Pinnacle elects Charles Atwood to Board of Directors

Mr. Atwood is currently the Lead Trustee of the board of trustees for Equity Residential, a REIT listed on the New York Stock Exchange and member of the S&P 500. He is also a member of the board of directors of Gala Coral Group, a private U.K.-based gaming company, and ALST Casino Holdings, LLC, a private Las Vegas-based gaming and hospitality company.

“Mr. Atwood is an accomplished gaming industry executive, advisor and director,” company representatives said.

Prior to his current Board appointments, Mr. Atwood joined Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (currently known as Caesars Entertainment, Inc.) in 1979 and held numerous finance and development positions during his tenure at that company. He was Chief Financial Officer from 2001 to 2006, joined Harrah's board of directors in July 2005, and became its Vice Chairman in 2006. Mr. Atwood retired as Vice Chairman of Harrah's in December 2008.

James L. Martineau, Chairman of Pinnacle Entertainment's Board of Directors, commented, "Following our Board's approval in the Fall of 2014 to pursue a plan to separate the Company's operating assets and its real estate assets into two publicly traded companies, we began a search process to identify a candidate for the Board who can augment its existing REIT experience. We believe we have found the ideal candidate in Chuck, who combines over a decade of real estate experience on the Board of Trustees of Equity Residential, over 30 years of operating experience in the gaming industry as an executive and board member at Harrah's, and deep business acumen and financial knowledge. We believe Chuck's ability to draw on these areas of expertise will benefit the shareholders of Pinnacle Entertainment. We welcome Chuck to the Board and look forward to his contributions toward our primary goal of maximizing shareholder value.

At the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the Company's stockholders will be asked to vote upon the election of the following directors to serve on its Board of Directors for the coming year: Charles Atwood, Stephen Comer, Bruce A. Leslie, James L. Martineau, Desirée Rogers, Anthony M. Sanfilippo, and Jaynie Miller Studenmund.

Mr. Martineau concluded, "On behalf of all of our Board members, we thank Richard Goeglein for his 12 years of service to the shareholders of Pinnacle Entertainment. Richard is transitioning from the Board after exemplary service and leadership, including four years as Chairman of the Board."