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Check out the latest news from Rivers Casino Des Plaines.

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DES PLAINES, IL (December 13, 2019) –

RIVERS CASINO DES PLAINES OPENS BETRIVERS SPORTS BAR AND FURTHER EXPANDS GAMING FLOOR

Illinois' First Land-Based Casino Continues Expansion To Provide Enhanced Gaming Experience

Rivers Casino Des Plaines has opened its new 4,840 square foot state of-the-art BetRivers SportsBar—which features a 47-foot-wide ultra HD LED video wall—and a new table game area on the casino floor.

The opening of the BetRivers SportsBar comes a few weeks after Rivers became the first casino in Illinois to move to land-based gaming and expand its gaming floor with additional gaming positions.

The BetRivers SportsBar will eventually be home to the casino’s sports book, once regulatory approval is granted by the Illinois Gaming Board. The BetRivers space was designed to provide an ultra-luxury viewing experience for Chicago’s sports fans looking for an engaging game-day experience.

“We’re proud to open the ultimate game-day destination for sports fans who want to have an elevated viewing experience at a world-class gaming destination,” said Greg Carlin, CEO of Rush Street Gaming. “The BetRivers SportsBar will be one of the most exciting locations to watch live sports anywhere in Chicago, while we wait for approval to offer legal sports wagering.”

In addition to the video wall, the SportsBar will feature ten 86-inch and four 75-inch HD televisions placed throughout the lounge offering patrons a panoramic view of live sports events. The new lounge will also have a full-service island bar with seating for 32; 26 bar-top video poker games; 32 leather lounge chairs and additional table seating options.

“The BetRivers lounge will provide an experience that rivals a live game-day stadium,” said Corey Wise, General Manager of Rivers Des Plaines. “We will offer sports fans a premium luxury experience with great visuals, acoustics, service and comradery with fellow sports fans.”

The BetRivers SportsBar was designed by Chicago-based DMAC Architecture, designers of luxury lounges at Rivers’ properties in New York state, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

In addition to opening the sports lounge, Rivers has been taking advantage of expansion opportunities afforded by Illinois’ recently enacted casino expansion law. Rivers reserved 800 additional gaming positions from the Illinois Gaming Board and has expanded its gaming floor within the footprint of the casino’s existing structure.

“Through this expansion, we’ve brought some of the newest and most-desired games to our expanded gaming floor, enhanced the customer experience throughout the facility and created a new state-of-the-art sports bar,” said Carlin. “The best is yet to come, and we are committed to remain one of the most unique regional gaming destinations in the country.”

The casino opened an additional table gaming area adjacent to the new sports lounge. In total, this phase of expansion has resulted in an increase of 115 electronic gaming devices and 8 table games. Other improvements, such as additional viewing screens have been added to the Lotus cocktail lounge in the center of the property and an expansion of the parking garage is expected to be complete by mid-summer 2020.

About Rush Street Gaming:

Founded by Neil Bluhm and Greg Carlin, Rush Street Gaming and its affiliates, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, have developed and operate successful casinos in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Des Plaines, Illinois (Chicago area) and Schenectady, New York. Rush Street Gaming and its affiliates has become one of the leading casino developers in the United States and operators of online casinos and sports books. Additional information at: www.rushstreetgaming.com

About Churchill Downs Incorporated

Churchill Downs Incorporated ("CDI") (Nasdaq: CHDN), headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is an industry leading racing, online wagering and gaming entertainment company anchored by our iconic flagship event - The Kentucky Derby. We own and operate Derby City Gaming, a historical racing machine facility in Louisville. We also own and operate the largest online horseracing wagering platform in the U.S., TwinSpires.com, and are a leader in brick-and-mortar casino gaming with approximately 11,000 slot machines / video lottery terminals and 200 table games in eight states. We also operate sports wagering and iGaming through our BetAmerica platform in multiple states. Additional information about CDI can be found online at www.churchilldownsincorporated.com.

Information set forth in this news release contains various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”), which provides certain “safe harbor” provisions. All forward-looking statements made in this presentation are made pursuant to the Act. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently.

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the following: the effect of economic conditions on our consumers' confidence and discretionary spending or our access to credit; additional or increased taxes and fees; public perceptions or lack of confidence in the integrity of our business; loss of key or highly skilled personnel; restrictions in our debt facilities limiting our flexibility to operate our business; general risks related to real estate ownership, including fluctuations in market values and environmental regulations; catastrophic events and system failures disrupting our operations; online security risk, including cyber-security breaches; inability to recover under our insurance policies for damages sustained at our properties in the event of inclement weather and casualty events; increases in insurance costs and inability to obtain similar insurance coverage in the future; inability to identify and complete acquisition, expansion or divestiture projects, on time, on budget or as planned; difficulty in integrating recent or future acquisitions into our operations; number of people attending and wagering on live horse races; inability to respond to rapid technological changes in a timely manner; inadvertent infringement of the intellectual property of others; inability to protect our own intellectual property rights; payment-related risks, such as risk associated with fraudulent credit card and debit card use; compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or applicable money-laundering regulations; work stoppages and labor issues; difficulty in attracting a sufficient number of horses and trainers for full field horseraces; inability to negotiate agreements with industry constituents, including horsemen and other racetracks; personal injury litigation related to injuries occurring at our racetracks; our inability to utilize and provide totalisator services; weather conditions affecting our ability to conduct live racing; increased competition in the horseracing business; changes in the regulatory environment of our racing operations; changes in regulatory environment of our online horseracing business; increase in competition in our online horseracing; uncertainty and changes in the legal landscape relating to our online wagering business; continued legalization of online sports betting and iGaming in the United States and our ability to predict and capitalize on any such legalization; inability to expand our sports betting operations and effectively compete; failure to comply with laws requiring us to block access to certain individuals could result in penalties or impairment with respect to our mobile and online wagering products; increased competition in our casino business; changes in regulatory environment of our casino business; costs, delays, and other uncertainties relating to the development and expansion of casinos; and concentration and evolution of slot machine manufacturing and other technology conditions that could impose additional costs.

DES PLAINES, IL (March 15, 2012) –

RIVERS CASINO IS THE FIRST LEED® GOLD CERTIFIED CASINO IN THE WORLD

Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, the newest casino in the Chicagoland area, has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Rivers Casino is the first casino in the world to achieve the LEED Gold certification.

“We are proud to be recognized as a leader in sustainable development and we hope to set an example for the rest of the gaming and entertainment industries,” said Greg Carlin, CEO of Rivers Casino. “It’s important to all of our team members that we are a good corporate citizen.”

“Achieving LEED Gold was challenging and expensive, but in the long run, the effort will improve the environment and reduce our operating costs,” said Neil Bluhm, Chairman, Midwest Gaming and Entertainment, LLC.

Rivers Casino opened in July 2011 and has become the premier entertainment and gaming destination in the Chicagoland area. Rivers Casino was designed with a sustainability plan to achieve LEED certification for energy, lighting, water and material use, as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable elements. USGBC established LEED to encourage developers to design and construct buildings that protect and save precious resources, while also making good economic sense.

“This honor really belongs to our entire development team including Klai Juba Architects, Cleo Design, DMAC Architecture, Development Management Associates, our general contractor, Pepper Construction and the city of Des Plaines” said Carlin.

“The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “The work of innovative building projects such as Rivers Casino is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement.”

LEED Gold Certification of Rivers Casino is based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact both the project and the local community. These features include:

  • LED light fixtures in the parking garage and other areas throughout the Casino building save on energy usage and maintenance costs.
  • 70 percent of the electrical energy consumed by the building over a two-year period is being offset with green power.
  • Skylights and Clerestory windows add natural light for guest and employee comfort while saving on lighting costs.
  • Low-flow plumbing fixtures and sensor-controlled faucets reduce water usage by 40 percent.
  • Paint and adhesive materials with low levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) provide a healthier environment for workers and future inhabitants.
  • Casino operations include a single-stream recycling plan, reducing the amount of waste delivered to landfills.
  • 90 percent of all construction waste, over 70 million pounds, was recycled or utilized on site – avoiding the landfill.
  • Interior living green walls provide better air quality and comfort.
  • Occupant sensor-controlled lighting provides lighting when needed and saves energy at other times.
  • Complimentary electric car charging stations are provided for customer use. Free valet parking is available to low-emissions and fuel-efficient vehicles.
  • The project is a Brownfield redevelopment, which rehabilitated a previously developed site and reduces pressure on undeveloped land.
  • The project managed site water runoff with a Surface Water Intake Protection Program (SWIPP) program during construction to prevent runoff damage to adjoining areas.
  • The project stormwater treatment system removes 98.6 percent of total suspended solids from site runoff.
  • Installation of concrete drives, landscaping, a multi-level parking structure and white roof reduce the urban heat island effect.
  • Over 43 percent of the material for the project was sourced from within 500 miles of the project site, reducing carbon emissions from transportation of that material and supporting local economies.
  • The site is close to public transportation to promote efficient travel. Rivers Casino adjoins two Pace bus lines and is within one mile of both METRA and CTA rail stations.
  • Bike racks are provided for workers and customers and preferred parking is provided for alternate fuel vehicles.
  • Landscaping is largely made up of native and drought tolerant plant species, eliminating the need for irrigation and saving both potable water and hundreds of thousands of dollars.

ABOUT RIVERS CASINO

Located just steps away from O’Hare airport and minutes from downtown Chicago, Rivers offers its guests a variety of food and beverage options as well as entertainment. The 44,000 square foot gaming floor is exciting at every turn with nearly 1,050 slots and 48 table games, including new dollar slots and video poker games.

Planning to come out to Rivers Casino? Be sure to catch the complimentary shuttle from the Rosemont Blue Line to the casino 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, running approximately every 15 minutes. For more information visit www.riverscasino.com/desplaines.

ABOUT MIDWEST GAMING & ENTERTAINMENT, LLC

Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, LLC (“Midwest Gaming”) is a partnership between affiliates of Neil Bluhm and Clairvest Group Inc. Collectively the partners bring a wide range of development and gaming experience to Rivers Casino, having developed, constructed and managed casinos, luxury hotels, and other hospitality businesses around the world.

ABOUT THE U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL

The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Since UGSBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 17,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

ABOUT LEED®

The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating SystemTM is a feature-oriented rating system that awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria. The six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design. Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels of LEED green building certification are awarded based on the total number of points earned within each LEED category. LEED can be applied to all building types including new construction, commercial interiors, core & shell developments, existing buildings, homes, neighborhood developments, schools and retail facilities.

Incentives for LEED are available at the state and local level and LEED has also been adopted nationwide by federal agencies, state and local governments, and interested private companies. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org/LEED.