ISLE Isleworth Healthcare Acquisition Corporation

Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. Issues Statement BILOXI, Miss., March 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The following is a statement by Timothy M. Hinkley, President and COO of Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. : We at Isle of Capri Casinos are surprised and disappointed that Attorney General Lisa Madigan is second-guessing the very process she put into place to evaluate bids for the 10th casino license in Illinois. We were invited to bid for this license, and we did so under the guidelines originally dictated by the attorney general. From the beginning we understood the bidding process was intended to be open to all gaming companies and all communities. Accordingly, we looked for the site that provided the strongest business model, both for Isle of Capri and for the State of Illinois. Our analysis determined that Rosemont clearly is the best location for many reasons. After the fact, the attorney general has chosen to undermine her own process by implying that Rosemont is inherently inappropriate as a casino location. Ms. Madigan should have made her viewpoint clear at the beginning rather than after her process yielded a result she clearly dislikes. In fact, under the procedures negotiated and agreed to by the attorney general, the gaming board was required to follow the recommendation of the independent investment banking firm Rothschild Inc., or explain in writing why it wouldn't do so. In its independent analysis, New York-based Rothschild recommended the Isle of Capri proposal. At no time during the bidding process did anybody from Rosemont -- or any other community -- attempt to unfairly or unethically influence our decision or actions. We have never tolerated such attempts under any circumstances. Our policy has always been to report any such attempts immediately to the proper authorities. We will not put our upstanding reputation at risk. Isle of Capri has been completely open with all of the parties involved. We have a strong track record for ethics and integrity in all communities and states in which we do business, and we will continue to build on that reputation in Illinois. We trust the process that has been put into place by Gov. Blagojevich to review the Illinois Gaming Board's decision. We urge Ms. Madigan to trust that process as well, and to wait for the report by special investigator Eric Holder before rushing to judgment. On behalf of our 11,000 employees and several thousand shareholders, Isle of Capri rejects the attorney general's characterization of the company'sfinancial condition, and we resent her unprovoked attacks on our integrity. We intend to respond directly to Ms. Madigan concerning the substance of her letter with respect to specific statements regarding Isle of Capri. Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc., aleading developer and owner of gaming and entertainment facilities, operates 16 casinos in 14 locations. The company owns and operates riverboat and dockside casinos in Biloxi, Vicksburg, Lula and Natchez, Mississippi; Bossier City and Lake Charles (2 riverboats), Louisiana; Bettendorf, Davenport and Marquette, Iowa; and Kansas City and Boonville, Missouri. The company also owns a 57 percent interest in and operates land-based casinos in Black Hawk (two casinos) and Cripple Creek, Colorado. Isle of Capri's international gaming interests include a casino that it operates in Freeport, Grand Bahama, and a two-thirds ownership interest in a casino in Dudley, England. The company also owns and operates Pompano Park Harness Racing Track in Pompano Beach,Florida. Additional information concerning potential factors that could affect the Company's financial condition, results of operations and expansion projects, is included in the filings of the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 27, 2003 and Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended since that date. Contact: Lori Hutzler, Director of Corporate Communications -- 228.396.7031 Web site: http://www.islecorp.com/ http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020502/ISLELOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. CONTACT: Lori Hutzler, Director of Corporate Communications, Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc., +1-228-396-7031 Web site:http://www.theislecorp.com/

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