House of Blues(R) and Showboat Atlantic City Team Up for Largest East Coast Venture

House of Blues(R) and Showboat Atlantic City Team Up for Largest East Coast Venture HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- House of Blues(R) Atlantic City, a subsidiary of HOB Entertainment, Inc. the owner of the definitive live music brand, and Showboat Atlantic City, a subsidiary of Harrah's Operating Company, Inc. one of the world's leading gaming companies, today announced they have joined forces to open the 10th House of Blues(R) location at Showboat, The Mardi Gras Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. "I'm very glad to welcome House of Blues to Atlantic City. Thanks to funding from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, this development will be an important step in our commitment to turn Atlantic City into a world-class resort," Acting New Jersey Governor Richard J. Codey said. As part of Harrah's and Showboat's commitment to Atlantic City's ongoing revitalization, which includes an investment of more than a half billon dollars during the past three years, this new multi-million-dollar project will include a House of Blues(R) casino and branded poker room, a Southern-inspired restaurant, a multi-level music hall, nightclub, beach bar and outdoor lounge, as well as a private membership club, the Foundation Room. Scheduled to open by the Fourth of July Weekend, it is House of Blues' largest club venue to date. "House of Blues is very excited about this relationship with Showboat and share in the commitment to Atlantic City," said Greg Trojan, chief executive officer, House of Blues Entertainment, Inc. He adds, "Together we will provide an unparalleled entertainment experience for artists and guests." "Harrah's has always been a leader in acquiring or collaborating with the world's best brands. Our business relationship with the House of Blues will break new ground in Atlantic City and will offer visitors a truly unique gaming and entertainment experience," said Dave Jonas, senior vice president of Atlantic City operations for Harrah's and Showboat. The multi-level Music Hall will feature national and local live entertainment, dance floor, and seated boxes for private viewing enjoyment. House of Blues clubs across the nation have hosted international touring artists and legends such as Prince, James Brown, John Mayer, Aerosmith, Joss Stone, Norah Jones and many others. The approximate capacity of the music hall will be 2,200. The House of Blues restaurant will offer artistic adaptation of traditional Southern-inspired cuisine including House of Blues signature dishes such as Creole Seafood Jambalaya, pan-seared Voodoo Shrimp with Rosemary Cornbread and White Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding as well as regional fare. Small private rooms will be available for group events. The famed House of Blues Sunday Gospel Brunch, a sumptuous buffet paired with inspiring live gospel performances, will be offered each week. The House of Blues Beach Bar and Lounge will be located on the white sands of the Atlantic shore in front of the Showboat. The entertainment destination will include a full bar, stage area for live music, lounges, cabanas and umbrellas. The House of Blues will introduce the first private membership club of its kind in Atlantic City, the Foundation Room, which will offer members and their guests luxurious upscale dining and world-class hospitality amidst Indonesian-inspired decor while benefiting the International House of Blues Foundation (IHOBF). IHOBF is dedicated to promoting cultural understanding and creative expression through music and art. IHOBF will conduct its Blues Schoolhouse program for local children. For more information, www.ihobf.org. The House of Blues Casino will reflect the rich textures and colors found in the company's signature Foundation Room. In addition to the casino, the 45-table House of Blues Poker Room will offer the best poker experience in Atlantic City. Throughout the year, the room will play host to several World Series of Poker events, including the newly formed circuit tournament. The Company recently opened its eighth House of Blues(R) Club location in Cleveland, Ohio in November 2004 and will open a club in San Diego, California in Spring 2005. As part of the Company's growth strategy, it intends to open at least three club locations in 2005. For more information on the club, please visit www.hob.com/atlanticcity. ABOUT HOB ENTERTAINMENT, INC. HOB Entertainment, Inc., a Los Angeles-based global entertainment company, owns the definitive live music brand, the House of Blues. Founded in 1992, this dynamic company with soul, spirit and vision is comprised of several unique businesses, including: * House of Blues Clubs, which operate 1,000 - 2,000 capacity venues located in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Chicago, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Las Vegas, Anaheim and Cleveland. * House of Blues Concerts, Inc., which owns, operates or exclusively books arena and amphitheatre venues throughout North America, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, Dallas, Seattle (The Gorge), Atlanta, Cleveland, Toronto, Vancouver. ABOUT HARRAH'S ENTERTAINMENT, INC. Various subsidiaries of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:HET) own or manage 28 casinos in the United States, primarily under the Harrah's and Horseshoe brand names. Founded 66 years ago, Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its valued customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. Additional information about Harrah's Entertainment is available at www.harrahs.com. This release includes "forward-looking statements" intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements contain words such as "may," "will," "project," "might," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "could," "would," "estimate," "continue" or "pursue," or the negative or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. In particular, they include statements relating to, among other things, future actions, new projects, strategies, future performance, the outcome of contingencies such as legal proceedings and future financial results. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about future events. The reader should be cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that cannot be predicted or quantified and, consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following factors as well as other factors described from time to time in Harrah's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission: * the effect of economic, credit and capital market conditions on the economy in general, and on gaming and hotel companies in particular; * construction factors, including delays, zoning issues, environmental restrictions, soil and water conditions, weather and other hazards, site access matters and building permit issues; * the effects of environmental and structural building conditions; * access to available and feasible financing; * changes in laws (including increased tax rates), regulations or accounting standards, contractual relations and approvals, and decisions of courts, regulators and governmental bodies; * litigation outcomes and judicial actions, including gaming legislative action, referenda and taxation; * acts of war or terrorist incidents, and * the effects of competition, including locations of competitors and operating and market competition. Any forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, as such, speak only as of the date made. No obligation is undertaken to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Source: HOB Entertainment, Inc. CONTACT: Jack Gannon of House of Blues Entertainment, Inc., +1-323-769-4718, jgannon@hob.com, or Susan Kotzen of Showboat, The Mardi Gras Casino, +1-609-441-5610, skotzen@ac.harrahs.com Web site: http://www.harrahs.com/ Web site: http://www.hob.com/atlanticcity Web site: http://www.ihobf.org/ ------- Profile: International Entertainment