Exhibit 99.1
| | For information contact
Mary Beth Higgins
Herbst Gaming
(702) 740-4576 |
HERBST GAMING REPORTS SECOND QUARTER EARNINGS
(LAS VEGAS) August 13, 2007 – Herbst Gaming, Inc. and Subsidiaries (“HGI” or “Company”) today announced the results of their operations for the second quarter and six-month period ended June 30, 2007.
The Company reported net revenues of $364.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2007, an increase of 29%, or $80.9 million, compared with $283.7 million in the prior year’s first six months. The Company recorded a net loss of $5.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2007, compared with net income of $28.5 million in the prior year’s first six months. The decline was primarily a result of the impact of the December 2006 legislation in Nevada banning smoking in bars, taverns, grocery and convenience stores and restaurants, as well as other public places, on our route operations in Nevada during the quarter. The Company’s Consolidated EBITDA (as defined below) was $51.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2007, a decrease of 21%, or $13.7 million, compared with Consolidated EBITDA of $64.8 million for the same period in 2006.
The first six months ended June 30, 2007 numbers included almost a full quarter of the operations of the three casinos located in Primm, Nevada we acquired on April 10, 2007 from a subsidiary of MGM Mirage. The six month results also include the operations of the casinos located in northern Nevada we acquired as a result of our purchase of the stock of The Sands Regent on January 3, 2007.
See footnote 7 to “Selected Financial Information” below for a detailed definition of Consolidated EBITDA and a discussion of the reasons the Company uses Consolidated EBITDA as a performance measure. Included in the Selected Financial Information is a reconciliation of Consolidated EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, to net income.
Conference Call Information
The Company will host a conference call to discuss its second quarter 2007 financial results on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 beginning at 12 p.m. EST/ 9 a.m. PST. Interested participants may access the call by dialing into our conference operator at (866) 277-1184, PIN No. 41982864. International participants dial (617) 597-5360.
A replay of the call will be available beginning one hour after the completion of the call and until Wednesday, August 21, 2007 at
8 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m. Pacific Time. To access the replay, call (888) 286-8010, PIN No. 85178652. International participants dial
(617) 801-6888. A copy of the second quarter earnings call will be available on the Company’s web site, www.herbstgaming.com, in the “Investors Relations” section, which will be accessible on the Company’s web site for a period of at least 12 months.
HERBST GAMING
SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
(unaudited)
| | Three Months Ended
June 30, | | Six Months Ended
June 30, | |
| | 2006 | | 2007 | | 2006 | | 2007 | |
| | (dollars in thousands) | |
Income Statement Data | | | | | | | | | |
Revenues | | | | | | | | | |
Route operations | | $ | 87,022 | | $ | 71,720 | | $ | 177,894 | | $ | 146,469 | |
Casino operations | | | | | | | | | |
Nevada | | 23,364 | | 95,287 | | 47,909 | | 139,220 | |
Other states | | 34,331 | | 35,991 | | 69,682 | | 71,597 | |
Other | | 2,286 | | 28,615 | | 4,200 | | 36,001 | |
Total revenues | | 147,003 | | 231,613 | | 299,685 | | 393,287 | |
Promotional allowances — route | | (23 | ) | (11 | ) | (37 | ) | (36 | ) |
Promotional allowances — casino | | | | | | | | | |
Nevada | | (3,365 | ) | (12,254 | ) | (6,565 | ) | (18,373 | ) |
Other states | | (4,819 | ) | (5,135 | ) | (9,379 | ) | (10,276 | ) |
| | (8,207 | ) | (17,400 | ) | (15,981 | ) | (28,685 | ) |
Net revenues | | 138,796 | | 214,213 | | 283,704 | | 364,602 | |
Cost of revenues | | | | | | | | | |
Route operations | | 67,434 | | 64,217 | | 136,380 | | 129,089 | |
Casino operations | | | | | | | | | |
Nevada | | 15,799 | | 67,859 | | 31,567 | | 98,058 | |
Other states | | 21,655 | | 22,402 | | 43,369 | | 44,710 | |
Other operations | | 1,385 | | 24,162 | | 2,156 | | 29,803 | |
Depreciation and amortization | | 8,929 | | 16,668 | | 17,489 | | 29,000 | |
General and administrative (3) | | 2,939 | | 8,303 | | 5,845 | | 12,487 | |
Total costs and expenses | | 118,141 | | 203,611 | | 236,806 | | 343,147 | |
Income from operations | | 20,655 | | 10,602 | | 46,898 | | 21,455 | |
Interest income | | 188 | | 388 | | 396 | | 678 | |
Interest expense | | (9,557 | ) | (20,418 | ) | (18,786 | ) | (34,092 | ) |
Increase in value of derivative instruments | | — | | 8,074 | | — | | 6,741 | |
| | | | | | | | | |
Net income (loss) | | $ | 11,286 | | $ | (1,354 | ) | $ | 28,508 | | $ | (5,218 | ) |
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| | December 31, | | June 30, | |
| | 2006 | | 2007 | |
| | (dollars in thousands) | |
Balance Sheet Data | | | | | |
Cash and cash equivalents | | $ | 65,640 | | $ | 92,100 | |
Total assets | | $ | 568,450 | | $ | 1,166,491 | |
Total debt (1) | | $ | 522,618 | | $ | 1,104,690 | |
Stockholders’ equity | | $ | 18,771 | | $ | 3,253 | |
| | Six-months ended
June 30, | |
| | 2006 | | 2007 | |
Other data: | | | | | |
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges (2) | | 2.5x | | 0.8x | |
Net cash provided by operating activities | | $ | 43,241 | | $ | 21,773 | |
Net cash used in investing activities | | $ | (36,126 | ) | $ | (557,376 | ) |
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | | $ | (11,753 | ) | $ | 562,063 | |
Capital expenditures | | $ | 35,510 | | $ | 16,195 | |
| | Three-months ended
June 30, | | Six-months ended
June 30, | |
| | 2006 | | 2007 | | 2006 | | 2007 | |
Route EBITDA (4) | | $ | 19,565 | | $ | 7,492 | | $ | 41,477 | | $ | 17,344 | |
Casino EBITDA (5) | | | | | | | | | |
Nevada (5) | | 4,200 | | 15,174 | | 9,777 | | 22,789 | |
Other states (5) | | 7,857 | | 8,454 | | 16,934 | | 16,611 | |
| | 31,622 | | 31,120 | | 68,188 | | 56,744 | |
Other and Corporate Adjusted (6) | | (1,850 | ) | (3,462 | ) | (3,405 | ) | (5,611 | ) |
Consolidated EBITDA (7) | | $ | 29,772 | | $ | 27,658 | | $ | 64,783 | | $ | 51,133 | |
(1) Total debt consists of the current and long-term portions of long-term debt for all periods presented.
(2) For purposes of determining the ratio of earnings to fixed charges, earnings are defined as earnings before fixed charges. Fixed charges consist of interest expensed and capitalized.
(3) Effective January 1, 2007, we have changed the classification of certain costs from general and administrative to route and casino operations. The 2006 amounts have been reclassified to be consistent with the current classification and have no impact on net income.
3
| | Three-months ended
June 30, | | Six-months ended
June 30, | |
| | revised | | Previously
reported | | revised | | Previously
reported | |
| | 2006 | | 2006 | | 2006 | | 2006 | |
Costs and expenses: | | | | | | | | | |
Route operations | | $ | 67,434 | | $ | 67,130 | | $ | 136,380 | | $ | 135,767 | |
Casino operations | | 37,454 | | 36,601 | | 74,936 | | 73,130 | |
General and administrative | | $ | 2,939 | | $ | 4,096 | | $ | 5,845 | | $ | 8,264 | |
(4) Route EBITDA consists of net income plus depreciation and amortization and interest expense, net of capitalized interest, and is calculated before allocation of overhead.
(5) Casino EBITDA consists of net income plus depreciation and amortization, interest expense, net of capitalized interest and costs associated with the retirement of assets. Casino EBITDA for casinos in Nevada and other states are calculated before allocation of overhead.
(6) Other and Corporate Adjusted consists of other non-gaming revenues, general and administrative expenses and interest income.
(7) Consolidated EBITDA consists of the Company’s consolidated net income plus depreciation and amortization and interest expense, net of capitalized interest. EBITDA is presented because it is used as a performance measure to analyze the performance of our business segments and because it is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and others in the evaluation of companies in our industry. However, other companies in our industry may calculate EBITDA differently. EBITDA is not a measurement of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flow from operating activities, as a measure of liquidity, as an alternative to net income or as an indicator of operating performance or any other measure of performance derived in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
The following table is a reconciliation of net income to EBITDA.
| | Three-months ended
June 30, | | Six-months ended
June 30, | |
| | 2006 | | 2007 | | 2006 | | 2007 | |
| | (dollars in thousands) | | (dollars in thousands) | |
Net Income (loss) | | $ | 11,286 | | $ | (1,354 | ) | $ | 28,508 | | $ | (5,218 | ) |
Interest expense | | 9,557 | | 20,418 | | 18,786 | | 34,092 | |
Depreciation and amortization | | 8,929 | | 16,668 | | 17,489 | | 29,000 | |
Increase in value of derivative instruments | | — | | 8,074 | | — | | 6,741 | |
Consolidated EBITDA | | $ | 29,772 | | $ | 27,658 | | $ | 64,783 | | $ | 51,133 | |
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