EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) by and between GALAXY GAMING, INC., a Nevada corporation (“Employer”), and Xxxx Xxxxxx (“Employee” and, together with Employer, the “Parties”) is entered into on November 6, 2023, and made effective for all purposes as of November 13, 2023 (the “Effective Date”).
A. Employer operates in the highly competitive business of designing, developing, manufacturing, marketing and acquiring proprietary casino table games and associated technology, platforms and systems (the “Business”) for the casino gaming industry in the United States, Canada and worldwide (the “Industry”) and provides such Services (the “Services”) to casinos, other gaming venues and in the internet gaming channel.
B. Employer desires to employ Employee and Employee desires to be employed by Employer, in such capacity, and under the terms and restrictions as set forth herein.
C. As a result of such employment, Employee will have access to Confidential Information and Trade Secrets (as defined herein). Employee will gain the ability to influence the goodwill of Employer with Partners (as defined herein) necessary to the success of the Business. Employee recognizes the Confidential Information and Trade Secrets and Partner relationships and goodwill are assets deserving of protection as provided for in the restrictive covenants contained in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of Employee’s employment with Employer on the terms and conditions set forth herein, and the promises, mutual covenants, and agreements hereinafter contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, Employer and Employee, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree and covenant as follows:
- 2 -
Final
(i) Employee may terminate Employee’s employment hereunder for “Good Reason” (as hereinafter defined), if Good Reason exists, upon at least thirty (30) days’ prior written notice to Employer, and Employer may terminate Employee’s employment hereunder for any reason or for no reason, other than as a result of Employee’s death or Disability or for Cause, upon at least thirty (30) days’ prior written notice to Employee, in each case with the consequences set forth in this Section 2(c).
(ii) If Employee’s employment is terminated by Employee for Good Reason or by Employer for any reason other than Employee’s death or Disability or other than for Cause, subject to Employee entering into and not revoking a release of claims in favor of Employer and its affiliates pursuant to Section 2(e) below and Employee fully complying with the covenants set forth in Sections 3, 4 and 5, Employee shall be entitled to the following benefits:
(A) Cash severance payments equal in the aggregate to twelve (12) months of Employee’s annual Base Salary at the time of termination, payable in accordance with Employer’s customary payroll practices as in effect from time to time.
(B) Continuation of Employee’s medical and health insurance benefits for a period equal to the lesser of (i) twelve (12) months or (ii) the period ending on the date Employee first becomes entitled to medical and health insurance benefits under any plan maintained by any person for whom Employee provides services as an employee or otherwise.
(C) In addition, solely if Employee is terminated without Cause following a “Change of Control” (as defined below), Employee shall be entitled to: (i) cash severance payments equal in the aggregate to twelve (12) months of Employee’s annual Base Salary at the time of termination, payable in accordance with Employer’s customary payroll practices as in effect from time to time;(ii) any unvested Base stock options granted to Employee pursuant to this Agreement shall accelerate and immediately vest; provided, however, that the acceleration and immediate vesting described herein shall not occur in any event with respect to the shares underlying that certain option; and (iii) certain shares of Company stock provided as part of Employee’s Long-Term Incentive Stock Grant (details provided within Section 5.2 of Exhibit A to the Agreement).
(iii) For purposes of this Agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean: (A) a material reduction (without Employee’s express written consent) in Employee’s Base Salary, unless the reduction is made as part of, and is generally consistent with, a general reduction of executive salaries; or (B) Employer’s material breach (without Employee’s express written consent) of Section 1 of this Agreement; provided, that Employee has provided Employer written notice of the material breach and Employer has not cured such breach within thirty (30) days following the date Employee provides such notice. If Employer thereafter intentionally repeats the breach it previously cured, such breach shall no longer be deemed curable.
(iv) For purposes of this Agreement, “Change of Control” shall mean (a) the sale, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of Employer’s assets as an entirety or substantially as an entirety to any “person” (as such term is used in Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), entity or “group” of persons (as defined in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) acting in concert; (b) any “person” becoming the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of Employer representing 50% or more of the total voting power represented by Employer’s then-outstanding voting securities; or (c) a merger or consolidation of Employer with any other
- 3 -
Final
corporation or other entity, other than a merger or consolidation that would result in the voting securities of Employer outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity or its controlling entity) at least 50% of the total voting power represented by the voting securities of Employer, or such surviving entity (or its controlling entity), outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, as applicable. Employer and Employee acknowledge and agree that pursuant to subsection (b) of this section 2(c)(iv) above, a conveyance by a party owning 50% or more of the total voting power represented by Employer’s then-outstanding voting securities (the “Majority Owner”) to one or more entities controlled by or under common control with such Majority Owner, or conveyances between any such entities controlled by or under common control with such Majority Owner, shall not be deemed to be a Change of Control unless or until the Majority Owner ceases to own, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the total voting power represented by Employer’s then-outstanding voting securities.
- 4 -
Final
(ii) any and all information of a technical or proprietary nature developed by or acquired by Employer or made available to Employer and its employees, or any licensor, licensee, customer, utility, supplier, vendor, employee, contractor, sub-contractor, government agency, or municipality affiliated with Employer, on a confidential basis or protected basis and related to the Businesses or provision of Services, including but not limited to any scientific or technical analyses, ideas, concepts, designs, specifications, requirements, prototypes, techniques, technical data or know-how, formulae, methods, discoveries, improvements, equipment, research and development, and inventions related to the Business or provision of Services; and
(iii) excludes information (A) which is in the public domain through no unauthorized act or omission of Employee or (B) which becomes available to Employee on a non-confidential basis from a source other than Employer or its affiliates without breach of such source’s confidentiality or non-disclosure obligations to Employer or any of its affiliates.
- 5 -
Final
(a) Covenant Not to Compete. Employee acknowledges that Employee’s duties as an employee and member of Employer’s Leadership Team will entail involvement with the entire range of Employer’s operations across the Industry, and Employee’s extensive familiarity with Employer’s provision of Services, Confidential Information and Trade Secrets justifies a restriction applicable across the entire geographic footprint in which Employer provides Services. To the fullest extent permitted by any applicable state law, and unless Employee is terminated as a result of a reduction in force or Change of Control by the Company, Employee agrees during Employee’s continuous employment with Employer, and for the period of twelve (12) months immediately following the Termination Date, Employee shall not, without the prior written consent of Employer, directly or indirectly, obtain or hold a Competitive Position with a Competitor in the Restricted Territory, as these terms are defined herein.
(i) For purposes of this Agreement, a “Competitive Position” means any employment with or service to be performed (whether as owner, member, manager, lender, partner, shareholder, consultant, agent, employee, co-venturer, or otherwise) for a Competitor in which Employee (A) will use or disclose or could reasonably be expected to use or disclose any Confidential Information or Trade Secrets for the purpose of providing, or attempting to provide, such Competitor with a competitive advantage in the Industry or (B) will hold a position, will have duties, or will perform or be expected to perform services for such Competitor, that is or are the same as or substantially
- 6 -
Final
similar to the position held by Employee with Employer or those duties or services actually performed by Employee for Employer in connection with the provision of Services by Employer, or (C) will otherwise engage in the Businesses, or market, sell or provide Services in competition with Employer.
(ii) For purposes of this Agreement, “Competitor” means any third-party (A) whose business is the same as or substantially similar to the Business or major segment thereof, or (B) who owns or operates, or is preparing to own or operate a subsidiary, affiliate, or business line or business segment whose business is or is expected to be the same as or substantially similar to the Business or major segment thereof.
(iii) For purposes of this Agreement, “Restricted Territory” means anywhere in the world wherein the company’s products, technology or intellectual property are in commerce.
Employee shall be deemed to be in a Competitive Position with a Competitor in the Restricted Territory if Employee obtains or holds a Competitive Position with a Competitor that conducts its business within the Restricted Territory (and Employee’s responsibilities relate to that Competitor’s business in the Restricted Territory), even if Employee’s residence or principal place of work (other than as permitted by applicable law) is not within the Restricted Territory.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Employee may, as a passive investor, own capital stock of a publicly held corporation, which is actively traded in the over-the-counter market or is listed and traded on a national securities exchange, which constitutes or is affiliated with a Competitor, so long as Employee’s ownership is not in excess of five percent (5%) of the total outstanding capital stock of the Competitor.
(iv) For the purposes of this Section 5 “Change of Control” means the sale of all or substantially all the assets of the Company; any merger, consolidation or acquisition of the Company with, by or into another corporation, entity or person; or any change in the ownership of more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting capital stock of the Company, in one or more related transactions or any change in the majority of the members of the board of directors that was in place at the Effective Date of this Agreement.
(b) Non-Solicitation / No Interference Provisions.
(i) Business Partners. Employee understands and agrees the relationship between Employer and each of its licensors, licensees, suppliers, vendors, contractors, subcontractors, consultants, customers, and prospective customers related to the Business or the provision of Services (the “Partners”) constitutes a valuable asset of Employer, and may not be misappropriated for Employee’s own use or benefit or for the use or benefit of any other third-party. Accordingly, Employee hereby agrees during Employee’s employment by Employer and for the period of twenty-four (24) months immediately after the Termination Date, Employee shall not, without the prior written consent of Employer, directly or indirectly, on Employee’s own behalf or on behalf of any other third-party:
(A) call-on, solicit, divert, take away or attempt to call-on, solicit, divert, or take away any of the Partners (1) with whom or with which Employee had communications on Employer’s behalf about the Partner’s existing or potential business relationship with Employer with respect to the Business or provision of Services; (2) whose business dealings with Employer are or were managed or supervised by Employee as part of his duties for Employer; or (3) about
- 7 -
Final
whom or about which Employee obtained Confidential Information or Trade Secrets solely as a result of Employee’s employment with Employer; or
(B) interfere or engage in any conduct that would otherwise have the effect of interfering, in any manner with the business relationship between Employer and any of the Partners, including, but not limited to, urging or inducing, or attempting to urge or induce, any Partner to terminate its relationship with Employer or to cancel, withdraw, reduce, limit, or modify in any manner such Partner’s business or relationship with Employer.
(ii) Employees. Employee understands and agrees the relationship between Employer and each of its employees constitutes a valuable asset of Employer and such assets may not be converted to Employee’s own use or benefit or for the use or benefit of any other third-party. Accordingly, Employee hereby agrees that during Employee’s employment with Employer and for the period of twenty-four (24) months immediately after the Termination Date, Employee shall not, without Employer’s prior written consent, directly or indirectly, solicit or recruit for employment; attempt to solicit or recruit for employment; or attempt to hire or accept as an employee, consultant, contractor, or otherwise, any employee of Employer engaged in the Business or provision of Services; or unlawfully urge, encourage, induce, or attempt to urge, encourage, or induce any employee of Employer engaged in the Business or provision of Services to terminate his or her employment with Employer.
(c) Post-Termination Covenants by Employee.
(i) Upon the termination of Employee’s employment hereunder, regardless of (A) the date, cause, or manner of the termination of Employee’s employment with Employer, (B) whether such termination occurs with or without Cause or is a result of Employee’s resignation, or (C) whether Employer provides severance benefits to Employee under this Agreement, Employee shall resign and does resign from all positions as an employee and officer of Employer and from any other positions with Employer, with such resignations to be effective upon the Termination Date.
(ii) From and after the Termination Date, Employee agrees not to make any statements to Employer’s employees, customers, vendors, or suppliers or to any public or media source, whether written or oral, regarding Employee’s employment hereunder or termination from Employer’s employment, except as may be approved in writing by an executive officer of Employer in advance. Employee further agrees not to make any statement (including to any media source, or to Employer’s suppliers, customers or employees) or take any action that would disrupt, impair, embarrass, harm or affect adversely Employer or any of the employees, officers, directors, or customers of Employer or place Employer or such individuals in any negative light.
(iii) From and after the Termination Date, Employee agrees to cooperate with and provide assistance to Employer and its legal counsel in connection with any litigation (including arbitration or administrative hearings) or investigation affecting Employer, in which, in the reasonable judgment of Employer’s counsel, Employee’s assistance or cooperation is needed. Employee shall, when requested by Employer, provide truthful testimony or other assistance and shall travel at Employer’s request in order to fulfill this obligation. In connection with such litigation or investigation, Employer shall attempt to accommodate Employee’s schedule, shall reimburse Employee (unless prohibited by law) for any actual loss of wages in connection therewith, shall provide Employee with reasonable notice in advance of the times in which Employee’s cooperation or assistance is needed, and shall reimburse Employee for any reasonable expenses incurred in connection with such matters.
- 8 -
Final
(d) Enforcement of Restrictive Covenants. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, in the event of Employee’s actual or threatened breach of any provision of this Section 4, Employer shall be entitled to an injunction restraining Employee from such breach or threatened breach, without the requirement of posting any bond or the necessity of proof of actual damage, it being agreed that any breach or threatened breach of these restrictive covenants would cause immediate and irreparable injury to Employer and that money damages would not provide an adequate remedy to Employer. Nothing herein shall be construed as prohibiting Employer from pursuing any other equitable or legal remedies for such breach or threatened breach, including the recovery of monetary damages from Employee. The period of any restriction set forth in this Section 4 shall be extended by any period of time that Employee is or has been found to be in breach of any provision in this Section 4.
(e) Employee Acknowledgement. Employee acknowledges and agrees:
(a) the restrictive covenants contained in this Agreement are reasonable in time, territory, and scope, and in all other respects;
These restrictive covenants shall be construed as agreements independent of any other provision in this Agreement and the existence of any claim or cause of action of Employee against Employer, whether predicated on this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement by Employer of these restrictive covenants.
(a) Employee hereby assigns to Employer all of Employee’s rights, title, and interest (including, but not limited to all patent, trademarks, copyright, and trade secret rights) in and to all Work Product (as defined below) prepared or developed by Employee, made or conceived in whole or in part by Employee within the scope of Employee’s employment by Employer, or that involve the use of Confidential Information or Trade Secrets within six (6) months thereafter. Employee further acknowledges and agrees all copyrightable Work Product prepared by Employee within the scope of Employee’s employment by Employer are “works made for hire” and, consequently, Employer owns all copyrights thereto.
(b) Employee represents and warrants to Employer all work Employee performs for or has performed for Employer, and all Work Product Employee produces, which includes, but is not limited to, software, copyrights, trademarks, domain names, domain name registrations, documentation, memoranda, ideas, designs, inventions, processes, new developments or improvements, and algorithms (“Work Product”), will not knowingly infringe upon or violate any patent, copyright, trade secret, or other property
- 9 -
Final
right of Employee’s former employers or of any other third party. Employee will not disclose to Employer, or use in any of Employee’s Work Product, any confidential or proprietary information belonging to others, unless both the owner thereof and Employer have consented.
(c) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section 5, Employee shall not be required to assign, transfer, or convey to Employer any of the rights, title, and interest Employee may have in any Work Product Employee invents, discovers, originates, makes, or conceives during Employee’s employment by Employer if and only if (i) no equipment, supplies, facilities, Confidential Information, or Trade Secrets are used in the creation of the Work Product, (ii) the Work Product was developed entirely on Employee’s own time, (iii) the Work Product does not relate directly to the Business or to Employer’s actual or demonstrably anticipated research or development, and (iv) the Work Product does not result in any way from any work performed by Employee for Employer.
- 10 -
Final
If to Employer:
0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Las Vegas, Nevada 89118
Attn: Board of Directors
with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
XXXXXX & XXXXXXX
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attn: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
If to Employee: Xxxx Xxxxxx
000 Xxxxx Xxxx XX
Atlanta, GA 30307
A party’s Notice Address may be changed or supplemented from time to time by such party by notice thereof to the other party as herein provided. Any such notice shall be deemed effectively given to and received by a party on the first to occur of (a) the date on which such notice is actually delivered (whether by mail, courier, hand delivery, electronic or facsimile transmission or otherwise) to such party’s Notice Address and addressed to such party, if such delivery occurs on a business day, or if such delivery occurs on a day which is not a business day, then on the next business day after the date of such delivery, (b) upon personal delivery to the party to be notified, or (c) the date on which such notice is actually received by such party (or, in the case of a party that is not an individual, actually received by the individual designated in the Notice Address of such party). For purposes of the preceding sentence, a “business day” is any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or U.S. federal public legal holiday.
- 11 -
Final
[signatures follow on next page]
- 12 -
Final
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Employer has caused this Employment Agreement to be executed by its duly authorized officer, and Employee has hereunto signed this Agreement, as of the Effective Date.
“Employer”:
By:
Name: Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Title: Chief Financial Officer
“Employee”:
Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxx Xxxxxx, an Individual
[Galaxy Gaming, Inc. Employment Agreement Signature Page]
EXHIBIT A
Employee: Xxxx Xxxxxx
Effective Date of Employment: November 13, 2023
Position: President and Chief Executive Officer
Compensation and Benefits:
5.1. Employee shall be eligible to the following bonus/incentive compensation, subject in the case of any bonus to the prior approval of Employer’s Board and subject to the Galaxy Gaming Inc. 2014 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended:
5.1.1 Management Bonus. Provided the Board of Directors determines certain Employer metrics have been met, Employee shall be eligible to receive an annual discretionary bonus of up to fifty percent (50%) of the Base Salary (the “Management Bonus”). Nothing herein shall limit the Management Bonus to fifty percent (50%) of the Base Salary if the target/“on plan” performance objectives referenced below are exceeded, as specified in the Board determined and approved Management Bonus program. The Management Bonus shall be determined as follows: (i) twenty percent (20%) of each annual bonus (if earned) will be based on Employee’s individual performance; and (ii) eighty percent (80%) of each annual bonus (if earned) will be based on corporate performance objectives, each as determined in the sole and absolute discretion by Employer’s Board. If a determination is made by the Board to pay the Management Bonus, it will be paid upon satisfactory filing of the Company’s Annual
[Galaxy Gaming, Inc. Exhibit A to Employment Agreement]
Form 10-K of the year following the fiscal year in which such bonus may have been earned. The determination by the Board to pay a Management Bonus will be uniform among similarly situated employees of the Employer without bias to Employee. For the purposes of clarity, all Management Bonuses require continued employment by the Employee at the date of payment. Any deviation, modification or deviation to this employment requirement shall be at the sole and absolute discretion of the Board.
5.1.2. 2024 Minimum Bonus Guaranty. As an incentive to accept employment with Employer, and, notwithstanding the Management Bonus term above, Employer agrees it will pay a bonus to Employee in the amount of not less than $80,000.00 for the 2024 calendar year (on its regularly scheduled plan for annual bonus payments) to be known as the “2024 Minimum Guarantee.” This minimum guarantee shall be payable with the limitation that the Company’s common bonus threshold must be achieved at 80% of plan. If 80% of the annual bonus target is not achieved at the conclusion of the 2024 calendar year, the payment of the Minimum Guarantee to the Employee shall be at the sole and absolute discretion of the Board of Directors.
5.1.3. Base Stock Option Grant. In consideration of making the covenants to not compete set forth in Section 4(a) of this Agreement, Employee shall, upon execution of this Agreement, be granted an option to purchase up to 400,000 shares of Employer’s restricted common stock with a strike price equal to the price per share of Employer’s common stock as reported on OTC Markets on the date such option is granted, which option will vest as follows: (i) as to the first 100,000 shares of stock, on November 13, 2024, (ii) as to the next 100,000 shares of stock, on November 13, 2025, (iii) as to the next 100,000 shares of stock, on November 13, 2026, and (iv) as to the next 100,000 shares of stock, on November 13, 2027 all pursuant to the terms of a Stock Option Grant Agreement by and between Employer and Employee.
5.1.4. Termination Prior to Twelve (12) Month Tenure Ending. As an incentive to accept employment with the Company, in the event Employer terminates Employee within the first 12 months of his employment without good cause, the Company agrees it shall allow the first 100,000 base stock options granted above to vest.
5.2. Long-Term Incentive Stock Grant. In addition to the Base Stock Option Grant above and in consideration of the covenants of the Agreement, including without limitation the covenant not to compete set forth in Section 4(a) of this Agreement, Employee shall be eligible to earn certain additional Long-Term Incentive Stock Grants based on achievement of certain business performance criteria as established by the Board. The Long-Term Incentive Stock Grants shall be broken down into three segments including Personal Performance Targets, Business Target I and Business Target II. The relative distribution of the three criteria shall be twenty per cent (20%) against the achievement of the Employee’s Personal Performance Targets, thirty percent (30%) against the achievement of Business Target I and 50% against Business Target II. For the purposes of clarity, each of the criteria can be separately achieved (or not) and minimum thresholds shall be established by the Board of Directors for each segment, in its sole discretion, exercised reasonably and in good faith.
Each year the Board shall establish and provide to the Employee the specific personal and business performance targets for calendar years 2024, 2025 and 2026 (the “Targets”). The Targets, if achieved, will provide Employee the opportunity to be granted a total of 70,000 shares of stock for calendar year 2024, 100,000 shares of stock for calendar year 2025, and 130,000 shares of stock for calendar year 2026.
Unless specifically authorized by the Board of Directors, any of the shares of stock earned by the Employee relating to the Long-Term Incentive shall be granted/delivered within five (5) days of the
[Galaxy Gaming, Inc. Exhibit A to Employment Agreement]
Final
filing of the Company’s Annual Form 10-K. By way of example, assuming the Employee has earned his annual Long-Term Incentive, he would be provided the stock grant for calendar year 2024, five days following the March 31, 2025, Form 10-K filing deadline.
Should a “Change of Control” event (provided in Section 2(c)(iv) of this Agreement) take place and Employee is not retained or is not provided the continuing opportunity to earn his Long-Term Incentive Grant (under the terms established by the Board for any given calendar year prior to the Change of Control), Employee shall be provided the benefit of vesting his Long Term Incentive Target shares under the following terms:
(i) if the Change of Control event takes place in calendar year 2024, Employee shall be entitled to acceleration of vesting of all of his targeted 2024 Long Term Target incentive shares;
ii) if a Change of Control event takes place in calendar year 2025, Employee shall be entitled to: a) any 2024 incentive shares "earned" in the performance of his duties (as provided herein); plus b) an amount of 2025 incentive shares, as determined at the discretion of the Board of Directors, but in any event the number of target 2025 incentive shares subject to acceleration shall not be less than 75,000; and
iii) if a Change of Control event takes place in calendar year 2026 Employee shall be entitled to: a) any 2025 incentive shares "earned" in the performance of his duties (as provided herein); plus b) an amount of incentive shares as determined at the discretion of the Board of Directors, but in any event the number of target 2026 incentive shares subject to acceleration shall not be less than 75,000 shares.
[Galaxy Gaming, Inc. Exhibit A to Employment Agreement]
Final