Ameristar Casinos plans 300-room hotel, garage in St. Charles, Mo.
As reported by The Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

SAINT CHARLES, Missouri - Ameristar Casinos Inc. said Thursday that it hopes to build a 300-room hotel, a second parking garage and other attractions at its St. Charles Casino.

"We expect to begin construction on these improvements in the first half of 2005," the company's chairman, Craig Neilsen, said in a conference call. "We believe that they will further strengthen the competitive position of the property."

The casino operator, based in Las Vegas, said it had begun designing the project, which could hinge on improvements in road access.

Ameristar's expansion calls for an all-suites hotel and 20,000 square feet of meeting facilities, in addition to a new entertainment pavilion and the additional garage.

Tony Raymon, the casino's general manager, said he was optimistic that the long-awaited hotel might become a reality. "It's not a go, but it's a huge step in the right direction."

SportingBet buys ParadisePoker
As reported by ATE Online

LONDON, England - Sportingbet Plc has announced the acquisition of ParadisePoker.com, a leader in the fast-growing online poker sector, creating the first global online poker, sports betting and casino operator. The deal brings Sportingbet's customer base to more than two million players and provides a popular online poker product to serve the rapidly growing online poker market in the United States and worldwide. ParadisePoker.com is the world's third largest online poker operator with a market share of approximately 10 percent.

Sportingbet acquired ParadisePoker.com for an initial consideration of $297.5 million, creating the world's largest online gaming business. Sportingbet itself today reported turnover of $2,620 million and an operating profit before goodwill and exceptional costs of $39.57 million for the 16 months to July 31, 2004. Sportingbet operates more than 30 brands in 200 countries across the world including its flagship brand, Sportsbook.com.

"Sportingbet's acquisition of ParadisePoker.com has a significant impact on both our company and the online betting, gambling and gaming market," said Alex Czajkowski, marketing director, Sportingbet Plc Americas Region. "Like Sportingbet's Sportsbook.com, ParadisePoker.com is a strong brand with a large and loyal customer base."