COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	NOTE 11. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Self-Insurance: The Company is self-insured for health care claims for eligible active employees. Benefit plan administrators assist the Company in determining its liability for self-insured claims, and such claims are not discounted. Monarch Black Hawk’s health plan has stop-loss insurance whereby the Company retains the first $250,000 of liability for individual health care claims. The Company’s liability on the Atlantis health plan is limited to the first $250,000 of claims plus 10% of claims above $250,000. The Company is also self-insured for Atlantis workers’ compensation. The maximum liability for workers’ compensation under the Atlantis stop-loss agreement is $500,000 per claim. The Company is fully-insured for Monarch Black Hawk workers compensation claims. Legal dispute: On August 30, 2019, PCL Construction Services, Inc. (“PCL”) filed a complaint in District Court, City and County of Denver, Colorado, against the Company and its Colorado subsidiaries, in connection with the Company’s expansion plans for Monarch Casino Resort Spa Black Hawk. The complaint alleges, among other things, the defendants breached the construction contract with PCL and certain implied warranties. On December 5, 2019, the Company filed its answer and counterclaim, which alleges, among other items, that PCL breached the construction contract, duties of good faith and fair dealing, and implied and express warranties, made fraudulent or negligent misrepresentations on which the Company and its Colorado subsidiaries relied, and included claims for monetary damages as well as equitable and declaratory relief. The trial date for this matter has been rescheduled for March 21, 2022. Discovery in the action is ongoing, and we are currently unable to determine the probability of the outcome or reasonably estimate the loss or gain, if any. In connection with the expansion of the Monarch Black Hawk described above, our general contractor PCL and certain subcontractors have provided Monarch with purported notice of their intent to file a lien against the real property on which the Monarch Black Hawk is situated, for sums allegedly owed for construction of the expansion. Some of the subcontractors have recorded such liens in the property records of Gilpin County, Colorado. We are not aware of any such lien claimant having initiated an action to foreclose its alleged lien. If such an action is filed by one or more lien claimant, Monarch intends to defend against such a claim and seek to expunge or reduce the liens. The Company recognized $1.6 million and $0.3 million in construction litigation expense relating to this lawsuit for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, which are included in Other operating items, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. From time to time, we may be subject to other legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business. Management believes that the amount of any reasonably possible or probable loss for such other known matters would not have a material adverse impact on our financial conditions, cash flows or results of operations; however, the outcome of these actions is inherently difficult to predict.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

NOTE 11. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Self-Insurance: The Company is self-insured for health care claims for eligible active employees. Benefit plan administrators assist the Company in determining its liability for self-insured claims, and such claims are not discounted. Monarch Black Hawk’s health plan has stop-loss insurance whereby the Company retains the first $250,000 of liability for individual health care claims. The Company’s liability on the Atlantis health plan is limited to the first $250,000 of claims plus 10% of claims above $250,000.

The Company is also self-insured for Atlantis workers’ compensation. The maximum liability for workers’ compensation under the Atlantis stop-loss agreement is $500,000 per claim. The Company is fully-insured for Monarch Black Hawk workers compensation claims.

Legal dispute: On August 30, 2019, PCL Construction Services, Inc. (“PCL”) filed a complaint in District Court, City and County of Denver, Colorado, against the Company and its Colorado subsidiaries, in connection with the Company’s expansion plans for Monarch Casino Resort Spa Black Hawk. The complaint alleges, among other things, the defendants breached the construction contract with PCL and certain implied warranties. On December 5, 2019, the Company filed its answer and counterclaim, which alleges, among other items, that PCL breached the construction contract, duties of good faith and fair dealing, and implied and express warranties, made fraudulent or negligent misrepresentations on which the Company and its Colorado subsidiaries relied, and included claims for monetary damages as well as equitable and declaratory relief.

The trial date for this matter has been rescheduled for March 21, 2022. Discovery in the action is ongoing, and we are currently unable to determine the probability of the outcome or reasonably estimate the loss or gain, if any.

In connection with the expansion of the Monarch Black Hawk described above, our general contractor PCL and certain subcontractors have provided Monarch with purported notice of their intent to file a lien against the real property on which the Monarch Black Hawk is situated, for sums allegedly owed for construction of the expansion. Some of the subcontractors have recorded such liens in the property records of Gilpin County, Colorado. We are not aware of any such lien claimant having initiated an action to foreclose its alleged lien. If such an action is filed by one or more lien claimant, Monarch intends to defend against such a claim and seek to expunge or reduce the liens.

The Company recognized $1.6 million and $0.3 million in construction litigation expense relating to this lawsuit for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, which are included in Other operating items, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

From time to time, we may be subject to other legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business. Management believes that the amount of any reasonably possible or probable loss for such other known matters would not have a material adverse impact on our financial conditions, cash flows or results of operations; however, the outcome of these actions is inherently difficult to predict.