Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) ("CDI”) and Youbet.com, Inc.
(NASDAQ: UBET) ("Youbet”) announced today they have entered into a
definitive merger agreement under which CDI would acquire all of the
outstanding shares of Youbet in a transaction valued at approximately
$126.8 million based on the Tues. Nov. 10, 2009, closing price of CDI
common stock. Under the terms of the transaction, Youbet shareholders
would receive a fixed ratio of 0.0598 shares of CDI common stock plus
$0.97 in cash for each share of Youbet common stock they own, subject to
possible future adjustment to the exchange ratio in very limited
circumstances to increase the cash consideration and correspondingly
decrease the stock consideration, in order to ensure that the
transaction does not require CDI to issue more than 19.6% of its
outstanding common stock prior to the transaction. After the close of
the transaction, Youbet.com shareholders are expected to own
approximately 16% of CDI. Based on the closing price of CDI common stock
on Tues. Nov. 10, 2009, the transaction represents a per-share value of
Youbet common stock of approximately $2.84, and an implied premium of
28% for Youbet shareholders over the closing price of Youbet common
stock on Tues. Nov. 10, 2009. This transaction is expected to qualify as
tax-deferred under Section 368 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Youbet is recognized as a leading innovator in the advanced deposit
wagering ("ADW”) channel, delivering horse racing online to consumers in
the U.S. Youbet has introduced such breakthrough features such as its
WagerPadPro™ wagering interface, MyROI, a best-in-class analytic tool,
and the recently launched beta version of WhoDoYouLike.com, a new social
media website focused on real-time aggregation of fans’ thoughts and
opinions on horse racing. Youbet is also the exclusive provider of horse
racing content to CBSSports.com and ESPN.com. Youbet’s United Tote
subsidiary is a leading supplier of totalizator systems, equipment and
technology that process wagers and payouts and is a provider of
pari-mutuel tote services to racing operations inside and outside the
United States including such leading racetracks as Aqueduct, Belmont,
Churchill Downs, Keeneland, and Saratoga. Youbet reported handle of $438
million and revenue of $85.8 million in 2008, and reported $374 million
in handle and $70.8 million in revenue through the first nine months of
2009.
We believe this transaction will bring significant value and opportunity
to both the customers of the combined business and to CDI shareholders
and Youbet shareholders who will become CDI shareholders due to:
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Anticipated revenue opportunities,
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Cost reduction synergies,
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An enhanced capability to pursue other online business opportunities,
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Secure access to a stable, established tote system, and
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A greater ability to develop and introduce new technology-enabled
features and services that ADW customers want, and that can attract
new customers to racing.
According to recent statistics, less than 14% of all wagering on U.S.
Thoroughbred racing is estimated to be placed online. We believe,
however, that this percentage will continue to grow, consistent with
recent trends toward online transactions in other consumer industries.
In fact, the level of ADW wagering activity has already been increased
significantly in recent years, while overall wagering activity has been
relatively flat and, in recent years, down. If these recent trends
continue as anticipated, we believe the combined business will be well
positioned to compete for additional handle and revenue opportunities.
A projected $10 million in annualized cost savings have been identified
that can be realized by combining the two companies. These cost
synergies fall into three categories: elimination of the duplicate costs
of operating two public companies; elimination of duplicate sales,
general and administrative costs; and elimination of the duplicate costs
of developing and operating two ADW technology stacks and websites. The
first $5 million in annualized cost reduction is expected to be realized
within the first few months following closing of this transaction, and
the second $5 million by the end of the first 12 months following
closing. During the first 12 months following closing, we expect these
cost reductions will be reduced by approximately $7 million resulting
from transaction fees, restructuring charges and asset impairment
charges, the precise amounts and timing of which cannot be predicted at
this time.
We believe that the resources of the combined business will enable it to
pursue other online business opportunities beyond pari-mutuel wagering,
should such opportunities develop. We also believe this transaction has
significant benefits for CDI, by enabling it to acquire and maintain a
stable, established tote system, which is recognized as the industry’s
leading system. Concerns about the financial viability and stability of
tote system providers and the need to improve the integrity of tote
system wagering are well established. By acquiring United Tote, CDI
hopes to be able to directly address those problems and utilize the
United Tote technology to improve tote system stability, performance and
integrity.
Finally, the combined business should be able to develop and introduce
innovative new technology-enabled features and services that ADW
customers want and that can bring new customers to racing. The combined
business would be a publicly-traded, U.S.-licensed, U.S.-operated and
U.S.-owned ADW operator backed by the financial resources of CDI. As the
ADW channel grows, we believe the combined business will be able to
offer customers a superior level of trust, confidence and service
delivering an unparalleled customer experience.
The merger, which has been unanimously approved by the Board of
Directors of both companies, is conditioned upon, among other things,
the approval of Youbet’s shareholders, the receipt of required
regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions. Subject to
the satisfaction of these conditions, the transaction is expected to
close in the first or second quarter of 2010. In connection with the
merger agreement, certain shareholders of Youbet and each of the
directors of Youbet have entered into voting agreements with CDI under
which they have agreed to vote their shares, which collectively
represents approximately 24% of Youbet’s outstanding shares, in favor of
the merger. Upon completion of the transaction, Michael Brodsky,
Youbet’s Executive Chairman, will join CDI’s Board of Directors and its
Executive and Strategy Committees.
Churchill President and Chief Executive Officer Robert L. Evans said,
"We believe this combination should enable us to accelerate the
development of new technology-enabled features and services that horse
racing customers who wager via the ADW channel want, and that can
attract new customers to racing. While we expect to make many exciting
improvements for customers, our existing TwinSpires.com customers will
be able to continue to access their accounts and make wagers, deposits
and withdrawals in the same manner they do today.” Evans continued, "We
believe that the anticipated additional growth in our ADW channel handle
and revenue, coupled with the expected cost synergies, make this
transaction a good way to deliver additional value to CDI and Youbet
shareholders.”
Youbet President and Chief Executive Officer David Goldberg said: "We
are excited about what this opportunity to combine Youbet with CDI will
mean for Youbet customers, shareholders and employees. We have worked
hard to develop and deploy innovative products and services and have
introduced creative online marketing tools to attract new customers to
racing. Youbet’s customers will be able to continue to access their
accounts and make wagers, deposits and withdrawals as they do today. We
believe these capabilities will complement CDI’s strong customer
relationship with core racing fans. Youbet shareholders are receiving a
significant premium over the current trading price for their shares and,
through their ownership of CDI shares, the opportunity to participate in
the potential upside of the combined company.”
"We have been very impressed by the quality, performance and dedication
of Youbet employees,” concluded Evans, "Immediately upon the closing of
this transaction we will share our plans for the combined business with
both Youbet and CDI employees. Until the transaction has closed we must
continue to operate both companies in a completely independent manner.”
Imperial Capital is acting as financial advisor and Sidley Austin LLP is
acting as legal advisor to CDI in this transaction. Moelis & Company is
acting as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Olshan Grundman
Frome Rosenzweig & Wolosky LLP are acting as co-legal advisors to Youbet
in this matter.
Please note that Youbet has changed the date and time for its conference
call to discuss its third quarter financial results to Thurs. Nov. 12,
2009, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time, at which time Youbet will also discuss
this transaction. Youbet’s conference call details are as follows:
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Youbet Teleconference Call
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Date:
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Thurs., Nov. 12, 2009
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Time:
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8:00 a.m., Eastern Time
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Number:
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877-857-6163
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CDI will discuss the transaction in a teleconference call on Thurs. Nov.
12, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. CDI’s conference call details are
as follows:
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CDI Teleconference Call
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Date:
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Thurs., Nov. 12, 2009
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Time:
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9:00 a.m., Eastern Time
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Phone Number:
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866-783-2141
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International Call in:
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857-350-1600
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Pass Code:
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43582028
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Churchill Downs Incorporated ("CDI” or "Company”), headquartered in
Louisville, Ky., owns and operates world-renowned horse racing venues
throughout the United States. CDI’s four racetracks in Florida,
Illinois, Kentucky and Louisiana host many of North America’s most
prestigious races, including the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks,
Arlington Million, Princess Rooney Handicap and Louisiana Derby. CDI’s
racetracks have hosted seven Breeders’ Cup World Championships. CDI also
owns off-track betting facilities and has interests in various
advance-deposit wagering, television production, telecommunications and
racing services companies including a 50-percent interest in the
national cable and satellite network HorseRacing TV, that support the
Company’s network of simulcasting and racing operations. CDI trades on
the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol CHDN and can be found
on the Internet: www.churchilldownsincorporated.com
Youbet.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:
UBET) is a leading domestic online horse racing and horse betting
site, the exclusive provider of live horse racing footage and racing
results to ESPN.com
and CBSSports.com
and a leading supplier of totalizator systems to the pari-mutuel
industry. Youbet’s website enables its customers to securely wager on
horse races at over 180 racetracks each year worldwide from the
convenience of their homes or other locations. Through its online
platform, Youbet offers members real-time wagering, co-mingled track
pools, conditional wagering capabilities, high quality live audio/video,
up-to-the-minute track information, mobile wagering, race replay
library, simultaneous X2 Video multi-race viewing capability and
sophisticated ROI-based player analysis tools. In addition, through its
United Tote totalizator systems subsidiary, Youbet provides hardware and
software to its track partners, allowing them to process pari-mutuel
wagers, issue and pay tickets, and calculate payoff odds. Youbet’s
website is: www.youbet.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This communication includes "forward-looking statements” within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such
statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about the
benefits of the proposed transaction, including future financial and
operating results, the combined company’s plans, objectives,
expectations and intentions. These statements are subject to a number of
risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual
results, performance, prospects or opportunities, as well as those of
the markets we serve or intend to serve, to differ materially from those
expressed in, or implied by, these statements. You can identify these
statements by the fact that they do not relate to matters of a strictly
factual or historical nature and generally discuss or relate to
forecasts, estimates or other expectations regarding future events.
Generally, the words "believe,” "expect,” "intend,” "estimate,”
"anticipate,” "project,” "may,” "can,” "could,” "might,” "will” and
similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, including
statements related to expected operating and performing results, planned
transactions, planned objectives of management, future developments or
conditions in the industries in which we participate and other trends,
developments and uncertainties that may affect our business in the
future. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among other
things: the possibility that the expected efficiencies and cost savings
from the proposed transaction will not be realized, or will not be
realized within the expected time period; the ability to obtain
governmental approvals of the merger on the proposed terms and schedule
contemplated by the parties; the failure of Youbet’s stockholders to
approve the proposed merger; the risk that CDI and Youbet businesses
will not be integrated successfully; disruption from the proposed
transaction making it more difficult to maintain business and
operational relationships; the risk that a significant licensing
agreement is terminated or not renewed; rising prices for content, the
possibility that the proposed transaction does not close, including, but
not limited to, due to the failure to satisfy the closing conditions;
the effect of global economic conditions, including any disruptions in
the credit markets; the effect of UIGEA regulations and/or the resulting
policies adopted by credit card companies and other financial
institutions; the effect (including possible increases in the cost of
doing business) resulting from future war and terrorist activities or
political uncertainties; the overall economic environment; the impact of
increasing insurance costs; the impact of interest rate fluctuations;
the effect of any change in our accounting policies or practices; the
financial performance of our racing operations; the impact of gaming
competition (including lotteries and riverboat, cruise ship and
land-based casinos) and other sports and entertainment options in those
markets in which we operate or are in close proximity; costs associated
with our efforts in support of alternative gaming initiatives; costs
associated with customer relationship management initiatives; a
substantial change in law or regulations affecting pari-mutuel and
gaming activities; our continued ability to effectively compete for the
country’s top horses and trainers necessary to field high-quality horse
racing; our continued ability to grow our share of the interstate
simulcast market and obtain the consents of horsemen’s groups to
interstate simulcasting; our ability to execute our acquisition strategy
and to complete or successfully operate planned expansion projects; our
ability to successfully complete any divestiture transaction; market
reaction to our expansion projects; the loss of our totalizator
companies or their inability to provide us assurance of the reliability
of their internal control processes through Statement on Auditing
Standards No. 70 audits or to keep their technology current; our
accountability for environmental contamination; the loss of key
personnel; the impact of natural disasters on our operations and our
ability to adjust the casualty losses through our property and business
interruption insurance coverage; any business disruption associated with
a natural disaster and/or its aftermath; the impact of wagering or other
federal or state laws, including changes in any such laws or enforcement
of those laws by regulatory agencies; the outcome of pending or
threatened litigation; changes in our relationships with horsemen’s
groups and their memberships; our ability to reach agreement with
horsemen’s groups on future purse and other agreements (including,
without limiting, agreements on sharing of revenues from gaming and
advance deposit wagering); the effect of claims of third parties to
intellectual property rights; the volatility of our stock price; the
impact of live racing day competition with other Florida and Louisiana
racetracks within those respective markets; a substantial change in
allocation of live racing days; changes in Illinois law that impact
revenues of racing operations in Illinois; the presence of wagering
facilities of Indiana racetracks near our operations; our ability to
execute on our permanent slot facility in Florida; the need for various
alternative gaming approvals in Louisiana; our ability to integrate
businesses we acquire, including our ability to maintain revenues at
historic levels and achieve anticipated cost savings; and the outcome of
any claims arising in connection with a pending lawsuit in federal court
in the Western District of Kentucky styled Churchill Downs Incorporated,
et al v. Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Group, LLC, Case #08-CV-225-S]. See
CDI’s and Youbet’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2008 and other public filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "SEC”) for a further discussion of these and
other risks and uncertainties applicable to our businesses. Neither CDI
nor Youbet undertakes any duty to update any forward-looking statement
whether as a result of new information, future events or changes in our
respective expectations.
Important Merger Information and Additional Information
This communication is being made in respect of the proposed merger
transaction involving CDI and Youbet. In connection with the proposed
transaction, CDI will file with the SEC a registration statement on Form
S-4 and Youbet will mail a proxy statement/prospectus to its
stockholders, and each will be filing other documents regarding the
proposed transaction with the SEC as well. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR
INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY
STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND ANY OTHER
RELEVANT DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME
AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE
PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The final proxy statement/prospectus will be
mailed to Youbet stockholders. You may obtain copies of all documents
filed with the SEC concerning this proposed transaction, free of charge,
at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov),
by accessing CDI website at www.churchilldownsincorporated.com
under the heading "Investor Relations” and then under the link "SEC
Filings” or from CDI by directing a request to 700 Central Avenue,
Louisville, KY 40208. Alternatively, you may obtain copies by accessing
Youbet’s website at www.Youbet.com
under the heading "Investors Relations” and then under the link "SEC
Filings” or from Youbet by directing a request to 5901 De Soto Avenue,
Woodland Hills, CA 91367.
CDI and Youbet and their respective directors and executive officers and
other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of
proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding
CDI directors and officers is available in CDI’s proxy statement for its
2009 annual meeting of shareholders and CDI’s 2008 Annual Report on Form
10-K, which were filed with the SEC on April 28, 2009 and March 4, 2009,
respectively. Information regarding Youbet directors and executive
officers is available in Youbet’s proxy statement for its 2009 annual
meeting of stockholders and Youbet’s 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K,
which were filed with the SEC on April 30, 2009 and March 6, 2009,
respectively. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy
solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests,
by security holding and otherwise, will be contained in the proxy
statements/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the
SEC when they become available.