Casino Player Awards Record 251 Honors To Harrah's Entertainment Casinos; Readers Pick Total Rewards As `Best Slot Club' For Second Consecutive Year.

Business/Entertainment Editors & Gaming Writers

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 5, 2001

Harrah's Entertainment Inc. (NYSE:HET) walked away with the top ranking in 144 categories and 251 total honors in Casino Player's "Best of Gaming" Awards, dominating the magazine's annual readers' poll for the second year in a row.

Once again, Total Rewards, the gaming industry's only nationwide player-card program, was honored as the "Best Slot Club" in every jurisdiction where the Company operates a casino. "In fact, the votes for Harrah's were so overwhelming, we didn't even bother to calculate the second- and third-place winners, who ranked so far down as to make it seem almost irrelevant," Casino Player said.

"Total Rewards has proven popular with our customers and driven same-store sales growth because it clearly communicates to guests the benefits of consolidating their play at Harrah's, Rio and Showboat casinos around the country," said Gary Loveman, Harrah's Entertainment's president and chief operating officer.

"It enhances our ability to provide great customer service by enabling us to track cardholder preferences, allowing us to understand and exceed the expectations of our guests, as well as to reward them for their loyalty," said Loveman.

The magazine's readers honored Harrah's commitment to superior customer service, voting that the Company has the "Best Dealers" in every jurisdiction where it operates. In addition, Harrah's swept the "Best Service," "Best Slot Service," and "Best Hosts" categories in the Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Laughlin, Reno and Lake Tahoe markets.

"Customer service is an ongoing project, a work in progress that is never completed," Casino Player wrote in its July issue. "It's also one of the toughest things to accomplish, purely because of human nature.

"So what does it take? Well, just ask Harrah's, widely acknowledged as the industry leader in customer service," the magazine said. "It takes a solid commitment from management, a creative human resources department, and employees who not only understand the goals, but are equally committed to providing that excellent service. No easy task, but just look at the results. Harrah's seems to have found the solution."

"Our philosophy is simply to treat our guests and our employees the same way we want to be treated," said Phil Satre, Harrah's Entertainment's chairman and chief executive officer. "Creating an atmosphere of respect on every level fosters an environment that's fun and exciting, which is why our customers return and our employees excel.

"The continued growth in our customer approval rating -- up 41.2 percent in first place rankings and 54.0 percent in total wins from last year -- is clear evidence that our customer-service strategy is working," said Satre.

Satre said credit for the accolades from Casino Player's readers belongs to more than 42,000 Harrah's Entertainment employees. "These honors reinforce the fact that our customers value and recognize just how hard each of our employees works every day to ensure they have the best experience possible each time they step into a Harrah's, Rio or Showboat casino," he said.

Casino Player also named www.harrahs.com the "Best Casino Website," citing "a completely original look and feel, with a tremendous amount of information available to both casual visitors and diehard Harrah's fanatics."

"Our Web site is just one example of how we're revolutionizing the way the casino industry utilizes technology," said Loveman. "It enables us to communicate directly with our customers and potential customers outside of the casino environment, expanding our marketing reach through effective, efficient application of information technology."

Harrah's properties in Atlantic City, Lake Tahoe and Laughlin were named "Best Overall Casino Hotel," ranking first in 21, 24, and 31 categories respectively.

Harrah's Las Vegas received 26 total awards including "Best Casino," "Best Cashback," "Best Blackjack" and "Best Slots." Harrah's Reno took home 18 "Bests," including top honors in the High-Limit Slot Areas, Keno and Room Service categories, for a total of 32 awards.

The Rio was recognized as the best in 11 categories including "Best Suites," "Best Golf," "Best Slot Floor" and "Best Parties and Special Events." In addition, Showboat Atlantic City was honored in eight categories.

Casino Player credits Harrah's dominance with being "about fun."

"No tension at the tables, no stress at the slots," the magazine said. "The people here are laughing with you, not at you. It's a theme that transcends props and color schemes and pulls instead from the frontline -- a model for customer service, where `a good time' is the corporate mindset. At Harrah's, you're among friends."

Founded more than 60 years ago, Harrah's Entertainment Inc. is the most recognized and respected name in the casino-entertainment industry, operating 21 casinos in the United States under the Harrah's, Showboat, Rio and Players brand names. With a combined database of more than 23 million players, Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its target customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.

Additional information about Harrah's Entertainment is available on the Company's Web site, www.harrahs.com.