US Licensee Announces Acquisition PartC ASX Report 12:16:0228 8/08/2002 Issuer: EBT EBET LIMITED 2002-08-08 ASX-SIGNAL-G HOMEX - Sydney
+++++++++++++++++++++++++ HOLLYWOOD CASINO CORPORATION OWNS AND OPERATES:
Hollywood Casino - Aurora, arguably the finest gaming and entertainment product in the Chicago marketplace. The 117,000 square foot dockside casino and entertainment facility is located in Aurora, Illinois, approximately 35 miles west of downtown Chicago. The property recently opened a new spectacular dockside casino that replaced its two original, four level riverboat casinos. The dockside casino has 53,000 square feet of gaming space on a single level featuring 1,105 slot machines and 36 table games including the only poker room in Chicago. The property also features the Hollywood Epici Buffet (R), which offers the latest in presentation style cooking, the Fairbanks (R) Steakhouse, the property's gourmet steak restaurant and a high-end player's lounge.
Hollywood Casino - Tunica, a casino, hotel and entertainment complex located in Tunica County, Mississippi, approximately 30 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The Tunica Casino was designed to replicate a motion picture sound stage and features a 54,000 square-foot, single-level casino with approximately 1,600 slot machines and 40 table games. The casino includes the Adventure Slots themed gaming area featuring multimedia displays of memorabilia from famous adventure motion pictures and over 200 slot machines. The Tunica Casino's 505-room hotel is currently undergoing an $8 million renovation which is expected to be completed in mid-2003.
Hollywood Casino - Shreveport, a 229,000 square foot entertainment facility located in Shreveport, Louisiana, approximately 180 miles east of Dallas, Texas. The property is Shreveport's first "true" destination resort and is also the market's first highly themed facility, utilizing an art-deco Hollywood theme throughout the property. The Shreveport resort features the largest dockside casino in the Shreveport market, a 403-room, all-suite hotel, an elegant land-based pavilion that includes a sixty-foot high atrium and extensive restaurant and entertainment amenities. The property's dockside casino contains approximately 59,000 square feet of space with approximately 1,422 slot machines and approximately 66 table games. Located in the pavilion are the property's acclaimed Epic Buffet, Hollywood Diner and Fairbanks Steakhouse restaurants and its state-of-the-art spa and fitness center.
Penn National has received financing commitments from Bear, Stearns & Co Inc and Merrill Lynch & Co to consummate the transaction which commitments are subject to several customary conditions.
Lehman Brothers Inc acted as financial advisor to Penn National Gaming and Goldman, Sachs & Co served as financial advisor to Hollywood Casino Corporation in the transaction.
Penn National and Hollywood Casino will be hosting a conference call and simultaneous webcast at 5:30 pm EDT today, both of which are open to the general public. The conference call number is 800/215-4598; please call five minutes in advance to ensure that you are connected prior to the presentation. Questions and answers will be reserved for call-in analysts and investors. Interested parties may also access the live call on the Internet at www.companyboardroom.com; allow 15 minutes to register and download and install any necessary software. Following its completion, a replay of the call can be accessed until August 20, by dialing 800/633-8284 or 402/977-9140 (international callers). The access code for the replay is 20814618. A replay of the call can also be accessed for thirty days on the Internet via www.companyboardroom.com.
Penn National Gaming owns and operates Charles Town Races in Charles Town, West Virginia, which presently features 2,587 gaming machines (with approval to offer 3,500 machines); two Mississippi casinos, the Casino Magic hotel, casino, golf resort and marina in Bay St Louis and the Boomtown Biloxi casino in Biloxi; the Casino Rouge, a riverboat gaming facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the Bullwhackers properties in Black Hawk, Colorado. Penn National also owns two racetracks and eleven off-track wagering facilities in Pennsylvania and the racetrack at Charles Town Races in West Virginia, and operates the Casino Rama, a gaming facility located approximately 90 miles north of Toronto, Canada, pursuant to a management contract.
In addition to historical facts or statements of current condition, this press release contains forward-looking statements made by Penn National or Hollywood Casino (collectively, the "Companies") within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Some of these statements are those regarding the accretive nature of the merger, synergies arising from the merger, future capital expenditures, prospects for future growth, expectation of continued acquisitions and optimism in light of current economic conditions. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the statements made to be incorrect and the actual results to differ materially. The Companies describe certain of these risks and uncertainties in their filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including their Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001. Some of these risks include those relating to the ability of the Penn National to integrate and manage facilities it acquires, risks relating to the development and expansion of properties, risks of increased competition and risks relating to the fact that they are heavily regulated by gaming authorities. In addition, consummation of Penn National's acquisition of Hollywood Casino is subject to several conditions including the completion of Penn National's acquisition financing as well as the approval of various governmental entities, including certain gaming regulatory authorities to which the Companies are subject. Furthermore, the Companies do not intend to update publicly any forward-looking statements except as required by law. The cautionary advice in this paragraph is permitted by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Hollywood Casino anticipates filing a proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the near future. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain a free copy of this document when it becomes available at the Commission's web site www.sec.gov.
STOCKHOLDERS OF HOLLYWOOD CASINO SHOULD READ THE PROXY STATEMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE MAKING A DECISION REGARDING THE TRANSACTION. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE TRANSACTION WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WELL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
CONTACT: Penn National Gaming, Inc William J Clifford, 610/373-2400 or Hollywood Casino Corporation Paul C Yates, 972/392-7777 or Jaffoni & Collins Incorporated Joseph N Jaffoni, 212/835-8500 [email protected]
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