INITIATING COVERAGE ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH
Transcription
INITIATING COVERAGE ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH
ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Gamehost Inc. (GH:TSX) Recommendation: SPECIAL SITUATIONS RESEARCH 12-Month Target: Implied Total Return: BUY $12.10 10.9% Gamehost Inc. (“Gamehost” or “the Company” or “GH”) is an Alberta-based Company primarily focused on the gaming industry and hospitality. The Company operates 2 wholly owned casino’s located in Fort McMurray and Grand Prairie and a 91% interest in a casino in Calgary. The Company also owns a limited service hotel and a complimentary retail complex adjacent to the casino in Grand Prairie. Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com INITIATING COVERAGE • Gamehost is an Alberta-based company primarily focused on the gaming industry and hospitality. With operations solely in AB, GH operates in a jurisdiction with high barriers to entry. The Company’s casinos are located in Fort McMurray, Grand Prairie and Calgary, cities that are benefiting from the strong Alberta economy and experiencing good population growth. Locations are benefiting from favorable demographic trends and casino patron behavior. • Gaming operators in AB benefit from a high leverage business model as the government owns and services equipment (slot machines, video lottery terminals and lottery ticket outlets) and provides back office support for gaming equipment. The provincial model provides a vehicle for licensed charities to raise funds. • Turning to GH, the Company is well established, being one of the early casino operators in AB. Key principals have built the business from inception, and developed and maintained reputable relationships with the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission (“ALGC”). Looking at the operations, they have put in solid systems to manage expenses and complemented this with disciplined and creative marketing to influence top line performance for hospitality services. • Investor sentiment is high for GH. Beyond a tight float because of significant insider ownership (~49.4%), the current valuation reflects confidence in the quality of the cash flow from this business and the support of the attractive dividend yield (monthly dividend of $0.0733 for an annual yield of ~7.5%). We expect the Company to continue benefiting from the “Alberta Advantage” and post reasonable growth numbers going forward. • We initiate coverage with a BUY recommendation. Our $12.10 target is based on historical EV/EBITDA, 2013 peer group EV/EBITDA and discounted cash flow analysis. ACUMEN CAPITAL FINANCE PARTNERS LIMITED | SUITE 700 – 404 – 6th AVENUE SW | CALGARY, AB | T2P 0R9 MAIN PHONE: 403.571.0300 | TOLL FREE: 1.888.422.8636 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 2 of 24 FINANCIAL FORECASTS Gamehost Inc. Acumen Capital Partners Symbol GH Market Capitalization Exchange TSX Enterprise Value Last Price $11.70 12-Month Target Shares (dil.) 21.2m Pot. Capital Return Monthly Dividend $0.073 Dividend Yield Year End Dec-31 Pot. Total Return Operating Results F09 (C-GAAP) F10 (IFRS) Total Revenue $48.1m $62.4m y/y % Change Gross Margin (%) y/y % Change EBITDA to Owners* y/y % Change Net Earnings to Owners $247.7m $301.9m $12.10 3.4% 7.5% 10.9% F11 (IFRS) $72.0m Share Ownership (diluted) Insiders 49.4% Institutions 10.4% Other (10% Hol ders ) 0.0% F12e $76.7m F13e $80.7m -9.9% 29.9% 15.3% 6.5% 5.3% 41.0% 46.0% 44.7% 44.6% 45.1% -2.5% 4.9% -1.2% -0.1% 0.4% $21.5m $27.1m $30.6m $33.0m $35.3m -14.9% 25.7% 13.0% 7.7% 7.2% $10.0m $13.9m $14.9m $16.9m $18.7m y/y % Change -12.6% 38.5% 7.5% 13.4% 10.6% EPS (Diluted) to Owners $0.47 $0.66 $0.70 $0.79 $0.88 y/y % Change -55.4% 38.5% 5.9% 14.2% 10.6% Cash Flow CFO (Adjusted)** CFO per share (Adjusted)** FCF per share (Adjusted)** F09 (C-GAAP) $26.2m $1.24 $1.20 F10 (IFRS) $27.4m $1.30 $1.69 F11 (IFRS) $26.3m $1.24 $1.48 F12e $28.4m $1.34 $1.58 F13e $16.5m $0.77 $1.04 Financial Position Working Capital Debt F09 (C-GAAP) $7.6m $23.3m F10 (IFRS) $10.8m $73.6m F11 (IFRS) $14.5m $71.9m F12e $22.8m $66.5m F13e $18.1m $59.6m Key Metrics ROAE BV/Share F09 (C-GAAP) 108.7% -$0.64 F10 (IFRS) 34.6% $4.67 F11 (IFRS) 16.6% $4.43 F12e 19.0% $4.57 F13e 20.0% $4.80 *F09 EBITDA from F10 year-end financial statements. **Adjusted for Class B share distributions. Source: Acumen Capital Partners, Company Filings, Bloomberg, Figures Subjected to Rounding Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 3 of 24 INVESTMENT OVERVIEW We are introducing coverage on GH with a Buy recommendation. Our positive thesis is centered on; 1. GH is a leader in the gaming industry in Alberta and is distinguished by its hospitality business, which attracts patrons into the facilities and adds ancillary revenue. Non-casino revenue is currently contributing ~50% of total revenues. GH operates all of its beverage services, while food services are either Company owned or operated by 3rd parties with a commission. 2. Organic growth is likely to be the revenue driver for the near future and GH is focused on attracting clientele to its facility who may not be typical gamers through interesting entertainment offerings. GH’s aggressive stance on its hospitality business, improving economic performance and population growth lend support to further margin enhancement in the near term despite inflations. 3. We believe industry barriers and the tight market will allow the Company to sustain above average margins over the longer term. The Alberta government has a moratorium on new licenses so growth will be levered to additional equipment in existing premises, additional traffic and higher spends per customers. 4. The Company is a strong cash generator and the business is not capital intensive on an ongoing basis. The dividend currently translates to a 7.5% yield. REGULATION AND INDUSTRY OVERVIEW Looking at the gaming industry in Canada, Alberta is one of three provinces that allow the private ownership of casinos, the other two being BC and Nova Scotia. Specific to Alberta; The Alberta market is highly regulated with gaming activities used as a platform for licensed charitable and religious groups to raise funds. These groups conduct a casino event within a licensed facility and receive the proceeds from table games while paying a fee to the facility operator. They also earn a portion of the revenue from slot machines and are paid in the form of a commission. Licensing and regulations are overseen by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (“AGLC”) which is responsible for setting slot machine odds and the revenue sharing terms for table games. Slots and VLT machines are owned and maintained by the provincial government. AGLC is generally protective of operators and historically haven’t awarded licenses that will create direct competition. Currently there is a moratorium on allowing new casino licenses. Licenses are not transferable without approval and requests for a license require a lengthy approval process. Licenses are three years in length with operators subject to annual audits. The current revenue arrangement for slot machines is 15/15/70 for casino operators, charities and the provincial government in that order. For table games AGLC sets the revenue sharing agreement for casinos and charities. Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 4 of 24 AGLC is responsible for licensing the groups that conduct the gaming events and monitoring the use of proceeds. Licensing of charitable groups has grown at a slow pace. FIGURE 1 | AGLC HISTORICAL CHARITABLE GAMING LICENCES ISSUED 3550 3500 3450 3400 3350 3300 3250 3200 3150 3100 Casino 2007 3259 2008 3424 2009 3471 2010 3494 2011 3524 Source: http://aglc.ca/publications/annualreports.asp, Acumen Capital Partners Figure 2 shows that there are currently 24 licensed casino operators in Alberta with 2008 being the last time a license was given out. FIGURE 2 | AGLC LICENCED CASINOS FACILITIES IN ALBERTA Traditional Casino Facilities First Nations Casino Facilities Total 2007 18 1 19 2008 19 4 23 2009 19 5 24 2010 19 5 24 2011 19 5 24 Source: http://aglc.ca/publications/annualreports.asp, Acumen Capital Partners Figure 3 shows that slot machines are significant generators of revenue; totaling $14.6B in the 12 months ending March 2011. FIGURE 3 | AGLC ALBERTA WIDE SLOT MACHINE HIGHLIGHTS 2007 2008 2009 Revenue $12618.6m $15129.2m $15495.4m Prizes $11620.7m $13927.2m $14263.8m Gross Profit $997.8m $1201.9m $1231.6m Commissions/Federal Payments $298.6m $361.3m $369.8m Net Revenue $699.2m $840.6m $861.9m 2010 $14621.4m $13457.8m $1163.6m $339.7m $823.9m 2011 $14610.6m $13458.4m $1152.2m $343.1m $809.0m Source: http://aglc.ca/publications/annualreports.asp, Acumen Capital Partners As a result of the licensing moratorium, growth in the number of slot machines has been limited to adding machines in existing licensed facilities. With 1,605 slots in total, GH had ~12.1% of the total installed machines in 2011. FIGURE 4 | AGLC TOTAL SLOT MACHINES IN ALBERTA Edmonton Calgary Other Racing Entertainment Centres Total 2007 3808 3429 2160 835 10232 2008 3976 4188 2860 835 11859 2009 4145 4528 3171 836 12680 2010 4247 4561 3230 835 12873 2011 4381 4584 3478 835 13278 Source: http://aglc.ca/publications/annualreports.asp, Acumen Capital Partners Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 5 of 24 Alberta has maintained a responsible gaming environment and constantly monitors gaming facilities to make sure the gaming activities are in compliance of legislation and policy. Figure 5 shows Alberta charitable groups have been the beneficiaries of the gaming activity in Alberta. FIGURE 5 | TOTAL ALBERTA CHARITABLE FUNDRAISING FROM CASINOS Total Gross Amount Raised Proceeds to Charity 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 $860.9m $1042.0m $1106.4m $1013.6m $971.8m $198.2m $243.9m $252.4m $234.6m $230.6m Source: http://aglc.ca/publications/annualreports.asp, Acumen Capital Partners COMPANY OVERVIEW GH was founded in 2003 as an income fund and, through a series of organic investments, ALGC authorized growth and upping its interest in the Calgary properties outlined in Figure 6. The Company is well positioned with an attractive facility portfolio. Hotel operations include full and limited service hotels with banquet and convention services. FIGURE 6 | GAMEHOST INC. | BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE Year 2003 2005 2006 2007 2010 Total Event Inception of Fund Great Northern Casino Expansion Deerfoot Opening Boomtown Casino Expansion Deerfoot Renovation Deerfoot Acquisition Additional Gaming and Additional Banquet Total Increase Total Sq. Ft Entertainment Sq. Ft and Convention Sq. Ft in Sq. Ft Increase % Total Sq. Ft 31,864 0 0 0 31,864 9,800 1,200 11,000 34.5% 42,864 24,000 8,000 32,000 74.7% 74,864 11,000 0 11,000 14.7% 85,864 480 0 480 0.6% 86,344 31,212 10,200 41,412 48.0% 127,756 108,356 19,400 95,892 300.9% 127,756 Source: Company Filings GH’s interest in the Calgary facility was increased from 51% to 91% in May, 2010. For reporting purposes financial results includes 100% of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses with adjustment for the non-controlling interest at the net income level. While GH’s Calgary facilities provided the largest segment of revenue, Calgary has higher costs than other properties because GH owns and operates its food and banquet services. GH has ~16.7% of the slots installed in Calgary. FIGURE 7 | GAMEHOST INC. | CALGARY FACILITIES DETAILS Operations Full Service Hotel Deerfoot Inn Deerfoot Convention Deerfoot Casino Game/Rooms Size (Sq. Ft) Leased/Owned 188 rooms, one restaurant Owned 91% N/A and one lounge. Full Service Catering 12 conference/banquet 24,500 Owned 91% rooms. Casino, food & 767 slots, 3 VLT's, 26 tables, 65,000 Owned 91% beverage services, 8 poker tables, 400 seat and live show room, two bars, and entertainment a food kiosk. Source: Company filings, Acumen Capital Partners Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 6 of 24 FIGURE 8 | GAMEHOST INC. | CALGARY FACILITIES Source: Company filings There are six other casinos operating in Calgary with the Grey Eagle Casino (Tsuu T’ina First Nation) being GH’s most prominent competition. Unlike a traditional operator, the Grey Eagle Casino has the advantage of allowing patrons to smoke within its facility. However, the Deerfoot Inn and Casino is the only gaming facility to operate in Southeast Calgary. There is also a limited service hotel within blocks of the facility owned and operated by a related party and was built on speculation to benefit from the proximity to the Deerfoot Inn and Casino. Figure 9 is a map of casinos within Calgary. The Manitoba government recently granted an expansion to a provincial casino on the condition the facility would go non-smoking. If Alberta followed suit Deerfoot would be the benefactor. FIGURE 9 | GAMEHOST INC. | CALGARY COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE Casino A) Calgary Casino B) Stampede Casino C) Grey Eagle Casino D) Deerfoot Inn and Casino H & J) Elbow River Casino I) Century Casino Calgary Inc. (formerly Frank Sissons) J) Cash Casino Place Non-Casino E) Silver Dollar Bowling F) Casino Fun (Party Rental Business) Source: Google Maps Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 7 of 24 While GH’s Great Northern Casino is the only full service casino in Grand Prairie, there is a combined thoroughbred race track/casino (“racino”) in the city that has 99 slot machines. With the hotel in Grand Prairie, GH does see some seasonality associated with the oil industry. The retail complex tenants include a liquor store, a pub and a full service restaurant to complement the service offering. (Regarding the racino, Ontario recently introduced legislation to pull back support for these types of facilities which would benefit GH if the same legislation was to be introduced into Alberta). FIGURE 10 | GAMEHOST INC. | GRANDE PRAIRIE FACILITIES DETAILS Grande Prairie Great Northern Casino Operations Casino, food & beverage services, and live entertainment Service Plus Inn & Suites Commercial Strip Mall Game/Rooms Size (Sq. Ft) Leased/Owned 419 slots 15 tables, 3 poker 30,864 Owned rooms, 100 seat banquet room, 145 seat lounge and showroom, 45 seat piano bar, and café. Limited service hotel 123 guest rooms, 40 seat N/A Owned meeting room, and breakfast room. Retail strip mall 2 leases with 5 year terms 10,530 Owned leasing space expiring 2014 with 2 additional 5 year renewal terms. Source: Company filings, Acumen Capital Partners FIGURE 11 | GAMEHOST INC. | GRANDE PRAIRIE FACILITIES Source: Company filings Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 8 of 24 GH’s Boomtown Casino is the only gaming facility in Fort McMurray and demographics play well into GH’s operations. FIGURE 12 | GAMEHOST INC. | FORT MCMURRAY FACILITIES DETAILS Fort McMurray Boomtown Casino Operations Game/Rooms Size (Sq. Ft) Leased/Owned Casino, food & 420 slots, 10 tables, 3 table Leased to 2020 beverage services, poker room, Café, 145 seat with two 5 year 23,512 and live lounge and Showroom. renewal entertainment options. Source: Company filings, Acumen Capital Partners FIGURE 13 | GAMEHOST INC. | FORT MCMURRAY FACILITIES Source: Company filings Figure 14 summarizes the facility performance and highlights how competition plays into the performance in the different markets. The Company has seen little change in the number of electronic gaming devices and tables over the last three years. Y/y revenue growth for Q411 of ~6.4% for Deerfoot (Calgary), 1.2% for Boomtown (Fort McMurray), 9.2% for Service Plus (Grand Prairie) and 12.9% for Great Northern Casino (Grand Prairie) point to a recovering economy. Calgary reported consistent results for slots but continued to see underperformance of its table. Grand Prairie and Fort McMurray results have been more consistent for slots and tables. FIGURE 14| GAMEHOST INC. | FACILITIES OVERVIEW SUMMARY Casino Average Slots/VLT's Total Slot Machine Win Slot Machine Win/Day/Machine Average Tables Table Drop Table Hold% Average Poker Tables Poker Rake Hotel Average Rooms Average Daily Rate Occupancy % 2009 Calgary 2010 2011e 2009 Grande Prairie 2010 2011e 740 $66.9m $247.94 26 $61.0m 19.4% 8 $1.6m 764 $67.6m $242.48 26 $61.4m 16.7% 8 $1.5m 770 $70.0m $248.99 26 $54.8m 16.7% 10 $1.6m 399 $38.7m $266.03 15 $13.3m 21.0% 3 $0.5m 416 $37.0m $243.42 15 $13.5m 20.3% 3 $0.5m 419 $40.1m $262.42 15 $15.6m 19.6% 3 $0.4m 399 $59.7m $409.80 10 $20.0m 19.3% 3 $0.5m 413 $60.2m $399.45 10 $15.7m 19.7% 3 $0.6m 188 $163.88 188 $162.43 188 $166.02 123 $133.27 123 $127.37 123 $128.93 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 311 $297.15 311 $289.80 311 $294.95 67.3% 67.0% 69.5% 58.8% 68.7% 68.3% N/A N/A N/A 63.1% 67.9% 68.9% 2009 Fort McMurray 2010 2011e 2009 Total 2010 2011e 419 1538 1593 1608 $61.3m $165.3m $164.8m $171.4m $401.04 $923.77 $885.35 $912.45 10 51 51 51 $17.4m $94.3m $90.5m $87.7m 17.7% 19.9% 17.7% 17.4% 3 14 14 16 $0.6m $2.7m $2.6m $2.6m Source: Company filings, Acumen Capital Partners Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 9 of 24 CASINO GAME OVERVIEW Figure 15 summarizes gaming activities terms. FIGURE 15 | GAMEHOST INC. | KEY GAMING ACTIVITY TERMS Table Game ABC’s Drop – money cashed to chips Hold – amount of Drop retained or won which is shared between charities and operators Hold% - equates from Hold over Drop Net Table revenue – operator’s share of the Hold Slot Machine ABC’s Cash Play – money played on machines Net – revenue to operator Poker Game ABC’s Pot – amount anted and bet by players Rake – amount of pot retained typically based on a flat fee and shared between charities and operators Net – Operators share of the rake Source: Company Filings Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 10 of 24 FINANCIAL OVERVIEW GH manages its business and reports results by three complimentary business units - Gaming, Hotel, and Food and Beverage. Operating revenue is generated from rooms, table gaming, slot machines, food and beverage sales and supplementary revenues which are highly correlated to gaming revenue. Table revenue only includes GH’s net of the Hold or Rake. Recently reported results showed Q411 operating revenue of ~$19.0MM and F11 operating revenue of ~$72.0MM, up ~ 6.4% and ~15.3% y/y respectively. The large growth for F11 shows the benefit of the additional ownership in Deerfoot effective May F10. GH exited F11 with Q411 being a record quarter of revenue. FIGURE 16 | GAMEHOST INC. | QUARTERLY REVENUE $20.0m $18.0m $16.0m $14.0m $12.0m $10.0m $8.0m $6.0m $4.0m $2.0m $0.0m Q207 Q307 Q407 Q108 Q208 Q308 Q408 Q109 Q209 Q309 Q409 Q110 Q210 Q310 Q410 Q111 Q211 Q311 Q411 Revenue $14.3m $14.3m $14.9m $13.3m $13.5m $13.3m $13.3m $12.9m $12.1m $11.3m $11.8m $11.4m $15.9m $17.3m $17.8m $16.8m $18.6m $17.6m $19.0m Source: Acumen Capital Partners, Company Filings, Sedar, Figures subjected to rounding EBITDA performance was also reasonable exiting F11 and margins remain within trend. FIGURE 17 | GAMEHOST INC. | EBITDA VS EBITDA MARGIN $9.0m 60% $8.0m 50% $7.0m $6.0m 40% $5.0m 30% $4.0m $3.0m 20% $2.0m 10% $1.0m $0.0m Q207 Q307 Q407 Q108 Q208 Q308 Q408 Q109 Q209 Q309 Q409 Q110 Q210 Q310 Q410 Q111 Q211 Q311 Q411 EBITDA $7.1m $6.9m $7.3m $6.3m $6.3m $6.4m $6.5m $6.3m $5.3m $4.9m $4.9m $5.5m $6.4m $7.8m $7.4m $6.8m $8.2m $7.5m $8.1m EBITDA Margin 49.5% 48.5% 49.0% 47% 46.7% 47.9% 48.6% 49.2% 44.1% 43.6% 41.8% 47.7% 40.2% 45.0% 41.8% 40.3% 44.1% 42.8% 42.6% Source: Acumen Capital Partners, Company Filings, Sedar, Figures subjected to rounding Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 0% ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 11 of 24 Figure 18 gives a better sense of the recovery that has taken place in GH’s business over the last 3 years. Q210 onwards includes the additional 51% of the Calgary Deerfoot operation. FIGURE 18 | GAMEHOST INC. | TTM REVENUE VS TTM EBITDA $80.0m $35.0m $70.0m $30.0m $60.0m $25.0m $20.0m $40.0m $15.0m EBITDA Revenue $50.0m $30.0m $10.0m $20.0m $5.0m $10.0m $0.0m Trailing Revenue Q108 Q208 Q308 Q408 Q109 Q209 Q309 Q409 Q110 Q210 Q310 Q410 Q111 Q211 Q311 Q411 $56.9m $56.1m $55.1m $53.5m $53.1m $51.6m $49.6m $48.1m $46.6m $50.4m $56.4m $62.4m $67.8m $70.5m $70.9m $72.0m $0.0m Trailing EBITDA to Owners $27.6m $26.9m $26.3m $25.5m $25.5m $24.5m $23.1m $21.5m $20.6m $21.7m $24.6m $27.1m $28.4m $30.2m $30.0m $30.6m Source: Acumen Capital Partners, Company Filings, Sedar, Figures subjected to rounding Table, slot and room revenues are additional ways to monitor performance. Figure 16 highlights metrics from the Table Game segment. Hold % has averaged at ~17% but fluctuations of Table Drop and Hold % are not always reliable indicators of performance. Table revenue remained relatively similar y/y since the Deerfoot acquisition. Boomtown and Great Northern saw Q411 net revenue increase by ~21.9% and ~11.4% y/y respectively while Deerfoot decreased ~9.4% y/y. FIGURE 19 | GAMEHOST INC. | TABLE GAME METRICS Total Revenue General and High Limit Poker Caribbean Stud Table Drop Table Hold % Q110 $1.8m $1.5m $334.7k $15.7k $23.0m 16.5% Q210 $2.3m $1.9m $431.5k $19.0k $24.8m 16.4% Q310 $2.8m $2.3m $506.0k $11.0k $20.8m 20.3% Q410 $2.6m $2.1m $450.0k $10.0k $21.9m 17.8% F10 $9.6m $7.8m $1722.2k $55.7k $90.5m 17.7% Q111 $2.4m $1.9m $495.3k $9.2k $20.3m 15.0% Q211 $2.5m $2.1m $482.9k $9.3k $22.1m 16.4% Q311 $2.7m $2.2m $473.0k $27.0k $21.6m 19.3% Q411 $2.8m $2.3m $496.0k $33.0k $22.4m 17.3% F11 $10.5m $8.5m $1947.2k $78.5k $86.4m 17.5% Source: Acumen Capital Partners, Company Filings, Sedar, Figures subjected to rounding Slot Cash Play was consistent for the last three quarters of F11 and showed good y/y growth for Q4/11 and F11. Revenue has increased slightly y/y as the Alberta economy continues to grow providing the Company’s clientele with more disposable income. Compared to last Q4, Boomtown, Great Northern and Deerfoot increased revenue by ~0.6%, ~14.7% and ~9.1% y/y respectively. FIGURE 20 | GAMEHOST INC. | SLOT MACHINE METRICS Slot Revenue Slot Cash Play Slot Machines Q110 $4.5m $402.3m 1127 Q210 $6.0m $520.6m 1605 Q310 $6.2m $546.0m 1605 Q410 F10 Q111 $6.0m $22.7m $5.8m $535.0m $2003.9m $524.4m 1605 1605 1605 Q211 $6.8m $581.4m 1605 Q311 $6.5m $577.0m 1605 Source: Acumen Capital Partners, Company Filings, Sedar, Figures subjected to rounding Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 Q411 F11 $6.5m $25.7m $574.0m $2256.8m 1605 1605 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 12 of 24 Rooming revenue, Average Daily Rate (“ADR”) and Occupancy were both up for Q411 and F11. As expected, revenue per available rooms fluctuates with seasonal and economic cycles. Service Plus increased its Q4 occupancy rates y/y by ~5.4% and Deerfoot saw ~2.2% improvement. FIGURE 21 | GAMEHOST INC. | HOTEL METRICS Rooming Revenue Q110 $1.7m Q210 $2.5m Q310 $3.1m Q410 $2.8m F10 $10.1m Q111 $3.0m Q211 $3.0m Q311 $3.1m Q411 $3.0m F11 $12.1m Rooming Occupancy 67.7% 67.4% 71.8% 64.6% 67.9% 69.1% 67.5% 69.5% 68.2% 68.6% Average Daily Rate $138.65 $148.79 $150.09 $147.77 $147.11 $148.79 $154.71 $153.68 $150.21 $151.84 Source: Acumen Capital Partners, Company Filings, Sedar, Figures subjected to rounding Food and Beverage (“F&B”) revenue was up y/y from both Q411 and F11 from increased volume. This is a good leading indicator for customer confidence on spending disposable income and historically has led to increased gambling and travel. FIGURE 22 | GAMEHOST INC. | FOOD AND BEVERAGE REVENUE Food and Mix Revenue Liquor Revenue Q110 $0.6m $1.8m Q210 $1.5m $2.3m Q310 $1.4m $2.3m Q410 $1.9m $2.8m F10 $5.5m $9.2m Q111 $1.7m $2.5m Q211 $1.9m $2.6m Q311 $1.5m $2.4m Q411 $2.1m $2.9m F11 $7.3m $10.4m Source: Acumen Capital Partners, Company Filings, Sedar, Figures subjected to rounding Ancillary revenue consists of revenue generated from ATM’s, VLT’s, ticket sales for lotteries and entertainment, as well as other extra hotel charges. Y/y increases are consistent with performances seen in other areas. FIGURE 23 | GAMEHOST INC. | ANCILLARY REVENUE Ancillary Revenue Q110 $1.0m Q210 $1.3m Q310 $1.3m Q410 $1.6m F10 $5.2m Q111 $1.3m Q211 $1.7m Q311 $1.4m Q411 $1.7m F11 $6.1m Source: Acumen Capital Partners, Company Filings, Sedar, Figures subjected to rounding In terms of running the business, labour is the largest component of expenses and GH has put tight controls in place to keep costs in check. Other operating costs include entertainment, premises leases, repairs & maintenance, utilities, property taxes, depreciation and operating supplies. Renovation costs in Grande Prairie and Calgary as well as other general tax and utility costs increases caused the y/y increase of other operating costs in Q411. FIGURE 24 | GAMEHOST INC. | COST OF SALES BREAKDOWN Food & Mix Liquor Other Operating Labour Marketing Other Operating Costs Cost of Sales Q110 $229.3k $382.9k $21.1k $2.7m $463.4k $2.0m $5.9m Q210 $517.2k $458.5k $52.0k $4.0m $765.4k $2.9m $8.7m Q310 $512.0k $473.0k $63.0k $4.4m $709.0k $3.0m $9.2m Q410 $623.0k $560.0k $66.0k $4.8m $788.0k $3.2m $10.0m F10 $1881.5k $1874.4k $202.1k $15.9m $2725.8k $11.2m $33.8m Q111 $600.8k $517.9k $60.1k $4.6m $746.6k $3.1m $9.6m Q211 $642.3k $527.5k $56.8k $4.7m $786.1k $3.2m $10.0m Q311 $575.0k $489.0k $53.0k $4.6m $789.0k $3.3m $9.8m Q411 $695.0k $587.0k $69.0k $4.8m $716.0k $3.6m $10.5m F11 $2513.1k $2121.4k $238.9k $18.7m $3037.7k $13.2m $39.8m Source: Acumen Capital Partners, Company Filings, Sedar, Figures subjected to rounding Finally, the Company converted from an income fund in 2010 and has certain tax deferrals available to the end of 2012. For F13 and beyond GH will be responsible for making installment payments. The combined federal and provincial rate for F11 was 26.5% and the effective tax rate for F12 is 25.0%. Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 13 of 24 LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES Working Capital is committed to cash floats for table games, slot machines, ATM machines, VLT’s, self-service touch point stations for redemption (TITO Kiosks), point of sale terminals and incidental cash needs. Float balances represent ~4.0% of slot and table activities. GH is required to maintain a net working capital position relating to casino operations by ALGC. GH is well positioned and has limited need to recycle a portion of its operating cash flow into its existing facilities (maintenance expenses are ~$0.6MM p.a.). Excess cash in the past has been used to reduce LTD, buy back shares and pay dividends to shareholders. The Company used excess capital to buy back $5.6MM worth of shares over the last 12 months (495,140 shares at ~$11.00 per share) and recently renewed its NCIB. The negative number in Q210 was a result of an adjustment for a previous period. FIGURE 25 | GAMEHOST INC. | MAINTENANCE CAPITAL Q110 Q210 Q310 Q410 F10 Maintenance Capital $360.9k ($296.2k) $71.0k $113.0k $248.7k Source: Acumen Capital Partners, Company Filings, Sedar, Figures subjected to rounding Q111 $143.2k Q211 $12.9k Q311 $86.0k Q411 $72.0k F11 $314.1k GH employs leverage in its business. GH exited F11 carrying ~$71.9MM (~$73.5MM exiting F10) of debt consisting of a ~$4.0MM revolving credit loan ($6.0MM total facility), two demand loans of ~$11.7MM and ~$11.3MM secured by land and building and ~$44.9MM of 6.25% convertible unsecured subordinated debentures ($10.65 conversion and 2015 expiry). The demand loans are secured by land and buildings and have reasonable commercial payment terms and competitive interest rates. Debt to EBITDA was ~238% at yearend F11, down from ~271% entering the year. MODEL ASSUMPTIONS With the Alberta economy continuing to recover we expect to see a positive growth trend going forward. Our financial estimates include the following; • • • • • Our 2012 and 2013 revenue estimates translate to 6.50% to 5.25% y/y growth respectively. GH to generate ~$16.5MM - ~$28.4MM of annual operating cash flow. GH’s business has historically had little demand for capex (~$0.5MM to ~$1.0MM /year). GH currently pays a monthly dividend of $0.0733 and we are not modeling any increase at this time. GH will be cash taxable in 2013. Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 14 of 24 VALUATION We see outperformance from direct leverage to consumer spending as the catalyst for the stock. We also note that the stock doesn’t appear to imbed any Alberta expansion option value in the price and, given the Company’s strong relations, we believe GH is well positioned to be awarded any additional licenses or be allowed to grow through acquisitions. Turning to our valuation process, as a first step, we look at GH relative to its own historical performance in Figure 8. GH has traded at an average EV/EBITDA multiple of 9.4x. FIGURE 26 |GAMEHOST INC. | HISTORICAL EV/EBITDA 14.0x 12.0x 10.0x 8.0x 6.0x 4.0x 2.0x 0.0x Q107 Q207 Q307 Q407 Q108 Q208 Q308 Q408 Q109 Q209 Q309 Q409 Q110 Q210 Q310 Q410 Q111 Q211 Q311 Q411 EV/EBITDA 10.2x 12.6x 11.1x 9.9x 10.0x 10.6x 9.0x 7.3x 5.5x 7.3x 7.5x 8.2x 9.1x 11.1x 10.4x 10.2x 10.4x 9.9x 9.4x 9.6x Source: Acumen Capital Research, Company Filings, Figures subject to rounding From a market comparison, peers are limited in the Canadian market and a North American look at the other game operators provides a better sense of value although they are in a more normal competitive environment. Given the Company’s defensive position and low cost business model we believe the shares deserve to trade at premium which is confirmed by historical trading. FIGURE 27 |GAMEHOST INC. | PEER GROUP Company Great Canadian Gaming Corporation Boyd Gaming Corp Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. PENN National Gaming Inc. Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. Mean Multiples Ticker GC:CN BYD:US ISLE:US PENN:US PNK:US Shares/Units FD 82.6m 86.6m 39.0m 76.3m 62.5m Market Cap 698.4m 699.6m 269.8m 3217.2m 700.4m EV 896.3m 3911.3m 1337.4m 5021.9m 1845.8m EV/EBITDA 2013 6.1x 7.7x 6.7x 5.9x 6.0x 6.5x Source: Acumen Capital Research, Bloomberg, Company Filings, Figures subject to rounding Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 15 of 24 Looking at the predictability of the business model we also use DCF analysis to round out our valuation process. Our $12.10 target price is based on the simple average of the three methods. FIGURE 28|GAMEHOST INC. | VALUATION Valuation Metrics Historical EV/EBITDA Industry EV/EBITDA DCF Analysis Mean (rounded) Factors Implied 12 Month Share Price 9.4x $12.57 6.5x $ 8.79 8.0x/12.5% $15.00 $12.10 Source: Acumen Capital Research, Figures subject to rounding RISKS Combinations of revenue and expense risks that need to be considered include; • • • Consumers tempering spending on entertainment which means growth will be less than our estimates. New revenue sharing rules that go against casino operators could impact margin performance. The number of people using the Internet has been rising as has per capita monthly internet usage and this may slow the entrance of age eligible gamblers who are likely to be bigger users of the internet. RECOMMENDATION We like GH for its major exposure to Alberta economic growth with locations in key benefiting areas of the province. 2011 results showed major signs of stabilization and properties showed attractive comps and we expect this to be a continuing trend in the coming year. Looking ahead, we expect to see year over year growth in the coming quarters as consumer discretionary spending loosens up. The important matter of legislative expansion headwinds will keep the competitive dynamics at bay. We view Management’s ability to continue delivering growth while maintaining reasonable operating expense discipline as key to share price strength. Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 16 of 24 FIGURE 29 | GAMEHOST INC. | INCOME STATEMENT $ Millions Operating Revenue F09 48.1 Q110 11.4 Q210 15.9 Q310 17.3 y/y Revenue Change (%) -9.9% -11.2% 31.4% 52.7% Cost of Sales Gross Profit (28.4) 19.7 (5.9) 5.6 (8.7) 7.2 (9.2) 8.1 Gross Profit Margin (%) Q410 17.8 F10 62.4 Q111 16.8 Q211 18.6 Q311 17.6 Q411e 19.0 F11 72.0 F12 76.7 F13 80.7 51.2% 29.9% 46.9% 17.0% 1.9% 6.4% 15.3% 6.5% 5.3% (10.0) 7.8 (33.8) 28.7 (9.6) 7.2 (10.0) 8.7 (9.8) 7.8 (10.5) 8.5 (39.8) 32.2 (42.4) 34.2 (44.3) 36.4 41.0% 48.8% 45.5% 46.8% 43.7% 46.0% 42.9% 46.6% 44.4% 44.9% 44.7% 44.6% 45.1% Other Income Administrative Expenses Gain (Loss) on Revaluation of Assets Profit (Loss) from Operating Activities 19.7 0.1 (0.6) 5.0 0.1 (1.3) 27.1 33.1 0.1 (1.5) 6.7 0.1 (1.5) 6.3 0.2 (4.9) 27.1 51.1 0.1 (1.5) 5.8 0.1 (1.4) 7.3 0.1 (1.3) 6.6 0.1 (1.4) 0.0 7.1 0.2 (5.6) 0.0 26.8 0.3 (5.4) 29.1 0.3 (5.2) 31.5 Net Finance Costs Profit (Loss) before Income Tax (5.4) 14.4 (7.8) (2.8) (4.5) 28.6 (10.9) (4.2) (12.7) (6.4) (35.9) 15.3 (1.4) 4.4 (1.4) 5.9 (1.5) 5.1 (1.2) 5.9 (5.5) 21.3 (4.9) 24.2 (4.9) 26.6 Tax (Expense) Recovery Total Comprehensive Income Non-Controlling Interest Comprehensive Income to Owners S/O (basic) S/O (dil.) 0.3 10.0 10.0 21.1 21.1 (0.0) (2.8) 0.0 (2.8) 21.1 21.1 0.0 28.6 0.2 28.4 21.1 21.1 0.3 (3.9) 0.4 (4.2) 21.1 21.1 (0.9) (7.3) 0.3 (7.5) 21.1 21.1 (0.6) 14.7 0.8 13.9 21.1 21.1 0.3 4.7 0.3 4.4 21.3 21.3 (1.4) 4.5 0.4 4.1 21.3 21.3 (1.2) 3.9 0.3 3.6 21.3 21.3 (3.0) 2.9 0.3 2.6 21.3 21.3 (5.3) 16.0 1.3 14.7 21.2 21.2 (6.1) 18.2 1.3 16.9 21.3 21.3 (6.7) 20.0 1.3 18.7 21.3 21.3 EPS (basic) EPS (dil.) $0.47 $0.47 -$0.13 -$0.13 $1.35 $1.35 -$0.20 -$0.20 -$0.36 -$0.36 $0.66 $0.66 $0.21 $0.21 $0.19 $0.19 $0.17 $0.17 $0.12 $0.12 $0.70 $0.70 $0.85 $0.85 $0.94 $0.94 EBITDA to Non-Controlling Interest EBITDA to Owners 21.5 5.5 0.2 6.4 0.3 7.8 0.3 7.4 0.7 27.1 0.3 6.8 0.4 8.2 0.3 7.5 0.4 8.1 1.3 30.6 1.3 33.0 1.3 35.3 y/y EBITDA Change (%) -15% -14% 20% 58% 51% 26% 24% 28% -3% 8% 13% 8% 7% EBITDA Margin 44.8% 47.7% 40.2% 45.0% 41.8% 43.4% 40.3% 44.1% 42.8% 42.6% 42.5% 43.0% 43.8% Source: Acumen Capital Research, Company Filings, Figures subject to rounding Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 17 of 24 FIGURE 30 | GAMEHOST INC. | BALANCE SHEET $ Millions Cash and Equivalents Restricted Cash Trade and Other Receivables Inventories Prepaid Expenses Total Current Assets F09 10.0 0.1 0.8 0.3 0.2 11.3 F10 14.6 0.0 1.4 0.5 0.3 16.8 F11 17.7 0.0 1.7 0.5 0.3 20.3 F12e 23.2 0.0 2.0 0.8 0.3 26.4 F13e 16.8 0.0 2.5 1.0 0.4 20.6 PPE Intangibles Investment Property Deferred Tax Assets Total Non-Current Assets Total Assets 30.3 42.6 2.8 1.4 77.1 88.4 87.7 76.9 2.8 1.4 168.7 185.5 82.9 76.9 2.8 1.4 164.0 184.3 78.4 76.9 2.8 1.4 159.5 185.9 74.0 76.9 2.8 1.4 155.0 175.7 Trade and Other Payables Loans and Borrows Dividends Payable Total Current Liabilities 2.9 23.3 0.9 27.0 5.1 25.3 0.9 31.3 4.3 26.9 1.5 32.8 2.0 24.5 1.5 28.1 1.0 22.1 1.5 24.7 2.7 72.3 75.0 102.0 (13.6) (13.6) 88.4 48.3 7.4 55.7 87.0 90.5 8.1 98.5 185.5 45.0 4.7 8.1 57.7 90.5 85.8 8.1 93.9 184.3 42.0 4.7 14.1 60.7 88.8 89.0 8.1 97.1 185.9 37.5 4.7 6.8 48.9 73.6 94.0 8.1 102.1 175.7 Debentures Payable Current Year Income Tax Deferred Tax Liabilities Class B Limited Partnership Units Total Non-Current Liabilities Total Liabilities Equity Attributed to the Company Non-Controlling Interest Total Equity Total Liabilities and Equity Source: Acumen Capital Research, Company Filings, Figures subject to rounding Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 18 of 24 FIGURE 31 | GAMEHOST INC. | STATEMENT OF CASH FLOW $ Millions Total Comprehensive Income Change in Non-cash Items Amortization of PPE Net Finance Costs Gain on Revaluation of Assets Taxes paid Income tax expense (recovery) F09 10.0 F10 14.7 F11 16.0 F12e 18.2 F13e 20.0 1.9 - 3.7 35.9 (27.1) 5.0 5.6 (0.0) 5.1 5.0 - (0.3) 0.6 5.3 6.1 5.1 5.0 (14.0) 6.7 Change in Non-cash Working Capital Cash Flow from Operating Activities Acquisition of PPE Acquisition of Businesses Net Cash from Investing Activities 0.5 16.5 (0.6) (0.6) (10.7) 17.0 (0.2) (47.4) (47.6) (5.6) 26.3 (0.3) (0.3) (5.9) 28.4 (0.6) (0.6) (6.2) 16.5 (0.6) (0.6) Proceeds (Payment) from Borrowings Debenture Proceeds (Payments) Distributions to Non-controlling interest Distributions to Fund Unit Holders Dividends Paid Shares Repurchases Net Cash from Financing Activities 3.9 (9.8) (12.3) (18.9) (6.0) 52.3 (0.8) (10.356) 35.2 1.6 (1.1) (0.9) (17.1) (5.4) (22.9) (2.4) (1.2) (18.8) (22.3) (2.4) (1.2) (18.8) (22.3) Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash Opening Cash Balance Closing Cash Balance (3.0) 12.9 10.0 4.6 10.0 14.6 3.2 14.6 17.7 5.5 17.7 23.2 (6.4) 23.2 16.8 Source: Acumen Capital Research, Company Filings, Figures subject to rounding Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 19 of 24 APPENDIX 1: MANAGEMENT David J. Will – President, Chief Executive Officer and Director Mr. Will has been in his current position since 2003 and is the co-founder of the Company. He is also the President and CEO of Will Air Ltd. and President of DJ Will Holdings Limited. Furthermore, Mr. Will is a former Chairman of Service Plus Hospitality Ltd. David has over 40 years of experience developing and operating hotels, food and beverage operations and construction of commercial projects. Darcy J. Will – Vice President, Secretary, and Director Mr. Will has been in his current position since 2003 and is the co-founder of the Company. He is also the President of Winner’s Gaming Inc. since 1990 and a former Director of Service Plus Hospitality. Mr. Will has owned and operated numerous gaming facilities over the past 30 years and brings further experience from his 17 years in the construction and commercial development industry. Craig M. Thomas, CMA – Chief Financial Officer Mr. Thomas has been in his current position since 2004 and prior to then he was the Controller for the Company circa 2003. He has also been a former manager at both Flint Energy Services Ltd. and Titan Electric & Controls Ltd. Elston J. Noren – Chief Operations Officer Mr. Noren has been in his current position since 2003 and was the former COO of Winners Gaming Inc. He brings multiple years of experience in the gaming industry to the Company. Source: Annual Information Circular Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 20 of 24 APPENDIX 2: BOARD OF DIRECTORS James McPherson – Director Mr. McPherson is the founding Director of Gamehost. He sits on the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee of the Company. Prior to GH, he served on the Board of Directors for Service Plus Hospitality Ltd. Mr. McPherson is an independent Licensed Life Insurance Broker since 1969 and a member of the Board of Governors for the Alberta Motor Vehicle Association. He was also a director of Bridgewater Bank. Timothy J. Sebastian, LLB – Director Mr. Sebastian has been in his current position since July 2004 and is currently the Vice President of Corporate Development, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary for IROC Energy Services Corp. He was previously a Counsel for McCarthy Tetrault LLP and a Partner with Bryan & Company LLP. Jerry Van Someren, CA – Director Mr. Someren has served as a director since August 2005 and is currently the Vice President of Business Operations of the Red Deer Rebels Hockey Club. Previously, he was the President of a private business consulting corporation. Peter L. Miles – Director Mr. Miles has been with Gamehost since May 2006 and is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Sanatana Diamonds Inc. since 2006. He is also a director for each Western Potash Corp, Gurerrero Exploration Inc, and Vancouver Aquarium and Marine Science Centre. Source: Annual Information Circular Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 April 18, 2012 Page 21 of 24 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. N OT ES Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 April 18, 2012 Page 22 of 24 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 23 of 24 Company: Gamehost Inc. Disclosure Requirements Is this an issuer related or industry related publication? Issuer Industry Does the Analyst/Associate have a financial interest in securities of the subject issuer? If yes, nature of interest: Yes No Is Acumen Capital Partners a market maker in the issuer’s securities at the date of this report? Yes No Does Acumen Capital Partners beneficially own more than 1% of any class of common equity of the issuer? Yes No Does Acumen Capital Partners or the Analyst/Associate have any actual material conflicts of interest with the issuer? Explanation: Yes No Does the Analyst/Associate or Household member serve as a Director, Officer, or Advisory Board Member of the issuer? Yes No Has the Analyst/Associate received any direct compensation from the subject company in the past 12 months?* Yes No Has Acumen Capital Partners managed or co-managed an offering of securities by the issuer in the past 12 months? Yes No Has Acumen Capital Partners received compensation for investment banking and related services from the issuer in the past 12 months? Yes No Other disclosures: n/a Acumen has a pool for compensation purposes, which includes research analysts, investment banking personnel, sales people and institutional traders. Revenue in the pool includes trading commissions, advisory fees, new issue commissions and broker warrant proceeds. 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Acumen does or seeks to do business with companies covered in our research comments and reports. As a result, investors should be aware that the firm may be in a conflict of interest. Investors should consider this report as only a single factor in making their investment decision©2012. Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300 ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH April 18, 2012 ENERGY. GROWTH. VALUE. Page 24 of 24 ACUMEN CAPITAL| STAFF LIST RESEARCH Brian D. Pow, MBA David Doig Trevor Reynolds Stephen Cardon Vice President Research, Equity Analyst Oil and Gas Research Analyst Oil and Gas Research Analyst Research Associate (403) 571-0303 (403) 571-0530 (403) 410-6842 (403) 410-6840 bdp@acumencapital.com ddoig@acumencapital.com treynolds@acumencapital.com scardon@acumencapital.com President & CEO, Institutional Sales Vice President, Institutional Sales Institutional Sales Institutional Trading Institutional Trading Institutional Trading Associate (403) 571-2514 (403) 571-0317 (403) 571-0685 (403) 571-0148 (403) 410-6730 (403) 571-0318 (403) 571-0314 bparker@acumencapital.com doug@acumencapital.com andre@acumencapital.com lconn@acumencapital.com dbarnicke@acumencapital.com lfarrell@acumencapital.com cbellefountaine@acumencapital.com Vice President, Investment Banking Vice President, Investment Banking Vice President, Investment Banking Associate, Investment Banking (403) 571-0113 (403) 571-5036 (403) 571-0301 (403) 571-0319 smcgregor@acumencapital.com khughes@acumencapital.com ian@acumencapital.com kchow@acumencapital.com Vice President Investment Advisor Investment Advisor Assistant Vice President, Sr. Investment Advisor Investment Advisor Investment Advisor Assistant Sr. Investment Advisor Investment Advisor Investment Advisor Associate Associate (403) 571-2522 (403) 571-0112 (403) 441-0536 (403) 571-0315 (403) 410-6018 (403) 571-2416 (403) 571-2510 (403) 441-2754 (403) 571-0532 (403) 571-2195 (403) 441-5672 rlaidlaw@acumencapital.com imulji@acumencapital.com mmacburnie@acumencapital.com sheldon@acumencapital.com cmadill@acumencapital.com slozinski@acumencapital.com donny@acumencapital.com dfong@acumencapital.com pmacdonald@acumencapital.com dalnsour@acumencapital.com duncan@acumencapital.com Operations Manager CFO, COO, CCO Compliance Manager Client Services (403) 571-8045 (403) 571-0308 (403) 571-0689 (403) 571-0300 cindy@acumencapital.com mmiller@acumencapital.com mmartin@acumencapital.com kcanfield@acumencapital.com INSTITUTIONAL SALES Brian Parker Douglas S. Gowland, C.A., CFA Andre Drouillard Larry Conn Derek Barnicke Liam Farrell Crystal Bellefountaine INVESTMENT BANKING W. Scott McGregor, MBA Kelly Hughes Ian Thomson Ken Chow RETAIL SALES Robert Laidlaw Imran Mulji Margaret MacBurnie Sheldon LeLievre Craig Madill Sharon Lozinski Donny Woo Darren Fong Pat MacDonald Damir Alnsour Duncan Fong TREASURY AND OPERATIONS Cindy Marthaller Myja Miller Michelle Martin Kaayla Canfield Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited | Suite 700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2P 0R9 | Main Phone: 403-571-0300 www.acumencapital.com ACUMEN CAPITAL | RESEARCH Brian D. Pow MBA| VP Research & Equity Analyst | 403.571.0303 | bdp@acumencapital.com Stephen Cardon| Equity Research Associate | 403.410.6840 | sjcardon@acumencapital.com Acumen Capital Finance Partners Limited #700, 404 – 6 Avenue SW | Calgary, AB | T2P 0R9| Main Phone: 403-571-0300