Ameristar Casinos Comments on Amended Schedule 13D Filed by Estate of Craig H. Neilsen

    LAS VEGAS, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ameristar Casinos, Inc.
 ( ASCA) commented on the amended Schedule 13D filed today with the
 Securities and Exchange Commission by the Estate of Craig H. Neilsen,
 Ameristar's majority shareholder. Mr. Neilsen was the founder of the
 Company and served as its Chairman and CEO until his death in November
 2006.
     "We read the filing to indicate the Estate wishes to preserve various
 options regarding its holdings in Ameristar stock," said John Boushy,
 Ameristar's CEO and President. "We continue to operate our business as
 usual and our management team remains focused on delivering outstanding
 operating results. We continue to execute upon our growth strategy, which
 includes making capital investments in Ameristar properties across the
 country as well as implementing improvement projects at our recently
 acquired Resorts East Chicago casino and hotel."
     "Our almost 9,000 team members remain committed to providing the
 highest quality casinos, restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues,
 resulting in outstanding guest experiences each and every day," Boushy
 emphasized. "This philosophy, along with our proven operational and
 marketing approaches, has built Ameristar into the strong company it is
 today and should continue to position us for growth in the future."
     Ameristar does not intend to provide further comment on this matter.
     Forward Looking Statements
     This document contains certain forward-looking information that
 generally can be identified by the context of the statement or the use of
 forward-looking terminology, such as "believes," "estimates,"
 "anticipates," "intends," "expects," "plans," "is confident that" or words
 of similar meaning, with reference to Ameristar or our management.
 Similarly, statements that describe our future plans, objectives,
 strategies, financial results or position, operational expectations or
 goals are forward-looking statements. It is possible that our expectations
 may not be met due to various factors, many of which are beyond our
 control, and we therefore cannot give any assurance that such expectations
 will prove to be correct. For a discussion of relevant factors, risks and
 uncertainties that could materially affect our future results, attention is
 directed to "Item 1A. Risk Factors" and "Item 7. Management's Discussion
 and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our
 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and "Item
 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
 of Operations" in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
 June 30, 2007.
     About Ameristar
     Ameristar Casinos, Inc. is a leading Las Vegas-based gaming and
 entertainment company known for its premier properties characterized by
 innovative architecture, state-of-the-art casino floors and superior
 dining, lodging and entertainment offerings. Ameristar's focus on the total
 entertainment experience and the highest quality guest service has earned
 it a leading market share position in each of the markets in which it
 operates. Founded in 1954 in Jackpot, Nevada, Ameristar has been a public
 company since November 1993. The Company has a portfolio of eight casinos
 in seven markets: Ameristar St. Charles (greater St. Louis); Ameristar
 Kansas City; Ameristar Council Bluffs (Omaha, Nebraska and southwestern
 Iowa); Ameristar Vicksburg (Jackson, Mississippi and Monroe, Louisiana);
 Ameristar Black Hawk (Denver metropolitan area); Cactus Petes and The
 Horseshu in Jackpot, Nevada (Idaho and the Pacific Northwest); and Resorts
 East Chicago (Chicagoland area), which was acquired Sept. 18, 2007.
     Visit Ameristar Casinos' web site at http://www.ameristar.com
     (which shall not be deemed to be incorporated in or a part of this news
                                    release)
 
 

SOURCE Ameristar Casinos, Inc.