IGT International Game Technology PLC

LONDON, May 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- International Game Technology PLC ("IGT") (NYSE:IGT) today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2016. Today, at 8:00 a.m. EDT / 1:00 p.m. BST / 2:00 p.m. CEST, management will host a conference call and webcast to present the first quarter results; access details are provided below.

"We begin 2016 with a solid first quarter, evidenced by good revenue growth with all operating segments contributing to an improvement in profitability," said Marco Sala, CEO of IGT. "Continuing growth across all regions, especially North America and Italy, propelled our lottery revenues. Gaming revenues were resilient despite challenging market conditions in North America, our largest gaming market. We remain focused on reenergizing gaming operations and strengthening our global leadership in lotteries. We were successful in securing the Italian Lotto concession, one of our largest contracts and a cornerstone of our Italian operations."

"The diversity of our product and geographic mix is a key element of our first quarter results," said Alberto Fornaro, CFO of IGT. "Revenue growth, disciplined cost management, and synergy savings all contributed to sharp profit expansion. Even after large interest payments during the period, we generated significant free cash flow, enabling us to reduce debt in constant currency and further improve our leverage profile."  

Summary of Consolidated First Quarter 2016 Financial Results

Comparability of Results

All figures presented in this news release are prepared under U.S. GAAP, unless noted otherwise.

As a result of the combination of GTECH S.p.A. ("GTECH") and International Game Technology ("legacy IGT"), which was completed on April 7, 2015, a number of items affect the comparability of reported results.  Reported financial information for the first quarter of 2016 includes the results of operations of IGT for the entire period, while reported financial information for the first quarter of 2015 includes only GTECH operations. Pro forma figures represent the combined results of both companies. 

Adjusted figures exclude the impact of items such as purchase accounting, impairment charges, restructuring expense, foreign exchange, and certain one-time, primarily transaction-related items.  Reconciliations to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measures are included in the tables in this news release. Constant currency changes for 2016 are calculated using the same foreign exchange rates as the corresponding 2015 period.

Management believes that referring to certain pro forma, constant currency, or adjusted measures is a useful way to evaluate the Company's underlying performance.

Overview of Consolidated First Quarter Results

Reported consolidated revenue grew 51% to $1,282 million from $848 million in the first quarter of 2015, reflecting GTECH's acquisition of legacy IGT. On a pro forma, constant currency basis, consolidated revenue rose 4%. Revenue growth primarily reflects strong lottery performance, particularly in North America and Italy. Global lottery same-store revenue, excluding Italy, increased 18% during the first quarter, reflecting the benefit of the record Powerball jackpot in the United States. Revenue from gaming was slightly below the prior-year period. During the quarter, the Company sold 5,695 gaming machines worldwide.

On a reported basis, adjusted EBITDA of $460 million was 43% above the first quarter of 2015.  On a pro forma, constant currency basis, adjusted EBITDA was 12% greater than in the prior-year period as overall sales growth was accentuated by favorable revenue mix and synergy savings. 

Reported operating income was $188 million compared to $163 million in the first quarter of 2015. On a pro forma, constant currency basis, adjusted operating income was 35% above the first quarter of 2015, which included significant bad debt expense. In addition, revenue growth, overall sales mix, and synergy savings all contributed to the increase in adjusted operating income. 

Interest expense was $118 million compared to $94 million in the prior-year period.

Net loss attributable to IGT was $93 million in the first quarter of 2016, reflecting the impact of $162 million in primarily non-cash foreign exchange losses. On an adjusted basis, net income attributable to IGT was $116 million. The Company reported net loss per diluted share of $(0.46) but earned $0.57 per diluted share on an adjusted basis.

Cash from operations was $206 million in the first quarter and capital expenditures were $98 million.

Cash and cash equivalents were $506 million as of March 31, 2016, compared to $627 million as of December 31, 2015. Consolidated shareholders' equity totaled $3,292 million and net debt was $7,722 million as of March 31, 2016.

Operating Segment Review

North America Gaming & Interactive
Revenue for the North America Gaming & Interactive segment was $339 million compared to $30 million in the first quarter of 2015. On a pro forma basis, revenue was essentially in line with the prior year.

Service revenue was $258 million compared to $13 million in the prior-year period. On a pro forma basis, service revenue was in line with the first quarter of 2015 as increased software revenues offset a decline in the installed base. DoubleDown revenue was unchanged from the prior year.

Product sales were $81 million compared to $17 million in the first quarter of 2015. On a pro forma basis, product sales declined 3% as lower machine unit volume was partially offset by higher systems sales. The segment shipped 3,951 units compared to 5,241 units in the first quarter of 2015, which included a large, one-off lease conversion sale in Maryland as well as sizeable VLT sales in Canada and Oregon. Excluding one-time items, commercial casino replacement units were up double-digits from the prior-year period.

Operating income for North America Gaming & Interactive was $89 million compared to $7 million in the first quarter of 2015. On a pro forma basis, North America Gaming & Interactive operating income rose 89%, largely due to the comparison with bad debt expense in the prior-year period as well as favorable revenue mix and synergy savings.

North America Lottery
North America Lottery revenue was $315 million in the first quarter of 2016, 25% higher than the prior year on a reported basis and 16% greater on a pro forma basis.

Service revenue increased 26% on a reported basis and was 16% higher than the prior year on a pro forma basis, reflecting 23% same-store revenue growth and favorable LMA comparisons. The significant increase in same-store revenue was supported by the record Powerball jackpot in the period, in addition to strong instant ticket sales and solid local draw-based game performance. Product sales were $11 million in the quarter compared to $12 million in the prior-year period.

Operating income for North America Lottery was $88 million compared to $43 million in the first quarter of 2015. On a pro forma basis, operating income for North America Lottery rose 61% on strong same-store revenue growth, operating leverage, and cost control. The first quarter results represent record profits for the North America Lottery segment, even without the Powerball benefit.

International
International revenue was $185 million compared to $131 million in the first quarter of 2015 on a reported basis. On a pro forma, constant currency basis, International revenue declined 2% from the prior year.

International lottery same-store revenue was up 2%, with broad-based strength in Europe partially offset by weaker trends in Latin America. Lottery product sales were below the prior-year period, which benefited from large sales in New Zealand and Singapore.

International gaming service revenue was $47 million compared to $13 million in the first quarter of 2015 on a reported basis, and was up 4% on a pro forma, constant currency basis, on growth in interactive and the South Africa installed base. Revenue from gaming product sales was in line with the prior year on a pro forma, constant currency basis. The segment shipped a total of 1,744 gaming machines internationally during the first quarter of 2016 compared to 1,587 units in the prior-year period, reflecting demand for new cabinets.

International operating income was $33 million compared to $27 million in the first quarter of 2015. On a pro forma, constant currency basis, International operating income was up 41%, reflecting favorable revenue mix and lower operating costs.

Italy
Revenue in the Italy segment was $444 million compared to $434 million in the first quarter of 2015.

Total Lotto wagers in the quarter were €1,928 million, a 6% increase from the prior-year period, when wagers had already posted 16% growth. Strong Lotto performance was achieved with double-digit expansion for 10eLotto and a significant contribution from late numbers that more than offset lower core wagers. Instant-ticket wagers rose 2% to €2,355 million, supported by several new product introductions.

Machine gaming service revenue declined 3%, impacted by increased Stability Law taxes and fewer AWP units. Excluding the Stability Law impact, revenues were flat as the overall productivity and mix of gaming machines improved over the prior year.  

Operating income for Italy was $148 million, 2% below the first quarter of 2015 on a reported basis but 2% higher on a pro forma, constant currency basis. The increase in operating income was driven by strong lottery performance, lower sports betting payout, and disciplined cost management, partially offset by higher Stability Law taxes.

Other Developments

The Company's Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per ordinary share. The dividend is payable on June 23, 2016 to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 9, 2016.

On May 17, 2016, the Italian regulator Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli awarded the concession for the Lotto game to Lottoitalia, a joint venture led by IGT subsidiary Lottomatica. The new concession has a nine-year term, commencing on November 29, 2016. In conjunction with the award, the €350 million first installment of upfront concession payments was made in May.

In the first quarter of 2016, the Company recorded a $15 million reserve related to the anticipated cost of settling certain tax matters in Italy covering the years 2006-2014 and involving the structuring of the original leveraged buyout of GTECH Holdings Corporation by Lottomatica S.p.A. On May 26, 2016, the Company agreed to pay €11 million to the Italian Tax Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) to settle the claim for tax years 2006-2010.

Investor Day

The Company will host an investor day on June 21-22, 2016 in Rome, Italy. At the event, presentations will be made by Marco Sala, CEO, and other members of the Company's executive team. Interested parties may contact Investor_Relations@IGT.com for additional details and to register for the event.

Outlook

The Company continues to expect to achieve adjusted EBITDA of $1,740-$1,790 million for the full year 2016 period, supported by growth in core operations and using an average euro/dollar exchange rate of 1.10 versus 1.11 last year. A modest headwind is expected from other currencies, notably the British pound, the South African rand, and certain Latin American currencies.

Capital expenditures excluding Lotto concession payments are expected to be $575-$625 million. Lotto-related capital expenditures are estimated at $695 million, including $660 million in upfront payments and approximately $35 million for infrastructure upgrades. Net debt is still expected to be $7,700-$7,900 million at the end of 2016.

Conference Call and Webcast

Today, at 8:00 a.m. EDT / 1:00 p.m. BST / 2:00 p.m. CEST, management will host a conference call to present the first quarter 2016 results. Listeners may access a live webcast of the conference call along with accompanying slides under "News, Events and Presentations" on IGT's Investor Relations website at www.IGT.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the website following the live event. To listen by telephone, the dial in number is +44 (0) 20 3427 1907 for participants in the United Kingdom and +1 212 444 0896 for listeners outside the United Kingdom. The conference ID/confirmation code is 7945074. A telephone replay of the call will be available for one week at +44 (0) 20 3427 0598 or +1-347-366-9565 using the conference ID/confirmation code 7945074.

About IGT
IGT (NYSE:IGT) is the global leader in gaming. We enable players to experience their favorite games across all channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Interactive and Social Gaming. Leveraging a wealth of premium content, substantial investment in innovation, in-depth customer intelligence, operational expertise and leading-edge technology, our gaming solutions anticipate the demands of consumers wherever they decide to play. We have a well-established local presence and relationships with governments and regulators in more than 100 countries around the world, and create value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. IGT has over 12,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.IGT.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning IGT and other matters. These statements may discuss goals, intentions and expectations as to future plans, trends, events, dividends, results of operations or financial condition, or otherwise, based on current beliefs of the management of IGT as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, such management. Forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "could," "would," "should,\" "shall," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "future," "guidance," "intend," "may," "will," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project" or the negative or other variations of them. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside IGT's control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those predicted in the forward-looking statements and from past results, performance or achievements. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to) the possibility that the businesses of International Game Technology and GTECH S.p.A. will not be integrated successfully, or that the combined companies will not realize estimated cost savings, synergies, growth or other anticipated benefits or that such benefits may take longer to realize than expected, or that the Company will incur unanticipated costs in connection with the integration; the possibility that the Company will be unable to pay future dividends to shareholders or that the amount of such dividends may be less than anticipated; the possibility that IGT may not obtain its anticipated financial results in one or more future periods; reductions in customer spending; a slowdown in customer payments and changes in customer demand for products and services as a result of changing economic conditions or otherwise; unanticipated changes relating to competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates; the Company's ability to hire and retain key personnel; the impact of the consummation of the business combination on relationships with third parties, including customers, employees and competitors; the Company's ability to attract new customers and retain existing customers in the manner anticipated; reliance on and integration of information technology systems; changes in legislation or governmental regulations affecting the Company; international, national or local economic, social or political conditions that could adversely affect the Company or its customers; conditions in the credit markets; risks associated with assumptions the Company makes in connection with its critical accounting estimates; the resolution of pending and potential future legal, regulatory or tax proceedings and investigations; and the Company's international operations, which are subject to the risks of currency fluctuations and foreign exchange controls. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that affect IGT's business, including those described in IGT's annual report on Form 20-F for the financial year ended December 31, 2015 and other documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which are available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov and on the investor relations section of IGT's website at www.IGT.com. Except as required under applicable law, IGT does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements. Nothing in this news release is intended, or is to be construed, as a profit forecast or to be interpreted to mean that earnings per IGT share for the current or any future financial years will necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings per IGT share, as applicable. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to IGT, or persons acting on its behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Contact:
Robert K. Vincent, Corporate Communications, toll free in U.S./Canada (844) IGT-7452; outside U.S./Canada (401) 392-7452
James Hurley, Investor Relations, (401) 392-7190
Simone Cantagallo, (+39) 06 51899030; for Italian media inquiries