Accel Entertainment Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Toucan Gaming LLC (Toucan), acquired the assets of Rice Palace Inc. and South Louisiana Gaming Inc., the owner and operator of Rice Palace Truck Stop Casino, a premier video poker casino and truck stop business based in Crowley, Louisiana. The transaction is consistent with Accel’s long-term focus on disciplined growth and continued strategic, accretive investments in the state. Financial details were not disclosed.

Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Toucan acquired the Rice Palace facility, adding 50 Video Gaming Devices (VGDs) to its expanding Louisiana route operations. Toucan and Accel plan to scale the location’s capacity to 60 VGDs in the near term, representing an approximate 8% increase in its VGD count compared to the 728 Louisiana route VGDs Accel reported as of March 31, 2026. Toucan and Accel will leverage their operational expertise, game and entertainment offerings, data analytics, and promotional systems to further customer entertainment and engagement, improve operational efficiencies, and drive growth over time.

“This accretive acquisition reflects our continued momentum in Louisiana and our confidence in the long-term growth potential of this market. Rice Palace has built a strong business grounded in local relationships, around-the-clock service, authentic local dining, and operational discipline, and we’re excited to welcome them to the Toucan Gaming family. Together, we look forward to investing in this location and delivering best-in-class gaming solutions to customers across southern Louisiana,” said Andy Rubenstein, Chief Executive Officer of Accel Entertainment.

Stan Guidroz, Chief Executive Officer of Toucan Gaming, said: “With this agreement, Toucan is strengthening its scale and route footprint in our home state of Louisiana. Combined with our existing operations, this acquisition supports our strategy of disciplined expansion focused on great entertainment, operational excellence, technology deployment, and new location development.”

Accel Entertainment Inc. announced that Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Andy Rubenstein, has been named Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors, and Accel’s President – US Gaming, Mark Phelan, has been appointed to the additional role of Chief Operating Officer. As part of these leadership changes, which are effective immediately, Karl Peterson has been appointed as the Lead Independent Director of the Accel Board. In addition, Mr. Phelan has been selected to succeed Mr. Rubenstein as Chief Executive Officer and President, effective August 7, 2026. Mr. Phelan is also expected to join the Accel Board at that time. These changes reflect the Board’s long-term commitment to strong corporate governance and a leadership succession strategy.

Andy Rubenstein commented: “After 17 years, and having built a deep bench of talent, I am confident that transitioning day-to-day leadership to Mark will enable Accel to continue to capitalize on our many growth opportunities. Accel has grown into a public company that is a leader in the route gaming industry, operating across 10 states, partnering with over 4,600 local retail businesses, employing more than 1,600 people, and generating billions of dollars in municipal and state tax revenue over the years in the states we serve. As Chairman, I look forward to continuing my close work with Mark and the Board, as we look to extend Accel’s position as an industry leader and build new value for shareholders.”

“On behalf of the Board, we are grateful to Andy for his outstanding leadership and the foundation and culture of integrity he established that defines Accel today. After careful consideration and discussions with Andy, the Board is confident that now is the right time to effect this transition, as the Company continues to grow and evolve into a scaled, multi-state enterprise. We believe Andy’s new role will allow him to leverage his long-standing local and industry relationships and regulatory experience to help further position Accel to capitalize on promising growth opportunities, including expanding into the Chicago VGT market,” said Karl Peterson.

As Chief Executive Officer and President, Mark Phelan will lead Accel with a continued focus on disciplined execution and operational consistency.

“Accel has a strong foundation, long-standing partnerships, and a culture built on accountability. My focus will be on execution — improving the experience for our location owners and players, driving consistent performance across our markets, operating with discipline, identifying and capitalizing on growth opportunities, and working to create long-term value for shareholders. I am honored that Andy and the Board have selected me to lead Accel and I am excited to build on Andy’s long-term goal to make Accel the clear leader in the U.S. Locals Gaming Market,” said Mark Phelan.

“Mark has a deep understanding of the distributed gaming business and a demonstrated record of effective execution. He understands Accel’s markets, partners, regulators, and players, and has shown the judgment and discipline required to lead the Company at scale. I am very confident and excited about his ability to lead Accel through its next phase of growth,” concluded Mr. Rubenstein.

Accel Entertainment Inc., a leading distributed gaming operator, announced that it has completed the acquisition of 85% of the ownership interests of Toucan Gaming LLC and LSM Gaming LLC, two Louisiana-based route operators and owners of multiple licensed video poker establishments (collectively, “Toucan”), for approximately $40 million. The combined business will operate as Toucan Gaming throughout Louisiana and will be led by Stan Guidroz, an industry-leading gaming executive and current CEO of Toucan Gaming. Mr. Guidroz owns the remaining 15% of Toucan’s ownership interests and will lead the Accel team supporting Toucan’s continued growth.

Transaction highlights include:

• A business that is expected to generate approximately $25 million of revenue and $6 million of Adjusted EBITDA in 2025

• Further expansion of Accel’s operations into the southeastern United States

• Adds 13 truck stop locations which include a total of 450 terminals

• Adds 60 3-machine locations which include a total of 180 terminals.

Accel CEO Andy Rubenstein said: “The acquisition of Toucan further expands Accel’s reach into the attractive southeastern U.S., market, where we believe there is significant untapped demand and aligns with our ongoing strategy to expand Accel’s presence both organically and through acquisitions. Toucan is a well-run and highly respected company that shares many of Accel’s values and entrepreneurial attributes. I am confident Toucan is the perfect partner for our company, and we look forward to helping Stan grow the brand.”

“Today’s announcement with Accel is an exciting next step for the evolution of Toucan Gaming. By partnering with an industry leader like Accel, we can quickly accelerate our growth plans and leverage the many benefits that increased innovation and scale brings to our establishment owners and playing customers. We could not be more thrilled to become a part of the Accel family and look forward to bolstering Accel’s presence in the southeastern U.S. market under the Toucan brand,” said Stan Guidroz, Owner and CEO of Toucan.