LAS VEGAS, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a remarkable demonstration of philanthropic generosity, Team Members from Ameristar Casinos, Inc. nationwide, with company and foundation matches, will contribute more than $3 million to local Ameristar communities through Ameristar's 2007 Workplace Giving Campaign. The 2007 contributions surpass 2006 contributions by 23 percent.

An astounding 85 percent of the company's more than 7,200 Team Members participated in this year's campaign. According to national studies, the average participation rate of employees in workplace charitable campaigns is 35 percent. At every Ameristar location, Team Members more than doubled the U.S. average participation rate.

"Ameristar is a company that truly cares about people," said John Boushy, Ameristar Chief Executive Officer and President. "This strong cultural value is evidenced and exemplified by not only our Team Members' level of participation but also their total contribution to such worthy causes. This year's Workplace Giving Campaign was an overwhelming success. The amount raised is a direct reflection of the caring and generosity of our Team Members and their dedication to helping the communities in which we live and work. I am thrilled and inspired by the participation rates at each of our properties. Ameristar Team Members have an impressive record of giving, and this year exceeded our high expectations."

As a result of their high levels of generosity, Team Members at the Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa received a special Day of Service from top company officials on Friday, November 9, 2007. During the Day of Service, John Boushy, Ameristar CEO and President, and General Managers from other Ameristar properties arrived in Council Bluffs to support Team Members in a variety of ways, including serving food in the Team Member dining room and driving shuttle buses from the Team Member parking area. The Day of Service Contest reward was offered as a prize for Team Members at the property with the highest level of Team Member participation (of at least $3 per pay period or a minimum $78 donation). Ameristar Council Bluffs achieved almost 85 percent participation at the specified level of contribution, and more than 87 percent participation overall.

Through the in-house Workplace Giving Program, Team Members from Ameristar properties are given the opportunity to contribute to a variety of local and community organizations.

"Craig Neilsen, my Dad, established a culture of giving at Ameristar which we continue," said Ray Neilsen, Ameristar Co-Chairman and SVP. "Craig started Ameristar's Workplace Giving approach a few years ago, and we enhanced it this year with the Service Day Contest. I am pleased that our Team Members continue to give generously, and I know Craig would have been amazed by the record-setting level of charity shown this year by every one of them."

All donations made during the Workplace Giving Campaign are matched dollar for dollar by the company. In addition, the foundation created by Ameristar's late Chairman and CEO Craig H. Neilsen provides an additional match to contributions directed to designated spinal cord injury centers. Individual Team Member donations before company and foundation matches totaled $1,346,572. Including the matching funds from the Company and Foundation, community organizations will receive a total of $3,061,967, an average of more than $500 per participating Team Member.

"Ray and I are really pleased to see this level of philanthropy demonstrated by our Ameristar Team Members," said Gordon Kanofsky, Ameristar's Co-Chairman and EVP and Co-Trustee of the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation. "The Foundation is proud to continue to match Ameristar Team Member contributions to local organizations that assist people living with spinal cord injury. A major part of Craig's legacy is the Foundation's mission to improve the quality of life for people living with spinal cord injury and to ultimately find a cure."

Charities and community organizations to which Team Members could direct their contributions were: The Ameristar Cares Sunshine Fund, a Team Member hardship fund, as well as local chapters of the United Way, Community Health Charities, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. Team Members at each property were also offered additional local choices, including an organization assisting those living with spinal cord injuries and another local charity determined by community needs and Team Member input. Ameristar's Workplace Giving campaign was established in 2004 as a way for Team Members to join with the company to demonstrate the passion, dedication and caring felt for the communities where Ameristar has locations. Since inception, the campaigns have raised a total of $9,660,003.

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 on Sept. 18, 2007.

Visit Ameristar Casinos' web site at http://www.ameristar.com