Casino Player Announces ``Best of Gaming'' 2001 Readers' Survey Results.

Business Editors

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2001

Casino Player presented the results of its sixth annual "Best of Gaming" survey, announced publication officials.

The 2001 results will be released in Casino Player's eagerly awaited July Special Issue. And for the first time, the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown Las Vegas have been counted as separate regions.

Casino Player's annual "Best of Gaming" survey is the highlight of the magazine's summer season, identifying readers' top choices in a remarkably diverse group of categories. Casinos across the nation are represented. Thousands of Casino Player readers participated in this year's survey, naming the best hotels, casinos, restaurants, entertainment and attractions in the following gaming jurisdictions: Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe and Laughlin, Nev.; Atlantic City, N.J.; Tunica, Miss., and the Mississippi Gulf Coast; Native American casinos; and the nation's riverboat casinos.

The survey was mailed directly to subscribers in the February issue of Casino Player. "The response was overwhelming," said Casino Player Editor-in-Chief Adam Fine. "We found that our readers had spoken so clearly in certain regions, we needed to expand the scope of the issue to include their choices.

"For the past five years, we have grouped Las Vegas and Downtown Las Vegas under the same Las Vegas classification. We have now separated the two as individual regions, as both possess diverse properties with different marketing segments. Golden Nugget received 34 awards in the new category," Fine added. "And, on a different note, kudos to Harrah's for being the across-the-board winner with 131 first-place wins in various categories."

Casino Player readers pick the winners, clearly identifying new trends in the industry through their choices. Throughout the issue, the editors highlight the reasons behind the picks.

The winners of the survey's top award, "Best Overall Hotel Casino," are as follows: Bellagio (Las Vegas); Golden Nugget (Downtown Las Vegas); Harrah's (Atlantic City, N.J.); Grand Tunica (Tunica, Miss.); Beau Rivage (Mississipi Gulf Coast); Harrah's (Laughlin, Nev.); Peppermill (Reno, Nev.); Harrah's (Lake Tahoe, Nev.); Foxwoods (Native American category); and the Horseshoe in Bossier City, La., as the best riverboat gaming complex.

In the "Best Hotel" category, the winners are: Bellagio (Las Vegas); Golden Nugget (Downtown Las Vegas); Taj Mahal (Atlantic City, N.J.); Grand Tunica (Tunica, Miss.); Beau Rivage (Mississippi Gulf Coast); Harrah's (Laughlin, Nev.); Peppermill (Reno, Nev.); Harrah's (Lake Tahoe, Nev.); Foxwoods (Native American category); and the Horseshoe in Bossier City, La. (riverboat category).

An important category in the survey is "Best Casino." Here, readers take into account factors such as ambiance, casino layout, employee friendliness and the mix of slot machines and table games. This year's winners of this category are: Harrah's (Las Vegas); Golden Nugget (Downtown Las Vegas); Taj Mahal (Atlantic City, N.J.); Grand Tunica (Tunica, Miss.); Grand Biloxi (Mississippi Gulf Coast); Harrah's (Laughlin, Nev.); Peppermill (Reno, Nev.); Harrah's (Lake Tahoe, Nev.); Foxwoods (Native American category); and Argosy in Indiana took top honors in the riverboat category.

When it comes to slots, leading manufacturer IGT captured the "Best Innovative Slot Theme," taking its inspiration from classic television shows such as "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Addams Family."

"We chose the 'I Dream of Jeannie' and 'The Addams Family' themes because I loved watching the shows and because of the popularity with the baby boomers who grew up with them, especially the 50- to 60-year- old female core group," said Joe Kaminkow, IGT vice president, engineering & design.

Those properties that were voted to house the "Best Slots" include: Harrah's (Las Vegas); Golden Nugget (Downtown Las Vegas); Tropicana (Atlantic City, N.J.); Grand Tunica (Tunica, Miss.); Grand Biloxi (Mississippi Gulf Coast); Harrah's (Laughlin, Nev.); Peppermill (Reno, Nev.); Harvey's (Lake Tahoe, Nev.); Foxwoods (Native American category); and Argosy Indiana (riverboat category).

Nearly every classification of restaurant is covered in the survey, from gourmet dining rooms and steakhouses to buffets and coffee shops. For "Best Gourmet Restaurant" the winners include: Eiffel Tower at Paris (Las Vegas); Hugo's Cellar at the Four Queens (Downtown Las Vegas); Champagne Charlies at the Showboat (Atlantic City, N.J.); Fairbank's at Hollywood (Tunica, Miss.); Coral at Beau Rivage (Mississippi Gulf Coast); William Fisk at Harrah's (Laughlin, Nev.); White Orchid at Peppermill (Reno, Nev.); The Summit at Harrah's (Lake Tahoe, Nev.); Phillip M's at Silver Star (Native American category); and Steakhouse Alexandria on the riverboat Empress Joliet.

The full list of winners will be available in the upcoming July issue of Casino Player.

Casino Publishing Group Inc., the nation's largest publisher of consumer gaming information, produces Casino Player, the premier national magazine for the gaming consumer with a total readership of more than 800,000 frequent casino gamblers monthly; Strictly Slots, the newest award-winning consumer magazine for slot and video poker players; Poker Digest, a leading consumer magazine for card players around the world; the Atlantic City Insider, the leading consumer newsletter serving the Atlantic City, N.J., market; and the Gaming Industry Daily Report, the Gaming Industry Weekly Report, the Daily Lodging Report North America and the Daily Lodging Report Asia-Pacific, four industry-specific, financially oriented newsletters serving investors and executives in the respective industries.

CPG also offers Poker Cruises via their majority-owned Poker Digest LLC division. For more information on Casino Publishing Group, or to subscribe to any of its publications, call 800/229-8516 or visit the Web site at www.casinocenter.com.