CONTACT:
Roxann M. Kinkade, APR
Corporate Director of Communications
Ameristar Casinos, Inc.
816-719-9494 (mobile)
816-414-7007 (office)

LAS VEGAS, Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - Ameristar Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ-GS: ASCA) today announced that Jonathan Little has been appointed as Director of Government and Community Relations for Ameristar Casinos, Inc. He will be responsible for communicating with the public, community leaders and government officials about our company and our proposed Massachusetts project. Jonathan will also serve as an advocate for the Company on governmental issues.  He will report to Matthew Block, Vice President of Government Relations.

"We are very pleased to have Jonathan join the Ameristar team," said Block.  "He is our first local team member for the Springfield, Mass., project, and he will be an integral part of our effort to obtain a gaming license in Springfield."

Little joins Ameristar from the Springfield-based R.J. Greeley Company where he worked in the commercial real estate field since 2007. Prior to that, he served as the legislative director for Senator Scott Brown on Beacon Hill when Brown was a state senator. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business and marketing from the University of Vermont.

About Ameristar
Ameristar Casinos is an innovative casino gaming company featuring the newest and most popular slot machines.  Our 7,500 dedicated team members pride themselves on delivering consistently friendly and appreciative service to our guests.  We continuously strive to increase the loyalty of our guests through the quality of our slot machines, table games, hotel, dining and other leisure offerings. Our eight casino hotel properties primarily serve guests from Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska and Nevada.  We have been a public company since 1993, and our stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.  We generate more than $1 billion in net revenues annually.

Visit Ameristar Casinos' website at www.ameristar.com
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