Gov. Barbour Highlights Dynamic Conference Lineup at
11^th Annual Southern Gaming Summit, May 5-6

BILOXI, Miss. (March 11, 2004) — Gov. Haley Barbour will provide the Day 1 keynote address during the opening day General Session at the 11^th Annual Southern Gaming Summit May 5-6 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center. MGM MIRAGE Chairman and CEO J. Terrence Lanni will be the other featured keynote speaker May 5. Isle of Capri President and COO Timothy M. Hinkley will be a keynote speaker on May 6. More than 5,000 leading gaming executives from across North America are expected to attend Southern Gaming Summit 2004.

The 2004 conference, addressing the theme “Casinos and Community,” will be the most dynamic in recent memory. More than 70 top-level executives from the industry’s premier casino companies and slot machine manufacturers will be featured as speakers and panelists in the Conference’s 16 diverse seminars. The full list appears on the next page.

The Southern Gaming Summit has grown to become the largest gaming expo and conference outside of Las Vegas. More than 50 percent of attendees come from outside of Mississippi – 42 states and several Canadian provinces were represented last year. While gaming leaders from across the country appreciate Southern Gaming Summit because it is a great place to conduct business in a fun and relaxed atmosphere, local business leaders have come to appreciate the Summit’s economic impact.

The Harrison County Development Commission reported that its staff identified at least 30 prospective new gaming suppliers for the Gulf Coast region from among the more than 200 exhibitors at the 2003 expo.  These prospects include manufacturers of gaming devices, signage, beverage carts, furniture, data imaging and processing services. Mississippi’s Institutions of Higher Learning’s Center for Policy Research and Analysis estimated that Southern Gaming Summit 2003 generated more than $5.7 million in organization and participant expenditures, more than $2 million in labor income, $141,235 in local sales taxes, and $440,537 in state General Fund revenue. SGS 2003 generated or sustained a total of 103 jobs in Harrison County, the analysis said.

Attendees can register online today at www.sgsummit.com. Full conference registration is $495 through the early-bird deadline of April 16. Registration includes all seminars, Opening Night Reception, Taste of the Gulf Coast Casinos Dinner, and admission to the expo. To view the list of seminar topics and speakers, visit the web site, or call 702-794-0718 x 200 to request a brochure.

The Summit is produced by Ascend Media Gaming Group, the Gulf Coast Gaming Association and its members: Beau Rivage Resort, Boomtown Casino, Casino Magic Bay St. Louis, Casino Magic Biloxi, Copa Casino, Grand Casino Biloxi, Grand Casino Gulfport, Imperial Palace, Isle of Capri Casino Resort, Palace Casino Resort, President Casino Resort and Treasure Bay Casino Resort.

The list of speakers confirmed to-date:

• Don Allee, Executive Director and CEO, Mississippi State Port Authority at Gulfport

• Charles Anderer, Director, Product Development, Ascend Media Gaming Group

• G. Thomas Baker, Chairman, International Game Technology

• Haley Barbour, Governor, State of Mississippi

• Leonard Blackwell, Chairman, Mississippi Gaming Commission

• Andy Bourland, Executive Director, Mississippi Gaming Association

• Greg Bradley, Principal, Decision Scientific, LLC

• John E. Brady, EdD, Principal, Decision Scientific, LLC

• Jack Breslin, Director of Marketing/Gaming, G.A. Wright Marketing Inc.

• Kathleen Bryant, Senior Vice President – Gaming Practice Leader/Insurance Services Manager, Marsh USA Inc.

• George Burkhardt, Principle, Burkhardt Associates

• Lee Cagley, Executive V.P. Interior Design, Marnell Corrao Associates

• Frank Catania, Catania Consulting Group

• John Chamberlain, Director of Field Engineering, International Game Technology

• Jack Cheskaty, Program Director/Small Business Compliance, U.S. Internal Revenue Service

• Ward Chilton, Senior Vice President/North American Sales, IGT

• Jeffrey Compton, Players Club Specialist, Compton Dancer Consulting Inc.

• Howard Dickstein, Partner, Dickstein & Zerbi

• Wes Ehrecke, President, Iowa Gaming Association

• Michael Epps, Commissioner, New Jersey Casino Control Commission

• Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr., President and CEO, American Gaming Association

• Marc Falcone, Managing Director/Gaming, Lodging and Leisure Equity Research, Deutsche Bank Securities

• John Ferrucci, President, Gulf Coast Gaming Association and Vice President and General Manager, Casino Magic Biloxi

• Curt Follmer, President, Mississippi Gaming Association and Vice President and General Manager, Rainbow Hotel & Casino

• Keller George, President, United South & Eastern Tribes Gaming Association

• Larry Gregory, Executive Director, Mississippi Gaming Commission

• Timothy M. Hinkley, President and COO, Isle of Capri Casinos

• Philip N. Hogen, Chairman, National Indian Gaming Commission

• Keith Holmes, Vice President Corporate Finance, Caesars Entertainment

• Deron Hunsberger, Director of Sales, Konami Gaming

• John Jagunich, President, Casino Magic Bay St. Louis

• George Joseph, President, Worldwide Casino Consulting

• Shridhar Joshi, Director Game Strategy & Development, WMS Gaming

• Sean Joyce, PhD, President, Omega Consultants to Management

• David Kranes, Professor, University of Utah

• J. Terrence Lanni, Chairman & CEO, MGM MIRAGE

• Jay Ledbetter, Director of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence, Mississippi Gaming Commission

• James Maida, President, Gaming Laboratories International

• Punam Mathur, Vice President of Corporate Diversity and Community Affairs, MGM MIRAGE

• Virginia McDowell, Senior Vice President Operations, Argosy Gaming Co.

• Bob McMonigle, Sales and Marketing Consultant, Aristocrat Technologies and President, American Gaming & Electronics

• Michael McNamee, Corporate Vice President Player Development, Ameristar Casinos Inc.

• Derek Mooberry, Vice President of Operations, Bally Systems

• Tom Osiecki, Senior Director of Marketing Services, Isle of Capri Casinos

• Philip C. Parenti, Vice President – Chief Regulatory and Compliance Officer, Harrah’s Entertainment

• Judy Patterson, Senior Vice President and Executive Director, American Gaming Association

• Marcus Prater, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Bally Gaming & Systems

• E. Fredrick Preis, Jr., Senior Partner, McGlinchey Stafford

• Lois Rice, Executive Director, Colorado Gaming Association

• Stephen Richer, Executive Director, Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau

• Steve Rittvo, President, Innovation Group

• Steven Rosen, Senior Vice President Marketing, Caesars Entertainment

• Ronald Rychlak, Associate Dean Academic Affairs, University of Mississippi Law School

• Javier Saenz, Director of Information Solutions, VCAT

• Dave Schugar, General Manager, Gold Strike Tunica

•  Jason Seelig, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing.

• Thomas Shepherd III, Shareholder, Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis

• Troy Simpson, Executive Director Casino Marketing, Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino

• Ashley Smith, Director Group Publishing, Ascend Media Gaming Group

• Mike Smith, Executive Director, Casino Association of Indiana

• Keith Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Boyd Gaming Corporation

• Donald D. Snyder, President, Boyd Gaming Corporation

• Gregg Solomon, Senior Vice President Operations, Mandalay Resort Group

• Jason Stage, Game Development Manager, Atronic America

• Ernie Stevens, Chairman, National Indian Gaming Assn.

• Tom Swoik, Executive Director, Illinois Gaming Association

• Nancy Todd Tyner, President, Nancy Todd Inc.

• Susan Varnes, Vice President Operations, Treasure Bay Corp.

• David Waddell, Chair – Gaming Practice Group, Fraser, Trebilcock, Davis & Dunlap

• Robert Weygandt, Supervisor, District 2, Placer County Board of Supervisors

• David Zamarin, Vice President Marketing, Penn National Gaming