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<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001104659-09-032940.txt : 20090817
<SEC-HEADER>0001104659-09-032940.hdr.sgml : 20090817
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20090515150811
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001104659-09-032940
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20090515

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			MONARCH CASINO & RESORT INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000907242
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	SERVICES-MISCELLANEOUS AMUSEMENT & RECREATION [7990]
		IRS NUMBER:				880300760
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			NV
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		3800 S VIRGINIA STREET
		STREET 2:		EXECUTIVE OFFICES
		CITY:			RENO
		STATE:			NV
		ZIP:			89502
		BUSINESS PHONE:		775-335-4600

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		3800 S VIRGINIA STREET
		STREET 2:		EXECUTIVE OFFICES
		CITY:			RENO
		STATE:			NV
		ZIP:			89502
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>CORRESP
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.htm
<TEXT>

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<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;">

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">May&nbsp;15, 2009</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">VIA EDGAR FILING</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Lyn Shenk</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Branch Chief</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">United States</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Securities and Exchange Commission</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Washington, D.C., 20549</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">RE:&#160;
Monarch Casino&nbsp;&amp; Resort,&nbsp;Inc. (the &#147;Company&#148;), file No.&nbsp;000-22088,
comments on Form&nbsp;10-K for the fiscal year ended December&nbsp;31, 2008 and
Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Dear Mr.&nbsp;Shenk:</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">We are hereby responding to the Securities
and Exchange Commission&#146;s comments on the Company&#146;s Form&nbsp;10-K for the
fiscal year ended December&nbsp;31, 2008 and the Definitive Proxy Statement on
Schedule 14A.&#160; Your letter requested that
we respond within ten business days.&#160;
Please note that a ten day extension was granted by Patrick Kuhn on April&nbsp;23,
2009 upon my request in a phone conversation.&#160;
Set forth below are the comments from your letter dated April&nbsp;21,
2009 and our responses.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:justify;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">We
acknowledge that we are responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of the
disclosures in the filing.&#160; We further
acknowledge that the Commission&#146;s staff comments or changes to disclosures in
response to their comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any
action with respect to the filing.&#160; We
know that we may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding
initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of
the United States.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<h1 style="font-weight:normal;margin:0in 0in .0001pt;page-break-after:auto;text-decoration:underline;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Form&nbsp;10-K: For the
Fiscal Year Ended December&nbsp;31, 2008</font></u></b></h1>

<h1 style="font-weight:normal;margin:0in 0in .0001pt;page-break-after:auto;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></h1>

<h1 style="font-weight:normal;margin:0in 0in .0001pt;page-break-after:auto;text-decoration:underline;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Risk Factors, page&nbsp;10</font></u></b></h1>

<h1 style="font-weight:normal;margin:0in 0in .0001pt;page-break-after:auto;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></h1>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">1.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Please
remove the references in your first paragraph that you discuss some, but not
all of the risk factors facing the company or revise to clarify that you have
discussed all known material risks.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR RESPONSE:&#160;
We will modify in future filings as suggested to clarify that we have
discussed all known material risks.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

</div>
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<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;">

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Management&#146;s Discussion and
Analysis, page&nbsp;20</font></u></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<h1 style="font-weight:normal;margin:0in 0in .0001pt;page-break-after:auto;text-decoration:underline;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Capital Spending and
Development, page&nbsp;21</font></u></b></h1>

<h1 style="font-weight:normal;margin:0in 0in .0001pt;page-break-after:auto;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></h1>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">2.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Please
disclose in your next Form&nbsp;10-Q the amount of capital expenditures planned
or expected for fiscal 2009 pursuant to Item 303(A)(2)(i)&nbsp;of Regulation
S-K.&#160; Refer to section III.B of Release
33-6835, available on our website at http://www.sec.gov/rules/interp/33-6835.htm,
for further guidance.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR RESPONSE:&#160;
In our Form&nbsp;10-Q for the three months ended March&nbsp;31, 2009 we
disclosed the amount of capital expenditures planned or expected for fiscal
2009.&#160; See the &#147;CAPITAL SPENDING AND
DEVELOPMENT&#148; section of our Management&#146;s Discussion and Analysis.&#160; In that section we disclosed:</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&#147;In addition to the
expenditures incurred to complete Capital Projects during the first quarter of
2009, we anticipate spending approximately $5 to $12 million on capital expenditures
in 2009 to upgrade and replace equipment, continue our renovation and upgrading
of the Atlantis facility and to acquire the Property subject to the Triple J
lease (see NOTE 5. to the financial statements &#147;RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS&#148;).&#160; The timing of these capital expenditures may
accelerate or be deferred altogether based on our ongoing assessment of
operating cash flow, available borrowing capacity under our Credit Facility
(see &#147;THE CREDIT FACILITY&#148; below) and the competitive environment in our market,
among other factors.&#148;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<h1 style="font-weight:normal;margin:0in 0in .0001pt;page-break-after:auto;text-decoration:underline;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Critical Accounting
Policies and Estimates, page&nbsp;21</font></u></b></h1>

<h1 style="font-weight:normal;margin:0in 0in .0001pt;page-break-after:auto;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></h1>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">3.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Your
disclosure here should address specifically why your accounting estimates or
assumptions bear the risk of change.&#160; The
disclosure should provide greater insight into the quality, sensitivity and
variability regarding all key assumptions, judgments, uncertainties and
estimates that have or may materially affect your financial condition or
operating performance.&#160; To the extent
practicable and material, you should provide quantitative disclosure, with an
analysis of how actual results may differ from your estimates under different
assumptions and conditions that you have considered.&#160; Refer to Section&nbsp;V of the staff&#146;s &#147;Interpretation:
Commission Guidance Regarding Management&#146;s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations&#148; available on our website at
http://www.sec.gov/rules/interp/33-8350.htm for further guidance.&#160; Please revise your disclosure accordingly,
and provide us with a copy of your intended revised disclosure.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR RESPONSE:&#160;
</font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Following is a copy of our intended revised disclosure.&#160; Note that the underlined text represents the
proposed changes to the disclosure from our 2008 Form&nbsp;10-K.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND
ESTIMATES</font></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">We prepare our
consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States.&#160;
Certain of our policies, including the estimated lives assigned to our
assets, the determination of bad debt reserves, self insurance reserves,
concentration of credit risk, the calculation of income tax liabilities <u>and
the calculation of share-based compensation</u>, require that we apply
significant judgment in defining the appropriate assumptions for calculating
financial estimates.&#160; By their nature,
these judgments are </font></i></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">2</font></p>

</div>
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<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">subject to an inherent degree of
uncertainty.&#160; Our judgments are based on
historical experience, terms of existing contracts, observations of trends in
the industry, information provided by customers and information available from
other outside sources, as appropriate.&#160;
There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ from our
estimates.&#160; To provide an understanding
of the methodologies applied, our significant accounting policies are discussed
where appropriate in this discussion and analysis and in the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements.</font></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">The consolidated financial
statements include the accounts of Monarch and Golden Road. Intercompany
balances and transactions are eliminated.</font></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Self-insurance Reserves</font></u></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">We are currently self
insured up to certain stop loss amounts for workers&#146; compensation and certain
medical benefit costs provided to our employees</font></u></i><i><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">.&#160; The Company reviews self-insurance reserves
at least quarterly. The reserve is determined by reviewing the actual
expenditures for the previous twelve-month period and reports prepared by the
third party plan administrator for any significant unpaid claims.&#160; The reserve is an amount estimated to pay
both reported and unreported claims as of the balance sheet date<u>.&#160; We believe changes in medical costs, trends
in claims of our employee base, accident frequency and severity and other
factors could materially affect the estimate for this reserve.&#160; Unforeseen developments in existing claims,
or the possibility that our estimate of unreported claims differs materially
from the actual amount of unreported claims, could result in the over or under
estimation of our self-insurance reserve</u>.</font></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Casino
Revenues</font></u></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Casino revenues represent
the net win from gaming activity, which is the difference between wins and
losses.&#160; Additionally, net win is reduced
by a provision for anticipated payouts on slot participation fees, progressive
jackpots and any pre-arranged marker discounts.&#160;
<u>Progressive jackpot provision estimates are determined based on the
award amount and the statistical probability of a player receiving that
award.&#160; The frequency of future
progressive jackpot awards could vary from the statistical probability used in
determining the estimate</u>.</font></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Promotional
Allowances</font></u></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;text-transform:uppercase;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;text-transform:none;">The retail value of hotel, food
and beverage services provided to customers without charge is included in gross
revenue and deducted as promotional allowances.&#160;
<u>The cost of the products and services provided is reported as casino
operating expense.</u></font></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;text-transform:uppercase;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Income Taxes</font></u></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Income taxes are recorded
in accordance with the liability method specified by SFAS No.&nbsp;109, &#147;Accounting
for Income Taxes.&#148;&#160; Under the asset and
liability approach for financial accounting and reporting for income taxes, the
following basic principles are applied in accounting for income taxes at the
date of the financial statements: (a)&nbsp;a current liability or asset is
recognized for the estimated taxes payable or refundable on taxes for the current
year; (b)&nbsp;a deferred income tax liability or asset is recognized for the
estimated future tax effects attributable to temporary differences and
carryforwards; (c)&nbsp;the measurement of current and deferred tax liabilities
and assets is based on the provisions of the enacted tax law; the effects of
future changes in tax laws or rates are not anticipated; and (d)&nbsp;the
measurement of deferred income </font></i></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">3</font></p>

</div>
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<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">taxes is reduced, if necessary,
by the amount of any tax benefits that, based upon available evidence, are not
expected to be realized.</font></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">The Company also applies
the requirements of FIN 48 which prescribes minimum recognition thresholds a
tax position is required to meet before being recognized in the financial statements.
&nbsp;FIN 48 also provides guidance on derecognition, measurement,
classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods,
disclosure and transition. &nbsp;Implementation has resulted in no material
impact on the Company&#146;s financial position or results of operations.</font></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Our income tax returns are
subject to examination by tax authorities.&#160;
We regularly assess the potential outcome of these examinations in
determining the adequacy of our provision for income taxes and our income tax liabilities.
&#160;To determine necessary reserves, we must
make assumptions and judgments about potential actions by taxing authorities,
partially based on past experiences.&#160; Our
estimate of the potential outcome for any uncertain tax issue is highly
judgmental, and we believe we have adequately provided for any reasonable and
foreseeable outcomes relating to uncertain tax matters.&#160; When actual results of tax examinations
differ from our estimates or when potential actions are settled differently
than we expected, we adjust the income tax provision and our tax reserves in
the current period.&#160; The provision for
income taxes includes the impact of any reserve provisions and any changes to
reserves that are considered appropriate, as well as any related net interest.</font></u></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Share-based Compensation</font></u></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">SFAS No.&nbsp;123(R)&nbsp;establishes
standards for the accounting for transactions in which an entity exchanges its
equity instruments for goods and services or incurs a liability in exchange for
goods and services that are based on the fair value of the entity&#146;s equity
instruments or that may be settled by the issuance of those equity instruments.
It requires an entity to measure the costs of employee services received in
exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value
of the award and recognize that cost over the service period. We adopted this
statement on January&nbsp;1, 2006 under the modified prospective method and use
the Black-Scholes valuation model to value the stock options we issue to our
directors, executives and employees.</font></u></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:23.1pt;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">&#160;The Black-Scholes valuation model requires the
input of highly subjective assumptions which include the expected term of
options granted, risk-free interest rates, expected volatility, and expected
rates of dividends.&#160; We estimated an
expected term for each stock option grant based on the weighted-average time
between grant date and exercise date and the risk-free interest rate assumption
was based on U.S. Treasury rates appropriate for the expected term. We used
historical data and projections to estimate expected volatility and expected
employee behaviors related to option exercises and forfeitures.</font></u></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:23.1pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Changes in the assumptions
used can materially affect the estimate of the stock options&#146; fair value. In
our judgment, the most volatile input for our Company has been the expected
volatility assumption which has increased significantly from 38.0% to 50.3% and
then again to 111.7% for the years ended December&nbsp;31, 2006, 2007 and 2008,
respectively.&#160; The table below presents
the amount that stock-based compensation expense would have changed if the
expected volatility input into the Black-Scholes model is increased or
decreased by 10 percentage points for each year presented.</font></u></i></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">4</font></p>

</div>
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<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;">

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Total stock-based compensation,
before taxes:</font></u></i></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:23.1pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>

<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="81%" style="border-collapse:collapse;margin-left:.5in;width:81.38%;">
 <tr>
  <td width="49%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:49.02%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 10.0pt;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="46%" colspan="5" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:46.68%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Years ended December&nbsp;31,</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:1.22%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="49%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:49.02%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 10.0pt;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 10.0pt;text-align:center;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">2008</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">2007</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.52%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">2006</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:1.22%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="49%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:49.02%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">IF EXPECTED VOLATILITY IS
  INCREASED BY 10 PERCENTAGE POINTS:</font></u></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.52%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:1.22%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="49%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:49.02%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 30.0pt;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Expected volatility input becomes</font></u></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">121.7%</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">60.3%</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.52%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">48.0%</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:1.22%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="49%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:49.02%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 30.0pt;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Resultant expense increase</font></u></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">$207,160</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">$280,819</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.52%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">$316,863</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:1.22%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="49%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:49.02%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 10.0pt;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.52%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:1.22%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="49%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:49.02%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">IF EXPECTED VOLATILITY IS
  DECREASED BY 10 PERCENTAGE POINTS:</font></u></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.52%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:1.22%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="49%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:49.02%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 30.0pt;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Expected volatility input becomes</font></u></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">101.7%</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">40.3%</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.52%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">28.0%</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:1.22%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="49%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:49.02%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 30.0pt;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><i><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Resultant expense decrease</font></u></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">$211,973</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.5%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">$291,535</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.08%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.52%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in .1in .0001pt 0in;text-align:right;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">$323,573</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:1.22%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
</table>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-indent:.5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">4.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">From
your disclosure in note 8 to the notes of the financial statements, we note the
significant changes in the expected volatility factor over the periods
presented.&#160; As changes in assumptions you
use to compute share based compensation could significantly impact the amount
recognized, it appears that this represents a critical accounting estimate that
should be discussed.&#160; Please expand your
disclosure accordingly.&#160; Include a
sensitivity analysis to quantify the impact that would result from each 10%
change in the expected volatility factor on all outstanding and unvested
employee stock option grants, including those expected to vest.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR RESPONSE:&#160; We will expand our critical accounting
policies and estimates disclosure to include the expected volatility factor
used in our computation of share based compensation, and we will include a
sensitivity analysis as suggested.&#160;
Please see the revised disclosure under our response to comment 3 above.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Results of Operations, page&nbsp;23</font></u></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">5.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">In
regard to SG&amp;A expenses, please quantify, to the extent appropriate, each
factor cited so that investors may have perspective as to the relative
magnitude of each.&#160; If the effect is not
quantifiable, disclose this fact and the reason for the inability to quantify,
as well as the basis for your belief that the cited item is a factor.&#160; Refer to Item 303(a)(3)&nbsp;of Regulation
S-K and Section&nbsp;501.04 of the Codification of Financial Reporting Releases
for guidance.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR RESPONSE:&#160; In future filings, we will quantify each
factor disclosed as a driver of SG&amp;A expense, or we will disclose why such
factor is not quantifiable.&#160; Note that we
already implemented this comment beginning with our Form&nbsp;10-Q for the
three months ended March&nbsp;31, 2009.</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">5</font></p>

</div>
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<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Liquidity and Capital Resources, page&nbsp;25</font></u></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">6.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Please provide
a discussion and analysis of your operating, investing, and financing cash
flows.&#160; In particular, discuss the
underlying factors for material changes in cash flows from operating activities
from period to period.&#160; For operating
cash flows, we note that factors impacting it may be available in preceding
sections of your filing but such information is disaggregated and not readily
apparent.&#160; In this regard, please
disclose here the material factors that impact the comparability of operating
cash flows in terms of cash.&#160; As you use
the indirect method, merely reciting changes in line items reported in the
statement of cash flows would not be sufficient.&#160; Refer to Section&nbsp;IV B of FR-72 for
guidance.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR RESPONSE:&#160; In future filings we will provide a discussion
and analysis of our operating, investing and financing cash flows as
suggested.&#160; Note that we already
implemented this comment beginning with our Form&nbsp;10-Q for the three months
ended March&nbsp;31, 2009.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">7.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">It
appears that 2008 was the first year in the last several years that you
experienced negative working capital.&#160;
Please discuss to what you attribute the working capital deficit, your
expectations of the continuation of a deficit, and any expected impacts on your
liquidity, capital resources and financial condition.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR RESPONSE:&#160;&#160;&#160; We experienced negative working capital in
2008 as follows:</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Symbol" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&#183;</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">$38.9 million
at June&nbsp;30, 2008</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Symbol" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&#183;</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">$45.8 million
at September&nbsp;30, 2008</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Symbol" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&#183;</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">$7.3 million at
December&nbsp;31, 2008</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Three primary factors drove
our working capital balance to become negative at these dates:</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 39.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Symbol" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&#183;</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Throughout the
second half of 2007 and the first half of 2008, we utilized excess cash
balances to fund capital projects related to an expansion of our Atlantis
Casino Resort and a stock buy-back program;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 39.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Symbol" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&#183;</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">At June&nbsp;30,
2008 and September&nbsp;30, 2008, 100% of our revolving credit facility (the &#147;Credit
Facility&#148;) was classified as current liability because of the then pending
maturity date of the Credit Facility on April&nbsp;18, 2009 which was
subsequently replaced with the New Credit Facility as stated below;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 39.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Symbol" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&#183;</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">At the three
listed dates, we experienced higher accounts payable and construction payable
balances because of increased procurement related to our Atlantis
expansion.&#160; This increased activity
inflated our payables above typical operating levels during the construction
period.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 39.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">On January&nbsp;20, 2009, we
successfully amended, restated and refinanced our Credit Facility with a new
credit facility (the &#147;New Credit Facility&#148;).&#160;
The New Credit Facility&#146;s maturity date is January&nbsp;20, 2012.&#160; With that refinancing, a significant portion
of our current liabilities were reclassified to long-term debt.&#160; Additionally, the construction related to our
expansion activity was completed during the first quarter of 2009.&#160; The result of these two factors eliminated
our negative working capital.&#160; Our Form&nbsp;10-Q
for the three months ended March&nbsp;31, 2009 shows that we have a working
capital surplus at March&nbsp;31, 2009.</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">6</font></p>

</div>
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<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Commitments
and Contingencies, page&nbsp;26</font></u></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">8.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">As this
table is intended to increase transparency of cash flow, we believe that you
should include scheduled interest payments in the table.&#160; Where interest rates are variable and
unknown, you may use judgment to determine whether or not to include such
estimates.&#160; In this regard, you would
determine an appropriate methodology to estimate the interest payments.&#160; Regardless of whether you include interest
payments in the table, a footnote to the table should clarify whether they are
included or not and, as appropriate, the methodology used in your estimate or
why interest is not determinable.&#160; If
interest payments are excluded from the table, please disclose the significant
contractual terms of the debt and any other additional information that is
material to an understanding of these future cash flows.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR
RESPONSE:&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Because interest payments
under our Credit Facility vary with factors that in our judgment are subject to
significant variability, the amount of future interest payments is not
presently determinable.&#160; These factors
include: 1) future short-term interest rates; 2) our future leverage ratio
which will vary based on future EBITDA and our future borrowing levels and 3)
the speed with which we deploy capital and other spending which, in turn, will
impact the level of future borrowings.&#160;
Beginning with our Form&nbsp;10-Q for the three months ended March&nbsp;31,
2009, w</font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">e added a footnote to the table to clarify that interest payments have
been excluded from the amounts in the table and discussed the reasons that we
believe future interest payments are not determinable.&#160; As suggested, we also disclosed the
significant contractual terms of the debt.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">9.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Please
describe the nature of the purchase obligations indicated in the table.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR
RESPONSE:&#160; Beginning with our Form&nbsp;10-Q
for the three months ended March&nbsp;31, 2009, we added a footnote to describe
the nature of the purchase obligations listed in the table.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Notes
to the Consolidated Financial statements, page&nbsp;37</font></u></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Note 1:
Summary of Significant accounting Policies, page&nbsp;37</font></u></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Promotional
Allowances, page&nbsp;38</font></u></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">10.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">We note your disclosure that
awards under your frequent player program are recognized as promotional
expenses at the time of redemption.&#160;
Please explain to us the reason it is appropriate under generally
accepted accounting principles to recognize the promotional expense at the time
of the redemption of the award and not when the requisite award levels are
achieved.&#160; As part of your response,
please tell us the dollar value of the points earned but not redeemed by
customers for each of the years presented in your filing.&#160; Also, tell us whether you accrue for an
estimate of points earned but not yet achieving necessary redemption levels.&#160; Additionally explain to us the basis for
determining the cost related to points earned.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR
RESPONSE:&#160; Unlike standard frequent
player or loyalty programs used commonly in the casino industry which allow
players or customers to exchange the points earned during play or buying
activity for goods and services at some future time (&#147;Complimentaries&#148;), the
rewarding of Complimentaries under our program is entirely at management&#146;s
discretion.&#160; The accounting treatment for
our program is the same as that disclosed in the November&nbsp;1, 2005 letter
we provided in response to the Securities and Exchange Commission&#146;s letter
dated October&nbsp;11, 2005 which reviewed our Form&nbsp;10-K for the year
ended December&nbsp;31, 2004 and Form&nbsp;10-Q&#146;s for the periods ended March&nbsp;31,
2005 and June&nbsp;30, 2005, respectively.</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">7</font></p>

</div>
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<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Our
program is designed to motivate our players to allow us to systematically &#147;track&#148;
their play to allow us to obtain marketing information which in turn allows us
to better target our promotional programs.&#160;
Our program provides players with a designated &#147;tier&#148; status based on
their play level without <u>entitling</u> them to any cash, Complimentary or
other economic benefit.&#160; Higher tier
levels qualify for reserved parking spaces closer to the resort entrance and
special social functions held periodically throughout the year.&#160; Our players are aware that they are
accumulating points as they play which may qualify them for higher tier levels;
however, there are four primary features of our program that preserve our right
to award Complimentaries at our discretion rather than as a contractual
exchange for the points accumulated:</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">1)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">We unilaterally cancel
player point balances without notice to the player;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">2)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">We do NOT disclose point
balances to our players.&#160; Our players
never see the point balances in their respective accounts;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">3)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">We do NOT disclose the ratio
of points accumulated for various levels of play; as such, our players do not
know the number of points accumulated for their respective play sessions;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">4)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">There is no pricing or
redemption table available to our players; as such, there is nothing available
to our players that indicates or commits that a specific number of points is
redeemable for specific Complimentaries.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Disclosure
on the membership application includes the following notices to make our
players aware that the accumulated points may be reduced at any time:</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">1)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Management of the Atlantis
Casino Resort Spa reserves <u>the right to adjust any point balance</u>
resulting from malfunction, operator error <u>or any other reason it deems
valid</u>.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">2)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Atlantis Casino Resort Spa
reserves the right to cancel or change the Club Paradise privileges at any time
without notice.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">3)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Club Paradise Cards are the
property of Atlantis Casino Resort Spa and may be revoked or canceled at any
time <u>including loss of points</u> and complimentaries.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">By
preserving the discretionary award feature, we maintain the flexibility to
grant Complimentaries to players whose play has not warranted such and can deny
a Complimentary to players who would qualify for awards under our competitors&#146;
programs but to whom we do not wish to grant a Complimentary.</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">8</font></p>

</div>
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<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;">

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Summary
of Points Accumulated, Complimentaries Awarded and Points Cancelled</font></u><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">:&#160; Following is a table summarizing the point
activity for the three years presented in our 2008 Form&nbsp;10-K:</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="60%" style="border-collapse:collapse;margin-left:1.5in;width:60.1%;">
 <tr>
  <td width="38%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:38.96%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 10.0pt;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.14%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="56%" colspan="6" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:56.9%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 10.0pt;text-align:center;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(amts in 000&#146;s)</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="38%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:38.96%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 10.0pt;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.14%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="56%" colspan="6" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:56.9%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 10.0pt;text-align:center;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">For the twelve months
  ended<br>
  December&nbsp;31,</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="38%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:38.96%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 10.0pt;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.14%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="15%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:15.2%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 10.0pt;text-align:center;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">2008</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.88%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="15%" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:15.74%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">2007</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.34%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.6%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">2006</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.14%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="38%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:38.96%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 10.0pt;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Points accumulated</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.14%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="15%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:15.2%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">15,685</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.88%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="15%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:15.74%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">16,991</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.34%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.6%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">13,109</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.14%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="38%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:38.96%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 10.0pt;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Complimentaries awarded (1)</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.14%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="15%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:15.2%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(11,620)</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.88%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="15%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:15.74%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(11,981)</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.34%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.6%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(3,924)</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.14%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="38%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:38.96%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 10.0pt;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Points cancelled (2)</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.14%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="15%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:15.2%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(4,850)</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.88%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="15%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:15.74%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(9,803)</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.34%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.6%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(3,828)</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.14%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="38%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:38.96%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt 20.0pt;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Net point activity</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.14%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="15%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:15.2%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(785)</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="3%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:3.88%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="15%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:15.74%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(4,793)</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.34%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:13.6%;">
  <p align="right" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">5,357</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:4.14%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
</table>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .5in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Footnotes
to table:</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .75in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(1)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">The point value of &#147;Complimentaries
awarded&#148; is determined based on the retail dollar value of Complimentaries
awarded.&#160; One point is reduced for each
dollar of retail value of the Complimentary award.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .75in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(2)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&#147;Points cancelled&#148;
represents points that were eliminated at management&#146;s discretion.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .75in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .75in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Accounting
Treatment</font></u><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;">:&#160; We
recognize the cost of Complimentaries when they are awarded.&#160; The Financial Accounting Standards Board (&#147;FASB&#148;),
Accounting Standards Executive Committee (&#147;AcSEC) and the FASB Emerging Issues
Task Force (&#147;EITF&#148;) considered, but reached no consensus, on the broad issue of
reporting loyalty and incentive transactions.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">In
determining the appropriate accounting treatment for our frequent player
program, we applied the requirements of paragraph 8 of FAS 5, Accounting for
Contingencies, which requires that a liability and corresponding charge to
income be recognized if the cost of the contingency is &#147;probable&#148; and the
amount &#147;can be reasonably estimated&#148;.&#160;
Because the awarding of Complimentaries under our program is
discretionary, the accumulation of points by our players does <u>not</u>
obligate us to deliver product or perform services in exchange for those points
at any future time.&#160; The activity
presented in the table above discloses that we cancelled a material percentage
of the points accumulated.&#160; As such,
based on the manner with which we manage our program, we consider that the
translation of accumulated points into future Complimentary awards is neither
probable nor estimable.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Property
and Equipment, page&nbsp;38</font></u></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">11.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">We note that your common share
price and overall market capitalization have declined significantly during the
last three quarters in 2008 and further declined in 2009.&#160; In addition, your current total market
capitalization at March&nbsp;31, 2009 appears to be significantly below your December&nbsp;31,
2008 book value of $106 million, and also appears to be below that book value
at the date of our letter.&#160; We also note
from your disclosures the overall challenging operating environment in which
your operate, especially that concerning the economic downturn in northern
Nevada, starting in the fourth quarter of 2007 that continued throughout 2008
and apparently continues to persist, the impact of such environment on your
significant markets, namely California, the Pacific Northwest and Reno area
residents, and the associated adverse effects on your business.&#160; We believe these events may be indicative of
a potential impairment of the Company&#146;s recorded investment in its property and
equipment and may require more recent and continued frequent testing of
impairment of your long-lived assets other than on the annual basis you generally
perform.&#160; In this regard, please refer to
the guidance in paragraph 8 of SFAS 144.&#160;
As such, please advise us what consideration has been given to testing
for impairment for the quarterly period ending March&nbsp;31, 2009.&#160; Additionally, tell us when you last performed
impairment testing.</font></b></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">9</font></p>

</div>
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<br clear="all" style="page-break-before:always;">


<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;">

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR
RESPONSE:&#160; We performed an impairment
analysis on our property and equipment balances as of December&nbsp;31, 2008
and updated the analysis as of March&nbsp;31, 2009.&#160; The conclusion of these analyses was that we
had no impairment issue.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Consistent
with the requirements of SFAS 144, our impairment analysis consisted of a
calculation of the sum of projected undiscounted operating cash flows, net of
expected maintenance capital expenditures and estimated cash to be paid for
taxes, plus an assumed future disposition of the assets.&#160; This undiscounted cash flow sum was then
compared to the book value of our property and equipment.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Note 5:
Long-Term Debt, page&nbsp;44</font></u></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">12.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Please explain to us your
consideration of EITF 96-19 in your accounting to be applied in the first
quarter of fiscal 2009 to the amendment and refinancing of the credit facility
undertaken in January&nbsp;2009.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR
RESPONSE:&#160; By way of background, in January&nbsp;2009
we entered into a revolving credit facility (the &#147;New Facility&#148;) via an amended
and restated credit agreement with a syndicate of three banks.&#160; We entered into this facility because our
previous single bank facility (the &#147;Credit Facility&#148;) was set to mature on April&nbsp;18,
2009.&#160; In January&nbsp;2009, we completed
a cash draw down under the New Facility to repay 100% of the borrowings
outstanding under the Credit Facility and wrote-off the $29,000 balance of
unamortized debt issuance costs related to the Credit Facility. &#160;Because the Credit Facility matured and we
entered into an entirely new facility, we consider that the debt under the
Credit Facility was properly recognized as &#147;extinguished debt&#148; in accordance
FASB Statement No.&nbsp;140, Accounting for Transfers of Financial Assets and
Extinguishment of Liabilities.&#160; As such,
we do not consider that our New Facility represents either a &#147;modification&#148; or
an &#147;exchange&#148; as defined in EITF 96-19.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Exhibits
and Financial Statement Schedules, page&nbsp;54</font></u></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">13.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">We note you have incorporated by
reference Exhibits 10.03, 10.05 and 10.06. These flings do not include all of
the schedule and exhibits listed in the table of contents of the
agreement.&#160; All agreements must be filed
in full and include all attachments, schedules and exhibits.&#160; Also, Exhibit&nbsp;10.06 does not contain
confirmed signature pages.&#160; Please amend
your Form&nbsp;10-K to file the entire agreements, including all exhibits and
schedules and all necessary signatures.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR
RESPONSE:&#160; We filed our current credit
agreement (including all exhibits, schedules and confirmed signature pages) as
an exhibit to our Form&nbsp;10-Q for the three months ended March&nbsp;31,
2009.&#160; Our original credit agreement and
amendment thereto are no longer effective as of the date of our current credit
agreement, or January&nbsp;20, 2009.&#160; In
addition, we no longer have electronic copies of the schedules that were not
filed with the original credit agreement and amendment thereto, and would
therefore have to recreate them in order to file them now.&#160; For the foregoing reasons, we ask that you
accept the exhibit we filed with our Form&nbsp;10-Q as a sufficient response to
this comment and that you not require an amendment of our Form&nbsp;10-K.</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">10</font></p>

</div>
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<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Definitive
Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A</font></u></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Compensation
Objectives, page</font></u></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&nbsp;8</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">14.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">We note your disclosure in the
second paragraph under this heading that you evaluate the total compensation of
your NEOs in light of the compensation practices and relative corporate
financial performance of other companies in the gaming industry.&#160; Please advise us whether benchmarking is
material to your compensation policies and decisions.&#160; If so, disclose the companies to which you
benchmark and the degree to which the Compensation Committee considered such
companies comparable to you.&#160; Refer to
Item 402(b)(2)(xiv) of Regulation S-K.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR
RESPONSE:&#160; Our reference to &#147;other
companies in the gaming industry&#148; is based on our Compensation Committee
members&#146; general knowledge and awareness rather than formal benchmarking.&#160; We do not look at any company in particular;
therefore, we do not consider this to be material to our compensation policies
and decisions.&#160; We will revise future
disclosure to clarify that we do not engage in bench marking.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Compensation
Elements, page&nbsp;8</font></u></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">15.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">We note that your annual cash
bonus program has an annual profit goal defined in relation to EBITDA.&#160; Please include quantitative disclosure
regarding the determination of targets and targets actually reached.&#160; To the extent you believe that disclosure of
the targets is not required because it would result in competitive harm such
that the targets could be excluded under Instruction 4 Item 402(b)&nbsp;of
Regulation S-K, provide us with a detailed explanation for such
conclusion.&#160; Also note that to the extent
that you have an appropriate basis for omitting the specific targets, you must
discuss how difficult it would be for the named executive officers or how
likely it will be for you to achieve the undisclosed target levels or other
factors.&#160; General statements regarding
the level of difficulty, or ease, associated with achieving performance goals
either corporately or individually are not sufficient.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:justify;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR
COMMENT: Our annual cash bonus program is awarded if our EBITDA target, as
established by our Board of Directors, is achieved.&#160; The Reno, Nevada gaming market consists of a
small number of large hotel/casinos against whom we compete.&#160; Several of our competitors, including our largest,
are privately held and are therefore not subject to public disclosure.&#160; Disclosure of our EBITDA target would enable
our closest competitors to calculate other operating metrics of the
Company.&#160; Detailed operating metrics are
viewed by us to be confidential financial information, the disclosure of which
would result in competitive harm to the Company.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">We
understand the requirement to disclose the likelihood that the target will be
achieved.&#160; In response to that
requirement, please see the last sentence of the &#147;Annual Cash Bonus Award&#148;
section under Compensation Elements at page&nbsp;8.&#160; There we disclose:</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&#147;Based
on the success the management team has had in achieving previous financial
profit and other performance targets, we believe it is likely that future bonus
awards will be paid fully.&#148;</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">11</font></p>

</div>
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<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;">

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">16.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">We note your disclosure that the
annual cash bonus program is comprised of a qualitative component.&#160; Please include a discussion of how
qualitative inputs are ultimately translated into objective pay determinations.&#160; Note that qualitative goals generally need to
be presented to conform to the requirements of Item 402(b)(2)(v)&nbsp;of
Regulation S-K.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR
RESPONSE:&#160; We will add the following
sentence to the disclosure you noted:</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&#147;The
qualitative component of the cash bonus program is awarded at the discretion of
the Compensation Committee which considers several factors of the NEO&#146;s
performance including, but not limited to, performance against specific
tactical objectives as established by the Board of Directors, staff
development, staff retention, operating process improvement and the
implementation of programs resulting in permanent cost reductions.&#148;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><b><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Summary
Compensation Table, page&nbsp;11</font></u></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">17.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font></b><b><font size="2" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Please confirm that no executive
officer of the company or its subsidiary, other than Mr.&nbsp;Rowan, received
total compensation for the last completed fiscal year that exceeded $100,000 or
provide us with analysis supporting your conclusion that additional executive
compensation disclosure is not necessary, including disclosure relating to the
compensation of executive officers of your subsidiary, Golden Road.</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt .25in;text-indent:-.25in;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">OUR
RESPONSE:&#160; No executive officer, as that
term is defined in Exchange Act Rule&nbsp;3b-7, of the Company, other that
those included in the Summary Compensation Table, received total compensation
for the last completed fiscal year hat exceeded $100,000.&#160; Under Exchange Act Rule&nbsp;3b-7, no
executive officers of our subsidiaries are executive officers of the Company.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="90%" style="border-collapse:collapse;margin-left:.25in;width:90.0%;">
 <tr>
  <td width="100%" colspan="2" valign="top" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:100.0%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Sincerely,</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="100%" colspan="2" valign="top" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:100.0%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="50%" valign="top" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:50.0%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">/s/
  Ronald Rowan</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="50%" valign="top" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:50.0%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="100%" colspan="2" valign="top" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:100.0%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Ronald
  Rowan</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="100%" colspan="2" valign="top" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:100.0%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Chief
  Financial Officer</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="100%" colspan="2" valign="top" style="padding:0in .7pt 0in .7pt;width:100.0%;">
  <p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Monarch
  Casino&nbsp;&amp; Resort,&nbsp;Inc.</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
</table>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">12</font></p>

<p style="margin:0in 0in .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

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