Ameristar Casinos and The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Announces Over $250,000 In Katrina Relief Aid

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. October 14, 2008

LAS VEGAS, NV, September 6, 2005. Ameristar Casinos, Inc. and the private foundation of its Chairman and CEO, Craig H. Neilsen, are contributing more than $250,000 toward Hurricane Katrina relief. In addition, the Company will accept Team Member contributions for hurricane relief through its Workplace Giving Campaign, which it will match dollar for dollar.

Ameristar will contribute to the relief efforts immediately with:

• A donation of $250,000 to the American Gaming Association's "Gaming Industry Katrina Relief Fund" from Ameristar Casinos, Inc. and The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation. The AGA's fund is raising industry dollars to provide disaster relief and assistance to affected gaming industry employees in Mississippi and Louisiana.

• The Company's annual "Ameristar Cares Workplace Giving Campaign," beginning in mid-September, which will include a hurricane relief organization as one of its designated charities. The Company will match all Team Member contributions dollar-for-dollar. Last year, Ameristar's Workplace Giving Campaign raised more than $1.5 million for charitable organizations.

• The donation of hundreds of meals per day to the shelter at the Vicksburg Convention Center to assist in feeding hurricane refugees for an indefinite period of time. Food and beverage staff at Ameristar Casino Vicksburg will prepare and deliver meals to the Convention Center, which is housing people who fled to Vicksburg to take refuge from the hurricane.

"I am proud to lead Ameristar in supporting hurricane relief efforts with a donation from the Company, my private foundation, and our Team Members," said Ameristar Chairman and CEO Craig H. Neilsen. He added: "We have all been deeply moved by the scenes of devastation along the Gulf Coast, and we feel a special concern toward our colleagues in the industry. We want them to know that our Company's charitable giving program, Ameristar Cares, is committed to assist in their recovery from this terrible disaster."

The city of Vicksburg escaped the full force of Hurricane Katrina, but the area has had power and phone outages following the storm. Ameristar Casino Vicksburg was closed on August 28 in preparation for the storm and re-opened for business August 31. The Vicksburg property sustained only limited damage due to high winds and heavy rain.

Ameristar will pay all Vicksburg Team Members for regularly scheduled shifts not worked during the closing. No Ameristar Vicksburg Team Members were injured in the storm, but some have experienced property damage. Ameristar maintains an Ameristar Cares Sunshine Fund to benefit Team Members who experience a crisis. These funds are available to Team Members affected by Hurricane Katrina.

About the Ameristar Cares Corporate Giving Program

Ameristar Casinos has a long-standing history of commitment to the communities in which we live and work. Our Ameristar Cares charitable giving program encompasses direct financial donations, workplace giving and Team Member volunteerism. In 2004, the Company gave a total of nearly $8 million to non-profit organizations, which included $5 million to local and state social service programs. In addition, during 2004 the Company made donations of nearly $1.2 million to more than 1,000 charities in our communities through Ameristar Cares. Our focus is on education, with an emphasis on adult literacy; social service agencies, with a special concentration on assisting seniors; health-related nonprofits to assist the sick; career and economic development; and research and support for responsible gaming. Through the Ameristar Cares Workplace Giving Campaign, Team Member donations are matched dollar-for-dollar by the Company, with an additional match for rehabilitation facility partners by The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation. Last year, the campaign raised $1,553,000 for four charity partners in each property's community as well as for Team Member emergency relief funds. In October 2005, the Company will sponsor the Ameristar National Charity Golf Classic, to benefit spinal cord injury research. The event is expected to raise more than $500,000.