Tropicana World Meatball-Eating Championship

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - All eyes will be on Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, NJ, on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2004, when a handful of the nation's finest gurgitators clash at the Tropicana World Meatball Eating Championship. The contest will be held in The Quarter, just outside of Carmine's Restaurant at 1:00pm.

There will be $5,000 in prize money on the line, broken down as follows: $2,500 for first place; $1,250 for second place; $750 for third place; and $500 for fourth place.

Those slated to compete include Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas, the top-ranked competitive eater in the United States. Thomas' records include 36 dozen oysters in 10 minutes, 11 lbs of cheesecake in nine minutes, and 48 chicken tacos in 11 minutes. Thomas, a 105-lb. resident of Alexandria, VA, has often been compared to a combination of Anna Kournikova and a ravenous jackal loose on the Serengeti.

"The Tropicana is excited to host this unique event," said Dennis C. Gomes, president, resort operations, Aztar Corporation, Tropicana's parent company. "It looks like these eaters will devour more Carmine's meatballs in 10 minutes than our most devoted customers will eat in an entire month."

Said George Shea, Chairman of the International Federation of Competitive Eating: "With Atlantic City having hosted so many great heavyweight title fights, it's only appropriate that an epic battle of this magnitude be waged on these hallowed grounds."

This Fall, Tropicana Casino and Resort will debut The Quarter at Tropicana. A $285 million non-gaming expansion, The Quarter will be home to a stunning array of world-class restaurants, red-hot entertainment and nightlife venues, chic and cultured retail and the most lavish and luxuriant spa facility in Atlantic City.

Undoubtedly what's to become the city's most sensational, sultry and sizzling hot new destination, The Quarter at Tropicana is the largest non-gaming expansion in the history of Atlantic City. In addition to offering guests first-rate dining, shopping, entertainment and spa options, the Havana Tower will add 502 new hotel rooms, 45,000 square feet of meeting space, and 2,400 new parking spaces.

For more information on this event, The Quarter and Tropicana Casino and Resort, visit www.tropicana.net/press.