| ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 27, 1998 - Plans to develop a
Hard Rock Hotel Casino on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi were announced
today by Hard Rock Cafe International, Inc., which has entered a licensing
agreement for the project's development with Full House Mississippi, LLC
-- a company jointly owned by Full House Resorts (Nasdaq: FHRI) and Allen
E. Paulson, its principal shareholder and former Chairman.
In addition to the Hard Rock Hotel Casino, the scope of the project will include a Hard Rock Live concert venue, and a Hard Rock Cafe and a full-service Hard Rock Hotel retail store. Site location along the Gulf Coast of the Mississippi is still being determined and will be announced at a later date. "The agreement is another significant step in Hard Rock Cafe's plan to continue our global expansion strategy for the Hard Rock brand in leisure and entertainment," said Jim Berk, President and CEO of Hard Rock Cafe International, Inc. The Mississippi development announcement follows the success of the 450-room Hard Rock Hotel in Bali, which opened in April 1998, and the recently-announced 650-room Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Studios opening in Orlando. The Hard Rock Hotel in Bali features both a Hard Rock Live performance
venue and Hard Rock Cafe. Owned and Full House Resorts, Inc. is a developer of destination resorts and entertainment, gaming and commercial centers. The Company is currently involved with profitable casino developments with the Coquille Indian Tribe in North Bend, Oregon, and with the Delaware State Fair Board at Harrington Raceway in Delaware. These developments are both joint venture projects with Dreamport, Inc., the gaming and entertainment subsidiary of GTECH Corporation. Full House has also executed gaming management contracts with an Indian tribe near Battle Creek, Michigan, and with another tribe in Southern California. Hard Rock Cafe International, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of London-based The Rank Group Plc, owns and/or franchises a worldwide network of 97 Hard Rock Cafe in 33 countries. With worldwide control of the Hard Rock brand, Hard Rock has expanded into television with the Hard Rock Live weekly music series on VH1, a Hard Rock Records music label, Hard Rock Live performance venues, Hard Rock Hotels, Hard Rock Beer, and an Internet site at www.hardrock.com. Hard Rock Cafe has also announced an alliance with the National Basketball Association to create the exclusive NBA restaurant concept. |
operated
by Hard Rock Café co-founder Peter Morton, the Hard Rock Hotel Casino
in Las Vegas opened in March 1995. In January, Hard Rock formed an alliance
with Universal Studios and Loews Hotels to create the ultimate rock 'n'
roll vacation destination at Universal Studios Escape in Orlando opening
mid-2000. The Orlando development also includes a 2,200-seat Hard Rock
Live venue and the world's largest Hard Rock Cafe situated at Universal
CityWalk. The new Hard Rock Cafe Orlando will open December 10, 1998, and
Hard Rock Live will open in January 1999.