Note B. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Revenue recognition and Promotional allowances

Gaming revenue is the net difference between gaming wagers and payouts for prizes from VGMs, non-subsidized free play and accruals related to the anticipated payout of progressive jackpots. Progressive jackpots contain base jackpots that increase at a progressive rate based on the credits played and are charged to revenue as the amount of the jackpots increase. The Company recognizes gaming revenues before deductions of such related expenses as NYL's share of VGM revenue and the Monticello Harness Horsemen's Association (the "Horsemen") and Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund's contractually required percentages.

Food, beverage, racing and other revenue, includes food and beverage sales, racing revenue earned from pari-mutuel wagering on live harness racing and simulcast signals to and from other tracks and miscellaneous income. The Company recognizes racing revenues before deductions of such related expenses as purses, stakes and awards. Some elements of the racing revenues from Off-Track Betting Corporations ("OTBs") are recognized as collected, due to uncertainty of receipt of and timing of payments.

Net revenues are recognized net of certain sales incentives in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Certification ("ASC") 605-50, "Revenue Recognition—Customer Payments and Incentives".

The retail value of complimentary food, beverages and other items provided to the Company's guests is included in gross revenues and then deducted as promotional allowances. The estimated cost of providing such food, beverage and other items as promotional allowances is included in food, beverage, racing and other expense. In addition, promotional allowances include non-subsidized free play offered to the Company's guests based on their relative gaming worth and prizes included in certain promotional marketing programs.

The retail value amounts included in promotional allowances for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 are as follows:


	Year ended December 31,
	2011		2010
	(in thousands)
Food and beverage	$	1,354	$	1,848
Non-subsidized free play		1,033		801
Players club awards		439		598
Bus group sales incentives		0		17

Total retail value of promotional allowances	$	2,826	$	3,264

The estimated cost of providing complimentary food, beverages and other items for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 are as follows:


	Year ended December 31,
	2011		2010
	(in thousands)
Food and beverage	$	1,354	$	1,547
Non-subsidized free play		610		467
Players club awards		439		598
Bus group sales incentives		0		8

Total cost of promotional allowances	$	2,403	$	2,620

Principles of consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include Empire's accounts and their wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant inter-company balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on account, demand deposits and certificates of deposit with original maturities of three months or less at acquisition. The Company maintains significant cash balances with financial institutions, which are not covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The Company has not incurred any losses in such accounts and believes it is not exposed to any significant credit risk on cash. Approximately $1.0 million of cash is held in reserve in accordance with NYL regulations. The Company granted the NYL a security interest in the segregated cash account used to deposit NYL's share of net win in accordance with the NYL Rules and Regulations.

Restricted cash

The Company has four types of restricted cash accounts.

Under New York State Racing, Pari-Mutual Wagering and Breeding Law, MRMI is obliged to withhold a certain percentage of certain types of wagers towards the establishment of a pool of money, the use of which is restricted to the funding of approved capital improvements. Periodically during the year, MRMI petitions the Racing and Wagering Board to certify that the noted expenditures are eligible for reimbursement from the capital improvement fund. The balance in this account was approximately $242,000 and $229,000 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Pursuant to its contract with the Monticello Harness Horsemen's Association (the "Horsemen") the Company established an account to segregate amounts collected and payable to the Horsemen as defined in that contract. The balance in this account was approximately $300,000 and $1.2 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

In April 2005, the New York law governing VGM operations was modified to provide an increase in the revenues retained by the VGM operator. A portion of that increase was designated as a reimbursement of marketing expenses incurred by the VGM operator. The amount of revenues directed toward this reimbursement is deposited in a bank account under the control of the NYL and the VGM operator. The funds are transferred from this account to the VGM operator upon the approval by NYL officials of the reimbursement requests submitted by the VGM operator. The balance in this account was approximately $413,000 and $368,000 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

In connection with the Company's VGM operations, it agreed to maintain a restricted bank account with a balance of $400,000. The NYL can make withdrawals directly from this account if they have not received their share of net win when due. As of December 31, 2011, there were no withdrawals made from this account.

Accounts receivable

Accounts receivable, net of allowances, are stated at the amount the Company expects to collect. When required, an allowance for doubtful accounts is recorded based on information on the collectability of specific accounts. Accounts are considered past due or delinquent based on contractual terms, how recently payments have been received and the Company's judgment of collectability. In the normal course of business, the Company settles wagers for other racetracks and is exposed to credit risk. These wagers are included in accounts receivable. Account balances are charged against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote. As of December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the Company recorded an allowance for doubtful accounts of approximately $177,000 and $168,000, respectively.

Property and equipment

Property and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. The Company provides for depreciation on property and equipment used by applying the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:


Assets		Estimated Useful Lives
Vehicles		5-10 years
Furniture, fixtures and equipment		5-10 years
Land improvements		20 years
Building improvements		40 years
Buildings		40 years

Deferred financing costs

Deferred financing costs were amortized on the straight-line method over the term of the related debt.

Deferred lease costs

Deferred lease costs are recorded at cost and amortized using the straight-line method over the term of the lease. As of December 31, 2011, the lease has not been executed and accordingly no amortization expense was recognized during the year then ended.

Impairment of long-lived assets

The Company periodically reviews the carrying value of its long-lived assets in relation to historical results, as well as management's best estimate of future trends, events and overall business climate. If such reviews indicate an issue as to whether that the carrying value of such assets may not be recoverable, the Company will then estimate the future cash flows generated by such assets (undiscounted and without interest charges). If such future cash flows are insufficient to recover the carrying amount of the assets, then impairment is triggered and the carrying value of any impaired assets would then be reduced to fair value.

Loss contingencies

There are times when non-recurring events may occur that require management to consider whether an accrual for a loss contingency is appropriate. Accruals for loss contingencies typically relate to certain legal proceedings, customer and other claims and litigation. As required by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("GAAP"), the Company determines whether an accrual for a loss contingency is appropriate by assessing whether a loss is deemed probable and can be reasonably estimated. The Company analyzes its legal proceedings and other claims based on available information to assess potential liability. The Company develops its views on estimated losses in consultation with outside counsel handling its defense in these matters, which involves an analysis of potential results assuming a combination of litigation and settlement strategies. The Company recognized no loss contingencies for 2011 and 2010.

Earnings (loss) per common share

The Company computes basic earnings (loss) per share by dividing net income (loss) applicable to common shares by the weighted-average common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings (loss) per share reflects the potential dilution of earnings that could occur if securities or contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common stock that then shared in the earnings (loss) of the entity. Since the effect of common stock equivalents is anti-dilutive with respect to losses, these common stock equivalents have been excluded from the Company's computation of loss per common share. Therefore, basic and diluted loss per common share for the year ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 were the same.

The following table shows the approximate number of common stock equivalents outstanding at December 31, 2011 and 2010 that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share in the future, but were not included in the calculation of diluted loss per share for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive.


	Outstanding at December 31,
	2011		2010
Options		2,596,000		2,607,000
Warrants		1,083,000		1,083,000
Option Matching Rights		1,809,000		1,860,000
Restricted stock		0		16,000
Shares to be issued upon conversion of long-term loan, related party		6,575,000		0

Total		12,063,000		5,566,000

Fair value

The Company follows the provisions of ASC 820, "Fair Value Measurement," issued by the FASB for financial assets and liabilities. This standard defines fair value, provides guidance for measuring fair value, requires certain disclosures and discusses valuation techniques, such as the market approach (comparable market prices), the income approach (present value of future income or cash flow) and the cost approach (cost to replace the service capacity of an asset or replacement cost). The Company chose not to elect the fair value option as prescribed by FASB, for its financial assets and liabilities that had not been previously carried at fair value. The Company's financial instruments are comprised of current assets, current liabilities and a long-term loan. Current assets and current liabilities approximate fair value due to their short-term nature. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's management was unable to estimate reasonably the fair value of the long-term loan due to the inability to obtain quotes for similar credit facilities.

Advertising

The Company records as current operating expense the costs of general advertising, promotion and marketing programs at the time those costs are incurred. Advertising expense was approximately $1.1 million and $1.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Stock-based compensation

The cost of all share-based awards to employees, including grants of employee stock options and restricted stock, is recognized in the financial statements based on the fair value of the awards at grant date. The fair value of stock option awards is determined using the Black-Scholes valuation model on the date of grant. The fair value of restricted stock awards is equal to the market price of Empire's common stock on the date of grant. The fair value of share-based awards is recognized as stock-based compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period from the date of grant. As of December 31, 2011, there was approximately $759,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested share-based compensation arrangements granted under the Company's equity compensation plan. That cost is expected to be recognized over a period of two years. This expected cost does not include the impact of any future stock-based compensation awards.

Income taxes

The Company applies the asset and liability approach to financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed for differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities that will result in future taxable or deductible amounts, based on enacted tax laws and rates for the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

Estimates and assumptions

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with 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 may differ from estimates.

Reclassifications

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.

Recent accounting pronouncements

In April 2010, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2010-16, "Entertainment—Casinos (Topic 924): Accruals for Casino Jackpot Liabilities." The ASU codifies the consensus reached in Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No. 09-F, "Casino Base Jackpot Liabilities." This ASU amends the FASB ASC to clarify that an entity should not accrue jackpot liabilities, or portions thereof, before a jackpot is won if the entity can avoid paying the jackpot. Jackpots should be accrued and charged to revenue when an entity has the obligation to pay the jackpot. The guidance in the ASU applies to both base and progressive jackpots. The amendments in the ASU are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after December 15, 2010. The amendments should be applied by recording a cumulative-effect adjustment to opening retained earnings in the period of adoption. The adoption of ASU No. 2010-16 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-04, "Fair Value Measurements (Topic 820): Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs," ("ASU 2011-04"). ASU 2011-04 expands the disclosures for fair value measurements that are estimated using significant unobservable (Level 3) inputs. This new guidance is to be applied prospectively. This guidance will be effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2012. The Company anticipates that the adoption of this standard will not materially affect its consolidated financial statements.

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, "Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Presentation of Comprehensive Income," ("ASU 2011-05"). ASU 2011-05 eliminates the option to report other comprehensive income and its components in the statement of changes in equity. ASU 2011-05 requires that all non-owner changes in stockholders' equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. This new guidance is to be applied retrospectively. This guidance will be effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2012. The Company anticipates that the adoption of this standard will not change the presentation of its consolidated financial statements.

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-08, Topic 350—"Intangibles—Goodwill and Other" ("ASU 2011-08"), which amends Topic 350 to allow an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test. An entity would not be required to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit unless the entity determines, based the qualitative assessment, that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount. This guidance is effective for annual and interim goodwill tests performed for years beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption is permitted. The Company's adoption of ASU 2011-08 is not expected to have an impact on its consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-12, Topic 220—"Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassification of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05" ("ASU 2011-12"), which indefinitely deferred certain provisions of ASU 2011-05, including the requirement to present reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive income by component in both the statement in which net income is presented and the statement in which other comprehensive income is presented. This amendment is effective for both annual and interim financial statements beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company's adoption of ASU 2011-12 will not have an impact on its consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-11, Topic 2010—"Balance Sheet" ("ASU 2011-11"), which contains new disclosure requirements regarding the nature of an entity's rights of set off and related arrangements associated with its financial instruments and derivative instruments. Under U.S. GAAP, certain derivative and repurchase agreement arrangements are granted exceptions from the general off-setting model. To facilitate comparison between financial statements prepared under U.S. GAAP and IFRS, the new disclosure requirement will provide financial statement users information regarding both gross and net exposures. This guidance is effective for annual and interim financial statements beginning on or after January 1, 2013. Retrospective application is required. The Company does not set off related arrangements associated with its financial instruments and derivative instruments. Its adoption of ASU 2011-11 is not expected to have an impact on its consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.