Empire Resorts and St. Regis Mohawk Tribe to Explore First ''LEED'' Approved Casino in Northeast

  
    
  
  
    
      Empire Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ: NYNY) and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe today 
      announced that they are exploring ways of making the proposed St. Regis 
      Mohawk Casino at Monticello Raceway in Sullivan County the first such 
      facility in the Northeast to be approved by the Leadership in Energy and 
      Environmental Design (“LEED”) 
      organization. Empire Resorts is the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s 
      development and management partner in the $600 million project.
    
    
      Steven Winter Associates will be directing the LEED certification 
      process. LEED was created to define “green 
      buildings” by establishing a common standard 
      of measurement; promote integrated whole-building practices; and 
      recognize environmental leadership in the building industry. Steven 
      Winter Associates is a pioneer in the use of the LEED rating system, and 
      has LEED-certified a growing number of buildings, including the first 
      LEED-certified building in New York State.
    
    
      “Empire Resorts looks forward to working with 
      the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe in exploring the possibility of building the 
      Northeast’s first green casino,” 
      said David Hanlon, CEO of Empire Resorts. “This 
      is an exciting, innovative and challenging project, and we take great 
      pride in being part of it.” The company is 
      currently examining all facets needed to achieve “green” 
      status for the casino.
    
    
      “The environment has always been our foremost 
      concern in planning for the casino,” said 
      Mohawk Tribal Chief Lorraine White. “We are 
      proud to be one of the first casinos in the nation to consider the 
      implementation of advanced environmentally-friendly systems.”
    
    
      “The Sullivan County Legislature has made a 
      priority of enticing green industries to Sullivan County and believes 
      strongly that green technology should be utilized in new economic 
      development projects,” said Sullivan County 
      Legislature Chair Chris Cunningham. “The 
      Legislature supports the St. Regis Mohawk casino project, and believes 
      the Tribe’s decision to examine LEED 
      certification demonstrates the Tribe’s 
      commitment to protecting our environment while moving forward with this 
      project.”
    
    
      “The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe has one of the 
      best environmental programs in Indian country. It was built on a 
      philosophy of respecting, protecting and enhancing the environment for 
      future generations,” added Tribal Chief James 
      W. Ransom. “We want to bring this same 
      approach to the building of this casino and hope it results in a 
      facility that will be in keeping with the strong environmental character 
      of the Catskills.”
    
    
      The casino plan was analyzed through a dual environmental review process 
      which included both an Environmental Assessment following the National 
      Environmental Protection Act standards and an Environmental Impact 
      Statement under the State Environmental Quality Review Act. The 
      sustainability initiative is derived from the Tribe’s 
      commitment to protect, replenish and nurture the environment.
    
    
      “The environmental aspects we are 
      implementing could represent a milestone in casino development,” 
      said Tribal Chief Barbara Lazore. “We hope 
      our casino will set a new standard for the development of entertainment 
      facilities in the years ahead.”
    
    
      About Empire Resorts, Inc.
    
    
      Empire Resorts operates the Monticello Raceway and is involved in the 
      development of other legal gaming venues. Empire’s 
      Mighty M Gaming facility now features over 1,500 video gaming machines 
      and amenities including a 350-seat buffet and live entertainment. Empire 
      is also working to develop a "Class III" Native American casino and 
      resort on a site adjacent to the Raceway and other gaming and non-gaming 
      resort projects in the Catskills region and other areas. Additional 
      information can be found at www.empireresorts.com.
    
    
      Statements in this press release regarding the company's business 
      that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that 
      involve risks and uncertainties, including the need for regulatory 
      approvals, financing and successful completion of construction. The 
      company wishes to caution readers not to place undue reliance on such 
      forward-looking statements, which statements are made pursuant to the 
      Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1994, and as such, speak 
      only as of the date made. To the extent the content of this press 
      release includes forward-looking statements, they involve various risks 
      and uncertainties including (i) the risk that the various approvals 
      necessary as described herein and other approvals required to be 
      obtained from the United States Congress, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
      the National Indian Gaming Regulatory Commission, the Governor of the 
      State of New York and various other federal, State and local 
      governmental entities are not received, (ii) the risk that financing 
      necessary for the proposed programs or projects may not be able to be 
      obtained because of credit factors, market conditions or other 
      contingencies, (iii) the risk that sovereign Native American governments 
      may exercise certain broad rights with regard to termination of its 
      agreements with the company (iv) the risk of non-compliance by various 
      counterparties of the related agreements, and (v) general risks 
      affecting the company as described from time to time in it's reports 
      filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For a full discussion 
      of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to 
      differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk 
      Factors" in the company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most 
      recently ended fiscal year.