UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  March 1, 2010

 

SCIENTIFIC GAMES CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

0-13063

(Commission File Number)

 

 

750 Lexington Avenue, 25th Floor, New York, New York 10022

(Address of principal executive offices)

(Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 754-2233

 

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

o            Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o            Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o            Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o            Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 

Section 2 - Financial Information

 

Item 2.02.              Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

 

The information contained under Item 2.02 in this Current Report, including Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2, is being furnished and, as a result, such information shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall such information be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

 

On March 1, 2010, Scientific Games Corporation (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing, among other things, results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2009.  Copies of the press release and the presentation that will be discussed on the Company’s earnings call are attached hereto as Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2, respectively, and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

The Company’s press release and presentation, in addition to containing results that are determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), contain certain non-GAAP financial measures.  Free cash flow, as included in the press release and presentation, represents net cash provided by operating activities less total capital expenditures (which includes wagering systems expenditures and other intangible assets and software expenditures).  Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure that is presented in the press release and presentation as a supplemental disclosure and is reconciled to net cash provided by operating activities in a schedule accompanying the press release.  Adjusted EBITDA, as included in the press release and presentation, represents net income (loss) plus income tax expense, depreciation and amortization expense, interest expense, other expense (income), net, and loss (gain) on early extinguishment of debt and is adjusted to add back segment and corporate employee termination costs, Lottery Systems contract impairment costs, Global Draw earn-out costs, costs associated with a CEO retirement and a division president retirement, acquisition due diligence charges, restructuring advisory fees, costs associated with the California Horse Racing Board resolution, costs associated with a property tax settlement, legal costs associated with termination of the Company’s Lottery Systems contract in Mexico, legal costs associated with the Italian tender, a Lottery Systems insurance settlement, a Lottery Systems Mexico accrual reversal, the write-down of Racing and Venue Management assets held for sale and stock compensation charges.  Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that is presented in the press release and presentation as a supplemental disclosure and is reconciled to net income (loss) in a schedule accompanying the press release.  Adjusted EBITDA margin represents adjusted EBITDA divided by total revenue.  Management believes that the GAAP financial measure used by the Company that is most directly comparable to adjusted EBITDA margin is operating income margin (which is set forth in schedules accompanying the press release).

 

The Company’s management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with GAAP financial measures to: monitor and evaluate the performance of the Company’s business operations; facilitate management’s internal comparisons of the Company’s historical operating performance of its business operations; facilitate management’s external comparisons of the results of its overall business to the historical operating performance of other companies that may have different capital structures and debt levels; review and assess the operating performance of the Company’s management team; analyze and evaluate financial and strategic planning decisions regarding future operating investments; and plan for and prepare future annual operating budgets and determine appropriate levels of operating investments.  Accordingly, the Company’s management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors to provide them with disclosures of the Company’s operating results on the same basis as that used by the Company’s management.

 

In addition, management believes adjusted EBITDA is helpful in assessing the Company’s operating performance and highlighting trends in the Company’s core businesses that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on GAAP financial measures, because this non-GAAP financial measure

 

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eliminates from earnings financial items that management believes have less bearing on the Company’s performance.  In addition, management believes that adjusted EBITDA is useful in evaluating the Company’s financial performance because it is a commonly used financial analysis tool for measuring and comparing gaming companies in several areas, such as liquidity, operating performance and leverage.  Management further believes that adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow provide useful information regarding the Company’s liquidity and its ability to service debt and fund investments.

 

Accordingly, the Company’s management believes that the presentation of the non-GAAP financial measures, when used in conjunction with GAAP financial measures, provides both management and investors with financial information that can be useful in assessing the Company’s financial condition and operating performance.

 

The non-GAAP financial measures used in the press release and presentation should not be considered in isolation of, as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP financial measures as defined in the press release and presentation may differ from similarly titled measures presented by other companies. The non-GAAP financial measures, as well as other information in the press release and presentation, should be read in conjunction with the Company’s financial statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Beginning with the Company’s earnings release for the quarter ending March 31, 2010, the definition of “adjusted EBITDA” will be based on the definition of “consolidated EBITDA” in the Company’s credit agreement (summarized in the paragraph below), except that adjusted EBITDA as used in the Company’s earnings release will include (without duplication) the Company’s share of the income (or deficit) of the Company’s joint ventures, whether or not such income has been distributed to the Company (whereas “consolidated EBITDA” for purposes of the credit agreement includes such income only to the extent it has been distributed to the Company).  In order to provide continuity between the presentation of adjusted EBITDA as used in the press release and presentation and in recent earnings releases and the presentation of the revised definition of adjusted EBITDA that will be used going forward, the Company has included schedules accompanying the press release setting forth adjusted EBITDA under the revised definition as compared to adjusted EBITDA as reported for the periods indicated.

 

“Consolidated EBITDA” means, for any period, “consolidated net income” as defined in the credit agreement (i.e., generally the Company’s consolidated net income (or loss) excluding the income (or deficit) of the Company’s joint ventures except to the extent that such income has been distributed to the Company) for such period plus, to the extent reflected as a charge in the statement of such consolidated net income for such period, the sum of (1) income tax expense, (2) depreciation and amortization expense, (3) interest expense, (4) amortization or write-off of debt discount and debt issuance costs and commissions, discounts and other fees and charges associated with debt (see line item captioned “Debt-Related Fees and Charges” in the schedules accompanying the press release), (5) amortization of intangibles (including goodwill) and organization costs (see line item captioned “Amortization of Intangibles” in the schedules accompanying the press release), (6) earn-out payments with respect to certain acquisitions that the Company has made, such as the Company’s acquisition of Global Draw, or any other permitted acquisitions (generally, acquisitions of companies that are primarily engaged in the same or related line of business and that become subsidiaries of the Company, or acquisitions of all or substantially all of the assets of another company or division or business unit of another company), including any loss or expense with respect to such earn-out payments (see line item captioned “Earn-Outs for Permitted Acquisitions” in the schedules accompanying the press release), (7) extraordinary charges or losses determined in accordance with GAAP, (8) non-cash stock-based compensation expenses, (9) up to $3,000,000 of expenses, charges or losses resulting from certain Peru investments (see line item captioned “Peru Investment Expenses” in the schedules accompanying the press release), (10) the non-cash portion of any non-recurring write-offs or write-downs as required in accordance with GAAP (see line item captioned “Non-Recurring Write-Offs under GAAP” in the schedules accompanying the press release), (11) advisory fees and related expenses paid to advisory firms in connection with permitted acquisitions (see line item captioned “Acquisition Advisory Fees” in the schedules accompanying the press release), (12) certain specified “permitted add-backs” (i.e., (A) up to $15,000,000 (less the amount of certain permitted pro forma adjustments to consolidated EBITDA in connection with material acquisitions) of charges incurred during any 12-month period in connection with (i) reductions in workforce, (ii) contract losses, discontinued operations, shutdown expenses and cost

 

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reduction initiatives, (iii) transaction expenses incurred in connection with potential acquisitions and divestitures, whether or not consummated, and (iv) restructuring charges and transaction expenses incurred in connection with certain transactions with Playtech Limited or its affiliates, and (B) reasonable and customary costs incurred in connection with amendments to the credit agreement) (see line item captioned “Specified Permitted Add-Backs” in the schedules accompanying the press release) (provided that the foregoing amounts do not include write-offs or write-downs of accounts receivable or inventory and, except with respect to permitted add-backs, any write-off or write-down to the extent it is in respect of cash payments to be made in a future period), (13) to the extent treated as an expense in the period paid or incurred, certain payments, costs and obligations made or incurred by the Company in connection with any award of a license to operate the instant ticket lottery in Italy, including any up-front fee required under the applicable tender process (see line item captioned “Italian Concession Obligations” in the schedules accompanying the press release), (14) restructuring charges, transaction expenses and shutdown expenses incurred in connection with the disposition of all or part of the Company’s Racing and Venue Management businesses, together with up to $7,325,000 of charges incurred in connection with discontinued operations and cost-reduction initiatives associated with such disposition (see line item captioned “Racing Disposition Charges and Expenses” in the schedules accompanying the press release) and (15) up to ₤5,250,000 during any four-quarter period of expenses or charges incurred in connection with the payment of license royalties or other fees to Playtech Limited or its affiliates and for software services provided to Global Draw or Games Media by Playtech Limited or its affiliates (see line item captioned “Playtech Royalties and Fees” in the schedules accompanying the press release), minus, to the extent included in the statement of such consolidated net income for such period, the sum of (1) interest income, (2) extraordinary income or gains determined in accordance with GAAP and (3) income or gains with respect to earn-out payments with respect to acquisitions referred to above (see line item captioned “Income on Earn-Outs for Permitted Acquisitions” in the schedules accompanying the press release).  Consolidated EBITDA is also subject to certain adjustments in connection with material acquisitions and dispositions as provided in the credit agreement.  The foregoing definitions of “consolidated net income” and “consolidated EBITDA” are qualified in their entirety by the full text of such definitions in the Company’s credit agreement, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 19, 2010.

 

The Company’s management believes that the revised definition of adjusted EBITDA, which the Company intends to use going forward beginning with the first quarter 2010 earnings release, is useful to investors for the reasons described above and because the definition is derived from the definition of “consolidated EBITDA” in the Company’s credit agreement, which is used to calculate the Company’s compliance with the financial covenants contained in the credit agreement.  In addition, the free cash flow performance metric used in determining performance-based bonuses for 2010 is calculated by subtracting total capital expenditures (which includes wagering systems expenditures and other intangible assets and software expenditures) from the revised definition of adjusted EBITDA (subject to certain additional adjustments in the discretion of the Compensation Committee (e.g., to take into account acquisitions, divestitures, sign-on or guaranteed bonuses approved by the Compensation Committee and accounting changes during the year)).  Moreover, the operating income performance metric used in determining performance-based bonuses for 2010 is subject to the same adjustments used to determine the revised definition of adjusted EBITDA (and certain additional adjustments in the discretion of the Compensation Committee (e.g., to take into account acquisitions, divestitures, sign-on or guaranteed bonuses approved by the Compensation Committee and accounting changes during the year)).

 

Section 9 - Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

Item 9.01.              Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)  Exhibits

 

Exhibit No.		Description
99.1		Press Release of Scientific Games Corporation, dated March 1, 2010.
99.2		Earnings Call Presentation.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

		SCIENTIFIC GAMES CORPORATION
		By:	/s/ Jeffrey S. Lipkin
		Name:	Jeffrey S. Lipkin
		Title:	Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Date:  March 1, 2010

 

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Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit No.		Description
99.1		Press Release of Scientific Games Corporation, dated March 1, 2010.
99.2		Earnings Call Presentation.

 

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