Pinnacle Entertainment Announces L'Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge to Open Saturday, Sept. 1 at 2:00pm CDT

Regulatory Approval Process Completed Today; Opening Ceremony Scheduled for 1:45pm CDT Tomorrow


BATON ROUGE, La. and LAS VEGAS, Aug. 31, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:PNK) announced it will open L'Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge, the Company's new $368 million casino entertainment property overlooking the Mississippi River, on Saturday, September 1, 2012 at 2:00pm CDT. The final step in the formal licensing and approval process was successfully completed earlier today clearing the way for tomorrow's opening. The planned August 29 grand opening was postponed due to Hurricane Isaac.

"We are pleased to finalize our regulatory approvals and debut the newest member of the Pinnacle Entertainment family; L'Auberge Baton Rouge," said Pinnacle President and CEO Anthony Sanfilippo. He adds, "Our more than 1,000 team members are excited to open the doors and welcome our first guests to L'Auberge in our casino, hotel and restaurants."

L'Auberge Baton Rouge created more than 1,000 permanent new jobs with an anticipated tax impact of more than $50 million annually. The $368 million property also generated 1,200 construction jobs. L'Auberge Baton Rouge is Pinnacle's fourth property in Louisiana bringing the Company's investment in the state to more than $1 billion. Pinnacle now employs more than 5,000 team members in Louisiana.

"This is the moment we have been planning for and our team is excited to unveil a new level of hospitality and gaming to the Baton Rouge market," said Mickey Parenton, Vice President and General Manager of L'Auberge Baton Rouge. "The beauty of L'Auberge Baton Rouge is unmatched; from the luxurious hotel to the expansive and vibrant casino, from a culinary team producing dishes showcasing the flavor of Louisiana to world-class entertainers and breathtaking views of the Mississippi River, L'Auberge has it all."

L'Auberge Baton Rouge will provide a best-in-market casino entertainment complex featuring an expansive single-level, 74,000 square foot casino; nearly 1,500 slot machines; 50 table games, including a poker room; a 12-story hotel with 205 guest rooms and a rooftop pool; four dining outlets; a unique casino entertainment lounge with breathtaking views of the Mississippi River; 2,400 total parking spaces, including 800 in a covered parking garage; a multi-purpose event center with concert seating for over 1,500 people or banquet seating for up to 800 people; and outdoor festival grounds with capacity for up to 2,500.

A complete project fact sheet can be found at www.mylauberge.com.

About Pinnacle Entertainment

Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. owns and operates six casinos, located in Louisiana, Missouri, and Indiana, and a racetrack in Ohio. In addition, Pinnacle will soon be opening L'Auberge Casino Hotel Baton Rouge, and holds a 26% ownership stake in Asian Coast Development (Canada) Ltd. (ACDL), an international development and real estate company currently developing Vietnam's first large-scale integrated resort on the Ho Tram Strip.

Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PNK.  To learn more about Pinnacle Entertainment, please visit www.pnkinc.com/">www.pnkinc.com.

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