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( Mark One ) UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington , D.C. 20549 0 X ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2020 or TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from Commission File No. 000-24993 Minnesota ( State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization ) Title of each class Common Stock , $ 0.01 par value Form 10 - K Large accelerated filer Non - accelerated filer to GOLDEN ENTERTAINMENT , INC . ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) □ ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) 6595 S Jones Boulevard - Las Vegas , Nevada 89118 ( Address of principal executive offices ) ( 702 ) 893-7777 ( Registrant's telephone number , including area code ) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Trading Symbol ( s ) 41-1913991 GDEN Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( g ) of the Act : None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act . Yes Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 ( d ) of the Act . Yes Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days . Yes X No ☐ Name of each exchange on which registered The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T ( § 232.405 of this chapter ) during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes No 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 . No No Accelerated filer Smaller reporting company □ Emerging growth Company 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 13 ( a ) of the Exchange Act . □ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act ) . Yes No = Based upon the last sale price of the registrant's common stock , $ 0.01 par value , as reported on the Nasdaq Global Market on June 30 , 2020 , the aggregate market value of the common stock held by non - affiliates of the registrant as of such date was $ 166,784,661 . For purposes of these computations only , all of the Registrant's executive officers and directors and entities affiliated with them have been deemed to be affiliates . As of March 8 , 2021 , 28,159,028 shares of the registrant's common stock , $ 0.01 par value , were outstanding . DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Portions of the Proxy Statement for the registrant's 2021 annual meeting of shareholders , to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the registrant's year ended December 31 , 2020 , are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10 - K where indicated . Except with respect to information specifically incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10 - K , the Proxy Statement is not deemed to be filed as part hereof .