Use of estimates and assumptions. We are required to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that we believe are reasonable based on our historical experience, contract terms, observance of known trends in our company and the industry as a whole, and information available from other outside sources. Our estimates affect reported amounts for assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosures. Actual results may differ from initial estimates.

Recently adopted accounting standards

Revenue Recognition.  Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (“ASC 606”), which is a comprehensive new revenue recognition standard that supersedes virtually all existing revenue guidance, including industry-specific guidance.  Under the new standard, revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services.  The standard creates a five-step model that generally requires companies to use more judgment and make more estimates than under the previous guidance when considering the terms of contracts along with all relevant facts and circumstances.  These include the identification of customer contracts and separating performance obligations, the determination of transaction price that potentially includes an estimate of variable consideration, allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation, and recognizing revenue in line with the pattern of transfer. We adopted ASC 606 using the modified retrospective approach (reporting the cumulative effect as of the date of adoption).  See Note 3 for further detail.

Restricted Cash. Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash. This ASU requires amounts generally described as restricted cash and cash equivalents be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the total beginning and ending amounts for the periods shown on the statement of cash flows. We adopted this guidance on a retrospective basis, which resulted in the inclusion of restricted cash within cash and cash equivalents on our balance sheets and statements of cash flows. Such restricted cash represents reserves set side in a restricted bank account in accordance with the requirements of gaming regulations to be used for the purpose of funding payments to winners of jackpots at one of our client locations and was $60,996 and $95,062 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. Cash flows from operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 increased by $8,693 as a result of the adoption of this guidance.

Compensation - Stock Compensation.  Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted ASU No. 2017-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting, which provides clarification on when modification accounting should be used for changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award. The adoption did not have a material impact on our financial statements.

Adoption of ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers

On January 1, 2018, we adopted ASC 606 and applied it to all contracts using the modified retrospective method. Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2018 are presented under ASC 606, while prior period amounts have not and will not be adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with our historical accounting treatment under Topic 605, Revenue Recognition.

The adoption of ASC 606 had the following impact on our balance sheet and statement of operations: (i) we reported higher product leases and royalty revenue and selling, general and administrative expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 as a result of the assessment of our distributor relationships.  We have entered into agreements with certain distributors in Europe, which sublicense our intellectual property to gaming establishments in Europe. We have historically recorded net revenues (gross revenue generated minus distributor fees paid) as product leases and royalty revenue. However, after applying principal vs. agent considerations to these distributor relationships in accordance with ASC 606, we have determined that revenues earned from gaming establishments in Europe should now be recorded as gross revenue and fees earned by such distributors should be recorded as selling, general and administrative expenses as we had control of the sub-licensed intellectual property prior to the licensing of such intellectual property to the gaming establishments; and (ii) prepayments from customers in advance of the period that the revenue is recognized were historically recorded under the caption “deferred revenue” in the accompanying balance sheet. This caption has now been renamed “revenue contract liability” in accordance with the requirements of ASC 606.

For the three months ended September 30, 2018, the adoption of ASC 606 had the following impact on our statement of operations:

For the six months ended September 30, 2018, the adoption of ASC 606 had the following impact on our statement of operations:

Revenue Recognition

We generate revenue primarily from the licensing of our intellectual property. We also, occasionally, receive a one-time sale of certain products and/or reimbursement of our manufactured equipment.

License Fees. We derive product lease and royalty revenue from negotiated recurring fee license agreements and the performance of our products. We account for these agreements as month-to-month contracts for the purposes of ASC 606 and recognize revenue each month as we satisfy our performance obligations by granting access to intellectual property to our clients. In addition, revenue associated with performance-based agreements is recognized during the month that the usage of the product or intellectual property occurs.  We believe it is inappropriate to use the input method as the inputs do not correlate to the satisfaction of our performance obligations. Intellectual property requires significant upfront investment in the form of human resources required for their development and/or capital resources for acquisition from third parties. However, limited maintenance is required once the games have been placed on casino floors. The output method, on the other hand, recognizes revenue based on direct measurements of the value to our customers of the licensed intellectual property, which we believe is more appropriate. We have further applied the “as invoiced” practical expedient under the output method by recognizing product lease and royalty revenue in proportion to the amount for which we have the right to invoice.

Some of our intellectual property requires the installation of certain equipment and both the intellectual property and the related equipment are licensed in one bundled package. We have determined that the equipment is not distinct from the intellectual property and, therefore, we have only one performance obligation and, as a result, the allocation of the transaction price to different performance obligations is not necessary.

Product Sales.  Occasionally, we sell certain incidental products or receive reimbursement of our manufactured equipment after the commencement of the new license agreement. Revenue from such sales is recognized as a separate performance obligation when we ship the items.  

Disaggregation of Revenue.  The following table disaggregates our revenue by major source for the three and six months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017:

The following table disaggregates our revenue by geographic location for the three and six months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017:

Revenue Contract Asset and Liability.  Upon the adoption of ASC 606, we have applied the practical expedient of expensing incremental commissions paid to sales representatives directly related to the acquisition and fulfilment of new contracts, when the amortization period of the contract asset that we otherwise would have recognized is one year or less.

We invoice our clients monthly in advance for unlimited use of our intellectual property licenses. Upon the adoption of ASC 606, we recognized a revenue contract liability that represents such advanced billing to our clients for unsatisfied performance.  We reduce the revenue contract liability and recognize revenue when we transfer those goods or services and, therefore, satisfy our performance obligation.

The table below summarizes changes in the revenue contract liability during the nine months ended September 30, 2018:

Revenue recognized during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 that was included in the beginning balance of revenue contract liability above was $1,083,639.