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                                                                   EXHIBIT 20.1

CONTACT:
        Tom Steinbauer
        Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
        Ameristar Casinos
        702-567-7037

                AMERISTAR CASINOS OBTAINS REQUIRED CONSENTS FROM
              NOTEHOLDERS IN CONNECTION WITH CONSENT SOLICITATION

Las Vegas, Nev., Dec. 5, 2000 - Ameristar Casinos, Inc. announced today that it
has received the required consents to certain proposed amendments to the
indenture governing its 10-1/2 percent Senior Subordinated Notes due 2004,
Series B (the "Notes"). The deadline for the delivery of consents was midnight,
New York City time, on Monday, Dec. 4, 2000. To date, noteholders have tendered
$99,870,000 aggregate principal amount of the Notes (or approximately 99.9
percent of the total issued and outstanding amount).

        Ameristar Casinos anticipates that the supplemental indenture containing
the amendments will be executed imminently. The amendments will not become
operative until validly tendered Notes are accepted for payment pursuant to the
terms of the tender offer, which is expected to occur concurrently with the
closing of Ameristar Casinos' acquisition, through its subsidiaries, of Kansas
City, Missouri and St. Charles, Missouri gaming and entertainment facilities
from subsidiaries of Station Casinos, Inc. The tender offer and consent
solicitation, including Ameristar Casinos' obligation to accept the Notes for
payment, are subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the

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Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement dated Nov. 20, 2000. The
tender offer will expire at midnight, New York City time, on Monday, Dec. 18,
2000, unless terminated or extended by Ameristar Casinos.

     Ameristar Casinos announced the tender offer and consent solicitation on
Nov. 20, 2000. The tender offer and consent solicitation relate to Ameristar
Casinos' acquisition, through its subsidiaries, of gaming and entertainment
facilities in Kansas City, Missouri and St. Charles, Missouri from subsidiaries
of Station Casinos, Inc. These acquisition transactions are subject to a number
of conditions, including gaming and other regulatory approvals.

     This announcement is not an offer to purchase, a solicitation of an offer
to purchase or a solicitation of consents with respect to the Notes. The tender
offer and consent solicitation are being made solely by, and remain subject to,
the Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement dated Nov. 20, 2000.

     This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the context of the
statement or the use of words such as Ameristar Casinos or its management
"believes," "anticipates," "intends," "expects," "plans," or words of similar
meaning. Similarly, statements that describe Ameristar Casinos' future plans,
objectives, strategies or goals are forward-looking statements. Although
management believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking
statements are reasonable, these assumptions and the forward-looking statements
are subject to various factors, risks and uncertainties, many of which

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are beyond the control of Ameristar Casinos, including but not limited to,
uncertainties concerning the execution of a supplemental indenture, the
consummation of the tender offer and the consummation of the acquisition
transactions. Accordingly, actual results could differ from those contemplated
by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Attention is
directed to "Item 1. Business -- Risk Factors" in the Annual Report on Form 10-K
of Ameristar Casinos, Inc. for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 1999 and "Item 2.
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operation -- Liquidity and Capital Resources" in the Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q of Ameristar Casinos, Inc. for the fiscal quarter ended Sept. 30, 2000 for
a discussion of some of the factors, risks and uncertainties that could affect
Ameristar Casinos' future results.

        Ameristar Casinos, Inc., a publicly traded company (NASDAQ ticker
symbol: ASCA) with a strong background in the gaming and hospitality industry
dating back to 1954, owns and operates Cactus Pete's Resort Casino and The
Horseshu Hotel & Casino in Jackpot, Nev., Ameristar Casino Hotel Vicksburg in
Vicksburg, Miss., Ameristar Casino Hotel Council Bluffs in Council Bluffs, Iowa,
and The Reserve Hotel Casino in Henderson, Nev. in metropolitan Las Vegas.

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         Visit Ameristar Casinos' Web site at www.ameristarcasinos.com
       (which shall not be deemed to be incorporated in or a part of this
                                 press release)