Ameristar
Casinos
Operator of eight
casinos.
Headquarters:
3773 Howard Hughes Pkwy., Suite 490 South
Las Vegas, NV 89169
Employees: 7,700
CEO: Gordon Kanofsky
Stock Symbol: ASCA
Website:
http://www.ameristar.com
Career Site
Ameristar Casinos owns and operates eight
casino properties in Nevada, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Mississippi.
The company's eight casinos in seven markets
include: Ameristar Casino Resort Spa in St. Charles (greater
St. Louis); Ameristar Casino Hotel in East Chicago (Chicagoland
area); Ameristar Kansas City; Ameristar Council Bluffs (Omaha,
Neb., and southwestern Iowa); Ameristar Vicksburg (Jackson, Miss.,
and Monroe, La.); Ameristar Black Hawk (Denver metropolitan area);
and Cactus Petes and The Horseshu in Jackpot, Nev. (Idaho and
the Pacific Northwest).
Although the company has headquarters in
Las Vegas, it has no casinos in the city.
Total revenues for 2009 were $1.22 billion and the company reported a loss of $126 million.
“Over the past year, we substantially reduced operating costs, completed our last significant construction project and strengthened our balance sheet through a multi-phase debt restructuring,” said CEO Gordon Kanofsky. “Our efforts in 2009 have created a strong foundation for 2010 that we believe will result in a significant increase in cash available to retire outstanding debt and maintain quarterly dividend payments. We also believe we are well positioned to withstand continuing difficult economic conditions and drive significant growth when the economy improves.”
History
1954 - The
foundation for Cactus Petes' future success began when "Cactus
Pete" Piersanti moved his slot operation from Idaho to Nevada.
Don French moved his slot facility from
Idaho to the small, unnamed Nevada town that later became Jackpot.
French called his casino The Horseshu Club.
1956 - The
Cactus Petes Desert Lodge was incorporated as Cactus Petes, Inc.
in Jackpot, Nev., by Piersanti, A.L. "Bud" Gurley and
Dale Wildman.
1958 - Cactus
Petes hired Neilsen & Miller Construction of Twin Falls,
Idaho to build the Desert Inn, a 15-room, single-row motel.
1964 - The
management of Cactus Petes assumed leadership of The Horseshu.
1991 - Cactus
Petes completed a $22 million hotel and casino expansion and
the property became one of the largest gaming facilities in northeast
Nevada. Construction work included enlarging the casino, adding
a hotel tower, restaurants and an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
1992 - As
a direct result of the recently completed improvement project,
Cactus Petes was awarded the prestigious AAA Four Diamond designation.
The future site of Ameristar Casino Hotel
Vicksburg, then known as Delta Pointe, was secured.
1993 - Ameristar
Casinos, Inc. was founded as the parent company of Cactus Petes
and Ameristar Casino Vicksburg. Stock began trading on the NASDAQ
National Market on November 9.
1994 - In
February, Ameristar Casino Vicksburg opened; it was the largest
casino in that city and retains that distinction today.
1995 - The
company's fourth property, Ameristar Casino Council Bluffs, was
licensed and construction began.
1996 - In
January, Ameristar Casino Council Bluffs opened; to this day
it remains the largest riverboat in the state.
Ameristar Casinos, Inc. relocated company
headquarters from Twin Falls, Idaho, to its current location
in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ameristar Casinos entered into an agreement
to acquire The Reserve Hotel Casino, which was under construction
in Henderson, Nevada.
1998 - The
Reserve Hotel Casino opened as Ameristar Casinos' fifth property.
It was a fully themed off-Strip property.
For the first time, Ameristar revenues
top $200 million.
2000 - Ameristar
purchased properties in Kansas City and St. Charles, Missouri,
from Station Casinos, and agreed to sell The Reserve to Station.
2001 - The
Reserve Hotel Casino was sold to Station Casinos.
Ameristar Casino Vicksburg completed a $10 million renovation
project.
Ameristar Casino St. Charles began construction
of a new casino-entertainment facility.
Ameristar Casino Kansas City completed
construction on its twin floating casinos, The River King and
Queen, which join into a single 130,000 square-foot gaming facility.
Ameristar revenues more than double, to
$550 million dollars.
2002 - The
all-new $360 million Ameristar Casino St. Charles opened, featuring
130,000 square feet of gaming space along with seven distinctively
themed restaurants and entertainment venues. Ameristar St. Charles
was the first casino in Missouri to offer "coinless gaming"
technology.
Craig Neilsen was recognized as "Best
Performing CEO" by the American Gaming Association.
Ameristar Casino Kansas City completed
construction on a new five-story parking garage.
2003 - Following
a $64 million renovation project to the casino floor and restaurants,
the all-new Ameristar Kansas City was officially unveiled in
Sept. 2003. This premier gaming property provides 140,000 square
feet of gaming space and is one of the 10 largest casinos in
the U.S. The property features 11 diverse dining venues including
the $6 million Amerisports Brew Pub, which boasts an unparalleled
state-of-the-art audio-visual system.
Ameristar Casino Vicksburg opens its enhanced
and rebranded Heritage Buffet restaurant after a $7 million renovation.
2004 - Ameristar
purchases its seventh property - Mountain High Casino in Black
Hawk, Colorado from Windsor Woodmont Black Hawk Resort Corp.
Benefits
- Health Plan, including medical, dental,
vision and prescription drug coverage
- 401(k) Retirement Plan with a variety of fund choices and company
match
- Time off with pay
- Company-provided life insurance, and additional voluntary life
insurance, if desired
- Voluntary disability insurance
- Flexible spending accounts
- Employee Assistance Program that provides free, confidential
consultations and referrals for personal, family and work-related
problems
- Tuition reimbursement
Updated February 3, 2010
|