increase to our point liabilities has not yet been determined, we do not anticipate it will have a significant impact on our earnings.  The new standard will also require us to allocate the revenues associated with players’ activity between gaming revenue and the value of the points and to measure the liability based on the estimated standalone selling price of the points earned after factoring in the likelihood of redemption.  As a result, we expect that gaming revenues will be reduced and that promotional allowance will no longer be netted on our statement of income. The revenue associated with the points earned will be recognized in the period in which they are redeemed.   Additionally, at this time, we expect to adopt Topic 606 using the modified retrospective method on January 1, 2018.  The Company is continuing to evaluate the new guidance both internally and through following the industry working group and plans to provide additional information at a future date.