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Description of the Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Description of the Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Description of the Business
We are a leading cross-platform global games company with a focus on content and digital markets. Our portfolio of revenue-generating activities primarily includes supplying game content and gaming machines, CMSs and table game products and services to licensed gaming entities; providing social casino and other mobile games, including casual gaming, to retail customers; and providing a comprehensive suite of digital gaming content, distribution platforms, player account management systems, as well as various other iGaming content and services. We report our results of operations in three business segments—Gaming, SciPlay and iGaming—representing our different products and services.
On October 23, 2023, we acquired the remaining approximately 17% equity interest in SciPlay not already owned by us pursuant to a merger (the “SciPlay Merger”) in an all-cash transaction of $496 million, excluding transaction fees and expenses. As a result of SciPlay Merger, SciPlay ceased to be publicly traded and became a wholly-owned subsidiary of L&W. As we controlled SciPlay prior to this transaction, the SciPlay Merger was accounted for as an equity transaction in accordance with ASC 810 – Consolidation, specifically ASC 810-10-45-21 through ASC 810-10-45-24 – Changes in a Parent’s Ownership Interest in a Subsidiary. Upon completion of the SciPlay Merger, SciPlay’s revolving credit facility was terminated. There were no borrowings outstanding under SciPlay’s revolving credit facility at the time of termination.
We completed the sales of our former Lottery Business and Sports Betting Business during the second and third quarters of 2022, respectively. We have reflected the prior period financial results of these Divested Businesses as discontinued operations in our consolidated statements of operations. Refer to Note 2 for further information. Unless otherwise noted, amounts and disclosures included herein relate to our continuing operations.
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of L&W, its wholly-owned subsidiaries and those subsidiaries in which we have a controlling financial interest. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Significant Accounting Policies
Additional accounting policy disclosures are provided within the applicable Notes.
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include all cash balances and highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less. We place our temporary cash investments with high credit quality financial institutions. At times, such investments in U.S. accounts may be in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limit.
Restricted cash
We are required by gaming regulations to maintain sufficient reserves in restricted cash accounts to be used for the purpose of funding payments to WAP jackpot winners. These restricted cash balances are based primarily on the jackpot meters displayed to slot players or for previously won jackpots and vary by jurisdiction. Compliance with maintaining adequate restricted cash balances and complying with appropriate investment guidelines for jackpot funding is periodically reported to gaming authorities.
Minimum guarantees under licensing agreements
We enter into long-term license agreements with third parties in which we are obligated to pay a minimum guaranteed amount of royalties, typically periodically over the life of the contract. These license agreements provide us with access to a portfolio of major brands to be used across our business segments in building our strong brand presence across multiple channels of distributions. We account for the minimum guaranteed obligations within accrued and other long-term liabilities at the onset of the license arrangement and record a corresponding licensed asset within intangible assets, net. The licensed
intangible assets related to the minimum guaranteed obligations are amortized over the term of the license agreement with the amortization expense recorded in D&A. The long-term liability related to the minimum guaranteed obligations is reduced as payments are made as required under the license agreement. We assess the recoverability of license agreements whenever events arise or circumstances change that indicate the carrying value of the licensed asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of the licensed asset and the amount of impairment, if any, are determined using our policy for intangible assets with finite useful lives.
Amortization expense related to these licenses and recorded in D&A for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 was $30 million, $34 million and $40 million, respectively.
    The following are our total minimum guaranteed obligations for the periods presented:
As of December 31,
 20232022
Current liabilities$31 $27 
Other long-term liabilities53 78 
Total minimum guarantee obligations$84 $105 
Weighted average remaining term (in years)34
The following are our remaining expected future payments of minimum guarantee obligations:
Year Ending December 31,
20242025202620272028After 2028
Expected future payments$31 $30 $12 $10 $$— 
Other assets
We capitalize debt issuance costs associated with long-term line-of-credit arrangements and amortize such amounts ratably over the term of the arrangement as an adjustment to interest expense. Other assets also include the fair value of our interest rate swaps and other long-term deposits and investments.
We assess the recoverability of our other long-term assets whenever events arise or circumstances change that indicate the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable.
Noncontrolling interest
Prior to the SciPlay Merger, we owned a controlling financial interest in SciPlay, approximately 82.7% of SciPlay’s outstanding common stock, and consolidated SciPlay. The noncontrolling interest share of equity in SciPlay is reflected as noncontrolling interest in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022. Upon completion of the SciPlay Merger, SciPlay became a wholly-owned subsidiary of L&W.
Advertising costs
The cost of advertising is expensed as incurred and totaled $160 million, $162 million and $124 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
R&D
R&D relates primarily to software product development costs incurred until technological feasibility has been established and costs that do not meet internal-use software capitalization criteria. Employee-related costs associated with product development are included in R&D. Such costs are expensed as incurred.
Other income, net
Gains or losses resulting from foreign currency transactions are included in other income, net. Other income, net for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 primarily consisted of a loss of $29 million, loss of $13 million and gain of $8 million, respectively, related to foreign currency transactions as well as $34 million, $17 million and $5 million, respectively, in interest income.
Foreign currency translation and Comprehensive income
We have significant operations where the local currency is the functional currency, including our operations in the U.K., Europe, Australia and Canada. Assets and liabilities of foreign operations are translated at period-end rates of exchange
and results of operations are translated at the average rates of exchange for the period. Gains or losses resulting from translating the foreign currency financial statements are accumulated as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders’ equity.
In addition to unrealized gains and losses from our foreign currency translation adjustments, our comprehensive income includes the effective portion of derivative financial instruments designated as hedging instruments. For periods prior to 2023, comprehensive income also included net investment non-derivative hedge of our investments in certain of our international subsidiaries and certain gains or losses associated with pension or other post-retirement benefits, including prior service costs or credits and transition assets or obligations.
New Accounting Guidance - Not Yet Adopted
The FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 820) in November 2023. The new guidance improves reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. Public entities will be required to disclose significant segment expenses and other segment items by reportable segment if they are regularly provided to the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) and included in each reported measure of segment profit or loss. Additionally, disclosure of the titles and positions of the CODM is required on an annual basis, as well as an explanation of how the CODM uses the reported measure(s) and other disclosures. The amendments in ASU No. 2023-07 are effective for all public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, and early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance; however, based on our initial assessment, we do not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.
The FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740) in December 2023. The new guidance enhances income tax disclosures, specifically as it pertains to the rate reconciliation, income taxes paid and certain other disclosures disaggregated by jurisdiction. The amendments in ASU No. 2023-09 are effective for all public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, and early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance.
We do not expect that any other recently issued accounting guidance will have a significant effect on our consolidated financial statements.