Regulation and Licensing | 3 Months Ended |
Jul. 31, 2014 |
Regulation and Licensing [Abstract] | ' |
Regulation and Licensing | ' |
Note 15. Regulation and Licensing |
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Washington |
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The gaming legislation in Washington State is codified in chapter 9.46 of the Revised Code of Washington (“RCW”) which stipulates the Washington State Gambling Commission (the “WA Gambling Commission”) to be the regulator of gambling activities in this state. The WA Gambling Commission enforces its authority through an extensive set of rules and regulations promulgated in Title 230 of the Washington Administrative Code. The state of Washington allows certain gambling activities, such as amusement games, bingo, raffles, punch boards, pull-tabs, card-rooms, and public card games. In order to be considered legal, these activities must be operated by either non-profit organizations or by commercial food and drink establishments. Some activities may be operated solely by non-profit organizations, such as raffles. Some traditional casino games, such as craps, roulette and keno, are prohibited. House-banked card-rooms have been authorized in Washington State since 1997 and, under current law, each establishment is allowed to have up to 15 tables offering games, such as Blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Three Card Poker, Four Card Poker, Spanish Poker, Texas Shootout, Spanish 21, Pai Gow Poker, and others. The law allows both player-sponsored and house-banked card-rooms. As of January 1, 2009, the WA Gambling Commission increased the maximum bet for house-banked card-rooms’ table game wager limit to $300 and allowed card-rooms to offer Mini-Baccarat. In addition, these establishments are allowed to be open 24 hours per day, provided they close for at least four continuous hours two times per week. |
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To operate our ten “mini-casinos” in Washington State, each of them is required to maintain a Public Card-room and Punch Board/Pull-Tab Commercial Stimulant license. These licenses are renewable annually, subject to continued compliance with applicable gaming regulations. In addition, the WA Gambling Commission requires, prior to the licenses being issued, each substantial interest holder in the licensees (including our officers, directors and owners of 5% percent or more of any class of our stock) to submit to the WA Gambling Commission certain disclosure forms and be subject to background investigations. The failure or inability of our “mini-casinos” to maintain their respective licenses would have a material adverse effect on our operations. |
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Revised Code of Washington (“RCW”) 9.46.110 allows local governments (including cities, counties and towns) to prohibit any or all gambling activities for which licenses are required as well as tax such activities. The maximum tax limitations imposed by law include 20% of gross receipts for public card-room games and either 5% of gross receipts or 10% of net receipt (as chosen by a local authority) for pull-tabs activities. The current gaming tax rate for public card-room games in the cities of Pasco, Mountlake Terrace, Kennewick, SeaTac, Renton, Tukwila and Shoreline, as well as in Snohomish County, is 10% of table games gross receipts. The current gaming tax rate for pull-tabs in the city of Kennewick is 10% of pull-tabs net receipts, while in the cities of Pasco, Mountlake Terrace, SeaTac, Renton, Tukwila and Shoreline, as well as in Snohomish County, the tax rate is 5% of pull-tabs gross receipts. In addition, Washington State charges a business and occupational tax in the amount of 1.63% of all gaming activities’ net receipts in order to promote responsible gaming. |
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South Dakota |
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Gaming in South Dakota began in November 1989 and is presently authorized within the City of Deadwood. The gaming legislation is codified in Chapter 42-7B of the South Dakota Codified Laws as well as Article 20:18 of the South Dakota Legislature Administrative Rules (collectively, the “SD Regulations”) and is regulated by the South Dakota Commission on Gaming (the “SD Gaming Commission”). The SD Regulations allow gambling activities to be conducted at bars and taverns, including slot machines and limited card games, such as Blackjack and Poker. The SD Regulations limit each licensed location to have a maximum of 30 slot machines. The current tax rate is 9% of the adjusted gross gaming revenues in addition to an annual fee of $2,000 for each licensed gaming device located in a licensed location. In order to operate our slot route business in this state, we are required to hold Operator and Route Operator licenses issued by the SD Gaming Commission. |
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The SD Regulations require that every officer and director, as well as any stockholder holding 5% or greater ownership in a company involved with the conduct of gaming in the state to be a person of good moral character and must submit to a full background investigation conducted by the SD Gaming Commission. Our gaming licenses may be suspended or revoked for any cause which may have prevented their issuance, or for violation by us, or any of our officers, directors, agents, members or employees, of the SD Regulations or for conviction of a crime of moral turpitude or a felony. In addition to the revocation or suspension or in lieu of revocation or suspension, the SD Gaming Commission may impose a reprimand or a monetary penalty. |
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Colorado |
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Upon the sale of the Colorado Grande Casino to G Investments, LLC on May 25, 2012, we surrendered our license to operate the Colorado Grande Casino and are no longer subject to the provisions of the Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder. |
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Nevada |
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Upon the recommendation of the Nevada Gaming Control Board (the “NV Gaming Board”), on January 26, 2012, the Nevada Gaming Commission (the “NV Gaming Commission” and, collectively with the NV Gaming Board, the “NV Gaming Authorities”) approved our application for registration as a publicly-traded corporation submitted in connection with an acquisition of a 1% interest in The Nugget, a non-restricted gaming licensee located in Reno, NV, by our wholly-owned subsidiary, Nevada Gold Speedway, LLC (“NG Speedway”). Our acquisition of equity in the Nugget required us to file the application. In connection therewith, we, NG Speedway, and certain of our key employees and directors were found suitable by the NV Gaming Authorities. We took this action to accelerate future Nevada acquisitions or management contracts. In May 2013, as permitted by the agreement, the Heaney Trust exercised its right to repurchase our 1% ownership of The Nugget for $1,000. As a result we were licensed in Nevada and remain registered with the Nevada Gaming Control Board as a publicly traded corporation that has been found suitable. |
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The ownership and operation of gaming establishments in the State of Nevada are subject to the Nevada Gaming Control Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “NGCA”). A finding of suitability is comparable to licensing and it requires submission of detailed personal and financial information followed by a thorough investigation. A finding of unsuitability with respect to any officer, director, employee, associate, lender or beneficial owner of a licensee or applicant may jeopardize an already issued license or applicant’s license application. Licenses may be conditioned upon termination of any relationship with unsuitable persons. |
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Although any beneficial holder of our voting securities, regardless of the number of shares owned, may be required to file an application for a finding of suitability, the general rule provides that beneficial owners of more than 10% of any class of our voting securities must apply to the NV Gaming Authorities for a finding of suitability. Under certain circumstances, an “institutional investor” (as defined in the NGCA) who acquires more than 10% but not more than 25% of any class of our voting securities, may apply to the NV Gaming Authorities for a waiver of such finding of suitability if such institutional investor holds the voting securities for investment purposes only. An institutional investor that has obtained a waiver may, in certain circumstances, own up to 29% of the voting securities of a registered company for a limited period of time and maintain the waiver. Any person who fails or refuses to apply for a finding of suitability or a license within 30 days after being ordered to do so by the NV Gaming Authorities, or who refuses or fails to pay the investigative costs in connection with investigation of its application, may be found unsuitable. The same restrictions apply to a record owner if the record owner, after request, fails to identify the beneficial owner. Any shareholder found unsuitable and who holds, directly or indirectly, any beneficial ownership of our common stock beyond such period of time as may be prescribed by the NV Gaming Authorities may be guilty of a criminal offense. We would be subject to disciplinary action if, after receipt of notice that a person is unsuitable, we: |
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• | | pay such a person any dividend or interest upon any of our voting securities; |
• | | allow such a person to exercise, directly or indirectly, any voting right conferred through securities held by that person; |
• | | pay remuneration in any form to such a person for services rendered or otherwise; or |
• | | fail to pursue all lawful efforts to require such unsuitable person to relinquish his or her voting securities including, if necessary, the immediate purchase of the voting securities for cash at fair market value. |
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Corporations registered with the NV Gaming Commission may not make a public offering of any securities without the prior approval of the NV Gaming Authorities if the securities or the proceeds therefrom are intended to be used to construct, acquire, or finance gaming facilities in the State of Nevada, or to retire or extend obligations incurred for those purposes or for similar purposes. An approval, if given, does not constitute a finding, recommendation, or approval by the NV Gaming Authorities as to the accuracy or adequacy of the prospectus or the investment merits of the securities, and any representation to the contrary is unlawful. |
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Because we are involved in gaming activities outside the State of Nevada, we are required to deposit with the NV Gaming Board, and thereafter maintain, a revolving fund in the amount of $10,000 to pay for the expenses of investigation by the NV Gaming Board of our participation in gaming in other jurisdictions. The revolving fund is subject to increase or decrease at the discretion of the NV Gaming Commission. Upon our registration and finding of suitability, we are also required to comply with certain other requirements imposed by the NGCA, including reporting requirements. |
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We currently do not operate any gaming establishment in the State of Nevada. |
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