Accel Entertainment Inc

Note 1. Description of Business

Accel Entertainment, Inc. (and together with its subsidiaries, the“Company” or “Accel”) is a leading distributed gaming operator in the United States (“U.S.”). The Company has operations in Illinois, Montana, Nevada, Nebraska, Georgia, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. The Company is subject to the various gaming regulations in the states in which it operates, as well as various other federal, state and local laws and regulations.

The Company’s business primarily consists of the installation, maintenance, operation and servicing of gaming terminals and related equipment, redemption devices that disburse winnings and contain automated teller machine (“ATM”) functionality, and amusement devices in authorized non-casino locations such as restaurants, bars, taverns, convenience stores, liquor stores, truck stops, and grocery stores. The Company also operates stand-alone ATMs in gaming and non-gaming locations.

Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of presentation and preparation: The consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes were prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and of its wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

Use of estimates: The preparation of consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect (i) the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, (ii) disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and (iii) the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates used by the Company include, among other things, the useful lives for depreciable and amortizable assets, income tax provisions, the evaluation of the future realization of deferred tax assets, projected cash flows in assessing the initial valuation of intangible assets in conjunction with business and asset acquisitions, the selection of useful lives for depreciable and amortizable assets in conjunction with business and asset acquisitions, the valuation of level 3 investments, the valuation of contingent earnout shares and warrants, the valuation of interest rate caplets, contingencies, and the expected term of share-based compensation awards and stock price volatility when computing share-based compensation expense. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

Change in estimate: During the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company conducted a review of its estimate of depreciable lives for its gaming terminals and equipment. As a result of this review, the Company extended the useful lives of its gaming terminals and equipment from 10 years to 13 years as the equipment is lasting longer than originally estimated. The Company has many gaming terminals and equipment that were purchased when the Company started operations in 2012 that are still being used today.

Also, during the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company conducted a review of its estimate of the amortization periods for its route and customer acquisition costs and its location contracts. As a result of this review, the Company extended the amortization period of its route and customer acquisition costs from 12.4 years to 18 years and its location contracts from 10 years to 15 years. In both cases the extended useful lives reflect the Company's strong relationship with its location partners as demonstrated by continued high contract renewal rates.

The impact of these changes in estimate for the years ended December 31 was as follows (in thousands):

Segment information: The Company operates as a single operating segment. The Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) is the chief executive officer, who has ultimate responsibility for the operating performance of the Company and the allocation of resources. The CODM assesses the Company’s performance and allocates resources based on consolidated results, and this is the only discrete financial information that is regularly reviewed by the CODM.

Cash and cash equivalents: Cashand cash equivalents include bank deposit accounts; term bank deposit accounts; cash in the Company’s gaming terminals, ATMs, redemption terminals, and Company vaults.

The Company’s policy is to limit the amount of credit exposure to any one financial institution. The Company maintains its cash in accounts which may at times exceed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts.

Accounts receivable: Accounts receivable represent amounts due from third-party locations serviced by the Company and amounts due for machines, software and equipment sold by the Company. The carrying amount of receivables is reduced by a valuation allowance that reflects management’s best estimate of the amounts that will not be collected. Management determines the allowance by regularly evaluating individual receivables from third-party locations and considers a customer’s financial condition, credit history and current economic conditions. The Company's allowance for doubtful accounts was $0.1 million as of both December 31, 2023 and 2022. The Company generally does not charge interest on past due accounts receivable.

Inventories: Inventories consist of gaming machines for sale to third-parties, raw materials, and manufacturing supplies. Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Cost is determined using the average cost method. Labor and overhead associated with the assembly of gaming machines for sales to third-parties are capitalized and allocated to inventory. Inventories of spare parts are included in other current assets when acquired and are expensed when used to repair equipment.

Derivative instruments: The Company may manage its exposure to certain financial risks through the use of derivative financial instruments (“derivatives”). The Company does not use derivatives for speculative purposes. For a derivative that is designated as a cash flow hedge, changes in the fair value of the derivative are recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income to the extent the derivative is effective at offsetting the changes in the cash flows being hedged until the hedged item affects earnings.

Investment in convertible notes: At acquisition, an entity shall classify debt securities as trading, available-for-sale, or held-to-maturity. The Company classified its investment in convertible notes as available for saledue to the conversion feature.

Property and equipment: Property and equipment are stated at cost or fair value at the date of acquisition. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Major additions, replacements and improvements are capitalized. Depreciation has been computed using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:

• Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the useful life or the lease.

Development costs directly associated with the acquisition, development and construction of a project are capitalized as a cost of the project during the periods in which activities necessary to prepare the property for its intended use are in progress. Interest costs associated with major construction projects are capitalized as part of the cost of the constructed assets. When no debt is incurred specifically for a project, interest is capitalized on amounts expended for the project using the weighted-average cost of borrowing. Capitalization of interest ceases when the project (or discernible portions of the project) is substantially complete. If substantially all of the construction activities of a project are suspended, capitalization of interest will cease until such activities are resumed.

Concentration of credit risk: The Company’s operations are centralized primarily in Illinois, Montana and Nevada. Should there be favorable or unfavorable changes to the gaming regulations in these states there may be an impact on the Company’s results of operations. The Company has high concentrations of locations within certain municipalities in Illinois which could also impact the Company if these municipalities change their gaming laws.

Fair value of financial instruments: The Company’s financial instruments consist principally of cash, convertibles notes, accounts payable, route and customer acquisition costs payable, contingent consideration, contingent earnout shares liability, interest rate caplets, and bank indebtedness. The carrying amount of cash, accounts payable and short-term borrowings approximates fair value because of the short-term maturity of these instruments.

The Company estimated the fair value of its investment in convertible notes, interest rate caplets, debt, contingent consideration, contingent earnout shares liability and warrant liability using various methods that are described in Note 12.

Revenue recognition: The Company generates revenues from the following types of services: gaming terminals, amusements and ATMs. The Company also generates manufacturing revenue from thesales of gaming terminals and associated software. Revenue is disaggregated by type of revenue and is presented on the face of the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.

Net gaming revenue is the net cash from gaming activities, which is the difference between gaming wins and losses. Net gaming revenue includes the amounts earned by the gaming locations and is recognized at the time of gaming play. Additionally, taxes and administrative expenses due to the states in which the Company operates are recorded as net gaming revenue. Amounts earned by the gaming locations and taxes and administrative expenses are also included in cost of revenue.

Amusement revenue represents amounts collected from machines (e.g. dart boards, digital jukeboxes, pool tables, etc.) operated at various locations and is recognized at the time the machine is used.

Manufacturing revenue represents the sale of gaming terminals and associated software and is recognized at the time the goods are delivered to the customer.

ATM fees and other revenue represents fees charged for the withdrawal of funds from the Company’s redemption terminals and stand-alone ATM machines and is recognized at the time of the transaction.

The Company determined that in a gaming environment, whenever a customer’s money has been accepted by a machine, the Company has an obligation (an implied contract) to provide the customer access to the game and honor the outcome of the game (in the case of gaming terminals). The Company determined that when the implied contract is entered into between the Company and the customer, it satisfies the requirements of a contract under the revenue standard, as (i) the contract is a legally enforceable contract with the customer, (ii) the arrangement identifies the rights of the parties, (iii) the contract has commercial substance, and (iv) the cash is received upfront from the customer, so its collectability is probable. The gaming service is a single performance obligation in each implied contract with the customer. The Company applies the portfolio approach of all wins and losses by gaming terminals daily to determine the total transaction price of the portfolio of implied contracts. The Company recognizes revenue when the single performance obligation is satisfied, which is at the completion of each game.

Total net revenues for the years ended December 31 is disaggregated in the following table by the primary states in which the Company operates given the geographic economic factors that affect the revenues in the states.

Route and customer acquisition costs: The Company’s route and customer acquisition costs consist of fees paid, typically an upfront payment and future installment payment over the life of the contract, entered into with third parties and location partners. These contracts are non-cancelable and allow the Company to install and operate gaming terminals in the locations it serves. The route and customer acquisition costs are accounted for as intangible assets and route and customer acquisition costs payable are recorded at the net present value of the future payments using a discount rate equal to the Company’s incremental borrowing rate associated with its long-term debt. Route and customer acquisition costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over 18 years beginning on the date the location goes live and amortized over the life of the contract, which includes expected renewals. The Company records the accretion of interest on route and customer acquisitions costs payable in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive incomeas a component of interest expense. For locations that close prior to the end of the contractual term, the Company writes-off the net book value of the route and customer acquisition cost and route and customer acquisition cost payable and records a gain or loss in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income as a component of other expenses, net. Additionally, most of the route acquisition contracts allow the Company to clawback some upfront and installment payments over the initial years of a contract if the location is unable to secure the appropriate licensing or it goes out of business prior to the end of the contract term. In the instances where a claw-back or recovery is triggered and the Company assesses it as probable of being recovered, a receivable will be recorded. Upfront payments with a claw-back prior to a location going live are capitalized and will not begin amortization until the respective location commences operations. The Company’s route and customer acquisition costs also consists of prepaid commission costs to the Company's internal sales employees. The commissions paid to internal sales employees are subsequently expensed once the respective gaming location goes live and the commission is earned by the employee.

Business acquisitions: The Company evaluates the inputs, processes and outputs of each business acquisition to determine if the transaction is a business combination or asset acquisition. If an acquisition qualifies as a business combination, the related transaction costs are recorded as an expense in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income. If an acquisition qualifies as an asset acquisition, the related transaction costs are generally capitalized and amortized over the useful life of the acquired assets. The Company accounts for acquisitions that meet the definition of a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting. Acquired tangible personal property such as gaming equipment is generally measured at fair value using a cost approach which measures the fair value based on the cost to reproduce or replace the asset. Location contract intangibles, which represent the acquisition-date fair value of the preexisting relationships between the acquired company and gaming locations, are generally measured at fair value using an income approach which measures the fair value based on the estimated future cash flows using certain projected financial information such as revenue projections, cost of revenue margins and other assumptions such as discount rates. Any contingent consideration is measured at its fair value on the acquisition date, recorded as a liability, and accreted over its payment term in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income as other expenses, net.

Location contracts acquired: Location contracts acquired are accounted for as intangible assets and consist of expected cash flows to be generated from location contracts acquired through business and asset acquisitions. Location contracts acquired are amortized on a straight-line basis over the expected useful life of primarily 15 years. Location contracts are tested for impairment when triggering events occur. If a triggering event were to occur, the Company compares the carrying amount of the location contracts to future undiscounted cash flows. If the value of future undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying amount of an asset group, an impairment loss is recorded based on the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the asset group.

Goodwill: Goodwill represents the difference between the purchase price and the fair value of the identifiable tangible and intangible net assets acquired when accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting. Goodwill is reviewed for impairment annually, as of October 1st, and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the goodwill may not be recoverable. When performing the annual goodwill impairment test, the Company conducts a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the goodwill is impaired. Under the qualitative assessment, the Company considers both positive and negative factors, including macroeconomic conditions, industry events, financial performance, and makes a determination of whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the goodwill is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the qualitative factors, the Company determines it is more likely than not the goodwill is impaired, it then performs a quantitative test. When performing the quantitative test, the Company compares the fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying value. If the carrying value of the net assets assigned to the reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, the Company would record an impairment loss equal to the difference.

Consideration payable: Consideration payable consists of amounts payable related to certain business acquisitions as well as contingent consideration for future location performance related to certain business acquisitions (see Note 10). Consideration payable, exclusive of contingent consideration, is discounted using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate associated with its outstanding debt. The contingent consideration is measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The changes in the fair value of contingent consideration are recognized within the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income as other expenses, net. The Company presents on its consolidated statement of cash flows, payments for consideration payable within 90-days in investing activities, payments after 90-days and up to the acquisition date fair value in financing activities, and payments in excess of the acquisition date fair value in operating activities.

Impairment of long-lived assets: Long-lived assets, which includes property and equipment, net and other assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset or asset group may not be recoverable. Impairment of the assets is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of the asset to future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized by the amount of which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of theasset.

Contingent earnout shares liability: The Company's Class A-2 common stock is classified as a contingent earnout share liability due to the fact that the conversion of the Company's Class A-2 common stock would be accelerated on a change of control regardless of the transaction value. The liability is stated at fair valueand any change in the fair value is recognized as a gain or loss in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.

Warrant liability: The Company's warrants are classified as a liability, within other long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets, due to the fact that certain provisions preclude the warrants from being accounted for as components of stockholders’ equity, including certain settlement provisions that differ based on the holder of the warrants. The warrants are measured at fair value and any change in the fair value is recognized as a gain or loss in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.

Leases: The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception and categorizes it as either an operating or finance lease. An arrangement contains a lease when the arrangement conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset over the lease term. Lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at the commencement date. As most of the Company's leases do not provide an implicit interest rate, the Company utilizes its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The incremental borrowing rate is the rate of interest that the Company would have to pay to borrow on a fully collateralized basis over a similar term in an amount equal to the total lease payments in a similar economic environment. Right-of-use(“ROU”) assets are recognized at the lease commencement date of the lease based on the amount of the initial measurement of the lease liability, adjusted for any lease payments made prior to commencement and exclude lease incentives and initial direct costs incurred, if applicable. The lease terms include all non-cancelable periods and may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for operating leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Lease expense for finance leases is recognized within depreciation and amortization expense for the reduction of the ROU asset and interest expense on the accretion of the lease liability. We do not recognize a ROU asset and lease liability for leases with a duration of less than 12 months. The Company separates lease and non-lease components for our lease contracts.

ROU assets are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. Short-term lease liabilities are included in accounts payable and other accrued expenses while long-term lease liabilities are included in other long-term liabilities.

Stock-based compensation: The Company grants restricted stock units (“RSUs”), performance-based stocked units (“PSUs”) and common stock options to certain employees and officers. Stock-based compensation expense is measured at the grant date, based on the estimated fair value of the award, and is recognized in general and administrative expense over the requisite service period. All stock-based awards are classified as equity awards.

Income taxes: The Company is organized as a C-corporation and files income tax returns at the federal and state level. Deferred taxes are provided on a liability method whereby deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences and net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards, and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences. Temporary differences are the differences between the book basis of assets and liabilities and their tax bases. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion, or all of the deferred tax asset, will not be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in the tax laws and rates as of the date of enactment.

The consolidated financial statements may reflect expected future tax consequences of uncertain tax positions presuming the taxing authorities’ full knowledge of the position and all relevant facts. When and if applicable, potential interest and penalty costs are accrued as incurred and recognized in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.

Earnings per common share: The Company computes basic earnings per common share(“EPS”)by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the applicable period. Diluted EPSis computed based on the weighted average number of common shares plus the effect of dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method, unless the effect of such increase would be anti-dilutive. Under the treasury stock method, the amount the employee must pay for exercising stock options and the amount of compensation cost for future service that the Company has not yet recognized are assumed to be used to repurchase shares. Dilutive potential common shares include outstanding stock options, unvested RSUs, unvested PSUs, contingent earnout shares, and warrants.

Debt issuance costs: Debt issuance costs are capitalized and amortized over the contractual terms of the related loans. Debt issuance costs are presented as an offset to the related debt on the consolidated balance sheets.

Advertising costs: Advertising costs are primarily comprised of marketing expenses, which are recorded within general and administrative expense within the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income. Advertising costs were $6.1 million,$5.3 million, and $4.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2023,2022, and 2021, respectively.

Adopted accounting pronouncements: In October 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805). The guidance in this ASU improves the accounting for revenue contracts with customers acquired in a business combination by addressing diversity in practice and inconsistency related to recognition of contract assets and liabilities acquired in a business combination. The provisions of this ASU require that an acquiring entity accounts for the related revenue contracts in accordance with ASC 606 as if it had originated the contracts. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, and interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted. The impact of the adoption of this ASU has not been material to the Company’s financial statements or disclosures.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848). This ASU provides temporary guidance to ease the potential burden in accounting for reference rate reform primarily resulting from the discontinuation of the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), which began phasing out on December 31, 2021. The amendments in ASU 2020-04 are elective and apply to all entities that have contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued. The new guidance (i) simplifies accounting analyses under current U.S. GAAP for contract modifications; (ii) simplifies the assessment of hedge effectiveness and allows hedging relationships affected by reference rate reform to continue; and (iii) allows a one-time election to sell or transfer debt securities classified as held to maturity that reference a rate affected by reference rate reform. The Company adopted the new standard in the second quarter of 2023 when the Company transitioned from LIBOR to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) for its debt agreements and related cash flow hedges. The Company elected certain expedients offered by Topic 848 and, as such, the impact from referenced rate reform did not have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

Recent accounting pronouncements: On November 27, 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, which requires public entities to disclose information about their reportable segments’ significant expenses regularly provided to the CODM. The amendments in this ASU enhance interim disclosure requirements, clarify circumstances in which an entity can disclose multiple segment measures of profit or loss, provide new segment disclosure requirements for entities with a single reportable segment, and contain other disclosure requirements. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Entities must adopt the changes to the segment reporting guidance on a retrospective basis. The Company is currently evaluating the potential effect that this ASU will have on its financial statement disclosures.

On December 14, 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The ASU requires disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation as well as information on income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. The new requirements will be effective for annual periods beginning after

December 15, 2024 and will be applied on a prospective basis with the option to apply the standard retrospectively. The Company is currently evaluating the potential effect that this ASU will have on its financial statement disclosures.

Other recently issued accounting standards or pronouncements have been excluded because they are either not relevant to the Company, or are not expected to have, or did not have, a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.

Note 3. Inventories

Inventories consists of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):

At December 31, 2023 and 2022, no inventory valuation allowance was determined to be necessary.

Note 4. Investment in Convertible Notes

On July 19, 2019, the Company entered into an agreement to purchase up to $30.0 million in convertible notes bearing interest at 3% per annum from Gold Rush Amusements, Inc. (“Gold Rush”), another terminal operator in Illinois. The convertible notes each included an option to convert the notes to common stock of Gold Rush prior to the maturity date upon written notice from the Company. At closing, the Company purchased a $5.0 million note which was subordinated to Gold Rush’s credit facility and maturedsix months following the satisfaction of administrative conditions. On October 11, 2019, the Company purchased an additional $25.0 million note which was also subordinated to Gold Rush’s credit facility and, beginningon July 1, 2020, the balance of this note, if not previously converted, was payable in equal $1,000,000 monthly installments until all principal has been repaid in full.

On July 30, 2021, the Company provided notice to Gold Rush that it was exercising its rights under each of the convertible notes to convert the entire aggregate principal amount and accrued interest into common stock of Gold Rush, subject to approval from the IGB to transfer the common stock to the Company and receipt of other customary closing deliverables.

On December 2, 2021, the Company received notice from the administrator of the IGB that he was denying the requested transfer of Gold Rush common stock to the Company and the IGB affirmed the administrator’s denial on January 27, 2022.

Based on the IGB denying the Company’s request to transfer Gold Rush common stock despite the Company’s unilateral conversion rights, the convertible notes were accounted for as available for sale debt securities, at fair value, with gains and losses recorded in other comprehensive income. As such, the Gold Rush convertible notes were deemed in default for disclosure and presentation purposes, assuming non-conversion of the convertible notes, as no repayment or installment payments were received. The Company classified the entire $32.1 million accounting fair value of the convertible notes as current on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2022 as the Company had expected to resolve this matter within the next year. For more information on how the Company determined the fair value of the convertible notes, see Note 12.

On May 31, 2023, the Company and Gold Rush entered into a settlement agreement which resolved any and all lawsuits, as described in Note 19, and all outstanding obligations under the convertible notes. As part of the settlement, the Company received $32.5 million from Gold Rush in June 2023, which included the repayment of the face value of the convertible notes plus accrued interest as well as a $0.4 million prepayment on future amounts due. In addition, the Company has recorded a receivable from Gold Rush of $1.4 million as of December 31, 2023, which represents the present value of the remaining $1.5 million due from Gold Rush by May 2025, and is presented within other assets in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company also recorded a gain of $1.7 million in the second quarter of 2023, which is included in other expenses, net on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Note 5. Property and Equipment, net

Property and equipment, net consists of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):

Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment amounted to $37.9 million, $29.3 million and $24.6 million during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Long-lived assets, which includes property and equipment, net and other assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset or asset group may not be recoverable. There wereno indicators of impairment of long-lived assets in 2023, 2022, or 2021.

Note 6. Route and Customer Acquisition Costs

The Company enters into contracts with third parties and its gaming locations to install and operate gaming terminals. Payments are due when gaming operations commence and then on a periodic basis for a specified period of time thereafter. Gross payments due, based on the number of live locations, are approximately $7.4 million and $7.6 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Payments are due over varying terms of the individual agreements and are discounted at the Company’s incremental borrowing rate associated with its long-term debt at the time the contract is acquired. The net present value of payments due is $6.5 million and $6.6 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, of which approximately $1.5 million is included in current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of both December 31, 2023 and 2022. The route and customer acquisition cost asset is comprised of upfront payments made on the contracts of $20.0 million and $17.9 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The Company has upfront payments of commissions paid to the third parties for the acquisition of the customer contracts that are subject to a claw back provision if the customer cancels the contract prior to completion. The payments subject to a claw back are $1.0 million and $1.2 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Route and customer acquisition costs consist of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):

Estimated amortization expense related to route and customer acquisition costs for the next five years and thereafter is as follows (in thousands):

Amortization expense of route and customer acquisition costs was $1.6 million, $1.3 million and $1.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Note 7. Location Contracts Acquired

Location contracts acquired in business acquisitions consist of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):

Estimated amortization expense related to location contracts acquired for the next five years and thereafter is as follows (in thousands):

Amortization expense of location contracts acquired was $17.1 million, $14.8 million and $20.3 million during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Location contracts are tested for impairment when triggering events occur. There wereno indicators of impairment of location contracts in 2023, 2022, or 2021.

Note 8. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

The Company had goodwill of $101.6 million as of December 31, 2023, of which $38.9 million is deductible for tax purposes.

On June 1, 2022, the Company acquired Century, which was accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with ASC Topic 805. The excess of the purchase price over the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed has been recorded as goodwill of $53.4 million. See Note 10 for more information on how the amount of goodwill was calculated.

On December 15, 2022, Century acquired from DEP, Inc. ("Progressive"), a gaming operator in Montana, certain gaming assets and locations. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with Topic 805. The excess of the purchase price over the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed has been recorded as goodwill of $1.2 million. See Note 10 for more information on how the amount of goodwill was calculated.

On February 13, 2023, the Company acquired Rendezvous Casino and Burger Bar (“Rendezvous”), a hospitality operation in Billings, Montana. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with Topic 805. The excess of the purchase price over the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed has been recorded as goodwill of $0.8 million. See Note 10 for more information on how the amount of goodwill was calculated.

The Company conducted its annual goodwill impairment test on October 1, 2023. The Company conducted a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the goodwill was impaired. Under the qualitative assessment, the Company considered both positive and negative factors, including macroeconomic conditions, industry events, and financial performance, to make a determination of whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the goodwill is less than its carrying amount. In performing this assessment, the Company considered such factors as its historical performance, its growth opportunities in existing markets; new markets and new products in determining whether the goodwill was impaired. The Company also referenced its forecasts of revenue, operating income, and capital expenditures and concluded it is more likely than not, that the carrying value of its goodwill was not impaired as of October 1, 2023.

The following is a roll forward of the Company's goodwill (in thousands):

Other intangible assets

Other intangible assets are related to the 2022 acquisition of Century. The Company determines the fair value of trade name assets acquired in acquisitions using a relief from royalty valuation method which requires assumptions such as projected revenue and a royalty rate.

Other intangible assets consist of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):

Amortization expense of other intangible assets was $2.4 million and $1.4 million for theyears ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. The Company’s estimated annual amortization expense relating to other intangible assets over the next five years is$2.4 million.

The Company also has indefinite-lived intangible assets related to operating licenses totaling$2.8 million and $2.0 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, which are recorded within other assets on the consolidated balance sheets.

Note 9. Debt

The Company’s debt as of December 31, consisted of the following (in thousands):

Senior Secured Credit Facility

On November 13, 2019, in order to refinance its prior credit facility, for working capital and other general purposes from time to time, the Company entered into a credit agreement (as amended, the “Credit Agreement”) as borrower, the Company and its wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries, as a guarantor, the banks, financial institutions and other lending institutions from time to time party thereto, as lenders, the other parties from time to time party thereto and Capital One, National Association, as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Agent”), collateral agent, issuing bank and swingline lender providing for a:

•$100.0 million revolving credit facility, including a letter of credit facility with a $10.0 million sublimit and a swing line facility with a $10.0 million sublimit,

•$240.0 million initial term loan facility and

•$125.0 million additional term loan facility.

The additional term loan facility was available for borrowings until November 13, 2020. Each of the revolving loans and the term loans were scheduled to mature on November 13, 2024. The Company incurred $8.8 million of debt issuance costs related to the Senior Secured Credit Facility, which are being amortized over the life of the Facility.

In order to provide additional financial flexibility, the Company and the other parties thereto amended the Credit Agreement on August 4, 2020 ("Amendment No. 1") to provide a waiver of financial covenant breach for the periods ended September 30, 2020 through March 31, 2021 of the First Lien Net Leverage Ratio and Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (each as defined under the Credit Agreement). Amendment No. 1 also raised the floor for the adjusted LIBOR rate to 0.50% and the floor for the Base Rate to 1.50%. The Company incurred costs of $0.4 million associated with Amendment No.1 of the Credit Agreement, of which $0.3 million was capitalized and is being amortized over the remaining life of the Credit Agreement. The waivers of financial covenant breach were never utilized as the Company remainedin compliance with all debt covenants during these periods.

On October 22, 2021, in order to increase the borrowing capacity under the Credit Agreement, the Company and the other parties thereto entered into Amendment No. 2 to the Credit Agreement (“Amendment No. 2”). Amendment No. 2, among other things, provides for

•an increase in the amount of the revolving credit facility from $100.0 million to $150.0 million,

•$350.0 million initial term loan facility, the proceeds of which were applied to refinancing existing indebtedness and

•$400.0 million delayed draw term loan facility, which is available for borrowings until October 22, 2024.

The maturity date of the Credit Agreement was extended to October 22, 2026. The interest rate and covenants remain unchanged. The Company incurred $4.3 million in debt issuance costs associated with Amendment No. 2. The debt issuance costs are presented as a non-cash item on the consolidated statements of cash flows (less the portion impacting net income which are presented within operating activities) as they were financed with borrowings under the term loan. The Company also recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $1.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 due to a partial extinguishment associated with certain lenders whose borrowing capacity decreased with the amendment.

On June 7, 2023, in order to replace the referenced LIBOR interest rate in the Company’s Credit Agreement with SOFR, the Company and the other parties thereto entered into Amendment No. 3 to the Credit Agreement (“Amendment No. 3”). Under Amendment No. 3, borrowings under the Credit Agreement beginning on June 14, 2023 will bear interest, at the Company’s option, at a rate per annum equal to either (a) the Adjusted Term SOFR (which cannot be less than 0.5%) for interest periods of 1, 2, 3 or 6 months (or if consented to by (i) each applicable lender, 12 months or any period shorter than 1 month or (ii) the administrative agent, a shorter period necessary to ensure that the end of the relevant interest period would coincide with any required amortization payment) plus the applicable SOFR margin or (b) the alternative base rate (“ABR”) plus the applicable ABR margin. ABR is a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (i) the Federal Funds Effective Rate plus 1/2 of 1.0%, (ii) the prime rate announced from time to time by Capital One, National Association or (iii) SOFR for a 1-month interest period on such day plus 1.0%. As of December 31, 2023, the weighted-average interest rate was approximately 7.3%.

On August 23, 2023, in order to extend the termination date to draw on the delayed draw term loan under the Credit Agreement to October 22, 2024, the Company and the other parties thereto entered into Amendment No. 4 to the Credit Agreement (“Amendment No. 4”). The other terms of the Credit Agreement remained unchanged. The Company incurred $0.3 million in debt issuance costs related to Amendment No. 4, which are being amortized over the remaining life of the credit facility.

The obligations under the Credit Agreement are guaranteed by the Company and its wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries (collectively, the “Guarantors”), subject to certain exceptions. The obligations under the Credit Agreement are secured by substantially all of the assets of the Guarantors, subject to certain exceptions. Certain future-formed or acquired wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries of the Company will also be required to guarantee the Credit Agreement and grant a security interest in substantially all of their assets, subject to certain exceptions, to secure the obligations under the Credit Agreement.

Interest is payable quarterly in arrears for ABR loans, at the end of the applicable interest period for SOFR loans (but not less frequently than quarterly) and upon the prepayment or maturity of the underlying loans. The Company is required to pay a commitment fee quarterly in arrears in respect of unused commitments under the revolving credit facility and the additional term loan facility.

The applicable SOFR and ABR margins and the commitment fee rate are calculated based upon the first lien net leverage ratio of the Company and its restricted subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, as defined in the Credit Agreement. The revolving loans and term loans bear interest at either (a) ABR (150 bps floor) plus a margin up to 1.75% or (b) SOFR (50 bps floor) plus a margin up to 2.75%, at the option of the Company.

The term loans and, once drawn, the additional term loans will amortize at an annual rate equal to 5.00% per annum. Upon the consummation of certain non-ordinary course asset sales, the Company may be required to apply the net cash proceeds thereof to prepay outstanding term loans and additional term loans. The loans under the Credit Agreement may be prepaid without premium or penalty, subject to customary SOFR “breakage” costs.

The Credit Agreement contains certain customary affirmative and negative covenants and events of default and requires the Company and certain of its affiliates obligated under the Credit Agreement to make customary representations and warranties in connection with credit extensions thereunder.

In addition, the Credit Agreement requires the Company to maintain (a) a ratio of consolidated first lien net debt to consolidated EBITDA no greater than 4.50 to 1.00 and (b) a ratio of consolidated EBITDA to consolidated fixed charges no less than 1.20 to 1.00, in each case, tested as of the last day of each full fiscal quarter ending after the Closing Date and determined on the basis of the four most recently ended fiscal quarters of the Company for which financial statements have been delivered pursuant to the Credit Agreement, subject to customary “equity cure” rights.

If an event of default (as such term is defined in the Credit Agreement) occurs, the lenders would be entitled to take various actions, including the acceleration of amounts due under the Credit Agreement, termination of the lenders’ commitments thereunder, foreclosure on collateral, and all other remedial actions available to a secured creditor. The failure to pay certain amounts owing under the Credit Agreement may result in an increase in the interest rate applicable thereto.

The principal maturities of total debt are as follows (in thousands):

The fair value of the Company’s debt as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 was estimated usinga discounted cash flow model, which forecasts future interest and principal payments. The forecasted cash flows were discounted back to present value using the term-matched risk-free rate plus an option adjusted spread to account for credit risk. The option adjusted spread was calculated as of the debt's issuance date and then adjusted to the valuation date. The inputs used to determine the fair value were classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchyas defined in Note 12.

The carrying value and estimated fair value the Company's debt as of December 31, was as follows (in thousands):

The Company manages its exposure to some of its interest rate risk through the use of interest rate caplets, which are derivatives. On January 12, 2022, the Company hedged the variability of the cash flows attributable to the changes in the 1-month LIBOR/SOFR interest rate on the first $300 million of the term loan under the Credit Agreement by entering into a 4-year series of 48 deferred premium caplets (“caplets”). The caplets mature at the end of each month and protect the Company if interest rates exceed 2% of 1-month LIBOR/SOFR. The maturing dates of these caplets coincide with the timing of the Company's interest payments and each caplet is expected to be highly effective at offsetting changes in interest payment cash flows. The aggregate premium for these caplets was $3.9 million, which was the initial fair value of the caplets recorded in the Company's financial statements, and was financed as additional debt.

The Company recognized an unrealized loss on the change in fair value of the interest rate caplets of $4.3 million, net of income taxes, for the year ended December 31, 2023, and an unrealized gain of $12.2 million, net of income taxes, for the year ended December 31, 2022. For more information on how the Company determines the fair value of the caplets, see Note 12. Further, as the 1-month LIBOR/SOFR interest rate began to exceed 2% starting in second half of 2022, the Company recognized interest income on the caplets of $9.2 million and $1.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, which is reflected in interest expense, netin the consolidated statements of operations and other comprehensive income.

Note 10. Business and Asset Acquisitions

2023 Business Acquisitions

Illinois Video Slot Management

On December 27, 2023, the Company acquired certain assets of Illinois Video Slot Management Corp. (“IVSM”), an Illinois-based terminal operator. The Company acquired a gaming location, as well as gaming equipment. The acquisition was accounted for as an asset acquisition in accordance with Topic 805. The total purchase price was approximately $1.0 million, of which the Company paid $0.7 million in cash at closing. The remaining $0.3 million of consideration is payable in three installments of $0.1 million which are due on the first, second and third anniversary of the acquisition assuming the location is still in operation. The total purchase price of $1.0 million was allocated to the following assets: i) a location contract totaling $0.9 million and ii) gaming equipment totaling $0.1 million. The results of operations for the IVSM acquisition is included in the consolidated financial statements of the Company from the date of acquisition and were not material.

Illinois Gaming Entertainment

On May 23, 2023, the Company acquired certain assets of Illinois Gaming Entertainment LLC (“IGE”), an Illinois-based terminal operator. The Company acquired four operational locations, as well as gaming equipment. The acquisition was accounted for as an asset acquisition in accordance with Topic 805. The total purchase price was approximately $1.5 million, which the Company paid in cash at closing. The total purchase price of $1.5 million was allocated to the following assets: i) location contracts totaling $1.1 million and ii) gaming equipment totaling $0.4 million.

On October 3, 2023, the Company acquired an additional three operational locations, as well as gaming equipment, from IGE. This acquisition was also accounted for as an asset acquisition in accordance with Topic 805. The total purchase price was $2.3 million, which the Company paid in cash at closing. The total purchase price of $2.3 million was allocated to the following assets: i) location contracts totaling $2.0 million and ii) gaming equipment totaling $0.3 million.

The results of operations for both IGE acquisitions are included in the consolidated financial statements of the Company from the date of acquisition and were not material.

Rendezvous

On February 13, 2023, the Company acquired Rendezvous, a hospitality operation in Billings, Montana. The hospitality operation is set to be a Century-vended location. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with Topic 805. The total purchase price of $2.6 million was paid in cash at closing and was allocated to the following assets: i) indefinite-lived intangible assets totaling $0.8 million; ii) land totaling $0.5 million; iii) buildings totaling $0.4 million; iv) gaming equipment totaling $0.1 million, and v) goodwill totaling $0.8 million. The results of operations for Rendezvous are included in the consolidated financial statements of the Company from the date of acquisition and were not material.

Pending Business Acquisition

On April 11, 2023, the Company entered into an agreement to acquire adistributed gaming operator in the state of Louisiana with an option to acquire a second distributed gaming operator in the state of Louisiana. In connection therewith, the Company has paid $4.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2023 as an advance against a portion of the purchase price and is recorded within other assets on theconsolidated balance sheets. Furthermore, on August 10, 2023, the Company loaned the distributed gaming operator $0.3 million. The Company agreed to pay an additional $0.6 million on January 23, 2024 and an additional $1.2 million on February 9, 2024 as an advance against a portion of the purchase price.

2022 Business Acquisitions

Progressive

On December 15, 2022, Century, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, acquired from DEP, Inc. ("Progressive"), a gaming operator in Montana, certain gaming assets and locations. The acquisition of Progressive adds 26 Montana gaming locations and approximately 300 gaming terminals to the Century portfolio. The total purchase price was $6.4 million, which Century paid in cash at closing. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations(“Topic 805”). The purchase price was allocated to the following assets: i) gaming terminals and amusement equipment totaling$0.9 million; ii) location contracts totaling$4.3 million; and iii) goodwill totaling$1.2 million.

River City

On September 9, 2022, the Company acquired from River City Amusement Company (“River City”) all of its operating assets in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. River City's operations in these states consist of the ownership and operation of MAD and amusement equipment, as well as ATMs in the approximately 120 locations it serves. The total purchase price was approximately $2.8 million, which the Company paid in cash at closing. The acquisitionwas accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with Topic 805. The purchase price was allocated to the following assets: i) gaming terminals and equipment totaling$0.1 million; ii) amusement and other equipment totaling$0.9 million; iii) location contracts totaling$1.7 million; and iv) cash totaling$0.1 million.

VVS

On August 1, 2022, the Company acquired from VVS, Inc. (“VVS”), a licensed distributor of mechanical amusement devices in Nebraska, substantially all of its MAD and ATM assets. The acquisition of VVS adds approximately 250 locations in the greater Lincoln area. The total purchase price was approximately $12.0 million, of which the Company paid approximately $9.5 million in cash at closing. The remaining $2.5 million of contingent consideration was paid in cash in the third quarter of 2023 as the net revenue target outlined in the purchase agreement was achieved. The acquisitionwas accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with Topic 805. The purchase price was allocated to the following assets: i) gaming terminals and equipment totaling$0.9 million; ii) amusement and other equipment totaling$3.9 million; and iii) location contracts totaling$7.2 million.

Century

On June 1, 2022, the Company completed its previously announced acquisition of all of the outstanding equity interests of Century pursuant to the terms of a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), dated March 2, 2021, by and among Century, the shareholders of Century, and the Company. Century is Montana’s largest gaming operator and a leader in the Nevada gaming market as well as a manufacturer of gaming terminals.

The acquisition aggregate purchase consideration transferred totaled $164.3 million, which included: i) a cash payment made at closing of $45.5 million to the equity holders of Century; ii) repayment of $113.2 million of Century's indebtedness; and iii)515,622 shares of the Company’s Class A-1 common stock issued to certain members of Century’s management with a fair value of $5.6 million on the acquisition date. The cash payments were financed using cash from a draw of approximately $160 million from the Company’s revolving credit facility and delayed draw term loan facility under the Credit Agreement.

The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with ASC Topic 805. The purchase price has been preliminarily allocated to the tangible assets and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their estimated fair values. The areas of the purchase price allocation that are not yet finalized are primarily related to the valuation of location contracts, inventory, property and equipment, and final adjustments to working capital. The excess of the purchase price over the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed of $53.4 million has been recorded as goodwill. The Century acquisition resulted in recorded goodwill as a result of a higher consideration paid driven by the maturity and quality of Century's operations, industry and workforce. Management integrated Century into its existing business structure, which is comprised of a single reporting unit.

The following table summarizes the fair value of consideration transferred and the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of acquisition (in thousands):

Upon adoption of Topic 842, the Company recognized ROU assets and lease liabilities of $3.6 million as of June 1, 2022 related to Century.

The Company incurred $0.3 million and $1.3 million in acquisition related costs that are included in other operating expenses within the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The results of operations for Century are included in the consolidated financial statements of the Company from the date of acquisition. Century'sacquired assets generated revenues and net income of $146.6 million and $4.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.

2021 Business Acquisitions

Island

On May 20, 2021, the Company acquired Island Games, Inc. (“Island”), a southern Georgia amusement operator and Master Licensee in the state of Georgia. The acquisition of Island adds 30 Georgia Coin Operated Amusement Machine (“COAM”) Class B locations to the Accel portfolio, including a total of 89 Class B COAM terminals. The total purchase price was approximately $2.9 million, of which the Company paid $2.8 million in cash at closing. The remaining $0.1 million of contingent consideration is to be paid in cash if certain operating metrics are achieved. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with Topic 805. The purchase price was allocated to the tangible assets and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their estimated fair values. The results of operations for Island are included in the consolidated financial statements of the Company from the date of acquisition. The results of operations for Island were not material to the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Rich and Junnie's

On December 30, 2021, the Company entered into an agreement to acquire all of Rich and Junnie's operating assets in Iowa and Illinois. Rich and Junnie's operations in Iowa and Illinois consists of the ownership and operation of amusement devices and ATMs in certain locations. Total consideration was $4.2 million of which $3.6 million which was paid in cash at closing and $0.6 million was recorded in short-term consideration payable on the consolidated balance sheets. The acquisitionwas accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with Topic 805. The purchase price was allocated to the following assets: i) gaming terminals and equipment totaling $0.3 million; ii) amusement and other equipment totaling $1.3 million; iii) location contracts totaling $1.6 million; iv) cash totaling $0.6 million; and v) goodwill of $0.4 million. The results of operations for Rich and Junnie's are included in the consolidated financial statements of the Company from the date of acquisition. The results of operations for Rich and Junnie's were not material to the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2021 as the acquisition date (December 30, 2021)was one day prior to year end.

Pro Forma Results (Unaudited)

The following unaudited pro forma consolidated financial information reflects the results of operations of the Company for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 as if the acquisitions of Progressive, River City, VVS, Century, Rich and Junnie's, and Island, had occurred as of the beginning of the fiscal year prior to the fiscal year of acquisition, after giving effect to certain purchase accounting adjustments. These amounts are based on available financial information of the acquirees prior to the acquisition dates and are not necessarily indicative of what the Company’s operating results would have been had the acquisitions actually taken place at the beginning of the fiscal year prior to the fiscal year of acquisition. This unaudited pro forma information does not project revenues and net income post acquisition (in thousands).

Consideration Payable

The Company has a contingent consideration payable related to certain locations, as defined, in the respective acquisition agreement which are placed into operation during a specified period after the acquisition date. The fair value of contingent consideration is included in the consideration payable on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. The contingent consideration accrued is measured at fair value on a recurring basis. Payments related to consideration payable were $7.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Current and long-term portions of consideration payable consist of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):

• Acquisitions that occurred prior to 2021.

Note 11. Contingent Earnout Share Liability

Pursuant to the terms of the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the Company authorized and has available for issuance 10,000,000 shares of Class A-2 common stock. The holders of the Class A-2 common stock do not have voting rights and are not entitled to receive or participate in any dividends or distributions when and if declared from time to time. The Company's Class A-2 common stock is classified as a contingent earnout shares liability due to the fact that the conversion of the Company's Class A-2 common stock would be accelerated on a change of control regardless of the transaction value.

In November 2019,5,000,000 shares of Class A-2 common stock were issued, subject to the conditions set forth in a restricted stock agreement (the “Restricted Stock Agreement”), which sets forth the terms upon which the Class A-2 common stock will be exchanged for an equal number of validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable Class A-1 common stock. The exchange of Class A-2 common stock for Class A-1 common stock will be subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Restricted Stock Agreement, with such exchanges occurring inthree separate tranches upon the satisfaction of the following triggers:

•Tranche I, equal to 1,666,666 shares of Class A-2 common stock, will be exchanged for Class A-1 common stock if either (i) the EBITDA for the last twelve months (“LTM EBITDA”) of the Company (as determined pursuant to the Restricted Stock Agreement) as of December 31, 2021, March 31, 2022 or June 30, 2022 equals or exceeds $132 million or (ii) the closing sale price of Class A-1 common stock on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) equals or exceeds $12.00 for at least twenty trading days in any consecutive thirty trading day period;

•Tranche II, equal to 1,666,667 shares of Class A-2 common stock, will be exchanged for Class A-1 common stock if either (i) the LTM EBITDA of the Company (as determined pursuant to the Restricted Stock Agreement) as of December 31, 2022, March 31, 2023 or June 30, 2023 equals or exceeds $152 million (which LTM EBITDA threshold has since been increased as described below) or (ii) the closing sale price of Class A-1 common stock on the NYSE equals or exceeds $14.00 for at least twenty trading days in any consecutive thirty trading day period; and

•Tranche III, equal to 1,666,667 shares of Class A-2 common stock, will be exchanged for Class A-1 common stock if either (i) the LTM EBITDA of the Company (as determined pursuant to the Restricted Stock Agreement) as of December 31, 2023, March 31, 2024 or June 30, 2024 equals or exceeds $172 million (which LTM EBITDA threshold has since been increased as described below) or (ii) the closing sale price of Class A-1 common stock on the NYSE equals or exceeds $16.00 for at least twenty trading days in any consecutive thirty trading day period.

The Restricted Stock Agreement provides that LTM EBITDA and the LTM EBITDA thresholds described above will be reasonably adjusted upwards or downwards, as applicable, by the Company’s independent directors from time to time to take into account the anticipated effect of any acquisitions or dispositions that are, individually or in the aggregate, in excess of $40.0 million during any applicable measurement period and otherwise materially different from the original annual forecast presented to the Company’s investors at the closing of the reverse capitalization and consummated by the Company. The original thresholds have been adjusted from time to time with the most recent adjustment occurring on May 1, 2023, when a disinterested committee of the Company's board of directors made up of independent directors, who do not hold any Class A-2 common stock, approved an increase to the LTM EBITDA and the LTM EBITDA thresholds under the terms of the Restricted Stock Agreement as follows: (i) in the case of Tranche II, the LTM EBITDA threshold (A) as of March 31, 2023 was increased to $172.4 million, and (B) as of June 30, 2023 was increased to $177.4 million; and (ii) in the case of Tranche III, the LTM EBITDA threshold (i) as of December 31, 2023 was increased to $198.5 million and (ii) as of each of March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024 was increased to $198.6 million.

If the Company completes additional acquisitions following the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and on or prior to March 31, 2024, the Company expects that the disinterested committee will consider additional adjustments to the LTM EBITDA and the LTM EBITDA thresholds in respect of any such acquisitions.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Class A-2 common stock, if not previously exchanged for Class A-1 common stock pursuant to the triggers described above, will be exchanged for an equal number of Class A-1 common stock immediately prior to the consummation of a transaction or series of related transactions that would result in a third party or group (as defined in or under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) becoming the beneficial owner of, directly or indirectly, more than fifty percent of the total voting power of the equity securities of the Company, or more than fifty percent of the consolidated net revenues, net income or total assets (including equity securities of its subsidiaries) of the Company, provided that the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the aforementioned triggers cannot be determined at such time.

The Restricted Stock Agreement further provides that holders of Class A-2 common stock are not required to exchange such shares for Class A-1 common stock if, (x) prior to giving effect to exchanges pursuant to the triggers described above, such holder beneficially owns less than 4.99% of the issued and outstanding Class A-1 common stock, and (y) after giving effect to the exchanges pursuant to the triggers described above, such holder would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% of the issued and outstanding Class A-1 common stock. However, notwithstanding the limitation described in the previous sentence, if and when a holder of Class A-2 common stock has obtained all required gaming approvals from the applicable gaming authorities permitting such holder to beneficially own Class A-1 common stock in excess of 4.99%, then the Class A-2 common stock held by such holder which are subject to exchange shall immediately be exchanged for Class A-1 common stock without regard to the limitation.

On January 14, 2020, the market condition for the settlement of Tranche I was satisfied. However, no stockholder is permitted to own more than 4.99% of the issued and outstanding Class A-1 common stock after the settlement unless obtaining required gaming approvals from the applicable gaming authorities. In connection with the settlement, no gaming approvals were obtained. In addition, no stockholder can receive a fractional share from a conversion. As a result, only 1,666,636 shares of the 1,666,666 shares of Class A-2 common stock were converted into Class A-1 common stock.

As of December 31, 2023, with respect to Tranche II, the only remaining exchange condition relates to the stock price under condition (ii) mentioned above as all of the LTM EBITDA thresholds under condition (i) have expired.

Note 12. Fair Value Measurements

ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and the corresponding disclosure requirements around fair value measurements. This topic applies to all financial instruments that are being measured and reported on a fair value basis.

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In determining fair value, various methods, including market, income and cost approaches, are used. Based on these approaches, certain assumptions are utilized that the market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk and/or the risks inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. These inputs can be readily observable, market corroborated, or generally unobservable inputs. Valuation techniques are utilized that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Based on the observability of the inputs used in the valuation techniques, it is required to provide information according to the fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy ranks the quality and reliability of the information used to determine fair values. Assets and liabilities carried at fair value will be classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:

Level 1: Valuations for assets and liabilities traded in active exchange markets, such as the New York Stock Exchange. Level 1 also includes U.S. Treasury and federal agency securities and federal agency mortgage-backed securities, which are traded by dealers or brokers in active markets. Valuations are obtained from readily available pricing sources for market transactions involving identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2: Valuations for assets and liabilities traded in less active dealer or broker markets or for similar assets or liabilities in active markets.

Level 3: Valuations for assets and liabilities that are derived from other valuation methodologies, including option pricing models, discounted cash flow models and similar techniques, and not based on market exchange, dealer, or broker traded transactions. Level 3 valuations incorporate certain assumptions and projections in determining the fair value assigned to such assets or liabilities.

Assets measured at fair value

The following tables summarize the Company’s assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in thousands):

The Company determines the fair value of the interest rate caplets using quotes that are based on models whose inputs are observable LIBOR/SOFR forward interest rate curves. The valuation of the interest rate caplets is considered to be a Level 2 fair value measurement as the significant inputs are observable. Unrealized changes in the fair value of interest rate caplets are classified within other comprehensive income on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income. Realized gains on the interest rate caplets are recorded to interest expense, net on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income and included within cash payments for interest, net on the consolidated statements of cash flow.

Investment in convertible notes

As described in Note 4, after the IGB Administrator’s denial of the transfer of the equity interest in Gold Rush on December 2, 2021, the Company concluded that the fair value of the convertible notes should be calculated as principal plus interest accrued as of December 31, 2022. The Company had considered interest as an input to the accounting fair value as of December 31, 2022. This valuation of the Company's investment in convertible notes is considered to be a Level 3 fair value measurement as the significant inputs are unobservable. The Company reached a settlement with Gold Rush in the second quarter of 2023, which provided for the full repayment of the outstanding principal and interest accrued on the convertible notes.

The following table provides a roll-forward of the fair value of recurring Level 3 fair value measurements for assets for the year ended December 31 (in thousands):

Liabilities measured at fair value

The following tables summarizes the Company’s liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in thousands):

Contingent consideration

The Company uses a discounted cash flow analysis to determine the value of contingent consideration upon acquisition and updates this estimate on a recurring basis. The significant assumptions in the Company's cash flow analysis includes the probability adjusted projected revenues after state taxes, a discount rate as applicable to each acquisition, and the estimated number of locations that “go live” with the Company during the contingent consideration period. The valuation of the Company's contingent consideration is considered to be a Level 3 fair value measurement as the significant inputs are unobservable and require significant judgment or estimation. Changes in the fair value of contingent consideration liabilities are classified within other expenses, net on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.

Contingent earnout shares

The Company determined the fair value of the contingent earnout shares based on the market price of the Company's A-1 common stock. The liability, by tranche, is then stated at present value based on i) an interest rate derived from the Company's borrowing rate and the applicable risk-free rate and ii) an estimate on when it expects the contingent earnout shares to convert to A-1 common stock. The valuation of the Company's contingent consideration is considered to be a Level 2 fair value measurement. Changes in the fair value of contingent earnout shares are included within loss (gain) on change in fair value of contingent earnout shares on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income.

Warrants

The Company has 5,144 warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2023, which will expire in November 2024. The liability for warrants is included in other long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company determined thefair value of its warrants by using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Black-Scholes option-pricing model requires inputs such as the fair value of the Company's Class A-1 common stock, the risk-free interest rate, expected term, expected dividend yield and expected volatility. The Company's valuation of its warrants is considered to be a Level 2 fair value measurement. Changes in the fair value of the warrants are included within gain (loss) on change in fair value of warrants on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income, if applicable. There was no change in the fair valueof the warrantsfor the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

The following table provides a roll-forward of the fair value of recurring Level 3 fair value measurements for liabilities for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):

There were no transfers in or out of Level 3 assets or liabilities for the periods presented.

Note 13. Leases

The Company's lease portfolio has both operating and finance leases but is primarily comprised of operating leases for buildings and vehicles. The Company's leases have remaining lease terms that range from less thanone year to 7.5 years, some of which also include options to extend or terminate the lease. Most leases contain both fixed and variable payments. Variable costs consist primarily of rent escalations based on an established index or rate and taxes, insurance, and common area or other maintenance costs, which are paid based on actual costs incurred by the lessor.

Lease expense for the years ended December 31 included within general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income is follows (in thousands):

The Company incurred total operating lease expense of $0.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Total expense related to finance leases was less than $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets related to the Company's lease portfolio as of December 31 are as follows (in thousands):

As of December 31, 2023, the future undiscounted cash flows associated with the Company's lease liabilities were as follows (in thousands):

The weighted average remaining lease term and discount rate used in computing the lease liabilities as of December 31 were as follows:

Supplemental cash flow information related to leases for the years ended December 31 is as follows (in thousands):

Note 14. Stockholders’ Equity

Pursuant to the terms of the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the Company authorized and has available for issuance the following shares and classes of capital stock, each with a par value of $0.0001 per share: i)1,000,000 shares of preferred stock; and ii)250,000,000 shares of Class A-1 common stock.

Class A-1 Common Stock

The holders of the Class A-1 common stock are entitled toone vote for each share. The holders of Class A-1 common stock are entitled to receive dividends or other distributions when and if declared from time to time and share equally on a per share basis in such dividends and distributions subject to such rights of the holders of preferred stock.

Treasury Stock

On November 22, 2021, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program of up to $200 million of shares of common stock. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased will depend on a variety of factors, including price, general business and market conditions, and alternative investment opportunities. Under the repurchase program, repurchases can be made from time to time using a variety of methods, including open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions, in compliance with the rules of the SEC and other applicable legal requirements. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of shares, and the repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time at the Company’s discretion. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has purchased a total of 11,409,197 shares under the plan at a total purchase price of $118.1 million, of which 3,063,914 shares at a total purchase price of $30.1 million were acquired during the year ended December 31, 2023.

As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company has reserved Class A-1 common stock for future issuance in relation to the following:

Note 15. Cost Associated with Gaming Terminals

Included in cost of revenue are costs associated with the operation of gaming terminals. In each jurisdiction that the Company operates, it is subject to state, municipal and/or administrative fees associated with the operation of its gaming terminals. The taxes and administrative fees are included in cost of revenue in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income. These costs associated with the operation of gaming terminals totaled $312.2 million, $281.6 million and $245.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The remaining net terminal income after deducting the taxes and administrative fees described above is split between the Company and the gaming location according to local gaming laws or are prenegotiated. The gaming location's share of net terminal income totaled $466.4 million, $359.4 million and $230.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Note 16. Employee Benefit Plans

401(k) Plan

The Company maintains a 401(k)-benefit plan for all employees with at least three months of service and have reached 21 years of age. Participants are 100% vested in their contributions. The Company provides an employer match contribution of 50% of the participants’ contribution up to 5% of their eligible compensation. Participants are fully vested in the employer match contribution after one year of employment. The Company may also make profit sharing contributions to the plan which vest 20% a year after the first 2 years of employment and are fully vested after 6 years of employment. The Company may also elect to make other discretionary contributions to the Plan. The Company incurred 401(k)-benefit plan expense of approximately $1.5 million, $1.3 million and $0.9 millionfor the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Incentive Compensation Plan

Included in certain employee agreements are provisions for commissions and bonuses, which are determined at the discretion of management. Incentive compensation expense amounted to $14.8 million, $12.5 million and $11.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Accrued incentive compensation totaled $5.6 million and $3.8 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Note 17. Stock-based Compensation

The Company previously adopted the 2011 Equity Incentive Plan of Accel Entertainment, Inc., and 2016 Equity Incentive Plan of Accel Entertainment, Inc., (collectively, “Plans”). Under the Plans, the aggregate number of shares of common stock that may be issued or transferred pursuant to options, restricted stock awards, or stock appreciation rights under the Plans will not exceed 10 percent of the outstanding shares of the Company.

In 2019, the Company adopted the Long Term Incentive Plan (the “LTIP”). The LTIP provides for grants of a variety of stock-based awards to employees and non-employees for providing services to the Company, including, but not limited to incentive stock options qualified as such under U.S. federal income tax laws, stock options that do not qualify as incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, RSUs, PSUs, cash incentive awards, and other stock-based awards. The Company has reserved, and in January 2020 registered, a total of 6,000,000 shares of Class A-1 common stock for issuance pursuant to the LTIP, subject to certain adjustments set forth therein.

Stock-based awards are valued on the date of grant and are expensed over the required service period. Total stock-based compensation expense recognized during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, was $9.4 million, $6.8 million and $6.4 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, and 2022, there was approximately $16.1 million and $14.6 million, respectively, of unrecognized compensation expense related to stock-based awards, which is expected to be recognized through 2027.

During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized gross excess tax (expense) benefit from stock-based compensation of $(0.9) million, $0.1 million, and $2.3 million, respectively. Excess tax benefits reflect the total realized value of the Company’s tax deductions from individual stock option exercise transactions and the vesting of restricted stock awards in excess of the deferred tax assets that were previously recorded.

Grant of RSUs

The Company issued 937,738 RSUs to eligible employees and Directors of the Company during the year ended December 31, 2023, which will vest over a period of 2 to 5 years for employees and a period of 1 year for Directors. The RSUs are valued using the stock price on the grant date and had an estimated grant date fair value of $8.8 million.

The following table sets forth the activities of the Company’s RSUs for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.

(1)Includes 154,641 RSUs that are vested and not issued.

(2)Includes 273,358 RSUs that are vested and not issued.

(3)Includes 379,719 RSUs that are vested and not issued.

Grant of PSUs

The Company issued 702,741 PSUs to eligible employees during the year ended December 31, 2023. The PSUs are valued using the stock price and a performance expense factor on the grant date and had an estimated grant date fair value of

$3.8 million. Performance-based shares vest based upon the passage of time and the achievement of performance conditions, in an amount ranging from 0% to 200% of the grant amount, as determined by the Compensation Committee prior to the date of the award. Vesting periods for these awards arethree years, with each year weighted equally in determining such average. The Company reviews the progress toward the attainment of the performance condition for each quarter during the vesting period. When it is probable the minimum performance condition for an award will be achieved, the Company began recognizing the expense equal to the proportionate share of the total fair value of the Class A-1 stock price on the grant date. The total expense recognized over the duration of performance awards will equal the Class A-1 stock price on the date of grant multiplied by the number of shares ultimately awarded based on the level of attainment of the performance condition. For grants with a market condition and a service condition, the fair value is determined on the grant date and is calculated using the average implied multiple using the Company’s internal forecast along with weighting of probability of award, with a service condition of three years. The total expense recognized over the duration of the award will equal the fair value, regardless if the market performance criteria is met. If the service condition is not met the stock-based compensation would be reversed.

The following table sets forth the activities of the Company’s PSUs for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Grant of Stock Options

Stock options generally vest over athree tofive-year period and the term of the options are a maximum of 10 years from the grant date. The exercise price of stock options shall not be less than 100% of the fair market value per share of common stock on the grant date.

The Company used the Black-Scholes formula to estimate the fair value of its stock-based payments. The volatility assumption used in the Black-Scholes formula were based on the volatility of comparable public companies. The Company determined the share price at grant date used in the Black-Scholes formula based on an internal valuation model for options granted prior to the Company going public. Upon going public, the Company used the closing market stock price on the date of grant.

The fair value assigned to each option was estimated on the date of grant using a Black-Scholes-based option valuation model. The expected term of each option granted represented the period of time that each option granted is expected to be outstanding. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of the unit is based on U.S. Treasury yields in effect at the time of grant.

Starting on January 1, 2023, the Company discontinued the use of stock options as part of the LTIP and there wereno stock options granted to eligible officers and employees during 2023.

The following assumptions were used in the option valuation model for options granted during the years ended December 31, as follows:

A summary of the options granted and the range in vesting periods based on specific provisions within the option agreements during the years ended December 31, are as follows:

The following table sets forth the activities of the Company’s outstanding stock options for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.

A summary of the status of the activities of the Company’s nonvested stock options for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 is as follows.

As of December 31, 2023, and 2022, a total of 516,576 and 207,341 options with a weighted-average remaining contractual term of 5.7 and 4.5 years, respectively, granted to employees were vested. The fair value of options that vested during 2023, 2022 and 2021 was $2.2 million, $1.3 million, and $0.3 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, and 2022, the weighted-average exercise price of the non-vested awards was $11.92 and $11.85, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, and 2022, the weighted-average remaining contractual term of the outstanding awards was 6.4 years and 7.3 years, respectively. The total intrinsic value of options that were exercised during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 was approximately $0.5 million, $0.6 million and $5.2 million, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding as of December 31, 2023 is $0.4 million.

Note 18. Income Taxes

The Company recognized income tax expense of $20.1 million, $20.7 million and $15.0 million during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, which consists of the following (in thousands):

A reconciliation of the “expected” income taxes computed by applying the federal statutory income tax rate to the total expense is as follows (in thousands):

The tax effects of temporary differences that gave rise to significant portions of the deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows as of December 31 (in thousands):

A valuation allowance is required to be established or maintained when, based on currently available information, it is more likely than not that all or a portion of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. The guidance on accounting for income taxes provides important factors in determining whether a deferred tax asset will be realized, including whether there has been sufficient taxable income in recent years and whether sufficient taxable income can reasonably be expected in future years in order to utilize the deferred tax asset.

The Company evaluated the need to record a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets based on an assessment of whether it is more likely than not that deferred tax benefits will be realized through the generation of future taxable income. Appropriate consideration was given to all available evidence, both positive and negative, in assessing the need for a valuation allowance. As a result of this evaluation, the Company concluded as of December 31, 2023, that the positive evidence outweighed the negative evidence and that it is more likely than not that its deferred tax assets will be realized.

As of December 31, 2023, and 2022, the Company did not record a liability for unrecognized tax benefits.

The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to U.S. federal income tax as well as income tax of multiple state jurisdictions. As of December 31, 2023, the Company is subject to U.S federal income tax examinations for the years 2020 through 2022 and income tax examinations from state jurisdictions for the years 2020 through 2022.

The following table summarizes carryforwards of net operating losses as of December 31 (in thousands):

Significant equity restructuring often results in an Internal Revenue Code Section 382 ownership change that limits the future use of net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards and other tax attributes. The Company determined that it had undergone an ownership change in 2019 (as defined by Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code). As a result, the Company's use of NOL carryforwards on an annual basis were limited. Neither the amount of the Company's NOL carryforwards nor the amount of limitation of such carryforwards claimed by the Company have been audited or otherwise validated by the Internal Revenue Service, which could challenge the amount the Company has calculated. With regard to Century, an ownership change occurred on the date the outstanding equity interests were purchased in 2022. As a result, the Company's use of the acquired NOLs, interest expense limitation carryforward and R&D credit carryforward on an annual basis will be limited. The recognition and measurement of the Company's tax benefit includes estimates and judgment by the Company's management, which includes subjectivity. Changes in estimates may create volatility in the Company's tax rate in future periods based on new information about particular tax positions that may cause management to change its estimates.

The Company had a federal general business tax credit carryforward of $0.1 million as of December 31, 2022, which was utilized in 2023.

Note 19. Commitments and Contingencies

The Company has certain earnouts in periods for future location performance related to certain business acquisitions (see discussion in Note 10).

The Company has certain employment agreements that call for salaries and potential severance upon termination.

Lawsuits and claims are filed against the Company from time to time in the ordinary course of business, including related to employee matters, employment agreements and non-compete clauses and agreements. Other than settled matters explained as follows, these actions are in various stages, and no judgments or decisions have been rendered. Management, after reviewing matters with legal counsel, believes that the outcome of such matters are not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position or results of operations.

The Company has been involved in a series of related litigated matters stemming from claims that it wrongly contracted with 10 different licensed establishments (the “Defendant Establishments”) in 2012 in violation of the contractual rights held by J&J Ventures Gaming, LLC (“J&J”), as further described below.

On August 21, 2012, one of the Company’s operating subsidiaries entered into certain agreements with Jason Rowell (“Rowell”), a member of Action Gaming LLC (“Action Gaming”), which was an unlicensed terminal operator that had exclusive rights to place and operate gaming terminals within a number of establishments, including the Defendant Establishments. Under agreements with Rowell, the Company agreed to pay him for each licensed establishment which decided to enter into exclusive location agreements with Accel. In late August and early September 2012, each of the Defendant Establishments signed separate location agreements with the Company, purporting to grant it the exclusive right to operate gaming terminals in those establishments. Separately, on August 24, 2012, Action Gaming sold and assigned its rights to all its location agreements to J&J, including its exclusive rights with the Defendant Establishments (the “J&J Assigned Agreements”). At the time of the assignment of such rights to J&J, the Defendant Establishments were not yet licensed by the IGB.

Action Gaming, J&J, and other parties, collectively, the Plaintiffs, filed a complaint against the Company, Rowell, and other parties in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois (the “Circuit Court”), on August 31, 2012, as amended on November 1, 2012, December 19, 2012, and October 3, 2013, alleging, among other things, that Accel aided and abetted Rowell in breaches of his fiduciary duties and contractual obligations with Action Gaming and tortiously interfered with Action Gaming’s contracts with Rowell and agreements assigned to J&J. The complaint seeks damages and injunctive and equitable relief. On January 24, 2018, the Company filed a motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, as further described below. On May 14, 2018, the Circuit Court denied the Company’s motion to dismiss and granted a stay to the case, pending a ruling from the IGB on the validity of the J&J Assigned Agreements.

From 2013 to 2015, the Plaintiffs filed additional claims, including J&J Ventures Gaming, LLC et al. v. Wild, Inc. (“Wild”), in various circuit courts seeking declaratory judgments with a number of establishments, including each of the Defendant Establishments, requesting declarations that, among other things, J&J held the exclusive right to operate gaming terminals at each of the Defendant Establishments as a result of the J&J Assigned Agreements. The Company was granted leave to intervene in all of the declaratory judgments. The circuit courts found that the J&J Assigned Agreements were valid because each of the underlying location agreements were between an unlicensed establishment and an unlicensed terminal operator, and therefore did not constitute use agreements that were otherwise precluded from assignment under the IGB’s regulations. Upon the Company’s appeal, the Illinois Appellate Court, Fifth District (the “District Court”), vacated the circuit courts’ judgments and dismissed the appeals, holding that the IGB had exclusive jurisdiction over the matter that formed the basis of the parties’ claims, and declined to consider the merits of the parties’ disputes. On September 22, 2016, and after the IGB intervened, the Supreme Court of Illinois issued a judgment in Wild, affirming the District Court’s decision vacating the circuit courts’ judgments for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and dismissing the appeals, determining that the IGB has exclusive jurisdiction to decide the validity and enforceability of gaming terminal use agreements.

Between May 2017 and September 2017, both the Company and J&J filed petitions with the IGB seeking adjudication of the rights of the parties and the validity of the use agreements. Those petitions were recently adjudicated by the IGB, largely in the Company’s favor, and J&J has filed a new lawsuit to challenge the IGB’s rulings. The Company does not have a present estimate regarding the potential damages, if any, that could potentially be awarded in this litigation and, accordingly, have established no reserves relating to such matters. There are also petitions pending with the IGB which could lead to the Company obtaining new locations.

On October 7, 2019, the Company filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois against Jason Rowell and other parties related to Mr. Rowell’s breaches of his non-compete agreement with Accel. The Company alleged that Mr. Rowell and a competitor were working together to interfere with the Company’s customer relationships. On November 7, 2019, Mr. Rowell filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois against the Company alleging that he had not received certain equity interests in the Company to which he was allegedly entitled under his agreement. The Company has answered the complaint and asserted a counterclaim, and intends to defend itself against the allegations. Pre-trial discovery is ongoing as of the date of this report. Mr. Rowell's claims and the Company's claims are both being litigated in this lawsuit, while the original lawsuit remains pending against the other defendants.

On July 2, 2019, Illinois Gaming Investors, LLC filed a lawsuit against the Company. The lawsuit alleges that a current employee violated his non-competition agreement with Illinois Gaming Investors, LLC, and together with the Company, wrongfully solicited prohibited licensed video gaming locations. The parties settled this dispute in April 2022.

On December 18, 2020, the Company received a disciplinary complaint from the IGB alleging violations of the Video Gaming Act and the IGB’s Adopted Rules for Video Gaming. The disciplinary complaint seeks to fine the Company in the amount of $5 million. On July 6, 2023, the IGB and the Company entered into a settlement agreement for $1.1 million of which $1.0 million is the fine for the alleged conduct and $0.1 million is for reimbursement of administrative and investigative costs. The amount was paid in the third quarter of 2023. As a result of the settlement agreement, the Company has agreed to review similar initiatives with the IGB before implementing a new program or making any public announcements, require additional annual training of its employees, and provide additional compliance disclosures to the IGB.

On March 9, 2022, the Company filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois against Gold Rush relating to the Gold Rush convertible notes. The complaint sought damages for breach of contract and the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing as well as unjust enrichment. On June 22, 2022, Gold Rush filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois against the Company. The lawsuit alleged that the Company tortiously interfered with Gold Rush’s business activities and engaged in misconduct with respect to the Gold Rush convertible notes. On April 22, 2022, the Company filed a petition in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois to judicially review the IGB's decision to deny the requested transfer of Gold Rush common stock in respect of the Company’s conversion of the convertible notes. Discovery ensued on these lawsuits but both suits were dismissed with prejudice as a result of the previously mentioned settlement between the Company and Gold Rush on the convertible notes. The Company also withdrew its petition to judicially review the IGB's decision. For more information, see Note 4.

On March 25, 2022, Midwest Electronics Gaming LLC (“Midwest”) filed an administrative review action against the Illinois Gaming Board, the Company and J&J in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois seeking administrative review of decisions of the IGB ruling in favor of the Company and J&J and against Midwest regarding the validity of certain use agreements covering locations currently serviced by Midwest. No monetary damages are sought against the Company. A responsive pleading is not yet due.

In July 2022, an enforcement action was brought against the Company by an Illinois municipality related to an alleged violation of an ordinance requiring the collection of an additional tax, the enforceability of which is currently being contested by the Illinois Gaming Machine Operators Association. Rather than litigate the alleged violation, the Company pled no contest and made a voluntary payment to the municipality in October 2022. The Company made additional voluntary payments for each month for the remainder of 2022. The Company continued to negotiate with and voluntarily make the appropriate payments to the municipality during 2023.

In February 2023, an Illinois municipality issued an order against the Company for the alleged failure to pay a terminal operator tax (“TO Tax”) for the privilege of operating gaming terminals within the municipality. The TO Tax was adopted by the municipality on June 8, 2021, but there was no enforcement of this tax until the Company was issued a notice of hearing in February 2023. In April 2023, the Company, along with numerous other terminal operators, filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois contesting the validity and enforceability of the TO Tax and won a temporary restraining order to stay the order. Currently, the matter remains pending as a result of a motion to consolidate and to finalize the assignment of the judge.

The results for the year ended December 31, 2023 included a loss of $1.4 million related to these matters, which is included within general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and other comprehensive income. The results for the year ended December 31, 2022 included a loss of $1.2 million, of which $1.0 million is included within other expenses, net and $0.2 million is included within general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and other comprehensive income. The Company paid legal settlements related to these matters totaling $1.4 million and $1.6 million during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Note 20. Earnings Per Share

Basic EPS is computed based on the weighted average number of shares of Class A-1 common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted EPS is computed based on the weighted average number of shares plus the effect of dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method. Dilutive potential common shares include outstanding stock options, unvested RSUs, contingent earnout shares, and warrants.

Since the shares issuable under the contingent earnout are contingently issuable shares that depend on future earnings or future market prices of the common stock or a change in control, the shares are excluded when computing diluted EPS unless the shares would be issuable if the reporting date was the end of the contingency period. Upon settlement, these shares are included in Class A-1 common stock in the Company’s basic EPS share count.

The components of basic and diluted EPS were as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts):

Anti-dilutive stock-based awards, contingent earnout shares and warrants excluded from the calculations of diluted EPS were 4,424,711,5,027,491, and 4,506,988 for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.