STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

NOTE 3. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

In accordance with ASU No. 2016-09, the Company records any excess tax benefits or deficiencies from its equity awards in its Consolidated Statements of Income in the reporting periods in which vesting occurs. As a result, the Company’s income tax expense and associated effective tax rate are impacted by fluctuations in stock price between the grant dates and vesting dates of equity awards.

For the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, the effect of the excess tax benefits or deficiencies from the equity awards was a decrease of tax expense by $446 thousand and $253 thousand, respectively, resulting in an increase of basic and diluted earnings per share by approximately $0.02 and $0.01, respectively.

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


	Three months ended
	March 31,
	2020		2019
Casino	$	—	$	46
Food and beverage		57		50
Hotel		28		21
Selling, general and administrative		788		798
Total stock-based compensation, before taxes		873		915
Tax benefit		(183)		(192)
Total stock-based compensation, net of tax	$	690	$	723