NOTE 21 - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Legal Matters

The Company may be involved, from time to time, in litigation or other legal claims and proceedings involving matters associated with or incidental to our business, including, among other things, matters involving breach of contract claims, and other related claims and vendor matters; however, none of the aforementioned matters are currently pending, except as discussed below. The Company believes that we are not exposed to matters that will individually, or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

Notwithstanding the above, the outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain. If one or more legal matters were resolved against the Company in a reporting period for amounts in excess of management’s expectations, the Company’s financial condition and operating results for that reporting period could be materially adversely affected.

The Company is involved in a dispute with one of its Cyprus subsidiaries’ minority owners. Meridian Malta owns 51% of the Cypriot company, Fair Champions Meridian Ltd. (“Fair Champions”). Meridian Malta and the minority shareholders of Fair Champions are engaged in four related court actions, two of which (one from each side) seek the liquidation of that company. The proceedings are pending in the District Court of Limassol, cases General Application No. 378/2016; General Application No. 542/2020; Case No. 1080/2017; and Case No. 418/2017. The actions were initiated between September and February 2020. Given the parties’ petitions for relief, the ultimate liquidation of that entity is likely, though it is also possible the Court will engineer one set of parties buyout of the other. In the third action, the minority shareholders are asserting derivative claims on behalf of Fair Champions. In the fourth, Meridian Serbia has sued certain minority shareholders for misrepresentations made at the time of the Company Parties’ acquisition of its majority interest in Fair Champions. The MeridianBet Group is seeking reimbursement of the sum it paid for that interest. The Company is vigorously defending this dispute and believes that dispute will be resolved in the Company's favor and as such, a reserve has not been accrued.

Meridian Malta is participating in a dispute with the Greek tax authorities (acting through the Audit Centre for Large Enterprises). The MeridianBet Group has conducted business remotely (i.e., via internet) in Greece through Meridian Malta. Meridian Malta—like two dozen other remote betting entities—is locked in a tax dispute with the Greek tax authorities relating to tax years 2012 through 2014. The Greek authorities filed initial assessments, which Meridian Malta then appealed. The bases of the appeals included arguments that (i) Greece incorrectly assessed Meridian Malta’s tax liability; and (ii) Meridian Malta paid taxes on its Greek revenues in Malta, so it is exempt from further taxes under the two countries’ double taxation treaty. The appeals are at various stages of adjudication. These actions, instituted in December 2018 and April 2019, are pending in the Administrative Court of Appeal of Athens and the Supreme Court of Greece, respectively. The Company is vigorously defending this dispute and believes that dispute will be resolved in the Company's favor, but out of prudence, for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, the Company had accrued a tax expense of $1,468,472 as an accrued liability for the said dispute. There is no change to the amount as of June 30, 2025.

The Company is in a dispute with Mr. Paul Hardman (one of the former owners of RKings) with regards to a certain consideration totaling approximately $626,450 (GBP 500,000) that he has alleged is still owed to him pursuant to the RKings Purchase Agreement, and which we allege was forfeited. That amount is accrued and included in the Company’s liabilities as of June 30, 2025. The Company’s dispute and claims against Mr. Hardman stem from breaches of the terms of the RKings Purchase Agreement by Mr. Hardman. The Company is vigorously pursuing the claim of breach of the acquisition agreement related to the purchase of RKings against Mr. Hardman; however, no formal legal action has been initiated by either party to date.

The Company is involved in various labor and tax-related disputes in the ordinary course of business. These matters include, but are not limited to, employee claims, wage and hour disputes, and tax assessments by regulatory authorities. The majority of disputes relate to labor disputes with former employees of the Meridian Group, which represents more than 90% of all disputes. While the outcomes of such matters are inherently uncertain, based on current information and management’s assessment, none of these disputes are expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. The Company continues to monitor these matters and will update its disclosures as necessary should any material developments arise.