STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION.

Summary of stock option activity

		Weighted Average
				Remaining		Aggregate
		Exercise		Contractual		Intrinsic
Stock Options	Shares	Price		Term		Value
Stock Option Shares outstanding at beginning of period	1,990,471	$	21.09	—			—
Stock Option Shares granted	499,301		42.41	—			—
Stock Option Shares exercised	(159,575)		14.75	—			—
Stock Option Shares forfeited	(93,333)		23.46	—			—
Stock Option Shares expired	—		—	—			—
Stock Option Shares outstanding at end of period	2,236,864	$	26.21	7.3	yrs.	$	30,294,694
Stock Option Shares exercisable at end of period	970,552	$	15.72	5.1	yrs.	$	21,881,342

Summary of status of nonvested shares

		Weighted-Average
		Grant Date Fair
Nonvested Stock Option Shares	Shares	Value
Nonvested at January 1, 2018	1,202,967	$	8.07
Granted	499,301		13.52
Vested	(342,623)		6.07
Forfeited	(93,333)		7.14
Nonvested at December 31, 2018	1,266,312	$	10.83

Schedule of stock options granted, vested and exercised

Option valuation assumptions for options granted during each year were as follows (dollars in thousands):

	Year ended December 31,
	2018			2017			2016
Weighted average expected volatility for options granted		32.98	%		35.54	%		35.81	%
Expected dividends		—			—			—
Expected life (in years)
Directors’ plan		3.04			2.99			2.73
Executives plan		5.07			5.05			4.71
Employees plan		4.12			4.14			4.10
Weighted average risk free rate		2.76	%		1.83	%		1.14	%
Weighted average grant date fair value per share of options granted	$	13.52		$	11.92		$	6.67
Total fair value of shares vested	$	2,080		$	1,324		$	1,758
Total intrinsic value of options exercised	$	4,659		$	5,819		$	3,276
Cash received for all stock option exercises	$	2,354		$	5,813		$	2,934
Tax benefit realized from stock awards exercised	$	978		$	2,037		$	1,146

Schedule of stock-based compensation expense

Reported stock-based compensation expense was classified as follows (in thousands):

	For the Year ended December 31,
	2018		2017		2016
Casino	$	129	$	114	$	95
Food and beverage		137		92		101
Hotel		66		33		37
Selling, general and administrative		2,799		2,005		1,448
Total stock-based compensation, before taxes		3,131		2,244		1,681
Tax benefit		(657)		(785)		(588)
Total stock-based compensation, net of tax	$	2,474	$	1,459	$	1,093