As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 28, 2020

Registration No. 333-235602

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

ALLIED ESPORTS ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of the registration statement.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☐

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of  “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one)

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. ☐

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

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The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. Neither we nor the selling stockholders may sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is declared effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is prohibited.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED JANUARY 28, 2020

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

ALLIED ESPORTS ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

Common Stock

           Shares

We are offering             shares of our common stock and the selling stockholders named herein are offering an additional             shares of our common stock pursuant to this prospectus. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of shares by the selling stockholders.

Our common stock is currently listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “AESE.” On January 27, 2020 the last reported sale price of our common stock was $3.00 per share, as reported by the Nasdaq Capital Market.

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before making any investment in these securities, you should read and carefully consider the risks described in this prospectus under “Risk Factors” beginning on page 10 of this prospectus. We are a “smaller reporting company” under applicable law and are subject to reduced public company reporting requirements.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

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We have granted a 30-day option to the underwriters to purchase up to             additional shares of our common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.

The underwriters expect to deliver the shares of our common stock on or about             , 2020.

Joint Book-Running Managers

Co-Manager

Dougherty  &  Company

The date of this prospectus is             , 2020.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

Unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “AESE” and the “Company” refer to Allied Esports Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

Neither we nor the underwriters nor the selling stockholders have authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We and the underwriters are offering to sell shares of common stock and seeking offers to buy shares of common stock only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The information in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of any sale of the common stock. Our business, liquidity position, financial condition, prospects or results of operations may have changed since the date of this prospectus.

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. See “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

For investors outside of the United States: Neither we nor the underwriters have done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than the United States. Persons outside of the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the shares of common stock and the distribution of this prospectus outside of the United States.

Industry and Market Data

This prospectus includes estimates regarding market and industry data and forecasts, which are based on publicly available information, industry publications and surveys, reports from government agencies and our own estimates based on our management’s knowledge of, and experience in, the industry and markets in which we compete. In presenting this information, we have made certain assumptions that we believe to be reasonable based on such data and other similar sources, and on our knowledge of, and our experience to date in, the markets for our products. Market data is subject to change and may be limited by the availability of raw data, the voluntary nature of the data gathering process and other limitations inherent in any statistical survey of market data. This data involves a number of assumptions and limitations which are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in “Risk Factors.” These and other factors could cause our future performance to differ materially from our assumptions and estimates. In addition, customer preferences are subject to change. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such market data. References herein to our being a leader in a market refer to our belief that we have a leading market share position in such specified market based on sales, unless the context otherwise requires.

Trademarks

This prospectus contains references to our trademarks and service marks and to those belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ® or TM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent possible under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by any other companies. 

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The Information in this prospectus includes “forward-looking statements” under Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this prospectus, regarding our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. When used in this prospectus, the words “could,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. When considering forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements described under the heading “Risk Factors” included in this prospectus. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Nevertheless, and despite the fact that management’s expectations and estimates are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable and data management believes to be reliable, our actual results, performance or achievements are subject to future risks and uncertainties, any of which could materially affect our actual performance. Risks and uncertainties that could affect such performance include, but are not limited to:

We caution you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. These risks include, but are not limited to, the risks described under “Risk Factors” in this prospectus. Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this prospectus occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this prospectus are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This cautionary statement should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that we or persons acting on our behalf may issue. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, we disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus.

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the specific risks described below before making an investment decision. Any of the risks we describe below could cause our business, financial condition, results of operations or future prospects to be materially adversely affected.

The market price of our common stock could decline if one or more of these risks and uncertainties develop into actual events and you could lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or future prospects. In addition, some of the statements in this section of the prospectus are forward-looking statements. For more information about forward-looking statements, please see the section of this prospectus entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” above. Amounts within the “Risk Factors” section are stated in thousands with the exception of share information.

ALLIED ESPORTS RISK FACTORS

General Risks

Allied Esports is subject to risks associated with operating in a rapidly developing industry and a relatively new market.

Many elements of Allied Esports’ business are unique, evolving and relatively unproven. Its business and prospects depend on the continuing development of live streaming of competitive esports gaming. The market for esports gaming competition is relatively new and rapidly developing and is subject to significant challenges. Allied Esports’ business relies upon its ability to grow and garner an active gamer community, and successfully monetize this community through tournament fees, live event ticket sales, and advertising and sponsorships. In addition, Allied Esports’ continued growth depends, in part, on its ability to respond to constant changes in the esports gaming industry, including technological evolution, shifts in gamer trends and demands, introductions of new games, game publisher intellectual property right practices, and industry standards and practices. While change in this industry may be inevitable, and Allied Esports will try to adapt its business model as needed to accommodate change and remain on the forefront of its competitors, Allied Esports may be unsuccessful in doing so and does not provide any guarantees or assurances of success as the industry continues to evolve.

Allied Esports may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to achieve and sustain profitability.

Allied Esports expects its operating expenses to increase significantly as it continues to expand its marketing efforts and operations in existing and new geographies and vertical markets (including its online esports tournament and gaming subscription platform it intends to develop). In addition, Allied Esports expects to incur significant additional legal, accounting and other expenses related to being a public company. If its revenue declines or fails to grow at a rate faster than these increases in operating expenses, it will not be able to achieve and maintain profitability in future periods. As a result, Allied Esports may generate losses. Allied Esports cannot assure you that it will achieve or maintain profitability.

Allied Esports generates a portion of its revenues from advertising and sponsorship. If it fails to attract more advertisers and sponsors to its live events, tournaments or content, or if advertisers or sponsors are less willing to advertise with or sponsor Allied Esports, its revenues may be adversely affected.

Allied Esports generates revenue from advertising and sponsorship, and it expects to further develop and expand its focus on these revenues in the future. These revenues partly depend on the advertisers’ willingness to advertise in the esports gaming industry. If the esports gaming advertising and sponsorship market does not continue to grow, or if Allied Esports is unable to capture and retain a sufficient share of that market, Allied Esports’ profitability may be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, with unfavorable economic external factors, sponsors and advertisers may not have enough budget allocations for spending in sponsorship and advertising in esports, which would also lead to an adverse impact on Allied Esports’ revenue stream.

Allied Esports’ business model may not remain effective and it cannot guarantee that its future monetization strategies will be successfully implemented or generate sustainable revenues and profit.

Allied Esports generates revenues from advertising and sponsorship of its live events, its content, the sale of merchandising, and the operation of its esports arenas. Allied Esports has generated, and expects to continue to generate, a substantial portion of revenues using this revenue model in the near term. Although Allied Esports anticipates growth in Allied Esports’ business utilizing this revenue model, there is no guarantee that growth will continue in the future, and the demand for its offerings may change, decrease substantially or dissipate, or it may fail to anticipate and serve esports gamer demands effectively. Allied Esports may determine to enter into new opportunities to expand its business, including online gaming platforms, which may or may not be successful. Any such expansions involve additional risks and costs that could materially and adversely affect its business.

Allied Esports’ growth strategy depends on the availability of suitable locations for its proprietary and licensed esports arenas and its ability to open new locations and operate them profitably.

A key element of Allied Esports’ growth strategy is to extend its brand by opening additional flagship arenas throughout the world and licensing the Allied Esports brand to third party esports arena operators, which it believes will provide attractive returns on investment. However, desirable locations may not be available at an acceptable cost. Opening these additional locations will depend upon a number of factors, many of which are beyond Allied Esports’ control, including its ability or the ability of the selected licensee to:

If Allied Esports succeeds in opening new arenas on a timely and cost-effective basis, it may nonetheless be unable to attract enough gamers or spectators to the new location (or to existing locations of affiliated arenas) because its entertainment and menu options might not appeal to them. Failure to do so could have a significant adverse effect on Allied Esports’ overall operating results.

Allied Esports has not entered into definitive license agreements with all game publishers that it currently has relationships with, and it may never do so.

Although Allied Esports has relationships with many game publishers for tournament event and content experiences involving their respective intellectual properties and enters into definitive license agreements with such game publishers from time to time, Allied Esports does not have definitive license agreements in place with all of its game publishers. No assurances can be given as to when or if it will be able to come to agreeable terms with game publishers for any future license agreements. If Allied Esports is unable to come to mutually agreeable terms and enter into definitive license agreements with game publishers, game publishers may unilaterally choose to discontinue its relationship with Allied Esports, thereby preventing Allied Esports from offering tournament event and content experiences using their game intellectual property. Should game publishers choose not to allow Allied Esports to offer tournament event and content experiences involving their intellectual property to Allied Esports’ customers, the popularity of Allied Esports’ tournaments and content may decline, which could materially and adversely affect its results of operations and financial condition.

Even if Allied Esports is able to license its brand to third party esports operators, there is a risk that those operators could damage its brand by operating esports arenas that are not at Allied Esports’ standards of operation.

As Allied Esports licenses the Allied Esports brand to third party esports arena operators around the world, it will depend on those operators to run those arenas at a quality level similar to Allied Esports’ owned and operated arenas. Allied Esports’ strategy depends on customers associating the third party esports arenas as part of Allied Esports’ network of affiliated arenas, which it believes will expand its brand recognition and increase customers, revenue, and growth. If Allied Esports’ affiliate arenas are poorly operated, or if those operators fail to use Allied Esports’ name and branding in a manner consistent with Allied Esports’ corporate messaging and branding, or if there are safety issues or other negative occurrences at affiliate arenas, Allied Esports’ name and brand could be significantly damaged, which would make its expansion difficult and materially adversely affect its results of operations and financial condition.

Allied Esports’ growth strategy includes deploying additional mobile arenas in the U.S and Europe to host its tournaments and events and it must operate them profitably.

A key element of Allied Esports’ growth strategy is to extend its brand by increasing and adding to its portfolio of mobile arenas in the U.S. and Europe, as we believe doing so will provide attractive returns on investment. Adding these mobile arenas will depend upon a number of factors, many of which are beyond Allied Esports’ control, including but not limited to our ability, or the ability of our licensees, to:

The nature of hosting esports events exposes Allied Esports to negative publicity or customer complaints, including in relation to, among other things, accidents, injuries or thefts at the arenas, and health and safety concerns.

Allied Esports’ business of hosting esports events inherently exposes it to negative publicity or customer complaints as a result of accidents, injuries or, in extreme cases, deaths arising from incidents occurring at our arenas, including health, safety or security issues, and quality and service standards. Even isolated or sporadic incidents or accidents may have a negative impact on Allied Esports’ brand image and reputation, the arenas’ popularity with gamers and spectators or the ability to host esports events at all.

Allied Esports’ marketing and advertising efforts may fail to resonate with gamers.

Allied Esports’ live events, tournaments and competitions are marketed through a diverse spectrum of advertising and promotional programs such as online and mobile advertising, marketing through websites, event sponsorship and direct communications with the esports gaming community including via email, blogs and other electronic means. An increasing portion of Allied Esports’ marketing activity is taking place on social media platforms that are either outside, or not totally within, its direct control. Changes to gamer preferences, marketing regulations, privacy and data protection laws, technology changes or service disruptions may negatively impact its ability to reach target gamers. Allied Esports’ ability to market its tournaments and competitions is dependent in part upon the success of these programs.

The esports gaming industry is competitive, and gamers may prefer competitors’ arenas, leagues, competitions or tournaments over those offered by Allied Esports.

The esports gaming industry is competitive. Competitors range from established leagues and championships owned directly, as well as leagues franchised by well-known and capitalized game publishers and developers, interactive entertainment companies, diversified media companies and emerging start-ups. New competitors will likely continue to emerge. Many of these competitors may have greater financial resources than Allied Esports. If Allied Esports’ competitors develop and launch competing arenas, leagues, tournaments or competitions, Allied Esports’ revenue, margins, and profitability could decline.

Allied Esports may not provide events or tournaments with games or titles for which the esports gaming community is interested.

Allied Esports must attract and retain the popular esports gaming titles in order to maintain and increase the popularity of its live events, leagues, tournaments and competitions. Allied Esports must identify and license popular games that resonate with the esports gamer community on an ongoing basis. Allied Esports cannot assure you that it can attract and license popular esports games from their publishers, and failure to do so would have a material and adverse impact on Allied Esports’ results of operations and financial conditions.

If Allied Esports fails to keep its existing gamers engaged, acquire new gamers and expand interest in its live events, leagues, tournaments and competitions, its business, profitability and prospects may be adversely affected.

Allied Esports’ success depends on its ability to maintain and grow the number of gamers attending its live events, tournaments and competitions, and keep its gamers and attendees highly engaged. In order to attract, retain and engage gamers and remain competitive, Allied Esports must continue to develop and expand its live events, leagues, produce engaging tournaments and competitions, and implement new content formats, technologies and strategies to improve its product offerings. There is no assurance it will be able to do so.

A decline in the number of gamers may adversely affect the engagement level of gamers with Allied Esports’ tournament and entertainment platform under development may reduce our revenue opportunities and have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

It is vital to Allied Esports’ operations that its planned online esports tournament and gaming subscriptions platform be responsive to evolving gamer preferences and offer first-tier esports game content and other services that attracts gamers. Allied Esports must also keep providing gamers new features and functions to enable superior content viewing and interaction, or the number of gamers utilizing the platform will likely decline. Any decline in the number of gamers will likely have a material and adverse effect on our operations. 

There is no guarantee that Allied Esports will be able to complete its planned  online esports tournament and gaming subscription platform, or that such platform once completed will be or remain popular.

Allied Esports cannot assure you that the online esports tournament and gaming subscription platform it intends to develop will be completed in a timely manner or, if completed, become popular with gamers to offset the costs incurred to operate and expand it. This will require substantial costs and expenses. If such increased costs and expenses do not effectively translate into improved gamer engagement, Allied Esports’ results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

If Allied Esports fails to maintain and enhance its brands, its business, results of operations and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

Allied Esports believes that maintaining and enhancing its brands is important for its business to succeed by increasing the number of gamers and engagement by the esports community. Since Allied Esports operates in a highly competitive market, brand maintenance and enhancement directly affects its ability to maintain and enhance its market position. As Allied Esports expands, it may conduct various marketing and brand promotion activities using various methods to continue promoting its brands, but it cannot assure you that these activities will be successful. In addition, negative publicity, regardless of its veracity, could harm Allied Esports’ brands and reputation, which may materially and adversely affect Allied Esports’ business, results of operations and prospects.

If Allied Esports fails to anticipate and successfully implement new esports technologies or adopt new business strategies, technologies or methods, its business may suffer.

Rapid technology changes in the esports gaming market requires Allied Esports to anticipate, sometimes years in advance, which technologies it must develop, implement and take advantage of in order to be and remain competitive in the esports gaming market. Allied Esports has invested, and in the future may invest, in new business strategies including its to-be-developed online esports tournament and entertainment subscription platform, technologies, products, or games to engage a growing number of gamers and deliver the best gaming experiences possible. These endeavors involve significant risks and uncertainties, and no assurance can be given that the technology it adopts and the features it pursues will be successful. If Allied Esports does not successfully implement these new technologies, its reputation may be materially adversely affected and its financial condition and operating results may be impacted.

Allied Esports uses third-party services in connection with its business, and any disruption to these services could result in a disruption to its business, negative publicity and a slowdown in the growth of its users, materially and adversely affecting its business, financial condition and results of operations.

Allied Esports’ business depends on services provided by, and relationships with, various third parties, including cloud hosting, server operators, broadband providers, and computing peripheral suppliers, among others. The failure of any of these parties to perform in compliance with our agreements may negatively impact Allied Esports’ business.

Additionally, if such third parties increase their prices, fail to provide their services effectively, terminate their service or agreements or discontinue their relationships with Allied Esports, Allied Esports could suffer service interruptions, reduced revenues or increased costs, any of which may have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.

Allied Esports may not be able to procure the necessary permits and licenses to operate its arenas.

Allied Esports must obtain certain permits and licenses, including liquor licenses, to operate its arenas. Often these processes can be expensive and time consuming. There is no guarantee that Allied Esports will be able to obtain such permits and licenses on a timely or cost-effective basis. Any delays could jeopardize the ability of Allied Esports to operate the arenas and host events. As a result, Allied Esports’ business could suffer.

Rules and regulations governing sweepstakes, promotions and giveaways vary by state and country and these rules and regulations could restrict or eliminate Allied Esports’ ability to generate revenues on its esports gaming platform it intends to develop, which could materially and adversely impact the viability of this business.

As part of its esports gaming platform to be developed, Allied Esports intends to offer subscribers the chance to win cash and prizes when playing esports games and tournaments on the platform. Awarding cash and prizes would require compliance with the laws or regulations in various states or countries over sweepstakes, promotions and giveaways, which are complex and constantly changing. Any negative finding of law regarding the characterization of the type of online activity carried out on the esports gaming platform could limit or prevent Allied Esports’ ability to obtain subscribers in those jurisdictions, which in turn could significantly impact Allied Esports’ ability to generate revenue. The ability or willingness to work with Allied Esports by payment processors and other service providers necessary to conduct the esports gaming platform business also may be limited due to such changes in laws or any perceived negative consequences of engaging in the business of sweepstakes, promotions and giveaways that will be utilized by the esports gaming platform.

Negotiations with unionized employees could delay opening or operating Allied Esports’ arenas.

Certain of Allied Esports’ employees are represented by one or more unions. Allied Esports will need to engage such unions to seek to employ the services of the employees on mutually acceptable terms. However, Allied Esports cannot guarantee that such negotiations will be timely concluded to avoid interruption in its tournament schedule, or that such negotiations will ultimately result in an agreement. Any failure to timely conclude the negotiations could cause a delay in Allied Esports’ ability to timely open arenas or host events. Either of these events would adversely affect Allied Esports’ profitability.

Allied Esports’ business is subject to regulation, and changes in applicable regulations may negatively impact its business.

Allied Esports is subject to a number of foreign and domestic laws and regulations that affect companies conducting business on the Internet. In addition, laws and regulations relating to user privacy, data collection, retention, electronic commerce, consumer protection, content, advertising, localization, and information security have been adopted or are being considered for adoption by many jurisdictions and countries throughout the world. These laws could harm Allied Esports’ business by limiting the products and services it can offer consumers or the manner in which it offers them. The compliance costs for these laws may increase in the future as a result of changes in interpretation. Furthermore, Allied Esports’ failure to comply with these laws or the application of these laws in an unanticipated manner may harm its business and result in penalties or significant legal liability.

Risks Related to Allied Esports’ Intellectual Property

Allied Esports licenses certain brand names under agreements that will expire and may also be subject to claims of infringement of third-party intellectual property rights.

Allied Esports has a three-year license with a third party, ending in July 2021, to use the names “Esports Arena Las Vegas” and “Esports Arena Drive”, which are part of the branding for its Las Vegas flagship esports arena location and its US-based mobile arena, respectively. Once that license expires, there is no assurance that Allied Esports will be able to further license those names or purchase them on satisfactory terms. Although Allied Esports intends to market and promote its esports arenas using intellectual property it owns and controls, there are no assurances that those efforts will be fruitful and that it will be able to maintain brand awareness once the license expires.

Furthermore, third parties may claim that Allied Esports has infringed their intellectual property rights. Although Allied Esports takes steps to avoid violating the intellectual property rights of others, it is possible that third parties still may claim infringement. Infringement claims against us, whether valid or not, may be expensive to defend and divert the attention of Allied Esports’ management and employees from business operations. Such claims or litigation could require Allied Esports to pay damages, royalties, legal fees and other costs. Allied Esports also could be required to stop offering, distributing or supporting esports games, its to-be-developed gaming platform or other features or services which incorporate the affected intellectual property rights, redesign products, features or services to avoid infringement, or obtain a license, all of which could be costly and harm its business.

Allied Esports’ technology, content and brands are subject to the threat of piracy, unauthorized copying and other forms of intellectual property infringement.

Allied Esports regards its technology, content and brands as proprietary and takes measures to protect it from infringement. Piracy and other forms of unauthorized copying and use of technology, content and brands are persistent, and policing is difficult. Further, the laws of some countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States, or are poorly enforced. Legal protection of Allied Esports’ rights may be ineffective in such countries, which could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.

Allied Esports may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of its intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position.

Allied Esports regards its registered trademark and pending trademarks, service marks, pending patents, domain names, trade secrets, proprietary technologies and similar intellectual property as critical to its success. Allied Esports relies on trademark and patent law, trade secret protection and confidentiality and license agreements with its employees and others to protect its proprietary rights.

Allied Esports has invested significant resources to develop its own intellectual property and acquire licenses to use and distribute the intellectual property of others. Failure to maintain or protect these rights could harm its business. In addition, any unauthorized use of our intellectual property by third parties may adversely affect its current and future revenues.

Allied Esports may not be able to develop compelling intellectual property content or secure media content distributors to promote, sell, and distribute such content, which could harm its business and competitive position.

Allied Esports intends to produce licensable content from the various live events, tournaments, and its own initiatives and brands to sell to viewers worldwide. There is no guarantee that it will be able to develop content that is compelling to its targeted customers. Media and gaming company competitors, many of which are better funded, are also creating content from esports events, and it will be difficult to create content that stands out and attracts customers. Furthermore, to carry out Allied Esports’ worldwide distribution plans, film and media distribution partners will be needed and, in the event, Allied Esports is not able to secure content distributors on terms acceptable to Allied Esports, this will have a significant adverse impact on revenue streams from the sale or licensing of intellectual property.

WPT RISK FACTORS

Risks Related to WPT’s Current Business

WPT’s broadcast agreement with Fox Sports Net (“FSN”) sets a minimum level of distribution that is significantly less than the current distribution level. If WPT’s current level of distribution is reduced, the reduction could materially and adversely affect WPT’s results of operations.

Currently, WPT broadcasts certain of its worldwide Main Tour events throughout the United States on FSN, and they are also available on ClubWPT.com on demand, and on various digital streaming platforms. WPT’s programming agreement to broadcast the television series does not provide for any license fees to be paid to WPT for the broadcast rights, and contains a minimum level of distribution. Currently, WPT’s programming is broadcast significantly more frequently that the minimum threshold under the programming agreement. With no license fee in place for the distribution, WPT benefits from the program’s distribution and promotion of WPT’s online products (ClubWPT) and generates fees from sponsors by integrating sponsor logos and other advertising materials into its programs and around the broadcast of the shows through music royalties and distribution of the shows in other markets. The Season 17 sponsors included Hublot S.A., a luxury watch maker, Rockstar, Inc., an energy drink company, Baccarat, Inc., a manufacturer and retailer of fine crystal, Faded Spade Poker, LLC, a playing card manufacturer, and Zynga Inc., a social gaming operator. If WPT’s level of distribution were reduced by FSN, the value of the foregoing would be significantly reduced and it may be difficult for WPT to find sponsors on terms acceptable to WPT, or at all.

WPT’s production costs may increase.

In May 2016, WPT entered into a programming agreement for FSN to broadcast Seasons 15 through 18 of the WPT television series through calendar year 2021 on terms that are similar to the prior programming agreement discussed above. WPT may be required to pay the cost to produce these shows for FSN and depending on the amount of the related revenues it is able to generate, the lack of license fees could have a material adverse effect on WPT’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Sinclair’s acquisition of FSN could have negative consequences on World Poker Tour.

The Walt Disney Company (“Disney”) recently acquired 21st Century Fox (“FOX”). Under the terms of the acquisition, FOX’s non-regional news and sports assets, including FSN, were spun off into a new company, Fox Corporation (which is commonly referred to as “New Fox”), which remains owned by the prior FOX shareholders. The Department of Justice required Disney to sell all regional sports assets obtained as part of the acquisition (the “RSNs”) within ninety (90) days after the closing of the Disney/FOX acquisition. WPT’s programming agreement with FSN’s owner requires FSN to ensure WPT’s programming reaches a certain amount of households, which requires FSN’s owner to ensure we are broadcast on the RSNs. The FSN agreement also has other important broadcast requirements to ensure that WPT’s programming remains “appointment television” and airs at particular times on both the FSN networks and the RSNs. The RSNs (including FSN) were ultimately purchased by a joint venture company owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios, Inc. (collectively, “Sinclair”). Although Sinclair purchased all or substantially all of FOX’s RSNs, it will be difficult to ensure WPT’s programming is carried on all of the RSNs, or at the times and dates WPT finds desirable. Even though WPT’s FSN programming agreement will remain an enforceable obligation against Sinclair, there is no assurance that Sinclair will continue to broadcast WPT’s programming on FSN on terms WPT finds reasonable, if at all. Furthermore, the sale of the RSN’s to Sinclair and the changes to the FOX and the FSN business could negatively affect WPT’s ability to find other traditional television network distribution of the WPT shows in the United States. Any reduction or change of WPT’s distribution footprint has the potential to negatively affect its brand and associated sponsorship, marketing and promotional efforts.

There is no assurance that FSN will broadcast future seasons of the World Poker Tour, which would materially and adversely affect WPT’s results of operations.

In May 2016, WPT entered into an agreement for FSN to broadcast Seasons 15 through 18 of the WPT television series through calendar year 2021. If FSN elects to discontinue airing either series and WPT cannot replace its programming agreement with an agreement with a comparable U.S. broadcaster, it may be difficult for WPT to obtain sponsorship funds, it will be detrimental to the viability of the WPT brand and, consequently, would have a material adverse effect on WPT’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Consumers shifting to online video on-demand services like Hulu and Netflix and away from cable could have negative consequences on World Poker Tour.

Historically, WPT has relied on traditional television network distribution in order to build its brand and generate sponsorship revenue. As online video on-demand services such as Hulu and Netflix have become increasingly popular compared to traditional cable subscriptions, WPT has increased its digital distribution. If these “cable-cutting” trends intensify, however, there is no assurance that WPT can maintain or increase its total distribution and if it cannot, it may be difficult for WPT to obtain sponsorship funds, it will be detrimental to the viability of the WPT brand and, consequently, it would have a material adverse effect on WPT’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The ClubWPT.com business is currently heavily dependent upon television as a major source for the generation of new monthly subscribers and WPT continually seeks cost effective online and traditional marketing to generate new subscribers, which if not achieved could materially and adversely affect its results of operations.

ClubWPT is the official subscription online poker club of the World Poker Tour. VIP users pay a monthly subscription fee for exclusive access to full episodes from every past season of the WPT television show, plus magazine access, coupons, and more. Each month, members can play poker to win a share of cash and prizes, including seats to WPT events. In addition, in January 2019, WPT added free-to-play (also known as “freemium”) social poker and casino gaming on the platform, whereby free chips are offered for play, but additional chips can be purchased (there are no cash prizes offered for freemium play). WPT has produced ClubWPT.com-branded television shows that aired on FSN (such as our “King of the Club” television shows), as well as incorporating significant branding and advertising of ClubWPT into the WPT television shows to build awareness and drive traffic to ClubWPT.com. In order for the ClubWPT business (including its freemium offering) to continue as a viable business, WPT needs to continuously identify cost efficient marketing tools to generate new subscribers for ClubWPT. Traditionally, WPT has marketed by using its large library of content online as a driver to the platform, or through its social media footprint. The number of paid subscribers at ClubWPT grew throughout 2019 as a result of a significant promotion by FSN, while daily active users of our freemium products has increased since we introduced them in January 2019. The number of paid subscribers could decrease in future quarters due to the lack of current spending on marketing for new players. WPT will need to increase its marketing and promotion of ClubWPT through alternative means, such as social media, in person at WPT live events, via cross-promotion with the Allied Esports business, and via other means to ensure ClubWPT remains viable.

WPT’s reliance on Pala Interactive LLC (“Pala”) as a third-party systems provider is subject to system security risks and business viability risks that could disrupt services provided to ClubWPT.com customers, and any such disruption could reduce WPT’s revenue, increase its expenses and harm its reputation.

Experienced computer programmers and hackers may be able to penetrate Pala’s network security and misappropriate confidential information, create system disruptions or cause shutdowns. In addition, computer programmers and hackers may be able to develop and deploy viruses, worms and other malicious software programs that attack their products or otherwise exploit security vulnerabilities in their products. As a result, WPT could lose its existing or potential customers. Pala is a third-party vendor whose business is dependent upon the real money gaming and social gaming business environment. Any business interruption or failure by Pala would directly affect WPT’s online business as WPT would need to find a suitable alternative platform provider.

Rules and regulations governing sweepstakes, promotions and giveaways vary by state and country and these rules and regulations could restrict or eliminate WPT’s ability to generate revenues at ClubWPT.com, which could materially and adversely impact the viability of this business.

Changes in laws or regulations in various states or countries over sweepstakes, promotions and giveaways or a negative finding of law regarding the characterization of the type of online activity carried out on ClubWPT.com could result in WPT’s inability to obtain subscribers in those jurisdictions, which in turn could significantly impact WPT’s ability to generate revenue. The ability or willingness to work with WPT by payment processors and other service providers necessary to conduct the ClubWPT.com business also may be limited due to such changes in laws or any perceived negative consequences of engaging in the business of sweepstakes, promotions and giveaways that are utilized by ClubWPT.com.

WPT’s success depends in part on our brands and any future brands it may develop, and if the value of its brands were to diminish, its business would be adversely affected. Licensees of WPT’s brands may diminish the value of its brands.

WPT’s success depends on its World Poker Tour and Alpha 8 brands, which consist of a portfolio of trademarks, service marks and copyrighted materials. WPT’s intellectual property portfolio includes, but is not limited to, existing and future episodes of the televised programming produced in connection with its existing and future brands and certain elements of these episodes, trade names and other intellectual property rights. In connection with WPT’s branding and licensing operations, WPT entered into agreements with certain licensors to utilize the WPT brand and intellectual property in connection with mobile, social media and casual games, horse racing, amateur poker leagues, governmental lottery games, and in-person and online education and training poker workshops. While specific contractual provisions require that the licensees maintain the quality of WPT’s licensed brands, WPT cannot be certain that its licensees or their manufacturers and distributors will honor their contractual obligations or that they will not take other actions that will diminish the value of WPT’s brands prior to its ability to detect and prevent any such actions.

WPT may not be able to protect the format of its episodes, its current and future brands and its other proprietary rights.

WPT is susceptible to others imitating its television show format and other products and infringing on its intellectual property rights. Litigation may be necessary to enforce WPT’s intellectual property rights and to determine the validity and scope of its proprietary rights. Any litigation could result in substantial expense, may reduce WPT’s profits and may not adequately protect its intellectual property rights upon which it is substantially dependent. In addition, the laws of certain foreign countries do not always protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the U.S. Imitation of WPT’s television show formats and other products or infringement of its intellectual property rights could diminish the value of its brands or otherwise adversely affect its revenues.

Any litigation or claims against WPT based upon its intellectual property or other third-party rights, whether or not successful, could result in substantial costs and harm its reputation. In addition, such litigation or claims could force WPT to do one or more of the following: to cease exploitation of the WPT television series and related products or portions thereof that violate the potentially infringed third party rights or intellectual property, which would adversely affect WPT’s revenue; to negotiate a license from the holder of the intellectual property or other right alleged to have been infringed, which license may not be available on reasonable terms, if at all; or to modify the WPT television series and related products or portions thereof to avoid infringing the intellectual property or other rights of a third party, which may be costly and time-consuming or impossible to accomplish.

Early termination of WPT’s agreements with member casinos or violation by member casinos of the restrictive covenants contained in these agreements could negatively affect the size of telecast audiences and lead to declines in the performance of WPT’s other lines of business.

WPT entered into written agreements with all of the “member casinos” that host WPT tournament stops. However, any member casino may elect to withdraw its tournament from the WPT lineup and terminate the agreement by giving WPT notice by a specified date or, if earlier, a specified length of time before the date of the tournament, which is generally four to six months. While each agreement remains in effect and, in some cases, for varying periods of time thereafter, the member casino is prohibited from televising the tournament itself, permitting any third party to televise the tournament or licensing its name, trademarks or likeness to any other party in conjunction with the telecast of a poker tournament. If a significant number of these member casinos were to terminate their agreements and/or allow a competing company to telecast their tournaments after their expiration for the restricted time period, this could result in a decline in WPT’s future telecast audiences, which in turn would lead to declines in the performance and success of WPT’s other lines of business. If one or more member casinos were to breach the exclusivity provisions of their contracts with WPT by letting a competing company telecast their tournaments within the restricted time period, litigation may be necessary to enforce those rights. Any litigation could result in substantial expense.

Refusal of any gaming commission to register WPT as a non-gaming vendor for its branded casino tournaments could jeopardize the ability of WPT to continue holding its events at member casinos.

Some states require WPT to register with the state’s gaming commissions as a non-gaming vendor of the member casino that runs a WPT-branded tournament. If such gaming commissions refuse to provide the necessary vendor license, the member casino may not be able to hold WPT’s tournaments, and WPT’s business could suffer.

Termination or impairment of WPT’s relationships with key licensing and strategic partners could adversely affect its revenues and results of operations.

WPT has developed relationships with key strategic partners in many areas of its business, including poker tournament event sponsorship, merchandise licensing, social poker and casino games, corporate sponsorship and international distribution. WPT hopes to derive significant income from its licensing arrangements and its agreements with its strategic partners are vital to finding these licensing arrangements. If WPT were to fail to manage its existing licensing relationships, this failure could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition and results of operations. WPT would also be materially adversely affected if it were to lose rights under any of its other key contracts or if the counterparty to any of these contracts were to breach its obligations to WPT. WPT relies on a limited number of contracts under which third parties provide it with services vital to WPT’s business.

These agreements include WPT’s agreements with:

If WPT’s relationship with any of these or certain other third parties were to be interrupted, or the services provided by any of these third parties were to be delayed or deteriorate for any reason without being adequately replaced, WPT’s business could be materially adversely affected. If WPT is forced to find a replacement for any of these strategic partners, this could create disruption in its business and may result in reduced revenues, increased costs or diversion of management’s attention and resources.

In addition, while WPT has significant control over its licensed products and advertising, WPT does not have operational and financial control over these third parties, and it has limited influence with respect to the manner in which they conduct their businesses. If any of these strategic partners experiences a significant downturn in its business or were otherwise unable to honor its obligations to WPT, WPT’s business could be materially disrupted.

The loss of the services of Adam Pliska or other key employees or on-air talent, or WPT’s failure to attract key individuals, could adversely affect its business.

WPT is highly dependent on the services of Adam Pliska, who currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of WPT, as well as President of the Company.

WPT’s continued success is also dependent upon retention of other key management executives and upon its ability to attract and retain employees and on-air talent to implement its corporate development strategy and its branding and licensing efforts. The loss of some of its senior executives, or an inability to attract or retain other key individuals, could materially adversely affect WPT. Growth in WPT’s business is dependent, to a large degree, on its ability to retain and attract such employees. WPT seeks to compensate and provide incentives to its key executives, as well as other employees, through competitive salaries, stock ownership and bonus plans, but it can make no assurance that these programs will allow WPT to retain key employees or hire new employees. In addition, WPT’s future success may also be affected by the potential need to replace its key on-air talent.

Any disputes with the IATSE 700 Editors Union could delay finishing production of shows needing to be delivered to FSN or increase WPT’s costs to produce the shows.

Certain of WPT’s employees involved in producing the WPT series are members of IATSE 700 Editors Union, and WPT renewed its contract with such union in August 2019 for a three-year term. Although WPT has a current union agreement in place, there is no guarantee that future disagreements with WPT’s unionized employees will not lead to any interruption in services. Any failure to timely negotiate and/or settle any such disagreements could cause a delay in WPT’s ability to timely produce the WPT series for FSN, and the costs to do so could increase. Either of these events would adversely affect WPT’s profitability.

WPT’s quarterly results may fluctuate, which may negatively affect the value of the common stock.

Under sponsorship agreements for WPT, revenues are recognized as each episode is aired. Therefore, WPT’s quarterly revenue can fluctuate significantly depending on the number of episodes aired in any one quarter. In addition, the sales of consumer products that utilize WPT’s licensed intellectual property vary greatly, due to holiday seasons, school schedules and other outside factors. As a result, WPT’s financial results can be expected to fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter, leading to volatility and a possible adverse effect on the market price of the common stock.

Risks Related to WPT’s Current Industry

WPT’s television programming may be unable to maintain a sufficient audience for a variety of reasons, many of which are beyond its control.

Television production is a speculative business because revenues and income derived from television depend primarily upon the continued acceptance of that programming by the public, which is difficult to predict. Public acceptance of particular programming is dependent upon, among other things, the quality of the programming, the strength of networks on which the programming is telecast, the promotion and scheduling of the programming and the quality and acceptance of competing television programming and other sources of entertainment and information. Popularity of programming can also be negatively impacted by excessive telecasting of the programming beyond viewers’ saturation thresholds.

WPT’s ability to create and sponsor its television programming profitably may be negatively affected by adverse trends that apply to the television production business generally.

Television revenues and income may be affected by a number of factors, many of which are not within WPT’s control. These factors include a general decline in television viewers, pricing pressure in the television advertising industry, strength of the stations on which its programming is telecast, general economic conditions, increases in production costs and availability of other forms of entertainment and leisure time activities. Furthermore, as the popularity of streaming content over the Internet increases and more consumers “cut the cord” and cease watching traditional broadcast television, the audience for WPT’s programming will be dispersed across multiple platforms and its programming could have less overall impact and watchability. All of these factors, as well as others, may quickly change and these changes cannot be predicted with certainty. WPT’s future sponsorship opportunities may also be adversely affected by these changes. Accordingly, if any of these changes were to occur, the revenues WPT generates from television programming could decline.

A decline in general economic conditions or the popularity of WPT’s brand of televised poker tournaments could adversely impact its business.

Because WPT’s operations are affected by general economic conditions and consumer tastes, its future success is unpredictable. The demand for entertainment and leisure activities tends to be highly sensitive to consumers’ disposable incomes and thus a decline in general economic conditions could, in turn, have a material adverse effect on WPT’s business, operating results and financial condition and the price of the Company’s common stock. An economic decline could also adversely affect WPT’s corporate sponsorship business, sales of its branded merchandise and other aspects of its business.

The continued popularity of WPT’s type of poker entertainment is vital in maintaining the ability to leverage its brand and develop products or services that appeal to its target audiences, which, in turn, is important to WPT’s long-term results of operations. Public tastes are unpredictable and subject to change and may be affected by changes in the political and social climates of those countries and territories in which WPT operates. A change in public opinion could have a material adverse effect on WPT’s business, operating results and financial condition and, ultimately, the price of the Company’s common stock.

The political or social climate regarding gaming and poker could negatively impact WPT’s ability to negotiate future telecast license arrangements and could negatively impact its chances of renewal.

Although the popularity of poker, in particular, and gaming, in general, has continued to grow in the U.S. and abroad, gaming has historically experienced backlash from various constituencies and communities. Currently, the legal operational status of Internet-based casinos and card rooms remains unclear in some countries. The U.S. government has taken steps to curb activities that it believes constitutes unlawful online gaming through legislation such as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 and through arrests of off-shore online gaming operators traveling in the U.S. Also, on November 2, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) issued an opinion that interprets the federal Wire Act as prohibiting any gambling that crosses state lines, including non-sports related gambling. This opinion expands the prior opinion issued by the DOJ in 2011 that interpreted the Wire Act as prohibiting interstate sports gambling only.

Based on the uncertain regulatory environment surrounding the marketing and promotion of Internet-based casinos and card rooms to viewers in the U.S., FSN has final edit rights to the shows that it broadcasts. FSN had indicated that it will only display the “dot com” names or logos of Internet-based casinos and card rooms in its telecasts that are explicitly legal in select territories in the United States. However, if FSN elects not to allow the display of “dot com” logos on the WPT show, whether because of the recent DOJ opinion or otherwise, WPT may not be able to attract other Internet-based casino sponsors or retain existing online card rooms sponsoring WPT’s tour. Additionally, increased regulatory scrutiny on Internet gambling sites may eliminate these sites as sources of advertising revenue for television networks that exhibit poker-related programming, thereby potentially impacting the value of such programming to these networks. Additionally, many participants in WPT’s tournament events are sponsored by Internet-based casino sponsors and existing online card rooms. If such sponsors’ revenues are reduced, they may not be able to sponsor WPT’s tournament participants at the same level or at all, which could cause WPT’s tournament participation to decline (in terms of numbers and professional players) and the quality and distribution of our WPT series could suffer.

The television entertainment market in which WPT operates is highly competitive and competitors with greater financial resources or marketplace presence may enter this market to WPT’s detriment.

WPT competes with other poker-related television programming, including ESPN’s coverage of the “World Series of Poker” and its “World Series of Poker” Circuit Events, among others. These and other producers of poker-related programming may be well established and may have significantly greater resources than WPT does. Based on the popularity of these poker-related televised programs, WPT believes that additional competing televised poker programs may currently be in development or may be developed in the future. WPT’s programming also competes for telecast audiences and advertising revenue with telecasts of mainstream professional and amateur sports, as well as other entertainment and leisure activities. These competing programs and activities, and the brands that they build may decrease the popularity of the WPT television series and dilute the WPT’s brand. This would adversely affect WPT’s operating results and financial condition and, ultimately, the price of the Company’s common stock.

Risks Related to the completed Merger

Future resales of the common stock and warrants issued in the Merger may cause the market price of the Company’s securities to drop significantly, even if the business is doing well.

In connection with the Merger of an AESE subsidiary with and into AEM, with AEM as the surviving entity, the Company issued to the former owners of Allied Esports and WPT (i) an aggregate of 11,602,754 shares of common stock and (ii) five-year warrants to purchase an aggregate of 3,800,003 shares of common stock at a price per share of $11.50. Additionally, the former owners of Allied Esports and WPT were entitled to receive their pro rata portion of an aggregate of an additional 3,846,153 shares of common stock if the last sales price of the Company’s common stock reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market equals or exceeds $13.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, dividends, and the like) for 30 consecutive trading days at any time during the five-year period after the consummation of the Merger. At the closing of the Merger, the Company also issued the following shares of its common stock: (i) 744,422 shares to management of WPT in satisfaction of profit participation agreements; (ii) 144,158 shares for prior bonus amounts owed to Adam Pliska, the President of the Company post-closing and the CEO of WPT; (iii) 197,268 shares to finders (one of whom is Adam Pliska, who received 98,634 of such shares), and (iv) 1,842,831 shares to Primo Vital Limited in cancellation of $12,144,260 of debt owed by Allied Esports and WPT.

Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the foregoing recipients entered into lock-up agreements, pursuant to which they agreed to not, subject to certain exceptions, transfer, sell, tender or otherwise dispose of the shares of Company common stock and warrants they received for a period from the closing of the Merger as follows: (i) with respect to 50% of their common stock and warrants, the earlier of one year after the closing of the Merger and the date on which the closing price of the Company’s common stock exceeds $12.50 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period following the closing of the Merger and, (ii) with respect to the remaining 50% of their common stock and warrants, one year after closing of the Merger, or earlier in each case if, subsequent to the Merger, the Company consummates a subsequent liquidation, merger, stock exchange, or other similar transaction which results in all stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities, or other property.

Upon expiration of the applicable lock-up periods and subject to applicable securities laws, these recipients may sell large amounts of the Company’s common stock and warrants in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, which could have the effect of increasing the volatility of, or putting significant downward pressure on, the trading price of our common stock and warrants.

Costs associated with the Merger are difficult to estimate, may be higher than expected, and may harm the financial results of the consolidated company.

All parties to the Merger incurred substantial direct transaction costs associated with the Merger, and the Company has incurred, and will continue to incur additional costs associated with consolidation and integration of operations. If the total costs of the Merger exceed estimates, or the benefits of the Merger do not exceed the total costs of the Merger, the Company’s consolidated financial results could be adversely affected.

Risks Related to the Businesses of both Allied Esports and WPT

Allied Esports and WPT have historically operated at a net loss on a consolidated basis, and there is no guarantee that that the consolidated company will be able to be profitable.

The combined historical operations of Allied Esports and the WPT have resulted in net losses of $31,019,725 and $18,087,231 for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. We do not know with any degree of certainty whether or when the consolidated operations of Allied Esports and the WPT will become profitable. Even if we are able to achieve profitability in future periods, we may not be able to sustain or increase our profitability in successive periods.

We have formulated our business plans and strategies based on certain assumptions regarding the acceptance of our business model and the marketing of our products and services. Nevertheless, our assessments regarding market size, market share, market acceptance of our products and services and a variety of other factors may prove incorrect. Our future success will depend upon many factors, including factors beyond our control and those that cannot be predicted at this time.

Forecasts of our market and market growth may prove to be inaccurate, and even if the markets in which we compete achieve the forecasted growth, there can be no assurance that our business will grow at similar rates, or at all.

Growth forecasts included in this prospectus relating to our market opportunities and the expected growth in those markets are subject to significant uncertainty and are based on assumptions and estimates which may prove to be inaccurate. We also plan to operate in a number of foreign markets, and a downturn in any of those markets could have a significant adverse effect on our businesses. Even if these markets meets our size estimate and experiences the forecasted growth, we may not grow our business at a similar rate, or at all. Our growth is subject to many factors, including our success in implementing our business strategy, which is subject to many risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, the forecasts of market growth included in this prospectus should not be taken as indicative of our future growth.

Any actual or perceived failure by us to comply with our privacy policies or legal or regulatory requirements in one or multiple jurisdictions could result in proceedings, actions or penalties against us.

Allied Esports and WPT have implemented various features intended to better comply with applicable privacy and security requirements in the collection and use of customer data, but these features do not ensure compliance and may not be effective against all potential privacy and data security concerns. A wide variety of domestic and foreign laws and regulations apply to the collection, use, retention, protection, disclosure, transfer, disposal and other processing of personal data. These data protection and privacy-related laws and regulations are evolving and may result in regulatory and public scrutiny and escalating levels of enforcement and sanctions. Our failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, or to protect any personal data, could result in enforcement actions against us, including fines, claims for damages by customers and other affected individuals, damage to our reputation and loss of goodwill (both in relation to existing customers and prospective customers), any of which could adversely affect our business, operating results, financial performance and prospects.

Evolving and changing definitions of personal data and personal information within the EU, the United States and elsewhere may limit or inhibit our ability to operate or expand our business. In jurisdictions outside of the United States, we may face data protection and privacy requirements that are more stringent than those in place in the United States. We are at risk of enforcement actions taken by certain EU data protection authorities until such point in time that we may be able to ensure that all transfers of personal data to us in the United States from the EU are conducted in compliance with all applicable regulatory obligations, the guidance of data protection authorities and evolving best practices. The European General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) may impose additional obligations, costs and risks upon our business. The GDPR may increase substantially the penalties to which we could be subject in the event of any non-compliance. In addition, we may incur substantial expense in complying with the obligations imposed by the GDPR and we may be required to make significant changes in our business operations, all of which may adversely affect our revenues and our business overall.

Loss, retention or misuse of certain information and alleged violations of laws and regulations relating to privacy and data security, and any relevant claims, may expose us to potential liability and may require us to expend significant resources on data security and in responding to and defending such allegations and claims. In addition, future laws, regulations, standards and other obligations, and changes in the interpretation of existing laws, regulations, standards and other obligations could impair our ability to collect, use or disclose data relating to individuals, which could increase our costs and impair our ability to maintain and grow our customer base and increase our revenue.

Allied Esports and WPT publicly post their privacy policies and practices concerning processing, use and disclosure of the personally identifiable information provided to them by website visitors. Publication of such privacy policies and other statements published that provide promises and assurances about privacy and security can subject us to potential state and federal action if they are found to be deceptive or misrepresentative of actual policies and practices or if actual practices are found to be unfair. Evolving and changing definitions of what constitutes “Personal Information” and “Personal Data” within the EU, the United States and elsewhere, especially relating to classification of IP addresses, machine or device identification numbers, location data and other information, may limit or inhibit our ability to operate or expand our business, including limiting technology alliance relationships that may involve the sharing of data.

Our failure to raise additional capital or generate cash flows necessary to pay debt, expand our operations and invest in new business initiatives in the future could reduce our ability to compete successfully and harm our operating results.

In the future we need to raise additional funds, and we may not be able to obtain additional debt or equity financing on favorable terms, if at all. If we raise additional equity financing, our security holders may experience significant dilution of their ownership interests. If we engage in debt financing, we may be required to accept terms that restrict our ability to incur additional indebtedness, force us to maintain specified liquidity or other ratios or restrict our ability to pay dividends or make acquisitions. If we cannot raise capital on acceptable terms, or at all, we may not be able to, among other things:

While management believes that due to the current maturity date of our debt, our current cash balance and our operational forecast for 2020, we can continue as a going concern through at least July 31, 2020, we can provide no assurance that our ongoing operational efforts will be successful.

Our business depends substantially on the continuing efforts of our executive officers, key employees and qualified personnel, and our business operations may be severely disrupted if we lose the services of such personnel.

Our future success depends substantially on the continued efforts of our executive officers and key employees. If one or more of our executive officers or key employees are unable or unwilling to continue their services with us, we might not be able to replace them easily, in a timely manner, or at all. Since the esports gaming and poker industry is characterized by high demand and intense competition for talent, we cannot assure you that we will be able to attract or retain qualified staff or other highly skilled employees. If any of our executive officers or key employees terminate their services with us, our business may be severely disrupted, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected and we may incur additional expenses to recruit, train and retain qualified personnel.

We may experience security breaches and cyber threats.

We face cyber risks and threats that could damage, disrupt or allow third parties to gain improper access to our networks and platforms, supporting infrastructure, intellectual property and other assets. In addition, we rely on technological infrastructure, including third party cloud hosting and broadband, provided by third party business partners to support the functionality of our platforms and content distribution. These business partners are also subject to cyber risks and threats. Such cyber risks and threats may be difficult to detect. The techniques that may be used to obtain unauthorized access or disable, degrade, exploit or sabotage these networks and gaming platforms change frequently and often are not detected. Our systems and processes and those of our third-party business partners may not be adequate. Any failure to prevent or mitigate security breaches or cyber risks, or respond adequately to a security breach or cyber risk, could result in interruptions to our platforms, degrade the gamer/user experiences, cause gamers/users to lose confidence in our platforms and cease utilizing them, as well as significant legal and financial exposure. This could harm our business and reputation, disrupt our relationships with partners and diminish our competitive position.

Risks Related to Owning Our Series Common Stock and this Offering

The market price of shares of our common stock may be volatile, which could cause the value of your investment to decline.

The market price of our common stock may be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations. Securities markets worldwide experience significant price and volume fluctuations. This market volatility, as well as general economic, market or political conditions, could reduce the market price of shares of our common stock regardless of our operating performance. In addition, our operating results could be below the expectations of public market analysts and investors due to a number of potential factors, including variations in our quarterly operating results or dividends, if any, to stockholders, additions or departures of key management personnel, failure to meet analysts’ earnings estimates, publication of research reports about our industry, litigation and government investigations, changes or proposed changes in laws or regulations or differing interpretations or enforcement thereof affecting our business, adverse market reaction to any indebtedness we may incur or securities we may issue in the future, changes in market valuations of similar companies or speculation in the press or investment community, announcements by our competitors of significant contracts, acquisitions, dispositions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments, adverse publicity about the industries we participate in or individual scandals, and, in response, the market price of shares of our common stock could decrease significantly. You may be unable to resell your shares of common stock at or above the public offering price.

In the past few years, stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. In the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.

Substantial blocks of our total outstanding shares may be sold into the market when “lock-up” or “market standoff” periods end. If there are substantial sales of shares of our common stock, the price of our common stock could decline.

The price of our common stock could decline if there are substantial sales of our common stock, particularly sales by our directors, executive officers, and significant stockholders, or if there is a large number of shares of our common stock available for sale. After this offering, we will have           shares outstanding of our common stock based on the number of shares outstanding as of          , 2020. All of the shares of common stock sold in this offering will be available for sale in the public market. Substantially all of our outstanding shares of common stock (not including the common stock being sold in this offering) are currently restricted from resale as a result of market standoff and “lock-up” agreements, as more fully described in “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.” These shares will become available to be sold 180 days after the date of this prospectus. Shares held by directors, executive officers and other affiliates will be subject to manner of sale and volume limitations under Rule 144 under the Securities Act and various vesting agreements.

We also intend to register shares of common stock that we have issued and may issue under our employee equity incentive plans. Once we register these shares, they will be able to be sold freely in the public market upon issuance, subject to existing market standoff or lock-up agreements.

Northland Capital Markets may, in its discretion, permit our stockholders to sell shares prior to the expiration of the restrictive provisions contained in those lock-up agreements.

The market price of the shares of our common stock could decline as a result of the sale of a substantial number of our shares of common stock in the public market or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell their shares.

We have no current plans to pay cash dividends on our common stock; as a result, you may not receive any return on investment unless you sell your common stock for a price greater than that which you paid for it.

We have no current plans to pay dividends on our common stock. Any future determination to pay dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors, subject to applicable laws, and will depend on a number of factors, including our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, contractual, legal, tax and regulatory restrictions, general business conditions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, our ability to pay cash dividends is restricted by the terms of our debt financing arrangements, and any future debt financing arrangement likely will contain terms restricting or limiting the amount of dividends that may be declared or paid on our common stock. As a result, you may not receive any return on an investment in our common stock unless you sell your common stock for a price greater than that which you paid for it.

If our operating and financial performance in any given period does not meet the guidance that we provide to the public, the market price of our common stock may decline.

We may, but are not obligated to, provide public guidance on our expected operating and financial results for future periods. Any such guidance will be comprised of forward-looking statements subject to the risks and uncertainties described in this prospectus and in our other public filings and public statements. Our actual results may not always be in line with or exceed any guidance we have provided, especially in times of economic uncertainty. If, in the future, our operating or financial results for a particular period do not meet any guidance we provide or the expectations of investment analysts, or if we reduce our guidance for future periods, the market price of our common stock may decline as well. Even if we do issue public guidance, there can be no assurance that we will continue to do so in the future.

We may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service all of our indebtedness and may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness, which may not be successful.

Our ability to make scheduled interest payments on or to refinance our debt obligations depends on our financial condition and operating performance, which are subject to prevailing economic and competitive conditions and to certain financial, business, legislative, regulatory and other factors, some of which are beyond our control. In some cases, we will also be required to obtain the consent our lenders to refinance material portions of our indebtedness. We cannot assure you that we will maintain a level of cash flows from operating activities sufficient to permit us to pay the principal, premiums, and interest, if any, on our indebtedness. Some of our indebtedness is maturing in the near term, and if we are unable to raise sufficient capital or generate cash through our operations, we will be unable to meet our debt obligations at maturity.

If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures, reduce or eliminate the payment of dividends, sell assets, seek additional capital or seek to restructure or refinance our indebtedness. These alternative measures may not be successful and may not permit us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations. Our ability to restructure or refinance our debt will depend on the condition of the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. Any refinancing of our debt could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants, which could further restrict our business operations. We may not be able to effect any such alternative measures on commercially reasonable terms or at all and, even if successful, those alternative actions may not allow us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations. If our operating results and available cash are insufficient to meet our debt service obligations, we could face substantial liquidity problems and might be required to dispose of material assets or operations to attempt to meet our debt service and other obligations. We may not be able to consummate those dispositions or consummate dispositions at prices that we believe are fair, and the proceeds that we do receive may not be adequate to meet any debt service obligations then due.

We will incur increased costs and become subject to additional regulations and requirements as a result of becoming a public company, which could lower our profits or make it more difficult to run our business.

As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we have not incurred as a private company, including costs associated with public company reporting requirements. We also have incurred and will continue to incur costs associated with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and related rules implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and the Nasdaq Capital Market. The expenses generally incurred by public companies for reporting and corporate governance purposes have been increasing. We expect these rules and regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costly, although we are currently unable to estimate these costs with any degree of certainty. These laws and regulations also could make it more difficult or costly for us to obtain certain types of insurance, including director and officer liability insurance, and we may be forced to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. These laws and regulations could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors, on our board committees or as our executive officers. Furthermore, if we are unable to satisfy our obligations as a public company, we could be subject to delisting of our common stock on the Nasdaq market, fines, sanctions and other regulatory action and potentially civil litigation.

We are an “emerging growth company,” and the reduced public company reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We qualify as an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and plan to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These provisions include, but are not limited to: being permitted to have only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related selected financial data and management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations disclosure; an exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; not being required to comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements; reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation arrangements in our periodic reports, registration statements and proxy statements; and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. In addition, the JOBS Act permits emerging growth companies to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies. We intend to take advantage of the exemptions discussed above. As a result, the information we provide will be different than the information that is available with respect to other public companies. In this prospectus, we have not included all of the executive compensation-related information that would be required if we were not an emerging growth company. We cannot predict whether investors will find our common stock less attractive if we rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock, and the market price of our common stock may be more volatile.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the end of our 2022 fiscal year, (ii) the first fiscal year after our annual gross revenues exceed $1.07 billion, (iii) the date on which we have, during the immediately preceding three-year period, issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities or (iv) the end of any fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of the second quarter of that fiscal year.

Our failure to achieve and maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting could adversely affect our financial position and lower our stock price.

As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the rules and regulations of the applicable listing standards of Nasdaq. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports. Nevertheless, all internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. We have identified as of September 30, 2019 the following material weaknesses in internal controls to conclude that our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting were not effective at the reasonable assurance level:

In addition, as of September 30, 2019 we identified a significant deficiency in our internal controls over financial reporting exists as a result of a lack of segregation of duties as it relates to the accounting function and review process could result in a misappropriation of assets, and errors which may be made and not detected. As a company with limited accounting resources, a significant amount of management’s time and attention has been and will be diverted from our business to ensure compliance with these regulatory requirements. This diversion of management’s time and attention may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

These material weaknesses and significant deficiencies could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and may result in a restatement of our financial statements for prior periods. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting also could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and annual independent registered public accounting firm attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting that we are required to include in our periodic reports that will be filed with the SEC. Ineffective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock. In addition, if we are unable to continue to meet these requirements, we may not be able to maintain our common stock listed on Nasdaq.

Increases in interest rates may cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

While interest rates are falling and have in recent years been at record low levels, any return to increases in interest rates may cause a corresponding decline in demand for equity investments. Any such increase in interest rates or reduction in demand for our common stock resulting from other relatively more attractive investment opportunities may cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business or publish negative reports, the market price of our common stock could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. If one of more of these analysts ceases coverage of us or fails to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the market price or trading volume of our common stock to decline. Moreover, if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrades our common stock or if our reporting results do not meet their expectations, the market price of our common stock could decline.

We will have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.

Our management currently intends to use the net proceeds from this offering in the manner described in “Use of Proceeds” and will have broad discretion in the application of a significant part of the net proceeds from this offering. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could harm our business, cause the market price of our common stock to decline and delay the development of our operations. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.

Investors in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution.

The initial public offering price per share of common stock will be substantially higher than our pro forma net tangible book value per share immediately after this offering. As a result, you will pay a price per share of common stock that substantially exceeds the per share book value of our tangible assets after subtracting our liabilities. See “Dilution.”

You will be diluted by the future issuance of common stock, preferred stock, or securities convertible into common or preferred stock, in connection with our incentive plans, acquisitions, capital raises or otherwise.

Immediately after this offering we will have approximately         shares of common stock authorized but unissued, including approximately         shares of common stock issuable upon conversion or exercise of any rights under our outstanding warrants and convertible promissory notes. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to become effective prior to the consummation of this offering authorizes us to issue these shares of common stock and options, rights, warrants and appreciation rights relating to common stock for the consideration and on the terms and conditions established by our board of directors in its sole discretion, whether in connection with acquisitions or otherwise.

In the future, we expect to obtain financing or to further increase our capital resources by issuing additional shares of our capital stock or offering debt or other equity securities, including senior or subordinated notes, debt securities convertible into equity or shares of preferred stock. Issuing additional shares of our capital stock or other equity securities or securities convertible into equity may dilute the economic and voting rights of our existing stockholders or reduce the market price of our common stock or both. Debt securities convertible into equity could be subject to adjustments in the conversion ratio pursuant to which certain events may increase the number of equity securities issuable upon conversion. Preferred shares, if issued, could have a preference with respect to liquidating distributions or a preference with respect to dividend payments that could limit our ability to pay dividends to the holders of our common stock. Our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, which may adversely affect the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings. As a result, holders of our common stock bear the risk that our future offerings may reduce the market price of our common stock and dilute their stockholdings in us. See “Description of Capital Stock.”

Additionally, we have reserved an aggregate of 3,463,305 shares of common stock for issuance under our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”). Any common stock that we issue, including under our 2019 Plan or other equity incentive plans that we may adopt in the future, would dilute the percentage ownership held by the investors who purchase common stock in this offering. We intend to file one or more registration statements on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register shares of our common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of our common stock issued pursuant to our 2019 Plan. Any such Form S-8 registration statements will automatically become effective upon filing. Accordingly, shares registered under such registration statements will be available for sale in the open market.

If we or the pre-Merger investors sell additional shares of our common stock after this offering, the market price of our common stock could decline.

The sale of substantial amounts of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could harm the prevailing market price of shares of our common stock. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. Upon completion of this offering we will have a total of         shares of our common stock outstanding (or         shares if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of common stock) and an additional         shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of our outstanding warrants and convertible promissory notes. Of the outstanding shares of common stock,         shares sold in this offering (or         shares if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of common stock) will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except that any shares held by our affiliates, as that term is defined under Rule 144 of the Securities Act, may be sold only in compliance with the limitations described in “Shares Eligible for Future Sale.”

We, our officers, directors and certain pre-Merger investors that collectively will own         shares of common stock following this offering (or         shares of common stock if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of common stock), will sign lock-up agreements with the underwriters that will, subject to certain customary exceptions, restrict the sale of the shares of our common stock held by them for 180 days following the date of this prospectus. Northland Securities, Inc. may, in its sole discretion, release all or any portion of the shares of common stock subject to lock-up agreements. Upon the expiration of the lock-up agreements, all of such shares of common stock will be eligible for resale in a public market, subject, in the case of shares held by our affiliates, to volume, manner of sale and other limitations under Rule 144.

As restrictions on resale end, the market price of our shares of common stock could drop significantly if the holders of these restricted shares sell them or are perceived by the market as intending to sell them. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to raise additional funds through future offerings of our shares of common stock or other securities.

The Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for certain legal actions between the Company and its stockholders, which could limit the Company’s stockholders’ ability to obtain a judicial forum viewed by the stockholders as more favorable for disputes with the Company or the Company’s directors, officers or employees.

The Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, provides that unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for any stockholder (including a beneficial owner) to bring (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or the Company’s Bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, another state court located within the State of Delaware, or if no state court located within the State of Delaware has jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) in all cases subject to the court’s having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants. This exclusive forum provision does not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act. It could apply, however, to a suit that falls within one or more of the categories enumerated in the exclusive forum provision and asserts claims under the Securities Act, inasmuch as Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rule and regulations thereunder. There is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provision with respect to claims under the Securities Act, and our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to these provisions. These exclusive-forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum of its choosing for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees.

If a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to the Company’s management.

Our Board of Directors’ ability to issue undesignated preferred stock and the existence of anti-takeover provisions may depress the value of our common stock.

The Company’s authorized capital includes 1,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock. Our Board has the power to issue any or all of the shares of preferred stock, including the authority to establish one or more series and to fix the powers, preferences, rights and limitations of such class or series, without seeking stockholder approval, subject to certain limitations on this power under Nasdaq listing requirements. Further, as a Delaware corporation, we are subject to provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law regarding “business combinations.” We may, in the future, consider adopting additional anti-takeover measures. The authority of our Board to issue undesignated stock and the anti-takeover provisions of Delaware law, as well as any future anti-takeover measures adopted by us, may, in certain circumstances, delay, deter or prevent takeover attempts and other changes in control of our company that are not approved by our Board. As a result, our stockholders may lose opportunities to dispose of their shares at favorable prices generally available in takeover attempts or that may be available under a merger proposal and the market price, voting and other rights of the holders of common stock may also be affected.

USE OF PROCEEDS

The Company

We estimate that the net proceeds from our issuance and sale of                 shares of our common stock in this offering will be approximately $            (or $          if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares is exercised in full) after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund general corporate activities and working capital requirements.

We believe that the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements at least through the end of July, 2020. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect.

The expected use of the net proceeds from this offering and our existing cash and cash equivalents represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures may vary significantly depending on numerous factors, including our ability to identify and consummate acquisitions and any unforeseen cash needs. As a result, our management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of the net proceeds from this offering. We have no current agreements, commitments or understandings for any material acquisitions or licenses of any products, businesses or technologies.

Pending our use of the net proceeds from this offering, we intend to invest the net proceeds in money market funds, government-insured bank deposit accounts or U.S. government securities.

The Selling Stockholders

We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of                   shares of our common stock by the selling stockholders identified herein, which are estimated to be approximately $              , after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions. The selling stockholders will receive all of the proceeds from the sale of those shares of the Company’s common stock.

DIVIDEND POLICY

We anticipate that we will retain all available funds and any future earnings, if any, for use in the operation of our business and do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. In addition, our credit facilities materially restrict, and future debt instruments may materially restrict, our ability to pay dividends on our common stock. Payment of future cash dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors after taking into account various factors, including our financial condition, operating results, current and anticipated cash needs, the requirements of our current or then-existing debt instruments and other factors our Board of Directors deems relevant.

CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth our capitalization, as of September 30, 2019:

Investors should consider this table in conjunction with our financial statements and the notes to those financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

The number of shares of common stock outstanding after this offering also excludes (i)          shares of our common stock issuable if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full in connection with this offering, and (ii) up to          shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants to be issued to the underwriters in connection with this offering at an exercise price of $           per share (115% of the public offering price).

DILUTION

If you invest in our shares of common stock in this offering, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share of our common stock in this offering and our pro forma net tangible book value per share immediately after this offering. Net tangible book value per share represents the book value of our total tangible assets less the book value of our total liabilities, divided by the number of outstanding shares of our common stock.

Our net tangible book value as of September 30, 2019 was $54,932,023 or $2.37 per share of common stock. After giving effect to the sale of         shares at the public offering price of $        per share, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, but without adjusting for any other change in our net tangible book value subsequent to September 30, 2019, our pro forma net tangible book value at September 30, 2019 would have been $       , or $        per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of approximately $          per share to our existing stockholders, and an immediate dilution of $        per share to investors purchasing shares of our common stock in this offering. The following table illustrates the per share dilution:

The information above assumes that the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option. If the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, our pro forma net tangible book value per share after this offering will increase to $        per share, representing an immediate increase to existing stockholders of $        per share and an immediate dilution of $        per share to new investors. If any shares are issued upon exercise of outstanding options or warrants, new investors will experience further dilution.

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

The selling stockholders identified in this prospectus were pre-Merger employees of or service providers to WPT and/or Allied Esports to whom AESE issued an aggregate of 1,277,283 shares of our common stock in lieu of cash payments to which they were entitled to receive upon the closing of the Merger. All such shares are subject to transfer and forfeiture restrictions. This prospectus relates, in part, to the sale of         shares by the selling stockholders to the underwriters, the restrictions on which will lapse upon the effectiveness of the registration statement to which this prospectus is a part. Proceeds received by the selling stockholders are intended, in part, to cover the tax consequences to such stockholders resulting from the lapse of such restrictions.

The following tables set forth information as of the date of this prospectus regarding the beneficial ownership of each selling stockholder based on information provided to us by such selling stockholder.

We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the SEC rules. The information does not necessarily indicate beneficial ownership for any other purpose. Except as indicated in the footnotes to this table and pursuant to state community property laws, we believe, based upon the information furnished to us, that the persons named in this table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares reflected as beneficially owned by them. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, shares of common stock that could be issued upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants held by that person that are currently exercisable or exercisable within the next 60 days are considered outstanding. These shares, however, are not considered outstanding when computing the percentage ownership of any other person.

___________________

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
AND RESULTS OF OPERATION

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes that appear elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve significant uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those discussed in “Risk Factors” elsewhere in this prospectus. For further information, see “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” above.

Overview

Allied Esports Entertainment Inc. (“AESE”), formerly known as Black Ridge Acquisition Corp, or “BRAC,” was incorporated in Delaware on May 9, 2017 as a blank check company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities.

Allied Esports Media, Inc. (“AEM”), a Delaware corporation, was formed in November 2018 to act as a holding company for Allied Esports International Inc. (“Allied Esports”) and immediately prior to the closing of the Merger (see below) to also include Noble Link Global Limited (“Noble Link”). On December 19, 2018, BRAC, Noble Link and AEM executed an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (as amended, the “Merger Agreement”).

On August 9, 2019 (the “Closing Date”), Noble Link merged with and into AEM, with AEM being the surviving entity. Further, on the Closing Date, a subsidiary of AESE merged with and into AEM pursuant to the Merger Agreement, with AEM being the surviving entity (the “Merger”). Allied Esports, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates the esports-related businesses of AESE. Noble Link (prior to the Merger) and its wholly owned subsidiaries Peerless Media Limited, Club Services, Inc. and WPT Enterprises, Inc. operate the poker-related business of AESE and are collectively referred to herein as “World Poker Tour” or “WPT.”

References to the “Company” are to the combination of AEM and WPT during the period prior to the Merger and to AESE and its subsidiaries after the Merger.

The Company

AESE operates a premier public esports and entertainment company, consisting of the Allied and World Poker Tour businesses.

The World Poker Tour is a premier name in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based poker tournaments, television, online and mobile. Leading innovation in the sport of poker since 2002, WPT helped ignite the global poker boom with the creation of a unique television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments. WPT’s Tour Events are held at locations throughout the world and have awarded more than one billion in prize dollars in its 18-year history. WPT has broadcast globally in more than 150 countries and territories, and is currently producing its 18th season, which airs on FOX Sports Regional Networks in the United States. Season 18 of WPT is currently sponsored by its online subscription-based poker service, ClubWPT.com. WPT offers a suite of online poker services which it operates by itself and through its partners offering consumers the ability to access gaming content on a year-round 24/7 basis. ClubWPT.com is a unique online membership site that offers inside access to the WPT, as well as a sweepstakes-based poker club available in 35 states across the United States and Washington D.C., and four foreign countries with innovative features and state-of-the-art creative elements inspired by WPT’s 18 years of experience in gaming entertainment. In addition, WPT licenses its brand to social gaming sites through partners like Zynga as well as to educational learning platforms such as LearnWPT. These online products are scalable and offer geographic access that might be limited if WPT relied on tour stop participation alone. Additionally, WPT benefits from managing its own distribution business which currently has more than 1,000 hours of broadcast-ready content, and offers demographically similar programming to its poker content, such as esports, golf and MMA. WPT uses this large suite of programming as leverage to seek preferred airtimes on its various distribution channels where it may promote its online products or offer airtime to sponsors in territories they seek to enter. WPT also participates in strategic brand license, partnership, sponsorship opportunities and music licensing. For the past 16 years of its 18-year history, WPT’s business model has successfully utilized the following three pillars for its business model in the sport of poker:

WPT utilizes its in-person experiences to expand its brand throughout the world and creates content from such experiences to monetize its brand as part of its multiplatform content. WPT’s live events all over the world and distribution of its content via broadcast, streaming and social media, allow WPT to generate significant marketing opportunities for both its sponsors and its own products. WPT has taken advantage of this marketing arm to promote several interactive products: ClubWPT, its subscription-based online poker club that WPT owns and operates, which also offers social poker; PlayWPT, a web and mobile social poker product that is operated by a third party utilizing software and branding that WPT licenses to such provider; Zynga Poker, who operates one of the world’s largest social poker products, to whom WPT has licensed its brand for certain WPT-branded poker tournaments on their platform; and HongKong Triple Sevens Interactive Co., Ltd, who licenses WPT’s Alpha8 brand to operate a social poker product they are in the process of developing. In addition to the three-pillar approach to monetizing the WPT brands as described above, WPT has also been able to combine these approaches in a regional manner to create localized versions of the WPT in other parts of the world. WPT believes that this increased reach will have long-term benefits to WPT’s brand image and profitability.

Gaming is one of the largest and fastest growing markets in the entertainment sector, with an estimated 2.2 billion gamers playing esports globally, and esports is the major driver of this growth. Esports, short for “electronic sports,” is a general label that comprises a diverse offering of competitive electronic games that gamers play against each other. It is projected that by 2022, 645 million people will be watching esports globally, and that global esports revenue will grow to approximately $1.8 billion. The Company plans to continue operating the WPT business and to utilize its business model in the multibillion-dollar esports industry. Allied will do this by collaborating with its strategic investors, including certain affiliates of Brookfield Property Partners, one of the world’s premier real estate companies, certain affiliates of Simon Property Group, Inc., a global leader in the ownership of premier shopping, dining, entertainment, and mixed-use destinations (“Simon”), and TV Azteca, S.A.B. DE C.V., a Grupo Salinas company, a premier television network in Mexico (“TV Azteca”), to deliver best-in-class live events, content and online products.

The esports gaming industry is relatively new and is challenging. Competition is rapidly developing. Allied Esports’ business relies upon its ability to grow and garner an active gamer community, and successfully monetize this community through tournament fees, live event ticket sales, and advertising and sponsorships utilizing the three-pillar approach above. Its growth also depends, in part, on its ability to respond to technological evolution, shifts in gamer trends and demands, introductions of new games, game publisher intellectual property right practices, and industry standards and practices. While change in this industry may be inevitable, Allied Esports will try to adapt its business model as needed to accommodate change and remain on the forefront of its competitors. Allied Esports’ business plan requires significant capital expenditures, and it expects its operating expenses to increase significantly as it continues to expand its marketing efforts and operations in existing and new geographies and vertical markets (including its online esports tournament and gaming subscription platform it intends to develop). A key element of Allied Esports’ growth strategy is to extend its brand by opening additional flagship arenas throughout the world and licensing the Allied Esports brand to third party esports arena operators, which it believes will provide attractive returns on investment.

Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related notes included herein. In addition to historical combined financial information, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company’s plans, estimates, or beliefs. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include those discussed below and elsewhere in this prospectus, particularly in “Risk Factors.” The Company assumes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.

Results of Operations for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018

Revenues

In-person revenues increased by approximately $385 thousand, or 17%, to approximately $2.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $2.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The increase in in-person revenues was driven by the Allied Esports business, particularly revenue generated from Allied Esports’ flagship HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas, which opened its doors in March of 2018. Allied Esports’ revenues as a group increased by approximately $851 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. This was largely a result of an increase in revenues at Allied Esports’ Las Vegas arena, which had one more major event in the 2019 period as compared to the 2018 period, and gaming truck events. WPT casino revenue decreased approximately $467 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to the same period in 2018 as the timing of events was not consistent between periods.

Multiplatform content revenues increased by approximately $81 thousand, or 9%, to approximately $1.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $0.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The increase in multiplatform content revenues all relate to the WPT business with increased sponsorship revenue of $224 thousand being the greatest contributor. Offsetting the increase in sponsorship revenue, music royalty revenue decreased by $139 thousand.

Interactive revenues increased by approximately $95 thousand, or 4%, to approximately $2.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $2.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The increase in interactive revenues all related to the WPT business. Increases in product licensing revenue ($17 thousand), social gaming revenue ($152 thousand) and subscription revenue ($41 thousand) were the primary drivers for the increase. WPT managed PlayWPT in-house in 2018, but subsequently licensed out the product resulting in a $158 thousand decrease in the 2019 period as compared to the 2018 period.

Costs and expenses

In-person costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) increased by approximately $221 thousand, or 23%, to approximately $1.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $1.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The increase in in-person costs was due to an increase in cost of events during the period.

Multiplatform content costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) decreased by approximately $73 thousand, or 8%, to approximately $0.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $0.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018, primarily due to a decrease in commissions.

Interactive costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) decreased by approximately $44 thousand, or 7%, to approximately $0.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $0.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The decrease in interactive costs related to a decrease of $68 thousand in subscription costs when compared to the same period in 2018.

Online operating expenses increased by approximately $43 thousand, or 33%, to approximately $0.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $0.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018.

Selling and marketing expenses increased by approximately $0.4 million, or 133%, to approximately $0.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $0.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The increase in selling and marketing expenses was partially related to an increase in Allied Esports’ advertising and promotion expense of approximately $251 thousand primarily pertaining to the promotions for Allied Esports’ flagship arena in Las Vegas. WPT had increases in event costs of approximately $152 thousand primarily related to the new Party Poker Live events that were not held in the three months ended September 30, 2018.

General and administrative expenses increased by approximately $0.8 million, or 22%, to approximately $4.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $3.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The increase in general and administrative costs primarily related to increased accounting, legal, and consulting fees with increased activity resulting from the costs of being a public company and preparing filings.

Depreciation and amortization decreased by approximately $177 thousand, or 9%, to approximately $1.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $1.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018. WPT depreciation and amortization decreased by $464 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to the same period in 2018 primarily due to assets becoming fully depreciated and amortized. Offsetting the decrease in WPT depreciation and amortization, Allied Esports had increased depreciation of $288 thousand related to the Las Vegas arena and truck assets being depreciated for a full year in 2019.

Impairment of investment in Esports Arena LLC (“ESA”) was approximately $3.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 while there was no impairment recorded for the three months ended September 30, 2019. The losses were the result of the derecognition and disposal of the assets, liabilities and equity of an investment made in 2018 by Allied Esports for which Allied Esports conveyed a portion of its membership interests to the former non-controlling interest members in order to reduce its ongoing contribution requirements, thus reducing its membership interest to non-voting 25% equity interest.

Interest expense

Interest expense was approximately $0.5 million and approximately $0.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The 2019 interest related to $14 million of convertible debt, $10 million of which was assumed in the Merger on August 9, 2019 and $4 million of which was incurred in May 2019. All of the interest in the 2018 period was related to loans to Allied Esports from its parent company, Ourgame International Holdings, Limited (“Ourgame”), and/or affiliates to fund operating and capital costs. The loans from Ourgame were converted to equity in November 2018.

Results of Operations for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018

Revenues

In-person revenues increased by approximately $2.8 million, or 46%, to approximately $8.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $6.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The increase in in-person revenues was driven by the Allied Esports’ business, particularly revenue generated from Allied Esports’ flagship HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas, which opened its doors in March of 2018. Allied Esports’ revenues as a group increased by approximately $2.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. This was largely a result of an increase in revenues at Allied Esports’ Las Vegas Arena, with 15 events held in 2019 and five events in 2018 and gaming truck events. WPT casino revenue increased approximately $79 thousand for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.

Multiplatform content revenues increased by approximately $1.4 million, or 67%, to approximately $3.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $2.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The increase in multiplatform content revenues related to the WPT business with increases in distribution revenue ($552 thousand) due to an increase in distribution channels, sponsorship revenue ($476 thousand) due to the PartyPoker Live sponsorship deal and music revenue ($406 thousand) offset by a decrease in online advertising revenue of $15 thousand.

Interactive revenues increased by approximately $177 thousand, or 3%, to approximately $7.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $7.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The increase in interactive revenues related to the WPT business and primarily pertained to increases in 3^rd party virtual products revenue of approximately ($301 thousand) and product licensing revenue ($148 thousand). WPT managed PlayWPT in-house in 2018, but subsequently licensed out the product resulting in a $265 thousand decrease in the 2019 period as compared to the 2018 period.

Costs and expenses

In-person costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) decreased by approximately $1.1 million, or 27%, to approximately $2.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $4.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The decrease in in-person costs was due to the reduction in expenses related to the Esports Arenas Santa Ana and Oakland which are not consolidated in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 due to the reduction in ownership. In-person costs of approximately $1.3 million were recorded related to the Esports Arenas in Santa Ana and Oakland during the nine-months ended September 30, 2018. Due to the deconsolidation of ESA, there were no costs included for these arenas during the nine months ended September 30, 2019.

Multiplatform content costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) increased by approximately $0.9 million, or 43%, to approximately $2.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $2.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The increase in multiplatform content costs was primarily due to an increase in production costs.

Interactive costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) increased by approximately $72 thousand, or 4%, to approximately $2.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $1.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The increase in interactive costs related to an increase in revenue share cost of $133 thousand in 2019 as compared to 2018 for WPT. There was also an increase in revenue share costs of $96 thousand for the new social product. Offsetting the increases was a decrease of $40 thousand in prize pool over the same period in 2018, lower processing fees of $87 thousand and fewer chargebacks of $21 thousand.

Online operating expenses decreased by approximately $1.0 million, or 68%, to approximately $0.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $1.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, primarily due to a decrease in development and hosting for the PlayWPT platform which is now operated by a third party.

Selling and marketing expenses decreased by approximately $0.5 million, or 16%, to approximately $2.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $3.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The decrease in selling and marketing expenses related to a decrease in Allied Esports’ advertising and promotion expense of approximately $242 thousand primarily pertaining to the grand opening of Allied Esports’ flagship arena in Las Vegas in early 2018. WPT had decreases in selling and marketing costs of totaling approximately $260 thousand including $81 thousand in decreased advertising, a $129 thousand decrease in agency and other promotional activities, a $212 thousand decrease in content related marketing, which was offset by a $159 thousand increase in the costs incurred at events.

General and administrative expenses increased by approximately $1.0 million, or 8%, to approximately $13.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $12.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The increase in general and administrative expenses related primarily to the WPT business increase in general and administrative costs of approximately $2.0 million largely due to a credit of $0.8 million in 2018 resulting from a change in incentive structures. WPT also incurred an increase of $527 thousand in audit and legal and consulting costs primarily in preparation for the Merger. WPT also incurred $241 thousand of additional rent relating to the new Irvine lease. Allied Esports’ general and administrative expenses decreased by $1.6 million due to a reduction in overall general corporate expenses that were related to the exclusion of Esports Arenas Santa Ana and Oakland expenses due to deconsolidation in the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and grand opening of the Las Vegas arena in 2018. Allied Esports also incurred an increase of $587 thousand in audit and legal and consulting costs primarily in preparation for the Merger. Additional increases of $474 thousand at the corporate level including management fees of $153 thousand paid to Black Ridge Oil & Gas, Inc. (“Black Ridge”), the Company’s prior sponsor per a management fee contract that runs through December of 2019 and legal fees of $165 thousand related to the Merger and subsequent filings.

Depreciation and amortization decreased by approximately $0.1 million, or 2%, to approximately $5.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 from approximately $5.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. Decreases in depreciation of fixed assets and amortization of intangibles resulting from assets being fully depreciated were partially offset by the increase in depreciation expense related to the Las Vegas arena which was put into service in March of 2018.

Impairment of investment in ESA was approximately $0.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and $7.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The losses were the result of the derecognition and disposal of the assets, liabilities and equity of an investment made in 2018 by Allied Esports for which Allied Esports conveyed a portion of its membership interests to the former non-controlling interest members in order to reduce its ongoing contribution requirements, thus reducing its membership interest to a non-voting 25% equity interest.

Interest expense

Interest expense was approximately $0.5 million and approximately $1.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The 2019 interest relates to $14 million of convertible debt, $10 million of which was assumed in the Merger on August 9, 2019, and $4 million of which was incurred in May 2019 including amortized discount. All of the interest in the 2018 period was related to loans to Allied Esports from Ourgame and/or affiliates to fund operating and capital costs. The loans from Ourgame were converted to equity in November 2018.

Year Ended December 31, 2018 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2017

Revenues

Multiplatform content revenues increased by approximately $1.6 million, or 108%, to approximately $3.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from approximately $1.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in multiplatform content revenues related to the WPT business with increases in distribution revenue of approximately $0.7 million, sponsorship revenue of approximately $0.2 million, television sponsorship revenue of approximately $0.5 million and approximately $0.2 million of music revenue.

Interactive revenues increased by approximately $1.4 million, or 18%, to approximately $9.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from approximately $7.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in interactive revenues related to the WPT business and an increase in licensing revenue for virtual products.

In-person experience revenues increased by approximately $4.0 million, or 90%, to approximately $8.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from approximately $4.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in in-person experience revenues was driven by revenue from Allied Esports, particularly revenue generated from Allied Esports’ flagship Esports Arena Las Vegas, which opened its doors in March of 2018. Allied Esports’ revenues increased approximately $4.2 million when comparing the year ended December 31, 2018 to the same period in 2017, of which approximately $2.8 million was generated by Esports Arena Las Vegas, approximately $0.9 million was from the two Esports affiliates in Santa Ana and Oakland prior to their deconsolidation on August 1, 2018, approximately $0.4 million was generated by the U. S. mobile arena truck purchased in January of 2018 and approximately $0.4 million was generated from increased revenues for the European mobile arena truck.

Costs and expenses

Multiplatform costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) decreased by approximately $5.6 million, or 71%, to approximately $2.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from approximately $7.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The decrease in multiplatform costs was due to the write-off in 2017 of approximately $3.7 million of production costs as deferred production costs were in excess of forecast revenues.

Interactive costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) decreased by approximately $0.2 million, or 8%, to approximately $2.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from approximately $2.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The decrease in interactive costs largely related to lower processing fees in 2018 as compared to 2017 due to the mix of vendors.

In-person costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) increased by approximately $1.6 million, or 164%, to approximately $2.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from approximately $1.0 million in for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in in-person costs related to increased activity due to the opening of the Las Vegas flagship arena in March of 2018.

Online operating expenses increased by approximately $0.5 million, or 29%, to approximately $2.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from approximately $1.7 for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in online expenses related to an increase in hosting fees for the WPT platform.

Selling and marketing expenses increased by approximately $0.6 million, or 19%, to approximately $4.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from approximately $3.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in selling and marketing expenses related to an increase in Allied Esports’ advertising and promotion expense of approximately $1.0 million primarily pertaining to the grand opening of Allied Esports’ flagship arena in Las Vegas, offset in part by a decrease in advertising costs of approximately $0.2 million for the ClubWPT and PlayWPT products.

General and administrative expenses increased by approximately $8.1 million, or 78%, to approximately $18.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from approximately $10.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in general and administrative expenses related primarily to increased general and administrative expenses of approximately $9.8 million at Allied Esports as it accelerated its activities with the opening of the Esports Arena Las Vegas and the U. S. mobile arena truck, and was comprised primarily of payroll and related costs, travel and professional services. Offsetting the increase at Allied Esports, the WPT business had decreased general and administrative expenses of approximately $1.7 million largely due to a $1.2 million decrease in stock-based payments as a change in incentive structures and $0.4 million in decreased legal costs and other associated costs due to a 2017 restructuring of WPT.

Depreciation and amortization increased by approximately $2.5 million, or 60%, to approximately $6.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from approximately $4.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in depreciation and amortization relates to increased depreciation for Allied Esports’ flagship arena in Las Vegas which was put into service in March of 2018, as well as the U. S. mobile arena truck purchased in January 2018.

Impairment of investment in ESA was approximately $9.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. There was no similar loss on deconsolidation in the 2017 comparative period. The 2018 loss was the result of the impairment, derecognition and disposal of the assets, liabilities and equity of an investment made earlier in 2018 by Allied Esports for which Allied Esports conveyed a portion of its membership interests to the former non-controlling interest members in order to reduce its ongoing contribution requirements, thus reducing its membership interest to 25 percent.

Impairment of deferred production costs and intangible assets was approximately $1.0 million in 2018. Management determined that the projected cash flows from certain deferred production costs and intellectual property would not be sufficient to recover the carrying value of those assets. There was no comparable loss in 2017.

Interest expense, net

Interest expense, net, was approximately $2.1 million and approximately $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Of the interest expense, approximately $2.0 million in the 2018 period and all of the interest in the 2017 period was related to loans to Allied Esports from its parent company and/or affiliates to fund operating and capital costs. The increase in interest expense was due to the increases in the balance of the note payable to Parent as advances continued to be made throughout the last quarter of 2017 and the year ended December 31, 2018. The remaining interest expense in 2018 related to a $5.0 million line of credit entered into by Allied Esports in May 2018, which was repaid in October 2018.

Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest

Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest was approximately $0.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. This was due to attributing the non-controlling share of losses to minority shareholders from January through July 31, 2018 while Allied Esports was the majority shareholder in ESA. There were no similar attributions of losses or net income in the 2017 comparative period.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The following table summarizes our total current assets, liabilities and working capital at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively.

The Company’s primary sources of liquidity and capital resources are cash on the balance sheet and funds raised through debt or equity financing.

As of September 30, 2019, we had cash and a working capital deficit of approximately $9.4 million (not including approximately $5.0 million of restricted cash) and $4.7 million, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, we incurred net losses of approximately $10.9 million and $24.4 million, respectively, and used cash in operations of approximately $7.8 million and $11.2 million, respectively. The aforementioned factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the issuance date of our condensed consolidated financial statements.

The Company’s continuation is dependent upon attaining and maintaining profitable operations and the ability to generate positive cash flow from the various revenue sources it is pursuing. Until that time, we will likely need to raise additional capital to fund operations at adequate levels to achieve our objectives. There can be no assurance that we will be able to close on sufficient financing to meet our needs. To date, in addition to our revenues, our operations have relied heavily on investment from Ourgame by means of operation support and through the issuance of debt.

We continue to pursue sources of additional capital through various financing transactions or arrangements, including joint venturing of projects, debt financing or other means, including equity financing in the capital markets now available to us. We may also seek to leverage our strategic partnerships to alter capital requirements or expand our available financing network. However, we may not be successful in identifying suitable or reasonably priced funding and/or alternative funding options in a sufficient time period or at all. If we are unable to obtain the requisite amount of financing needed to fund its planned operations, it would have a material adverse effect on our business and ability to continue as a going concern, and we may have to curtail, divest, or even cease, certain operations.

Convertible Debt

On May 15, 2019, Noble Link issued a series of secured convertible promissory notes (the “Notes”) whereby investors provided Noble Link with $4 million to be used for the operations of the Company. The Notes, which were amended as set forth below, accrue annual interest at 12%, provided that no interest is payable in the event the Notes are converted into common stock as described below. The Notes are due and payable on the first to occur of (i) the one-year anniversary of the issuance date, or (ii) the date on which a demand for payment is made during the time period beginning on the Closing Date of the Merger and the date that is three (3) months after the Closing Date of the Merger (during which time the investors could also elect to convert their respective Notes into shares of common stock at $8.50 per share). If the Notes were paid by the Company, the investor would have received one year of interest. As security for purchasing the Notes, the investors received a security interest in Allied Esports’ assets (second to any liens held by the landlord of the Las Vegas arena for property located in that arena), as well as a pledge of the equity of all of the entities comprising WPT, and a guarantee of Ourgame and the Company.

Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, on the Closing Date, in addition to the $4 million of Notes, the Company also assumed $10 million of the convertible debt obligations of Ourgame (together with the Notes, the “Bridge Notes”), such that the aggregate indebtedness of the Company pursuant to the Bridge Notes is $14 million. The Bridge Notes bear interest at 12% per annum. Pursuant to the Amendment and Acknowledgement Agreement discussed below, the Bridge Notes are secured by all property and assets owned by AESE and its subsidiaries.

On August 5, 2019, the Company entered into an Amendment and Acknowledgement Agreement (the “Acknowledgement Agreement”) pursuant to which the parties amended the terms of the Bridge Notes. Pursuant to the Acknowledgement Agreement, the Bridge Note holders (the “Holders”) have agreed to defer repayment of the Bridge Notes to August 23, 2020 (the “Maturity Date”). In consideration of agreeing to the deferred repayment, the Holders will be paid the higher of (i) 18 months of interest, or (ii) the amount the applicable Holder would have received in interest under their particular Bridge Note plus an additional six months of interest, solely to the extent any Holder elects not to convert their Bridge Note into our common stock. Black Ridge, the Company’s prior sponsor, has also agreed that it will not make any further transfer of its initial shares, subject to certain exceptions, until the Bridge Notes are repaid. The Bridge Notes are convertible at any time by any Holder until the Maturity Date, into common shares that are freely tradable without restriction, at $8.50 per share.

At the Closing, each Holder received a five-year warrant to purchase shares of common stock in an amount equal to the product of (i) 3,800,000 shares, multiplied by (ii) the Holder’s investment amount, divided by (iii) $100,000,000. The warrants became exercisable as of September 9, 2019 at an exercise price of $11.50 per share.

If any Holder elects to convert their Bridge Note into common stock, they would be entitled to receive additional shares of common stock equal to the product of (i) 3,846,153 shares, multiplied by (ii) that Holder’s investment amount, divided by (iii) $100,000,000, if at any time within five years after the Closing Date, the last exchange-reported sale price of common stock trades at or above $13.00 for thirty (30) consecutive calendar days.

Cash Flows from Operating, Investing and Financing Activities

The tables below summarize cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, and the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.

Net Cash Used in Operating Activities

Net cash used in operating activities primarily represents the results of operations exclusive of non-cash expenses, including depreciation, amortization, losses on disposal of assets, stock-based compensation and the impact of changes in operating assets and liabilities.

Net cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 was approximately $7.8 million and $11.2 million, representing a decrease of $3.4 million. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, the net cash used in operating activities was primarily attributable to the net loss of approximately $10.9 million and $24.4 million, respectively, adjusted for approximately $6.1 million and $14.6 million, respectively, of net non-cash expenses, and approximately $2.9 million and $1.3 million, respectively, of cash used by changes in the levels of operating assets and liabilities. The reduction in net loss was driven by increased sales, primarily from increased in-person revenues generated from Allied Esports’ Las Vegas arena as well as an increase in truck revenue and events revenue and a reduction in impairment expenses of approximately $7.0 million.

Net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2018 was approximately $14.6 million as compared to approximately $10.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, an increase of approximately $3.8 million. The primary driver for the increase in cash used in operating activities was the increase in general and administrative expenses and selling and marketing expenses which together represent an approximately $8.7 million increase and resulted primarily from the growth of the operations of Allied, which was formed in 2016 and experienced an increase in activity with the construction and completion of its Las Vegas arena in 2018.

Net Cash Provided By (Used in) Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities primarily relates to the purchase of property and equipment and other investment activity.

Net cash provided by investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was approximately $7.9 million as compared to net cash used in investing activities of approximately $22.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, a difference of approximately $30.6 million. In the 2019 period, the Company acquired net cash of approximately $14.9 million as a result of the Merger. Aside from the cash acquired in the Merger, the Company used $7.0 million and $22.7 million in investing activities. The primary driver for the decrease in cash used for investing activities was purchases of property and equipment that decreased from $16.8 million in 2018 to $2.2 million in 2019 as the construction and completion of Allied Esports’ Las Vegas arena occurred in 2018. Additionally, the Company’s investment in ESA dropped from $5.9 million in 2018 to $1.2 million in 2019. In 2019, the Company invested $3.5 million with TV Azteca as part of a Strategic Investment Agreement, which will be used for various strategic initiatives aimed to expand the Allied Esports brand into Mexico.

Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2018 was approximately $23.1 million as compared to approximately $6.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, an increase of approximately $17.0 million. The primary driver for the increase in cash used in investing activities was the construction and completion of Allied Esports’ Las Vegas arena in 2018.

Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities primarily relates to the proceeds from cash infusions from Ourgame in the form of notes or intercompany payables and the issuance of Allied Esports’ line of credit in 2018 and the issuance of convertible notes in 2019.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 was approximately $3.7 million as compared to approximately $30.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, a net decrease of approximately $26.7 million. The primary driver for the decrease was a net decrease in cash infusions from the Company’s former parent, Ourgame, from $25.4 million in cash received in 2018 as compared $0.3 million of cash repaid to Ourgame in 2019. In the 2019 period, the Company raised cash through the issuance of $4.0 million of convertible debt. The cash infusions in the nine months ended September 30, 2018 were primarily used for the construction and completion of Allied Esports’ Las Vegas arena.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2018 was approximately $34.3 million as compared to approximately $28.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, an increase of approximately $6.3 million. The primary driver for the increase was cash infusions of approximately $34.3 million from Ourgame in the year ended December 31, 2018 as compared to approximately $28.0 million in the comparable 2017 period. Proceeds of approximately $5.0 million from the issuance of an Allied Esports’ line of credit were received in 2018 and subsequently repaid in the same year.

Capital Expenditures

The Company will require continual investment to facilitate its growth plans. As a result, we plan to pivot our business goals to focus on expanding and strengthening our strategic partnerships and developing other potential avenues of business, which we are in the process of finalizing.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Company does not engage in any off-balance sheet financing activities, nor does the Company have any interest in entities referred to as variable interest entities.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. The Company regularly evaluates estimates and judgments based on historical experience and other relevant facts and circumstances.

The Company discusses its significant estimates used in the preparation of the financial statements in the notes accompanying the financial statements. Listed below are the accounting policies the Company believes are critical to its financial statements due to the degree of uncertainty regarding the estimates or assumptions involved.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company reviews for the impairment of long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The Company measures the carrying amount of the asset against the estimated undiscounted future cash flows associated with it. Should the sum of the expected future net cash flows be less than the carrying value of the asset being evaluated, an impairment loss would be recognized for the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair value. The evaluation of asset impairment requires the Company to make assumptions about future cash flows over the life of the asset being evaluated. These assumptions require significant judgment and actual results may differ from assumed and estimated amounts. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company recorded an aggregate of $1,005,292 for impairment charges related to deferred production costs and intangible assets and recorded an impairment charge of $9,683,158 related to its investment in ESA. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $600,000 related to its investment in ESA.

Deferred Production Costs

Capitalized production costs represent the costs incurred to develop and produce the Company’s proprietary shows. These costs primarily consist of labor, equipment, production overhead costs and travel expenses. Capitalized production costs are stated at the lower of cost, less accumulated amortization and tax credits, if applicable, or fair value. Production costs in an amount up to the amount of ultimate revenue expected to be earned from the related production are capitalized in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 926-20-50-2 “Other Assets – Film Costs” and are amortized over the expected revenue period using a ratio of revenue earned during the period to estimated ultimate revenues for the related production. Costs incurred in excess of expected ultimate revenue are expensed as incurred and included in multi-platform content costs in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Unamortized capitalized production costs are evaluated for impairment at each reporting period on a season-by-season basis. If estimated remaining revenue is not sufficient to recover the unamortized capitalized production costs for that season, the unamortized capitalized production costs will be written down to fair value.

Due to the inherent uncertainties involved in making such estimates of revenues and expenses, these estimates are likely to differ to some extent from actual results. The Company’s management regularly reviews and revises when necessary its revenue and cost estimates, which may result in a change in the rate of amortization of film costs, participations and residuals and/or write-down of all or a portion of the unamortized deferred production costs to its estimated fair value.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue from the following sources:

We evaluate each of our contractual arrangements to identify the performance obligations existing in the contract and allocate the transaction price to each separate performance obligation. Revenue is recognized as each performance obligation is fulfilled. Cash received in advance of the sale or rendering of services is recorded as deferred revenue and is recognized when the related performance obligation has been satisfied.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”). ASU 2016-02 requires an entity to recognize assets and liabilities arising from a lease for both financing and operating leases. ASU 2016-02 will also require new qualitative and quantitative disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. ASU 2016-02 is effective for private companies and emerging growth public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021. Early application is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating ASU 2016-02 and its impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13 “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326)” and also issued subsequent amendments to the initial guidance under ASU 2018-19, ASU 2019-04 and ASU 2019-05 (collectively, “Topic 326”). Topic 326 requires the measurement and recognition of expected credit losses for financial assets held at amortized cost. This replaces the existing incurred loss model with an expected loss model and requires the use of forward-looking information to calculate credit loss estimates. The Company will be required to adopt the provisions of Topic 326 on January 1, 2023, with early adoption permitted for certain amendments. Topic 326 must be adopted by applying a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings. The Company is currently evaluating Topic 326, including its potential impact to its process and controls.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments” (“ASU 2016-15”). The new standard will make eight targeted changes to how cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company will require adoption on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable to apply, in which case the Company would be required to apply the amendments prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. The Company will require adoption on a retrospective basis unless it is impracticable to apply, in which case the Company would be required to apply the amendments prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. The adoption of ASU 2016-15 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-10, “Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases” (“ASU 2018-10”). The amendments in ASU 2018-10 provide additional clarification and implementation guidance on certain aspects of the previously issued ASU 2016-02 and have the same effective and transition requirements as ASU 2016-02. Upon the effective date, ASU 2018-10 will supersede the current lease guidance in ASC Topic 840, Leases. Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize for all leases, with the exception of short-term leases, a lease liability, which is a lessee’s obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis. Concurrently, lessees will be required to recognize a right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. ASU 2018-10 is effective for private companies and emerging growth public companies for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The guidance is required to be applied using a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative periods presented in the financial statements. The Company is currently assessing the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-09, “Codification Improvements” (“ASU 2018-09”). These amendments provide clarifications and corrections to certain ASC subtopics including the following: Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income – Overall (Topic 220-10), Debt - Modifications and Extinguishments (Topic 470-50), Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity – Overall (Topic 480-10), Compensation - Stock Compensation - Income Taxes (Topic 718-740), Business Combinations - Income Taxes (Topic 805-740), Derivatives and Hedging – Overall (Topic 815-10), and Fair Value Measurement – Overall (Topic 820-10). The majority of the amendments in ASU 2018-09 will be effective in annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating and assessing the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, “Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements,” (“ASU 2018-11”). The amendments in ASU 2018-11 related to transition relief on comparative reporting at adoption affect all entities with lease contracts that choose the additional transition method and separating components of a contract affect only lessors whose lease contracts qualify for the practical expedient. The amendments in ASU 2018-11 are effective for private companies and emerging growth public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently assessing the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-02, which aligns the accounting for production costs of episodic television series with the accounting for production costs of films. In addition, ASU 2019-02 modifies certain aspects of the capitalization, impairment, presentation and disclosure requirements in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 926-20 and the impairment, presentation and disclosure requirements in ASC 920-350. This ASU 2019-02 must be adopted on a prospective basis and is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those years, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that this pronouncement will have on its consolidated financial statements.

BUSINESS

General

The Company operates a premier public esports and entertainment company, consisting of the Allied Esports and World Poker Tour businesses. For the past 16 years of its 18-year history, WPT’s business model has successfully utilized the following three pillars for its business model in the sport of poker, which the Company believes can be utilized by Allied Esports:

The Company plans to continue operating the WPT business and to utilize its business model to execute on its growth strategy in the multibillion-dollar esports industry. Allied Esports will do this by collaborating with its strategic investors, including Brookfield Property Partners, a world premier real estate company, Simon, a global leader in the ownership of premier shopping, dining, entertainment, and mixed-use destinations, and TV Azteca, a premier television network in Mexico, to deliver best-in-class live events, content and online products.

The Allied Esports Business

Gaming is one of the largest and fastest growing markets in the entertainment sector, with an estimated 2.2 billion gamers playing esports globally, and esports is the major driver of this growth. Esports, short for “electronic sports,” is a general label that comprises a diverse offering of competitive electronic games that gamers play against each other. Some of the popular esports games currently being played include Fortnite, League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, Overwatch and FIFA. Although you can play games on your own against the computer or console, one of the ways esports is different than the video games of old is the community and spectator nature of esports, whereby competitive play against another person—either one-on-one or in teams—that is viewed by an online and in-person audience, is a central feature of esports. Since players play against each other online, a global network of players and viewers has developed as these players compete against each other worldwide. Additionally, game developers have greatly increased the watchability of games, which has made the spectator aspect of gaming much more prevalent and further drives expansion of the gaming market. The expanded reach of high-speed Internet service and the computer technology advances in the last decade have also greatly accelerated the growth of esports. Esports has now become so popular that many schools offer scholarships in esports and the best-known esports teams are receiving mainstream sponsorships and are being bought or invested in by celebrities, athletes and professional sports teams. The highest profile esports gamers have significant online audiences as they stream themselves playing against other players online and potentially can generate millions of dollars in sponsorship money and subscription fees from their online streaming channels. It is projected that by 2022, 645 million people will be watching esports globally, and that global esports revenue will grow to approximately $1.8 billion.

WPT successfully implemented a three-pillar strategy for over 16 years of its 18-year history. We believe this model can continue and also be applied to Allied Esports and the esports industry over time. Allied Esports intends to use those same pillars—in-person experiences, multiplatform content, and interactive services—independently and in connection with its strategic partners.

In June 2019, Allied Esports entered into a series of strategic transactions with certain affiliates of Simon, pursuant to which Allied Esports will organize and stage an esports event program called the Simon Cup at certain Simon shopping centers in the U.S. and online. In June 2019, the Company also launched a strategic partnership with TV Azteca, a premier television network in Mexico. In January 2020, Allied Esports entered into a strategic partnership with Brookfield Property Partners, one of the world’s premier real estate companies, in which Allied Esports will develop integrated esports experience venues at mutually agreed upon shopping malls owned and/or operated by Brookfield or its affiliates that will include a dedicated gaming space and production capabilities to attract and to activate esports and other emerging live events. In connection with each of the foregoing partnerships, the Company’s partner made a $5 million equity investment into the Company.

In-person Experiences

Allied Esports will continue delivering first-in-class live experiences to customers at Allied Esports’ branded properties worldwide. Starting with the flagship esports arena, the HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas, the HyperX Esports Studio in Germany and its affiliate arenas in Santa Ana and Oakland, California, China and Australia (planned opening in 2020), Allied Esports offers esports fans state-of-the-art facilities to compete against other players in esports competitions, host live events with esports superstars that potentially stream to millions of viewers worldwide, produce and distribute incredible esports content with its on-site production facilities and studios and provide an attractive facility for hosting corporate events, tournaments, game launches or other events. Additionally, Allied Esports has two mobile esports arenas, which are 18-wheel semi-trailers that convert into first class esports arenas and competition stages with full content production capabilities and interactive talent studios. Through this worldwide network of arenas, Allied Esports believes it can offer customers an unmatched ability to participate in simultaneous global esports events and offer sponsors and partners a truly scalable global platform and audience to promote their businesses and products. Allied Esports’ flagship HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas serves as a marquee destination for esports fans globally, which it hopes will become the Madison Square Garden or Yankee Stadium of esports.

Flagship Arenas. In March 2018, Allied Esports opened its first flagship arena, the HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas, at the Luxor Casino on the Vegas strip, whose pyramid is one of the most visible landmarks in Las Vegas. This arena has 80 to 100 gaming stations, two bars, food service, private rooms, a production facility, and space for up to 1,000 people for events. The arena is custom-built for esports tournaments and has a broadcast-ready television studio to broadcast live events and produce content. Allied Esports monetizes the arena through renting the space for live events; merchandise sales; daily usage fees from day-to-day gamers using the gaming stations; food and beverage; and sponsorship (i.e., our HyperX naming rights relationship). Through the third quarter of 2019, the HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas has held the following events:

Proprietary events by Allied Esports:

Other events hosted by Allied Esports:

Affiliate Arenas. One of Allied Esports’ strategic advantages is its global network of esports arena partners, which enables it to host events and promote competitions around the world, with those competitions culminating in live events held at the flagship arena in Las Vegas. Allied Esports achieves this through its Affiliate Program, which consists of strategic partnerships with third-party esports operators around the globe. Allied Esports generally charges these affiliates an upfront fee and a minimal annual revenue share of gross revenue, starting in the second year of the operation of the venue. Allied Esports’ brand visibility and reputation have already resulted in affiliate arrangements with arenas in California, China and a multi-year agreement with Fortress Esports Pty Ltd, a new gaming, esports and entertainment venue enterprise in Australia, which plans to open its first affiliate arena in Melbourne in 2020. This network of affiliate arenas allows Allied Esports to scale its brand penetration worldwide on a rapid basis, driving more gamers into the Allied Esports ecosystem, with minimal costs to Allied Esports. Furthermore, the content that can be produced by these affiliate arenas can be on-sold by Allied Esports, with minimal production costs.

Mobile Arenas. The mobile arenas are 18-wheeler trucks that expand out into fully functional esports arenas with event hosting, broadcasting and production capabilities. The mobility of the trucks makes them ideal for sponsors to reach a large audience in multiple locations at an economical cost. The trucks serve as mobile billboards for potential third-party sponsorship, as well as the Allied Esports’ brand, providing highly visible brand presence wherever they appear. Allied Esports currently has two mobile arena trucks, with the first truck based in Germany and serving the European market, and a second truck based in Las Vegas and serving the U.S. market.

Strategic Investor Events. In addition to Allied Esports utilizing in-person experiences at its flagship, mobile and affiliate arenas, Allied Esports is leveraging its experience to develop events and content with its strategic investors, Brookfield Property Partners, Simon and TV Azteca. Moreover, Allied Esports is working with TV Azteca to create in-person experiences in Mexico. These events create content that will be used to populate the TV Azteca digital channel being developed by TV Azteca and Allied Esports.

Simon and Allied Esports are collaborating to create a new product offering focused on delivering esports experiences through integrated gaming venues and production facilities in select Simon shopping centers around the U.S. The in-center venues will be designed for tournament play and daily use with the capability to be expanded into common areas for larger esports activations and live events. On September 30, 2019, the two companies launched The Simon Cup, a co-branded esports competition and gaming tournament series of on-mall regional festivals combining online and in-person play at select Simon centers in the New York and Los Angeles markets, with the winners of the regionals moving on to HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas for the final. As a premier esports facility, Allied Esports believes utilizing the Las Vegas arena will drive participants to the Simon Cup qualifying events and increase revenue for the Company.

Allied Esports and Brookfield Property Partners are developing integrated esports experience venues at mutually agreed upon shopping malls owned and/or operated by Brookfield that will include a dedicated gaming space and production capabilities to attract and to activate esports and other emerging live events. Per the strategic partnership, Brookfield Property Partners, the global real estate operating arm of Brookfield Asset Management, will bring Allied Esports’ new on-mall esports venue concept to its existing retail destinations. The two companies will collaborate on the development of dedicated esports venues and gaming experiences that will be designed for tournament play of all levels, with PCs and consoles available for daily use, complete broadcast and streaming production capabilities, full food and beverage options, and experiential retail.

Multiplatform Content: Leveraging Branded Properties and Strategic Partnerships to Develop Content

Allied Esports’ worldwide network of esports branded properties provides Allied Esports with a platform to potentially develop a significant amount of content to distribute via digital live streams, broadcast and cable, and social media outlets. Allied Esports believes that its arenas will draw top-level esports talent (such as professional streamer Ninja, who was the featured talent at a successful event at Allied Esports’ Las Vegas arena in April 2018) for purposes of hosting events and developing content, which it can distribute live, post-produce into fully-produced episodic content, or repackage for social media distribution. Allied Esports intends to monetize the content in multiple ways, including direct sales of the content, sponsorship revenue, and subscription and/or advertising fees for viewers of the content.

We believe Allied Esports’ ecosystem of esports branded properties gives it the reach, reputation and experience to produce world-class live events, in partnership with some of the most prominent names in the esports industry. These live events provide Allied Esports with the material to produce exciting content that can be distributed via three different formats, each of which has its own revenue generation model: live streaming, post-produced episodic content, and short-form repackaged content.

Live Streaming. Live streaming is the most popular esports content delivery channel today, as it offers the best interactive experiences for the audience. Vast improvements in technology and Internet service and speed have made live streaming with large audiences widely available today. Well-known gamers live stream themselves playing their favorite games on any of the popular streaming services (Twitch, Mixer, YouTube Gaming, Facebook Gaming, etc.) to a worldwide audience. The streamers derive revenue from ad sales, sponsorship, subscription fees and gift payments from spectators. Through Allied Esports’ ecosystem of esports arenas, Allied Esports can offer streamers a large platform to put on live events that can be simultaneously streamed on both the streamer’s Twitch channel and on Allied Esports’ Twitch channel. An example is a streaming event Allied Esports held with one of the most prominent streamers in esports, Tyler Blevins, AKA Ninja, in April 2018. Famous for his streaming channel where he plays the popular esports game Fortnite, Ninja held a live event at the Las Vegas flagship arena that set records for Twitch live streams, with over 667,000 peak concurrent viewers and 2.4 million unique viewers. To put those audience numbers in perspective, those numbers are significantly higher than viewership of the average regular season NBA game in 2019. Allied Esports was able to sell multiple sponsorships for the event and earned significant revenue from the food and beverage, merchandise sales and usage fees from the gaming stations. Although large audiences can be garnered through these live event streams, there are limitations on the streams, as they have a one-and-done nature; repeat viewing is not popular for these events, which limits the sponsorship opportunities. Furthermore, due to the live nature of these events and streams, it is difficult to create a narrative or tell a story to compel viewership past an initial viewing. This leads to Allied Esports’ development of post-produced episodic content.

Post-Produced Content. Allied Esports intends to develop esports entertainment programming around its live experiences and, using its experienced editing and production teams, create serial, episodic content and segments that tell compelling storylines around its gaming talent, in person experiences, and gaming events around the world. Allied Esports developed this technique through the WPT, who took the slow-paced game of poker and dramatized it and created storylines that made for exciting and compelling viewing. This post-produced content can be valuable real estate for sponsors, as Allied Esports can integrate sponsors seamlessly into the show in a way that feels organic to the viewers. Allied Esports can focus on different storylines, create excitement via editing and music inclusion, and generally elevate the production quality from that achievable in a live stream. Allied Esports can then monetize this episodic content via sponsorship, advertising, selling the content itself to third party distributors, or even use it as a marketing tool to drive customers to come to Allied Esports’ branded properties, buy its merchandise or otherwise interact with Allied Esports.

Repackaged Content. The library of content Allied Esports will develop from events can be cut into smaller clips that can be used as marketing and promotion of the Allied Esports brand on social media. Allied Esports can also edit content to create new content, such as “best of” shows, focusing on one particular game as played by multiple well-known streamers, regional shows focusing on talent from a particular country, and so on.

Allied Esports’ global esports branded properties ecosystem will create opportunities for live events which provide material to develop great content, all of which Allied Esports can monetize in multiple ways. The large customer base Allied Esports develops through these in-person experiences, live streams and content distribution will give it a customer base to launch interactive services.

Strategic Investor Content. Allied Esports will work with its strategic investors, Brookfield Property Partners (and its affiliates), Simon and TV Azteca, to create valuable in-person experiences and esports entertainment content to enhance our value proposition. Allied Esports and TV Azteca will work to develop content and programming formats to develop a digital esports entertainment channel (described below), and content produced from the Simon events will be developed and distributed on digital and non-digital media outlets to maximize the exposure and reach of our joint enterprises.

Interactive Services: Developing an Esports Entertainment Platform

Allied Esports intends to develop its own online platform where esports players and fans can watch, play and win with other members of the esports community and top esports personalities. The online platform will enable fans to compete against each other as well as participate in esports programs starring their favorite players. Subscriptions will provide members with exclusive access to numerous unique and proprietary experiences, products and services that are not available outside of Allied Esports’ ecosystem, such as exclusive online content, member-only tournaments, prizes and cash awards, exclusive live event and merchandise access, exclusive opportunities to be part of our entertainment programming, VIP treatment at Allied Esports’ arenas, and much more. Allied Esports intends to use the authenticity and reach driven by its in-person experiences and content viewership to drive platform adoption by esports fans. Allied Esports’ executive team has years of experience developing online platforms—its CEO, Frank Ng, has managed and run online platforms with approximately 700 million registered users in China for over 14 years, and its COO, David Moon, has produced, published and operated numerous game services for over 20 years, including helping build NHN Corporation’s global footprint to over 1 million concurrent users. Furthermore, WPT has developed and operated its subscription platform for poker fans, ClubWPT, since 2010, and developed and operated a social poker product, PlayWPT, starting in 2016. PlayWPT was licensed to a third party in May of 2018.

Allied Esports intends to sequentially roll out platform features to support core strategic initiatives with its strategic investors, Brookfield Property Partners (and its affiliates), Simon and TV Azteca. The initial release of the platform will focus on supporting regular programs of esports experiences at Simon’s premiere centers across the U.S. The platform will subsequently be released in Mexico in partnership with TV Azteca, to support the participation, viewing, and monetization of esports events and programs, as well as the provision of a 24-hour digital esports entertainment channel. Allied Esports believes focusing on these two projects initially is the most efficient way to build brand equity, aggregate audience and build the initial user base that will propel Allied Esports’ platform in the future. 

The WPT Business

The Company owns the World Poker Tour® (WPT®) – a premier name in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based poker tournaments, television, online and mobile. A leading innovator in the sport of poker since 2002, WPT helped ignite the global poker boom with the creation of a unique television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments. WPT’s Tour Events are held at locations throughout the world and have awarded more than one billion in prize dollars in its 18-year history. WPT has broadcast globally in more than 150 countries and territories, and is currently producing its 18th season, which airs on FOX Sports Regional Networks in the United States. Season 18 of WPT is sponsored by its online subscription-based poker service, ClubWPT.com. WPT offers a suite of online poker services which it operates by itself and through its partners offering consumers the ability to access gaming content on a year-round 24/7 basis. ClubWPT.com is a unique online membership site that offers inside access to the WPT, as well as a sweepstakes-based poker club available in 35 states across the United States and Washington D.C., and four foreign countries with innovative features and state-of-the-art creative elements inspired by WPT’s 18 years of experience in gaming entertainment. In addition, WPT licenses its brand to social gaming sites through partners like Zynga as well as to educational learning platforms such as LearnWPT. These online products are scalable and offer geographic access that might be limited if WPT relied on tour stop participation alone. Additionally, WPT benefits from managing its own distribution business which currently has more than 1,000 hours of broadcast-ready content, and offers demographically similar programming to its poker content, such as esports, golf and MMA. WPT uses this large suite of programming as leverage to seek preferred airtimes on its various distribution channels where it may promote its online products or offer airtime to sponsors in territories they seek to enter. WPT also participates in strategic brand license, partnership, sponsorship opportunities and music licensing. As described below, WPT applies a three-pillar model of in-person experiences, developing multiplatform content and providing interactive services, to the sport of poker.

In-person Experiences: Worldwide Poker Tournaments

World Poker Tour Events. The WPT is a sports league of affiliated poker tournaments that are held at prestigious casinos and poker rooms around the world. WPT licenses the WPT brand to these casinos and card rooms so that they can brand their poker tournaments as WPT events, and these events are integrated into WPT’s tour. These events form the backbone of WPT’s brand identity and have turned the WPT into one of the most recognizable names in gaming. WPT has developed different types of tours, generally distinguishable by the size of the buy-in for competitors in the applicable tour’s events. The WPT Main Tour events generally have the biggest buy-ins (usually between $3,500 and $10,000), are held at the largest and most prestigious casinos and card rooms and are attended by many of the top professional poker players in the world. The WPT DeepStacks Tour and WPT500 events are smaller than Main Tour events, with buy-ins ranging from $300 to $1,000, and are meant to cater to the lower- to medium-stakes players. In addition, through a third-party licensing arrangement, WPT licenses its name to a third party operating the WPT League, which are small bar-league poker events held at bars and clubs on a social basis. These live events create touchpoints to a large community of poker players to whom WPT can market other WPT live events, advertise and market its sponsor’s products, and push towards its interactive products. Furthermore, the live events create the content WPT uses to monetize its brand, as set forth below.

Multiplatform Content: The World Poker Tour Television Shows

The Content. WPT films the final table of six participants from a select group of WPT’s Main Tour stops, where the players compete for some of the poker world’s largest tournament prize pools. We then edit the footage from these tour stops, resulting in a series of one-hour or two-hour episodes which are distributed for telecast to both domestic audiences via our broadcast agreement with FSN, and international television audiences via numerous international distribution agreements. WPT has an agreement with Poker Go, a prominent poker-centric online platform, pursuant to which WPT live streams many of its events to Poker Go’s customer base. Many of WPT’s live events that are not broadcast on FSN are live streamed on Poker Go, which ensures almost all of WPT’s events are broadcast on some format. In addition, WPT films and produces special episodes based on a variety of non-traditional poker tournaments and/or cash games, which it also distributes for telecast along with the episodes based on WPT’s regular tour stops. Furthermore, WPT produced specialized shows meant to promote and market its ClubWPT membership site, such as its “King of the Club” shows in which ClubWPT members won the right, by winning certain tournaments on the ClubWPT platform, to play against each other for cash and prizes in a single-table tournament that was filmed and broadcast on FSN. WPT also filmed and prepared for distribution another series of shows to promote ClubWPT called “Challenge the Champs”, in which ClubWPT members who qualified on the ClubWPT platform received the chance to play against former WPT Main Tour champions for cash and prizes. These episodes premiered on FSN in August and September 2019.

WPT previously produced and broadcasted on FSN a series of shows called WPT Alpha8, based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments with buy-ins of $100,000. In the Alpha8 events, some of the most elite high-stakes players in the world played in poker tournaments against one another in glamorous casinos and card rooms around the world, with the final eight players of each tournament filmed for production of the television episodes. The inaugural season of WPT Alpha8 began in 2013 and aired for three seasons, ending in 2016 and continues to be distributed internationally. WPT has continued to expand its global footprint by entering into an agreement with TV Azteca, pursuant to which WPT and TV Azteca are creating modified content using footage from WPT’s current library of content and translating the shows and integrating localized hosts for distribution in the territory of Mexico. This strategy of localizing WPT content has previously proven successful, namely in France, and we believe this localized content in the territory of Mexico will become a significant driver for a jointly owned social gaming platform. WPT and TV Azteca recently launched in beta this August 2019. Interest in the show so far is high, with viewership already exceeding 3 million viewers of a single episode. In addition to the strategic advantage of the “World Poker Tour” and WPT-related brands, WPT has created significant efficiencies in its content programming through its affiliation and use of Allied ESports’ HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas venue to film some of its Main Tour final tables and other special events. This change, which just began for Season 17, has significantly reduced production costs by reducing transportation and set up fees and has allowed for more content to be produced at a significantly more efficient cost. Moreover, by reducing the physical location needs from its casino partners that would otherwise be featured in a WPT televised event, WPT has greatly expanded the number of potential casino customers that can meet the requirements for hosting a WPT televised final table. Finally, WPT creates, owns and publishes its own music for WPT shows. In addition to receiving royalties for the music integrated into these programs, WPT has created a database of over 4,000 musical pieces which may be licensed for itself or for other third-party producers.

WPT Distribution Footprint. All of WPT’s content airs on FSN in the U.S., including FSN’s regional channels (“RSNs”), and in 21 different territories worldwide pursuant to licensing and distribution arrangements with various networks. Virtually all of WPT’s 17-season poker library is fully available for distribution, providing hundreds of hours of top-tier broadcast grade poker sports content. WPT has greatly expanded the reach of its content by licensing it for broadcast on many digital platforms as well, such as PlutoTV, Unreel Entertainment, Samsung TV Plus, and many others. WPT does not receive fees from FSN for the domestic distribution of our content. Instead, WPT uses the WPT show to heavily promote its ClubWPT product and other online products and partnerships, such as Zynga’s WPT social poker game. WPT does provide FSN with a guaranteed revenue share from ClubWPT’s operations in exchange for significant promotion and distribution of the programs featuring ClubWPT marketing. This arrangement ensures that FSN has an incentive to keep WPT’s show on the air and to market and promote the show, as they share in the show’s success to the extent ClubWPT’s revenue increases. Since the ClubWPT customer base and broadcast television viewers are similar in demographics, the symbiotic relationship between FSN and WPT works well to keep WPT’s brand widely known and accessible to millions of people in the U.S. The FSN agreement also has other important broadcast requirements to ensure that WPT’s programming remains “appointment television” and airs at particular times on both the FSN networks and the RSNs. Internationally, some of WPT’s distribution partners pay WPT fees to broadcast content, but usually, WPT’s international revenues are based on distribution deals that pay via advertising time and sponsorship sales, as well as the intrinsic value of spreading WPT’s brand awareness worldwide. We expect the international reach of WPT-related shows to grow meaningfully starting in the third quarter of 2019, as a result of WPT’s strategic relationship agreement with TV Azteca. WPT receives additional fees from our digital distribution agreements, but again see these as brand-building exercises and as avenues to get more people exposure for WPT’s online products, sponsors and advertisers. In addition to its World Poker Tour content, WPT also distributes various sports and lifestyle programming through its distribution business. As a result, WPT now controls over 1000 hours of programming from which it may generate distribution fees, license fees, sponsorship revenue and music licensing revenue, as well as serving as a vehicle to promote its online gaming products worldwide. The ability to “bundle,” or offer large amounts of content, provides WPT distribution leverage in negotiating the amount of airings or preferred airing times of its content.

The Walt Disney Company (“Disney”) recently acquired 21st Century Fox (“FOX”). Under the terms of the acquisition, FOX’s non-regional news and sports assets, including FSN, were spun off into a new company, Fox Corporation (which is commonly referred to as “New Fox”), which remains owned by the prior FOX shareholders. The Department of Justice required Disney to sell all RSNs within ninety (90) days after the closing of the Disney/FOX acquisition. The RSNs (including FSN) were recently purchased by a joint venture company owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios, Inc. (collectively, “Sinclair”). It is not clear at this time whether Sinclair’s acquisition of the RSNs (including FSN) will have any material effect on the airing of WPT’s content.

Sponsorship Revenue. Sponsorship revenue is the prime economic driver of the distribution of WPT content. WPT partners with prestigious brands, such as Dr. Pepper (soft drinks), Hublot (high-end timepieces), Rockstar (energy drinks), Baccarat (fine crystal), Party Poker (online gaming in Europe), and offers them the ability to become the “Official ________ of the World Poker Tour”. The Season 17 sponsors have included Hublot, Rockstar, Baccarat, Faded Spade Poker (a playing card manufacturer), and Zynga Inc. (social gaming operator). WPT is able to seamlessly integrate its sponsors into the WPT television show by displaying sponsors on poker tables, on television sets, and specialized segments that are brought to viewers by the applicable sponsor. By integrating WPT’s sponsors into the show, WPT provides a powerful marketing tool in that viewers are seeing the sponsor as part of the show they are watching, as opposed to an advertisement that they may mute or skip if possible. WPT’s live events also offer WPT sponsors a great advertising platform to market directly to WPT players via signage, product sampling suites, flyers, and similar marketing endeavors.

Interactive Services: Poker Platforms

WPT’s live event global footprint and distribution of its content via broadcast, streaming and social media, allow WPT to generate significant marketing opportunities for both its sponsors and its own products. WPT has taken advantage of this marketing arm to promote several interactive products: ClubWPT, its subscription-based online poker club that WPT owns and operates, which also offers social poker; PlayWPT, a web and mobile social poker product that is operated by a third party utilizing software and branding that WPT licenses to such provider; Zynga Poker, who operates one of the world’s largest social poker products, to whom WPT has licensed its brand for certain WPT-branded poker tournaments on their platform; and HongKong Triple Sevens Interactive Co., Ltd, who licenses WPT’s Alpha8 brand to operate a social poker product they are in the process of developing.

ClubWPT. WPT’s subscription-based online club, ClubWPT.com, is operated in accordance with the principles of sweepstakes law and is available in 36 U.S. states and territories and four foreign countries. A free alternative means of entry is offered for participants who wish to play in the tournaments but do not wish to purchase the other membership benefits. VIP members can play poker to win a share of $100,000 in cash and prizes every month, including seats in live WPT poker tournaments. Other benefits include access to every season of the WPT television series and all related content, discounted tickets to live events through ScoreBig, everyday savings for everyday things via the ClubWPT Entertainment Savers Guide, and other member benefits. In January of 2019, WPT added freemium social poker and casino gaming on the platform. Since that time, daily active revenue has risen steadily, and we anticipate the freemium products on the platform will be a meaningful driver of ClubWPT revenue going forward. The subscription fee for ClubWPT remains the same each month and players are not allowed to wager actual money online. One must be eighteen or older to participate.

Zynga Poker. WPT entered into a 3-year licensing agreement with Zynga, Inc. in 2018 pursuant to which Zynga agreed to pay WPT $3 million per year in exchange for the right to license the WPT name and brand to its massive social gaming database for WPT-branded poker tournaments on the Zynga social poker platform. WPT supports Zynga’s efforts through extensive marketing of its brand through its marketing network which includes its television programs, advertisements, and social media channels. Zynga has further used the WPT tournaments as a vehicle to reward their players through qualifying players to play in real money poker tournaments at WPT affiliated casinos. The partnership means that the Zynga and WPT brands elevate each other’s profile in the poker community through millions of impressions annually.

PlayWPT and Alpha8 Social Poker. WPT’s 3-year license agreements for PlayWPT and the Alpha8 social poker product that each commenced in 2018 provide WPT with a share of all revenue generated on those respective platforms, with annual minimums of the greater of $500,000 or 20% of revenue generated for PlayWPT, and the greater of $200,000 or 20% of revenue generated for the Alpha8 social poker product. These arrangements offer WPT significant annual payments based on the value and prestige of WPT’s brands and WPT’s ability to market and promote the platforms.

In addition to the three-pillar approach to monetizing the WPT brands as described above, WPT has also been able to combine these approaches in a regional manner to create localized versions of the WPT in other parts of the world. For example, WPT has an agreement with Adda52, one of the largest online poker operators in India, pursuant to which Adda52 utilizes WPT brands to put on WPT-branded tournaments, create and sell WPT merchandise, sponsor and distribute WPT content, and otherwise market and promote their own products using the WPT name. WPT had a similar arrangement for the Asia-Pacific region with WPT’s former parent company, Ourgame, and is negotiating similar arrangements with parties in other parts of the world, such as Latin America. These brand licensing arrangements not only provide WPT with revenue derived from upfront payments and revenue share, but they broaden WPT’s brand reach in localized ways to parts of the world that WPT would be hard-pressed to effectively market to on its own. WPT believes that this increased reach will have long-term benefits to WPT’s brand image and profitability.

Corporate Organization

Our principal offices are located at 17877 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 300, Irvine, California, 92614, and our telephone number at that office is (949) 225-2600.

Allied Esports Entertainment Inc., (“AESE”), formerly known as Black Ridge Acquisition Corp, or “BRAC”, was incorporated in Delaware on May 9, 2017 as a blank check company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities.

Allied Esports Media, Inc. (“AEM”), a Delaware corporation, was formed in November 2018 to act as a holding company for Allied Esports International Inc. (“Allied Esports”) and immediately prior to close of the Merger (see below) to also include Noble Link Global Limited (“Noble Link”). Allied Esports, together with its subsidiaries described below owns and operates the esports-related businesses of AESE. Noble Link (prior to the AEM Merger) and its wholly owned subsidiaries Peerless Media Limited, Club Services, Inc. and WPT Enterprises, Inc. operate the poker-related business of AESE and are collectively referred to herein as “World Poker Tour” or “WPT”. Prior to the Merger, as described below, Noble Link and Allied Esports were subsidiaries of Ourgame International Holdings Limited (“Ourgame”).

On December 19, 2018, BRAC, Noble Link and AEM executed an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (as amended from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”). On August 9, 2019 (the “Closing Date”), Noble Link was merged with and into AEM, with AEM being the surviving entity, which was accounted for as a common control merger (the “AEM Merger”). Further, on August 9, 2019, a subsidiary of AESE merged with AEM pursuant to the Merger Agreement, with AEM being the surviving entity (the “Merger”). The Merger was accounted for as a reverse recapitalization, and AEM is deemed to be the accounting acquirer. Consequently, the assets and liabilities and the historical operations that are reflected in these condensed combined financial statements prior to the Merger are those of Allied Esports and WPT. The preferred stock, common stock, additional paid in capital and earnings per share amount in these condensed combined financial statements for the period prior to the Merger have been restated to reflect the recapitalization in accordance with the shares issued to the Former Parent as a result of the Merger. References herein to the “Company” are to the combination of AEM and WPT during the period prior to the AEM Merger and are to AESE and subsidiaries after the Merger.

Allied Esports operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries Allied Esports International, Inc., (“AEII”), Esports Arena Las Vegas, LLC (“ESALV”) and ELC Gaming GMBH (“ELC Gaming”). AEII operates global competitive esports properties designed to connect players and fans via a network of connected arenas. ESALV operates a flagship gaming arena located at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. ELC Gaming operates a mobile esports truck that serves as both a battleground and content generation hub and also operates a studio for recording and streaming gaming events.

Our fiscal year ends December 31. Neither we nor any of our predecessors have been in bankruptcy, receivership or any similar proceeding.

Business Strategy

For the past 16 years of its 18-year history, WPT’s business model has successfully utilized the following three pillars in the sport of poker for its business model, which the Company believes can be utilized by Allied Esports:

The Company plans to continue operating the WPT business and to utilize its business model to execute on its growth strategy in the multibillion-dollar esports industry. Allied Esports will do this by collaborating with its strategic investors, including certain affiliates of Brookfield Property Partners, a work premier real estate company, certain affiliates of Simon, a global leader in the ownership of premier shopping, dining, entertainment, and mixed-use destinations, and TV Azteca, a premier television network in Mexico, to deliver best-in-class live events, content and online products.

Regulation

WPT tournaments are conducted by the host casinos and card rooms, and we believe WPT is not subject to government gaming regulation in connection with its affiliation with and telecasts of these events. We continue to monitor the legality of Internet gaming in domestic and international jurisdictions, but cannot be certain that changes in existing regulations will be beneficial to the gaming market. WPT’s subscription-based online club, ClubWPT.com, is operated in accordance with the principles of sweepstakes law. A free alternative means of entry is offered for participants who wish to play in the tournaments but do not wish to purchase the other membership benefits. The subscription fee for ClubWPT remains the same each month and players are not allowed to wager actual money online. One must be eighteen or older to participate. However, the awarding of cash and prizes will require compliance with the laws or regulations in various states or countries over sweepstakes, promotions and giveaways, are complicated and constantly changing.

Allied Esports intends to offer subscribers the chance to win cash and prizes when playing esports games and tournaments on the esports gaming platform it intends to develop. Similar to WPT, Allied Esports will be subject to the complicated laws and regulations in various states or countries over sweepstakes, promotions and giveaways. Any negative finding of law regarding the characterization of the type of online activity carried out on the esports gaming platform could limit or prevent Allied Esports’ ability to obtain subscribers in those jurisdictions. In addition, Allied Esports is subject to a number of foreign and domestic laws and regulations that affect companies conducting business on the Internet. In addition, laws and regulations relating to user privacy, data collection, retention, electronic commerce, consumer protection, content, advertising, localization, and information security have been adopted or are being considered for adoption by many jurisdictions and countries throughout the world.

Intellectual Property

We believe that to maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace, we must develop and maintain protection of the proprietary aspects of our technology. We rely on a combination of trademarks, patent, trade secret intellectual property rights and other measures to protect our intellectual property. 

WPT has filed trademarks for the names of its shows, including the World Poker Tour name and logos. The trademark “World Poker Tour” has been registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) on the principal register in connection with entertainment services, clothing, playing cards and poker chips, and housewares and glass; and on the supplemental register in connection with electronic and scientific apparatus. Other registered marks around the world include: “Alpha8” in the U.S., Canada, China, Europe, South Africa and Uruguay; “Battle of Champions” in the U.S.; “Card Design” in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela; “Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship” in the U.S.; “Hollywood Home Game” in the U.S.; “Ladies’ Night” in the U.S.; “Latin American Poker Tour” in Peru and Europe; “Poker Détente” in Europe; “Poker Walk of Fame” in the U.S.; “PPT” in the U.S., Canada and Europe; “PPT & Design” in the U.S. and Canada; “Professional Poker Tour” in the U.S.; “Professional Poker Tour PPT & Design” in the U.S.; “Royal Flush Girls” in the U.S.; “Time Slots” in Canada, Europe and the U.S.; “World Poker Tour” in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Europe, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, South Africa and Venezuela; “World Poker Tour & Design” in the U.S., Canada and Europe; “WPT” in the U.S., Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, South Africa, and Venezuela; “WPT8 Design” in U.S., Australia, Canada, China, Europe, South Africa and Uruguay; “WPT Academy” in Europe; “WPT Alpha8 Design” in Australia, Canada, China, Europe, South Africa and Uruguay; “WPT Boot Camp” in the U.S.; “WPT Poker Corner” in the U.S., Canada and Europe; “WPT Spade Card Design” in China; “WPT World Poker Tour & Design” in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Europe and Korea. We have registered approximately 2,100 Internet domain names in 70 regions around the world. We also have proprietary rights to our portfolio of registered and unregistered copyrighted materials, which includes the episodes of the televised programming and music that we produce, subject to licenses related to these episodes provided under our agreements with our distributors and our international telecast license agreements, as well as the WPT Academy database and online videos.

WPT has filed five U.S. and international patent applications. One application, relating to a specially designed game table that uses integral lighting, was issued by the USPTO in 2007. WPT’s remaining applications relate to (1) systems and methods reducing fraud in electronic games having virtual currency; (2) systems and methods to reduce impact of network disruptions; (3) systems and methods to provide multiple commentary streams for the same broadcast content; and (4) systems and methods for securing virtual currencies and enhancing electronic products.

Allied Esports has filed for one patent application in the U.S. related to systems and methods for latency in networked competitive multiplayer gaming. It has also registered approximately 45 domain names. Allied Esports has filed for trademark protection for the following marks as well: “Allied Esports” has been filed in the U.S., “Allied Esports” bold mark has been filed in China and Europe; The “Allied Esports” logos have been filed in the U.S. and Europe; the “Allied Esports Member Property Network” logo has been filed in China and Europe; the “Big Betty” logos have been registered in Europe; “E-sports Arena” have been registered in China, “Esports Superstars” logo has been filed in the U.S.; “Legend Series” logo has been filed in the U.S. and Europe; and the “Allied Exports” emblem has been filed in China and Europe.

Competition

WPT competes with other poker-related television programming, including ESPN’s coverage of the “World Series of Poker” and its “World Series of Poker” Circuit Events, among others. These and other producers of poker-related programming are well established and may have significantly greater resources than WPT does. Based on the popularity of these poker-related televised programs, WPT believes that additional competing televised poker programs may currently be in development or may be developed in the future. WPT’s programming also competes for telecast audiences and advertising revenue with telecasts of mainstream professional and amateur sports, as well as other entertainment and leisure activities.

The esports gaming industry is also competitive. Competitors range from established leagues and championships owned directly, as well as leagues franchised by well-known and capitalized game publishers and developers, interactive entertainment companies, diversified media companies and emerging start-ups. New competitors will likely continue to emerge, and many of these competitors will have greater financial resources than Allied Esports. 

Territories

We sell products and services throughout the world.

Employees

As of December 31, 2019, we had approximately 146 employees, including 20 employees that operated under collective-bargaining agreements.

Legal Proceedings

The Company is involved in various disputes, claims, liens and litigation matters arising out of the normal course of business. While the outcome of these disputes, claims, liens and litigation matters cannot be predicted with certainty, after consulting with legal counsel, management does not believe that the outcome of these matters, either individually or collectively, will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Properties

The Company’s main offices are leased and are located at 17877 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 300, Irvine, California, 92614. The Company considers this office space adequate for its current operations. The initial lease term will expire in approximately 2033, and the Company has two five-year options to renew.

MANAGEMENT

The following table sets forth the name and age as of date of this prospectus and position of each of our executive officers and directors.

Lyle Berman has served as a director of the Company since May 2017 (when the Company at the time of such election was Black Ridge Acquisition Corp.). Mr. Berman has been a director of Black Ridge Oil & Gas, Inc. since October 2016. Since June 1990, Mr. Berman has been the chairman and chief executive officer of Berman Consulting Corporation, a private consulting firm he founded. Mr. Berman began his career with Berman Buckskin, his family’s leather business, which he helped grow into a major specialty retailer with 27 outlets. After selling Berman Buckskin to W.R. Grace in 1979, Mr. Berman continued as president and chief executive officer and led the company to become one the country’s largest retail leather chains, with over 200 stores nationwide. In 1990, Mr. Berman participated in the founding of Grand Casinos, Inc. Mr. Berman is credited as one of the early visionaries in the development of casinos outside of the traditional gaming markets of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. In less than five years, the company opened eight casino resorts in four states. In 1994, Mr. Berman financed the initial development of Rainforest Cafe. He served as the chairman and chief executive officer from 1994 unti1 2000. In October 1995, Mr. Berman was honored with the B’nai B’rith “Great American Traditions Award.” In April 1996, he received the Gaming Executive of the Year Award; in 2004, Mr. Berman was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame; and in 2009, he received the Casino Lifetime Achievement Award from Raving Consulting & Casino Journal. In 1998, Lakes Entertainment, Inc. was formed. In 2002, as chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Lakes Entertainment, Inc., Mr. Berman was instrumental in creating the World Poker Tour. Mr. Berman served as the executive chairman of the board of WPT Enterprises, Inc. (later known as Voyager Oil & Gas, Inc. and Emerald Oil, Inc.) from its inception in February 2002 until July 2013. Mr. Berman also served as a director of PokerTek, Inc. from January 2005 until October 2014, including serving as chairman of the board from January 2005 until October 2011. Mr. Berman has a degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota. Mr. Berman is the father of Bradley Berman, one of our directors.

Kwok Leung Frank Ng has served as a director and our Chief Executive Officer since August 2019. Mr. Ng has served as co-CEO of Ourgame International Holdings Limited (“Ourgame”), a leading casual game operator in China and owner of the World Poker Tour and Allied Esports, since 2006. Prior to that, he served as CFO of Ourgame beginning in 2004, when he assisted NHN China, a global internet search engine and online game company, where he served as co-CEO from 2000 to 2004, in acquiring Ourgame. Mr. Ng led a management buyout of Ourgame in 2010 and led the company through its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2014. With its public listing and subsequent acquisition of the World Poker Tour (in 2015) and founding of Allied Esports (in 2016), Ourgame has grown to be a leading global operator and creator of gaming and esports content and experiences. Mr. Ng served as Chief Commercial Officer at PCCW Skyhorse, which produces content and online gaming applications, from 2000 until 2003. Mr. Ng has a B.S. Business Administration and Management degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

David Moon has served as our Chief Operating Officer since August 2019. Since December 2018, Mr. Moon has provided consulting services to Allied Esports. Since June 2018, Mr. Moon has also served as Global President of Ourgame. From December 2014 to December 2016, Mr. Moon was COO and co-founder of Zig Zag Zoom, a publisher of cause-driven mobile games. Before that, from November 2012 to November 2014, he was VP of Global Production and Operations in Disney Interactive’s Asia Games Group. He was a co-founder of StudioEx, a mobile and PC game studio in 2009, which Disney acquired in 2012. He continues to serve as a director of StudioEx. Mr. Moon was a founding member of Hangame, a popular South Korean online game portal, and NHN Entertainment Corporation, a developer, publisher and distributor of mobile and PC games, where he led corporate development and global expansion efforts from 2000 to 2006. He is also the founder of Metamedia Entertainment, a digital media venture that develops and produces interactive digital experiences, including TV-everywhere content and platforms that drive virality, engagement, retention, and monetization.

Anthony Hung has served as our Chief Financial Officer since September 2019. Before joining the Company, from 2012 to 2019, he served as the CEO and CFO of Audio Design Experts, a privately held provider of premier audio solutions for leading consumer brands around the world. Prior to his role at Audio Design Experts, from 2010 to 2012 Mr. Hung was Senior Vice President, Business Development and Sales for Cooking.com where he oversaw the e-commerce services business as well as advertising sales operations. He also served as the Chief Financial Officer of Golden Eye Dealership Solutions, a software-as-a-service start-up focused on automotive dealerships, from 2008 to 2010 and was Vice President, Business Development & Acquisitions for ESPN from 2007 to 2008. Prior to this, from 1997 to 2007, he was General Partner at DynaFund Ventures, a $220 million venture capital fund. He also held positions of increasing responsibility in finance and strategy at The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS). He began his career as an investment banker at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities in 1989. Mr. Hung holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Anderson School at UCLA and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Harvard College.

Bradley Berman has served as a director of the Company since May 2017 (when the Company at the time of such election was Black Ridge Acquisition Corp.). He has been the chairman of Black Ridge Oil & Gas, Inc. since November 2010 and has served as a director of Black Ridge Oil & Gas, Inc. since its inception in April 2010. He was the chief executive officer of Black Ridge Oil & Gas, Inc. from November 2010 to November 2011, its chief financial officer between November 12, 2010 and November 15, 2010, and its corporate secretary from November 2010 to February 2011. Mr. Berman is the president of King Show Games, Inc., a company he founded in 1998. Mr. Berman has worked in various capacities in casino gaming from 1992 to 2004 for Grand Casinos, Inc. and then Lakes Entertainment, Inc., achieving the position of Vice President of Gaming, after which he assumed a lesser role in that company. Mr. Berman was a director of Voyager Oil and Gas, Inc. (formerly Ante4 and WPT) from August 2004 to November 2010. Mr. Berman is the son of Lyle Berman, one of our directors.

Benjamin S. Oehler has served as a director of the Company since May 2017 (when the Company at the time of such election was Black Ridge Acquisition Corp.). Mr. Oehler has been a director of Black Ridge Oil & Gas, Inc. since November 2010, and chairman of its audit committee and compensation committee since February 2011. Mr. Oehler is a Founding Partner of Windward Mark, LLC which advises business owners with regard to strategic planning, owner governance and education, business continuity, legacy, philanthropy and liquidity. Windward Mark LLC is a continuation of Mr. Oehler’s consulting practice at Bashaw Group. Inc. (2007 to 2017) and Linea Capital, LLC (2009 to 2017). From 1999 to 2007, Mr. Oehler was the president and chief executive officer of Waycrosse, Inc., a financial advisory firm for the family owners of Cargill Incorporated. While at Waycrosse, Mr. Oehler was the primary advisor to the five family members who were serving on the Cargill Incorporated board of directors from 1999 to 2006. Mr. Oehler played a key role in two major growth initiatives for Cargill: the merger of Cargill’s fertilizer business into a public company which is now Mosaic, Inc., and the transformation of Cargill’s proprietary financial markets trading group into two major investment management companies: Black River Asset Management, LLC and CarVal Investors, LLC. An investment banker for 20 years, Mr. Oehler’s transaction experience includes public offerings and private placements of debt and equity securities, mergers and acquisitions, fairness opinions and valuations of private companies. Prior to joining Waycrosse, Mr. Oehler was an investment banker for Piper Jaffray. By the time he left Piper Jaffray in 1999, he was group head for Piper Jaffray’s Industrial Growth Team. He has also played a leadership role in a number of corporate buy-outs and venture stage companies, served on corporate and non-profit boards of directors, and has been involved in the creation and oversight of foundations and charitable organizations, as well as U.S. trusts and off-shore entities.

Mr. Oehler has been a board member and/or founder of many non-profit organizations including the Minnesota Zoological Society, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, The Lake Country Land School, Greencastle Tropical Study Center, Park Nicollet Institute, Afton Historical Society Press, United Theological Seminary and University of Minnesota Investment Advisor, Inc. He has been a director of Waycrosse, Inc., WayTrust Inc., Dain Equity Partners, Inc., Time Management, Inc., BioNIR, Inc. and Agricultural Solutions, Inc. In September 2007, Mr. Oehler completed the Stanford University Law School Directors Forum, a three-day update on key issues facing corporate directors presented by the Stanford Business School and Stanford Law School. From 1984 through 1999, Mr. Oehler was registered with the National Association of Securities Dealers as a financial principal. Mr. Oehler is a graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts and has completed all course work at the University of Minnesota Business School with a concentration in finance.

Joseph Lahti has served as a director of the Company since May 2017 (when the Company at the time of such election was Black Ridge Acquisition Corp.). Mr. Lahti has been a director of Black Ridge Oil & Gas, Inc. since August 2012. Mr. Lahti is a Minneapolis native and leader in numerous Minnesota business and community organizations. As principal of JL Holdings since 1989, Mr. Lahti has provided funding and management leadership to several early-stage or distressed companies. From 1993 to 2002, he held the positions of chief operating officer, president, chief executive officer and chairman at Shuffle Master, Inc., a company that provided innovative products to the gaming industry. Mr. Lahti served as a director of PokerTek, Inc., a publicly traded company, from 2008 until it was sold in October 2014 (including serving as chairman of the board from 2012 to 2014), and he is also an independent director and chairman of the board of Innealta Capital, an investment manager. More than five years ago, Mr. Lahti served on the board of directors of Voyager Oil & Gas, Inc. and Zomax, Inc., and served as the chairman of the board of directors of Shuffle Master, Inc. Through his public company board experience, he has participated on, and chaired, both Audit and Compensation Committees. Mr. Lahti has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Harvard College.

Ho min Kim has served as a director of the Company since August 2019. He is a co-Founder and Partner at SparkLabs Global Ventures. He is also a co-Founder and Partner at SparkLabs, a startup accelerator in Korea. He was also co-Founder and President of N3N, an IoT platform company and Cisco’s first Korean venture capital investment. Previously, he was Chief Executive Officer of Nexonova, a game development studio of Nexon Corp (Japan Tokyo Stock Exchange: 3659) that specialized in Social Network Games. Prior to Nexonova, he served as Executive Vice President of Nexon Corp, and Head of Nexon’s Portal and Web Services. He received his B.S. in Bio-medical Engineering from Northwestern University, and also a M.S. in Bio-medical Engineering from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). He also completed the Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business’s Executive Management Program.

Eric Qing Yang has served as a director of the Company since August 2019. He has also served as Chairman of the Board and co-Chief Executive Officer of Ourgame since January 2011. Since joining Ourgame, Mr. Yang spearheaded the effort to refocus the company to its core competency of online card and board games and helped restore the company and its brand to its preeminence as one of the leading online card and board game platforms in China with more than 200 games titles and approximately 700 million registered users. Ourgame was listed in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange main board in June 2014. After Ourgame’s listing, Mr. Yang lead the effort to expand Ourgame’s business globally with the acquisition of the World Poker Tour in June 2015 and the launch of the company’s effort on eSports in China, the US and Europe and in the process transforming Ourgame into a global sports and entertainment company. Prior to Ourgame, Mr. Yang was a partner in IBM’s Global Services division from January 1995 to December 2010 and served in a number of senior management positions that provided consulting and outsourcing services to clients across a number of industries in China, Asia and globally that included director for Business Process Services for the Industrial and Distribution sectors for global emerging markets, director for managed business process services for small and medium business for Asia Pacific and partner for Distribution sector for Greater China. Mr. Yang holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley and an EMBA from the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business.

Adam Pliska has served as a director and as the Company’s President since August 2019. He has been with the World Poker Tour since 2003. As President and CEO of WPT, Mr. Pliska has overseen the entire WPT business portfolio, including but not limited to live events, online services, televised broadcasts, and WPT office personnel in Los Angeles, London and Beijing. He is one of the longest serving executives in the poker industry and was named the American Poker Awards Industry Person of the Year for 2014. Under his watch, the WPT has witnessed massive global growth from 14 events to over 60 worldwide on 6 continents, has maintained historic ratings of one of the longest running television shows in US history and has awarded more than a billion dollars over its 18 years. In addition to his position as CEO, Mr. Pliska serves as Executive Producer of the World Poker Tour television show and is the co-writer of the WPT Theme song Rise Above.

From November 2000 to June 2002, Mr. Pliska served as the Vice-President of Legal and Business Affairs and eventually General Counsel for Anticipa, LLC, a multi-media company headed by the futurist, Alvin Toffler, a Telmex Corporation. In addition, Mr. Pliska served as an associate at the law firm of Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal in Los Angeles from July 1999 to November 2000, where he worked on various litigation and intellectual property matters. Before his legal career, Mr. Pliska worked as a television producer in connection with noted industry veteran Al Burton, including work at Universal Television and Castle Rock Entertainment where he produced and developed numerous television properties. Mr. Pliska contributed and worked on various programs including The New Lassie, Baywatch, Out of the Blue, and shares an Emmy Award for his contributions to television creative development. While at Berkeley Law, he worked as a research assistant to Professor John Yoo and was an external to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for the Judge Alex Kozinski and at the Governor’s Office of Legal Affairs in the state of California for then Governor Pete Wilson.

He has served as a mentor of the Tiger Wood’s Foundation Earl Woods Scholar program, is a member of the Pacific Council, a director of the WPT Foundation and on the board of the GOCAT (Greater Orange County Community Arts Theater). Mr. Pliska holds a B.A. from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and a J.D. from University of California Berkeley’s Law School, Boalt Hall.

Maya Rogers has served as a director of the Company since August 2019. She has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Planet Software, the sole agent of the Tetris brand, since 2011.

Ms. Rogers is also Founding Partner of Blue Startups, Hawaii’s first venture accelerator, which helps early stage startups accelerate their businesses with investments and mentoring. From 2007 to 2009, Ms. Rogers worked as a Director of Business Development at Tetris Online China on the go-to-market strategy assessment on mid to long-term feasibility for Tetris to enter the Chinese online PC market. There she pursued and negotiated with potential Chinese gaming companies for joint venture opportunities in Shanghai, Beijing and Taiwan. Prior to heading Tetris, Ms. Rogers steered cross-culturalization and development efforts for Sony Interactive Entertainment where she executed and oversaw the localization strategies across Sony PlayStation games, including Sony’s top titles Gran Turismo and Hotshots Golf franchises. Ms. Rogers currently serves on the boards of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, American Red Cross - Hawaii Chapter, Women’s Fund of Hawaii, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, and the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. Ms. Rogers holds a BS in Business Administration from Pepperdine University and an Executive MBA from Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management.

Dr. Kan Hee Anthony Tyen has served as a director of the Company since August 2019. He has been an independent non-executive Director of Ourgame since March 2018. He is also the chairman of Audit Committee, a member of the Remuneration Committee, the Risk Management Committee and the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee of Ourgame’s board of directors. Dr. Tyen currently serves as served as an independent non-executive director of China Baofeng (International) Limited (formerly known as Mastercraft International Holdings Limited) (since February 2016), and previously served as an independent non-executive director of Melco International Development Limited from June 2010 through June 2019. Both companies are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. He is also the chairman of the audit committees of both companies. Dr. Tyen was previously an independent non-executive director of four Hong Kong listed companies, namely, Value Convergence Holdings Limited, Recruit Holdings Limited, ASR Logistics Holdings Limited, and Summit Ascent Holdings Limited. He was also an independent director of Entertainment Gaming Asia Inc., a company listed at the time on the Nasdaq Capital Market in the United States, as well as Alpha Peak Leisure Inc., a company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange in Canada. He started his career with Price Waterhouse in 1977 and later joined KMG and Morgan Guaranty Trust Company before incepting his own practice in 1985. His practice later merged with Grant Thornton and Dr. Tyen became a partner with the firm between 1990 and 1998. After a short spell with a local bank in 2001, Dr. Tyen resumed his own practice in 2003. Dr. Tyen holds a Doctoral degree in Philosophy (School of Accountancy, 1998) and a Master’s degree in Business Administration (1986), both from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is an associate member of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (since 1981) and the Taxation Institute of Hong Kong (since 1985). Dr. Tyen is also a fellow member of The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (fellow since 1985), the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (fellow since 2002) and The Hong Kong Institute of Directors (fellow since 2012). He is currently a practicing certified public accountant in Hong Kong and has over 42 years’ experience in auditing, accounting, management and company secretarial practice.

Family Relationships

Mr. Bradley Berman, one of our directors, is the son of Mr. Lyle Berman, one of our directors. There are no other family relationships between any of the other executive officers and directors.

Board Leadership Structure and Role in Risk Oversight

Upon consummation of the Merger in August 2019, Lyle Berman was appointed as Chairman of the Board and Eric Yang was appointed as Vice Chairman. Frank Ng also became our Chief Executive Officer. We believe that separating the positions of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer separate will permit our Chief Executive Officer to concentrate his efforts primarily on managing business operations and development. This will also allow us to maintain an independent Chairman of the Board who oversees, among other things, communications and relations between our Board of Directors and senior management, consideration by our Board of Directors of the company’s strategies and policies, and the evaluation of our principal executive officers by our Board of Directors.

Meetings and Committees of the Board of Directors

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the Company’s board of directors held six meetings. We expect our directors to attend all board meetings and any meetings of committees of which they are members and to spend the time needed and meet as frequently as necessary to properly discharge their responsibilities. Each of our current directors attended all of the meetings of the board and meetings of committees of which he or she was a member in fiscal year 2019. Although we do not have any formal policy regarding director attendance at stockholder meetings, we attempt to schedule meetings so that all directors can attend.

We have a separately standing audit committee, compensation committee and nominating committee, each of which is comprised of three independent directors. Each of the Company’s committees have a separately adopted charter which is available on the Company’s website at ir.alliedesportsent.com.

Independence of Directors

Nasdaq listing standards require that a majority of our Board of Directors be “independent directors” as defined by The Nasdaq Marketplace Rules. We currently have eight “independent directors”, Messrs. Bradley Berman, Benjamin Oehler, Joseph Lahti, Lyle Berman, Eric Qing Yang, Dr. Kan Hee Anthony Tyen and Ho min Kim, and Ms. Maya Rogers.

Audit Committee Information

Our audit committee consists of Benjamin Oehler (chairman), Joseph Lahti, and Anthony Tyen.

Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Oehler qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.

Pursuant to our audit committee charter, responsibilities of the audit committee include:

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the Company’s audit committee held two meetings. Each of our audit committee members attended all of the meetings of the audit committee in fiscal year 2019.