Everi Reports 2021 Third Quarter Results

Everi Holdings Inc. (NYSE: EVRI) (“Everi” or the “Company”), a premier provider of land-based and digital casino gaming content and products, financial technology and player loyalty solutions, today announced third quarter results for the period ended September 30, 2021.

Third Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights and Updated Full Year Outlook

As the third quarter 2020 financial results were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Everi believes a more meaningful comparison for its 2021 third quarter results and an indication of its growth is to the 2019 third quarter results, for which revenues and Adjusted EBITDA were higher than in the 2020 third quarter. Financial results for the 2021, 2020 and 2019 third quarter periods are presented in the Consolidated, Games and Financial Technology Solutions comparative results tables below.

• Revenues rose 25% to $168.3 million, compared to $134.6 million in the 2019 third quarter.
• Operating income more than doubled to a record $55.1 million compared to $27.3 million in the 2019 third quarter. Net income, inclusive of $34.4 million in pre-tax costs for the extinguishment of debt associated with the Company’s refinancing of its outstanding debt in the quarter, decreased to $6.7 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, compared to $9.3 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, in the 2019 third quarter.
• Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, increased 40% to $90.6 million, compared to $64.7 million in the 2019 third quarter.
• Free Cash Flow, a non-GAAP financial measure, increasedmore than fivefold to a quarterly record of $56.3 million, compared to $11.1 million in the 2019 third quarter.
• Company now expects full year revenue of $645 million to $653 million, net income of $98 million to $100 million, Adjusted EBITDA of $342 million to $346 million and Free Cash Flow of $155 million to $160 million.

Michael Rumbolz, Chief Executive Officer of Everi, said, “The growth in our third quarter revenue, operating earnings and Free Cash Flow demonstrate the substantial ongoing momentum in our financial performance.  We expect that further growth across both our Games and FinTech segments will continue for the remainder of this year and into 2022 and beyond. We expect to continue to benefit from the expansion of our installed base of leased gaming units, growth in ship share, same-store increases in financial access transactions, and the ongoing organic growth of our loyalty and regulatory compliance solutions. We believe the ongoing strength across both businesses and our deep pipeline of new offerings will drive consistent earnings and revenue growth as well as the continued generation of significant Free Cash Flow.

“The favorable customer reaction to our newest products at G2E® last month bolsters our confidence in our near- and long-term outlook. For our Games segment, the scale of our newest content continues to increase with well-received new themes introduced across the spectrum of premium video, premium mechanical, standard video, standard mechanical, and wide-area progressive (“WAP”) machines. New premium games such as Cashnado and Moneyline games for the high-performing Empire Flex® portrait cabinet highlight the creativity and innovation of our game design teams. Everi’s development teams continue to create products that raise the level of gaming entertainment and thereby offer an attractive return on the investments our customers make in our gaming products.

“Our portfolio of integrated FinTech products and services is more comprehensive and provides more value to casino operators than ever before and our newest offerings were similarly met with very favorable response at G2E. Our omni-channel, digital Cashclub Wallet® was a highlight of the show, including our demonstration of its seamless integration with our mobile-player loyalty offering. New products, such as MetersXpress, which extends our Digital Neighborhood to the casino pit, provide key process efficiencies.  With the strength and depth of our newest products and core offerings, Everi is favorably positioned to execute on our significant opportunities to gain market share and deliver consistent future growth across our Games and FinTech businesses.”

Consolidated Full Quarter Comparative Results (unaudited)

Third Quarter 2021 Results Overview
Results for the three-month period ended September 30, 2021 continued to reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit to a lesser extent than recent quarterly periods. Third quarter 2020 results reflect a significant impact of COVID-19, while 2019 results were unimpacted by the pandemic.

Randy Taylor, Everi’s Chief Operating Officer, said, “Our strong quarterly financial results are directly correlated to the continued successful execution of our strategic growth initiatives, leading to consistent new demand for our products. A key driver of our operating momentum is the continued growth of our high-margin, recurring revenue streams, which increased to more than $131 million, a quarterly record. This strength translates to improved cash flow, which provides additional capital we can allocate towards return-focused investments in product innovation to drive sustainable growth, as well as the flexibility to pursue and successfully integrate and scale accretive bolt-on acquisitions.

“Growth in our FinTech business continues to reflect improvements in financial access services, loyalty and RegTech software solutions from new and existing customers, as well as double-digit growth in same-store financial access transactions and dollars processed. In addition, we are achieving consistent progress with the rollout of our cashless digital wallet offering, which is now deployed across four jurisdictions at 15 casinos that have more than 32,000 gaming machines. This progress demonstrates our ability to offer industry-leading, integrated solutions that help our customers operate more efficiently and maximize funds delivered to their casino floors while providing their guests with a seamless experience.

“Our Games segment continues to benefit from placements of our higher-earning premium units, which grew to a record 7,351 units in the quarter, representing 45% of the total installed base. Third quarter sales of 1,176 electronic gaming machines reflect our growing ship share of replacement units, which we believe now approximate double-digit quarterly ship share.  The strength of our for-sale games is also evidenced by the quarterly sequential growth in replacement sales achieved throughout 2021, compared to pre-pandemic periods.  As the replacement cycle of electronic gaming machines returns to pre-pandemic levels, we expect the investments we have made in our Games business have positioned us to make consistent progress towards our new target of 15% ship share over the next several years.

“The operating performance of our two segments, together with a continued focus on costs, led to a record level of recurring revenue, operating income and Free Cash Flow generation of $56.3 million.”

Games Segment Full Quarter Comparative Results (unaudited)

2021 Third Quarter Games Segment Highlights

Games segment revenues increased to a quarterly record $95.8 million compared to $57.2 million and $69.3 million in the third quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively, primarily reflecting growth in the installed base and in Daily Win per Unit (“DWPU”) in gaming operations, as well as increased shipments of gaming machines.

Operating income increased to $30.2 million, compared to an operating loss of $0.4 million a year ago and operating income of $3.1 million in the third quarter 2019. The increase in operating income over the prior-year periods reflects the benefit of higher revenues, a revenue mix that includes a greater contribution from the higher-margin gaming operations business and lower amortization expense. Adjusted EBITDA increased to a quarterly record $57.7 million, from $32.9 million and $34.6 million in the third quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Gaming operations revenue grew to a quarterly record $71.6 million, compared to $47.0 million and $48.5 million in the third quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively.

• Driven by the strength of higher-performing premium games, DWPU increased to $42.74 in the third quarter of 2021, compared to $32.81 and $33.95 in the third quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively.
• The installed base as of September 30, 2021 was a record 16,421 units, an increase of 8%, or 1,165 units, compared to September 30, 2020. The installed base increased by 170 units on a quarterly sequential basis despite the previously announced convert-to-sale of 238 standard units in the 2021 third quarter.
  • In the third quarter, the Company extended terms of its placement fee arrangement with a significant multi-property tribal casino operator that secures 4,557 games, or 28% of the Company’s current total installed base, until mid-2027 for an additional fee of $28.9 million to be paid in the 2021 fourth quarter.
• The premium portion of the installed base increased by 20%, or 1,210 units, year over year and by 390 units on a quarterly sequential basis to a record 7,351 units. This was the 13th consecutive quarterly sequential increase in premium units. Growth was in part driven by initial placements of Cashnado game theme, as well as the Company’s industry-leading premium mechanical reel games. The installed base of Wide-area Progressive (“WAP”) gaming machines, a subcategory of premium units, grew by 182 units year over year and 101 units on a quarterly sequential basis to 1,183 machines as of September 30, 2021, due in part to the launch of the Monsterverse game on the Empire DCX® cabinet and the installation of WAP units into commercial casinos in Nevada and New Jersey.
• Digital revenue rose 90% to $3.8 million compared to $2.0 million a year ago and more than triple the amount two years ago. Digital revenue growth reflects increased B2B revenue from the expanded base of iGaming operator sites featuring Everi’s games – including new customer sites in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan that went live during the quarter – along with a growing library of available slot content. Subsequent to quarter-end, Everi Digital went live in Ontario and Connecticut. The B2B revenue increase more than offset a decline in B2C revenue as the Company has de-emphasized its B2C social gaming operations, which it now expects will be fully closed by the end of 2021.
• Revenues from the New York Lottery systems business increased to $6.4 million compared to $1.1 million and $4.8 million in the third quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Gaming equipment and systems revenues generated from the sale of gaming units and other related parts and equipment totaled $24.2 million in the third quarter of 2021, compared to $10.2 million and $19.6 million in the third quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively.

• The Company sold 1,176 new units at an average selling price (“ASP”) of $18,014in the 2021 third quarter. This is an increase compared with 492 units at an ASP of $18,209 in the 2020 third quarter and 1,040 units at an ASP of $17,983 in the 2019 third quarter. Units sold and ASP do not include the 238 pre-owned convert-to-sale gaming machines at a customer location noted above.

Financial Technology Solutions Segment Full Quarter Comparative Results (unaudited)*

2021 Third Quarter Financial Technology Solutions Segment Highlights

FinTech revenues for the 2021 third quarter increased to a record $72.4 million compared to $54.9 million and $65.3 million in the third quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively. The growth over both years primarily reflects an increase in revenues from financial access services and software and other.

Operating income rose to $24.9 million compared to $20.2 million and $24.2 million in the third quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively. The increase primarily reflects the benefit of higher revenues partially offset by an increase in research and development expense driven by an acceleration of new product development efforts, including new and enhanced loyalty products, the Company’s CashClub Wallet^® digital technology solution and new RegTech offerings. Adjusted EBITDA was $32.9 million compared to $26.8 million and $30.1 million in the third quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively.

• Financial access services revenues, which include cashless and cash-dispensing debit and credit card transactions and check services, increased on a quarterly sequential basis to $46.4 million from $44.8 million in the second quarter 2021, reflecting continued strength in casino activity; and were up 8% from the third quarter of 2019. Transactional activity on a same-store basis increased in the third quarter 2021 by a mid-teens percentage rate over the pre-COVID third quarter of 2019.
• Software and other revenues, which include loyalty and RegTech software, product subscriptions, kiosk maintenance services, and other revenue, rose to a record $17.0 million, of which approximately 77% were of a recurring nature. This compares to total revenue of $14.6 million in the third quarter 2020, of which 76% were of a recurring nature, and $12.0 million in the third quarter 2019, of which 73% were of a recurring nature.
• Hardware sales revenues were $9.0 million, inclusive of significant shipments of self-service kiosks and other loyalty and financial access equipment for new casino openings and major expansions, in the third quarter 2021, compared to $6.2 million and $10.2 million in the third quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Balance Sheet and Liquidity

• During the 2021 third quarter, the Company completed a refinancing that reduced total debt by $144.6 million to $1.0 billion, decreased annual cash interest costs and extended maturities.
• As of September 30, 2021, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $215.6 million and a Net Cash Position of $88.6 million.
• Early in the 2021 fourth quarter, the Company paid $28.9 million in a single lump sum to extend the term of its placement fee agreement with a significant customer.

Outlook

Everi today raised its previous guidance for full year 2021 results. The Company now expects net income of $98 million to $100 million, Adjusted EBITDA of $342 million to $346 million, and Free Cash Flow of $155 million to $160 million (inclusive of the $28.9 million fourth quarter placement fee noted above). The factors considered in Everi’s 2021 outlook include:

• Continued year-over-year growth in gaming operations revenues. Reflecting the recent increase in installed base and the additional growth anticipated in the later part of the fourth quarter, the Company expects the 2021 year-end installed base will approach or slightly exceed 17,000 units, inclusive of ongoing growth in premium unit placements. While reflecting usual fourth quarter influences, recent record-high DWPU is anticipated to remain above $40.00.
• Capital expenditures and placement fees collectively are expected to be $132 million to $134 million.
• Although not factored into its guidance, the Company is currently evaluating a potential significant change to income taxes related to the possible reversal of some portion of the Company’s deferred tax asset valuation allowances during the 2021 fourth quarter. To the extent this materializes, a significant non-cash income tax benefit may be realized, which would likely result in a substantial full year income tax benefit and increased net income for the Company while not affecting cash taxes paid or Free Cash Flow.
• The Company’s 2021 outlook does not contemplate any additional meaningful impact from a macroeconomic or pandemic-related setback; it does reflect, however, the likelihood of receding government stimulus benefits and an increase in pressure on consumer discretionary spending.

A summary and reconciliation of the financial targets are included in a supplemental table at the end of this release.

Investor Conference Call and Webcast

The Company will host an investor conference call to discuss its 2021 third quarter results at 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT) today. The conference call may be accessed live by phone by dialing (201) 689-8471. A replay of the call will be available beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET today and may be accessed by dialing +1 (412) 317-6671; the PIN number is 13724406. A replay will be available until November 10, 2021. The call also will be webcast live and archived on www.everi.com (select “Investors” followed by “Events & Contact”).

Non-GAAP Financial Information

In order to enhance investor understanding of the underlying trends in our business, our cash balance, and cash available for our operating needs, and to provide for better comparability between periods in different years, we are providing in this press release Adjusted EBITDA, Free Cash Flow, Net Cash Position and Net Cash Available, which are not measures of our financial performance or position under United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”). Accordingly, Adjusted EBITDA, and Free Cash Flow should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.  These measures should be read in conjunction with our net earnings, operating income, and cash flow data prepared in accordance with GAAP. With respect to Net Cash Position and Net Cash Available, these measures should be read in conjunction with cash and cash equivalents prepared in accordance with GAAP.

We define Adjusted EBITDA as earnings (loss) before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, loss on extinguishment of debt, non-cash stock compensation expense, accretion of contract rights, write-downs of inventory, property and equipment and intangible assets, employee severance costs and other related expenses, litigation settlement received net of legal costs, foreign exchange loss, asset acquisition expense, non-recurring professional fees, and one-time charges. We present Adjusted EBITDA, as we use this measure to manage our business and consider this measure to be supplemental to our operating performance. We also make certain compensation decisions based, in part, on our operating performance, as measured by Adjusted EBITDA; and our current credit facility and existing senior unsecured notes require us to comply with a consolidated secured leverage ratio that includes performance metrics substantially similar to Adjusted EBITDA.

We define Free Cash Flow as Adjusted EBITDA less cash paid for interest, cash paid for capital expenditures, cash paid for placement fees, and cash paid for taxes net of refunds.  We present Free Cash Flow as a measure of performance and believe it provides investors with another indicator of our operating performance. It should not be inferred that the entire Free Cash Flow amount is available for discretionary expenditures.

A reconciliation of the Company’s net income (loss) per GAAP to Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow is included in the Unaudited Reconciliation of Selected Financial GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures provided at the end of this release. Additionally, a reconciliation of each segment’s operating income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA is also included. On a segment level, operating income per GAAP, rather than net earnings per GAAP, is reconciled to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as the Company does not report net earnings by segment. Management believes that this presentation is meaningful to investors in evaluating the performance of the Company’s segments.

We define (i) Net Cash Position as cash and cash equivalents plus settlement receivables less settlement liabilities and (ii) Net Cash Available as Net Cash Position plus undrawn amounts available under our revolving credit facility. We present Net Cash Position because our cash position, as measured by cash and cash equivalents, depends upon changes in settlement receivables and the timing of payments related to settlement liabilities. As such, our cash and cash equivalents can change substantially based upon the timing of our receipt of payments for settlement receivables and payments we make to customers for our settlement liabilities.  We present Net Cash Available as management monitors this amount in connection with its forecasting of cash flows and future cash requirements.

A reconciliation of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents per GAAP to Net Cash Position and Net Cash Available is included in the Unaudited Reconciliation of Cash and Cash Equivalents to Net Cash Position and Net Cash Available provided at the end of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “goal,” “target,” “indication,” “future,” “assume,” “estimate,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “project,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “can,” “aim to,” “designed to,” “will provide,” or “favorably positioned” or similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements regarding our ability to execute on key initiatives and deliver ongoing operating and financial improvements including guidance related to 2021 financial and operational metrics; regain or maintain revenue, earnings and Free Cash Flow momentum; sustain our overall growth; drive growth of the gaming operations installed base and DWPU; continue expanding the portions of the gaming floor the Company’s games address; successfully perform obligations required by acquisition agreements; and create incremental value for our shareholders, as well as statements regarding our expectations for the industry environment and the adoption of our products and technologies.

Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are often difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic on our business, operations and financial condition, our history of net losses and our ability to generate profits in the future; our debt leverage and the related covenants that restrict our operations; our ability to generate sufficient cash to service all of our indebtedness and fund working capital and capital expenditures; our ability to withstand unanticipated impacts of a pandemic outbreak of uncertain duration; our ability to withstand the loss of revenue during the closure of our customers’ facilities; our ability to maintain our current customers; our ability to compete in the gaming industry; our ability to execute on mergers, acquisitions and/or strategic alliances, including the timing and closing of acquisitions and our ability to integrate and operate such acquisitions consistent with our forecasts; our ability to access the capital markets to raise funds; expectations regarding our existing and future installed base and daily win per day; expectations regarding development and placement fee arrangements; inaccuracies in underlying operating assumptions; expectations regarding customers’ and gaming patrons’ preferences and demands for future services and product offerings; the overall growth of the gaming industry, if any; our ability to replace revenue associated with terminated customer contracts; margin degradation from contract renewals; technological obsolescence; our ability to comply with the Europay, MasterCard and Visa global standard for cards equipped with security chip technology; our ability to introduce new and enhanced products and services, including third-party licensed content; our ability to prevent, mitigate or timely recover from cybersecurity breaches, attacks and compromises; the level of our capital expenditures and product development; anticipated sales performance; employee turnover; national and international economic conditions; global supply chain disruption; changes in global market, business and regulatory conditions arising as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic; changes in gaming regulatory, card association and statutory requirements; regulatory and licensing difficulties that we may face; competitive pressures in the gaming and financial technology sectors; the impact of changes to tax laws; uncertainty of litigation outcomes; interest rate fluctuations; unanticipated expenses or capital needs and those other risks and uncertainties discussed in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2021. Given these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information contained in this press release will in fact transpire or prove to be accurate. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained herein, which are based only on information currently available to us and speak only as of the date hereof.

This press release should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and with the information included in our other press releases, reports and other filings with the SEC. Understanding the information contained in these filings is important in order to fully understand our reported financial results and our business outlook for future periods.

About Everi

Everi’s mission is to lead the gaming industry through the power of people, imagination and technology. With a focus on player engagement and helping casino customers operate more efficiently, the Company develops entertaining game content and gaming machines, gaming systems, and services for land-based and iGaming operators. The Company is also a preeminent and comprehensive provider of trusted financial technology solutions that power the casino floor while improving operational efficiencies and fulfilling regulatory compliance requirements, including products and services that facilitate convenient and secure cash and cashless financial transactions, self-service player loyalty tools and applications, and regulatory and intelligence software. For more information, please visit www.everi.com, which is updated regularly with financial and other information about the Company.

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SOURCE Everi Holdings Inc.