Tropicana Appoints New Senior Vice President Casino Operations

Business Wire, May 24, 2007

FT. MITCHELL, Ky. -- Kevin Preston has been named Senior Vice President Casino Operations of Tropicana Casinos & Resorts, Inc., according to an announcement by CEO William J. Yung, III. Preston, who has managed casinos in Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi and Missouri, will oversee the operations of Tropicana's 14 gaming properties in the U.S. and Caribbean. He will assume his new duties in early June.

"Kevin has the kind of credentials that will serve him well in our entrepreneurial environment," said Yung. "He's a successful property manager who understands day to day casino operations, and he has strong corporate level experience that will help us maintain and develop programs that ensure consistent levels of service."

Before accepting his new position, Preston was senior vice president of gaming for Wild Rose Entertainment, Inc. where he oversaw operations of two Iowa-based casinos and managed the acquisition of the Mississippi Belle II. From 2001 to 2005, Preston was general manager of Lakeside Casino Resort in Iowa and the Mark Twain Casino in Missouri. From 1999-2001, he was in Operations at the Majestic Star Casino in Gary, Indiana.

Preston, 36, began his career in gaming at Harrah's in 1992 as an intern at Harrah's Joliet (Illinois) Casino following graduation from the University of Saint Frances in Joliet, where he earned a degree in industrial organizational psychology and business management. In 1993, he went to work full time for the riverboat and earned increasingly responsible positions, eventually being named to Harrah's corporate finance staff in Las Vegas where he was operations manager overseeing processes, casino budgets and operations for ten of the company's casino properties.

While at Harrah's, Preston was the recipient of two prestigious Chairman Awards / Stars of Excellence for leadership, cost saving and revenue generation. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Iowa Gaming Association and is a former director of the Iowa Restaurant and Hospitality Association.

About Tropicana Casinos & Resorts, Inc.

Tropicana Casinos & Resorts is a privately held corporation that owns and operates 14 casinos and resorts in the United States and Caribbean. The company is owned by William J. Yung, III, whose ownership of gaming interests dates to 1990 when he purchased a small casino hotel in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Since then, the Company has acquired gaming assets in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Nevada capped off by the 2007 purchase of Aztar Corp. and its widely known Tropicana brand name with properties in Nevada, Indiana and New Jersey.