<PAGE>   1
                                                                     EXHIBIT 2.3



THIS PROMISSORY NOTE HAS BEEN ISSUED IN CONNECTION WITH A CERTAIN STOCK
PURCHASE AND SETTLEMENT AND RELEASE AGREEMENT DATED SEPTEMBER 27, 1996 BY AND
AMONG INLAND CASINO CORPORATION ("INLAND"), ALAN HENRY WOODS AND JONATHAN UNGAR
(COPIES OF WHICH ARE ON FILE WITH INLAND AND MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE CORPORATE
SECRETARY OF INLAND) AND HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF
1933, AS AMENDED (THE "SECURITIES ACT"), OR REGISTERED OR QUALIFIED UNDER ANY
STATE SECURITIES LAW AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO
A "U.S. PERSON" (AS DEFINED IN REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) UNLESS
THIS PROMISSORY NOTE IS REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT.  ACCORDINGLY, THIS
PROMISSORY NOTE MAY NOT BE SOLD, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED, OR OTHERWISE
TRANSFERRED UNLESS IT HAS FIRST BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND
REGISTERED OR QUALIFIED UNDER ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAW OR UNLESS
INLAND HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO IT THAT REGISTRATION
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER ANY APPLICABLE
STATE SECURITIES LAW IS NOT REQUIRED.



                                PROMISSORY NOTE


$1,731,450.00                La Jolla, California           September 30, 1996


         FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned, Inland Casino Corporation, a Utah
corporation ("Maker"), hereby promises to pay to the order of Alan Henry Woods,
an individual citizen of Australia and a resident of Hong Kong ("Payee"), the
principal sum of ONE MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY ONE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED
FIFTY DOLLARS ($1,731,450.00) in lawful money of the United States of America.

         1.      Interest.  The unpaid principal balance of this Promissory
Note from time to time outstanding shall bear interest at the rate of ten
percent (10.0%) per annum, computed on the basis of a 360-day year for the
actual number of days elapsed.

         2.      Payments.  For the first three (3) years of this Promissory
Note, Maker shall pay to Payee, in annual installments commencing on September
30, 1997, interest only on the unpaid principal balance; thereafter,
commencing on September 30, 2000, Maker shall pay to the order of Payee the
principal sum of $1,731,450 in three annual installments in the following
manner: $577,150 on each of September 30, 2000, 2001 and 2002, with interest
on the unpaid principal balance as specified in Section 1 hereof payable with
each installment of principal; provided, however, that Maker only shall be
obligated to make an installment payment under this Promissory Note (a) to the
extent of Maker's unreserved and unrestricted earned surplus and capital
surplus as provided in Article VI of Maker's Articles of Incorporation, and (b)
if and to the extent that such installment payment could be made under Section
16-10a-640 of the Utah Revised Business Corporation Act or any other similar
applicable





                                       1
<PAGE>   2
law, in each case after giving effect to payments to be made by Maker under
that certain Stock Purchase and Settlement and Release Agreement, dated
February 23, 1996, by and between Maker and Jack R. Smith; and provided
further, that in assessing whether Maker shall be obligated to make an
installment payment under this Promissory Note, Maker shall only be obligated
to make such payment to Payee to the extent that it could make the
corresponding payment to Jonathan Ungar under the Ungar Promissory Note made
pursuant to the Stock Purchase and Settlement and Release Agreement, dated
September 27, 1996, by and among Maker, Payee, and Jonathan Ungar (the "Stock
Purchase Agreement").  Each of the above-referenced financial tests shall be
made immediately prior to the time an installment payment is scheduled.  To the
extent such financial tests are not met, Maker shall be under no obligation to
make such payment and Maker shall not be deemed to be in default on this
Promissory Note.  To the extent that any such installment comes due on a day
that is not a business day, such payment shall be due on the next succeeding
business day.

         3.      Adjusted Payments.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
herein, to the extent that Maker is unable to make an installment payment under
this Promissory Note because of the reasons set forth in Section 2 herein,
Maker shall assess the amount of funds that it may legally use to make payments
to Payee and Mr. Ungar and, to the extent that there are funds available, Maker
shall first make proportional payments of principal and/or interest thereon
(depending upon the type of payment that was scheduled) to Payee and Mr. Ungar
to the extent legally permissible; thereafter, the amount of such scheduled
installment which the Company was not obligated to pay pursuant to Section 2
hereof shall be added to the principal amount remaining on this Promissory Note
and future annual payments hereunder will be adjusted accordingly.  Such
procedures shall apply to successive years' installment payments until the
entire principal amount of each of Payee's and Mr. Ungar's notes are paid in
full which may extend beyond the anticipated six-year term stated in Section 2
herein.

         4.      Prepayment of Principal.

                 (a)      Any portion of the principal balance of this
Promissory Note may be repaid from time to time in whole or in part, without
penalty, and the amount of the payments of principal and interest set forth in
Section 2 will be adjusted accordingly; provided, however, that all payments
and prepayments made by the Company under this Promissory Note and the 
corresponding Ungar Promissory Note shall be proportionate with respect to 
each such Note.

                 (b)      If the principal balance of this Promissory Note is
paid in full prior to the final installment date, the entire principal balance
of this Promissory Note will be reduced by an amount equal to two percent (2%)
for each full twelve-month period that the principal balance is paid in full
prior to the final installment date.  Such reduction of principal shall not
reduce any interest payments made on this Promissory Note.  The amount of such
principal reduction shall be deducted from the final installment payment to be
paid by Maker.

         5.      Default.  If Maker fails to make any installment payment or
portion of a payment when due, and such failure shall continue thirty (30) days
after Maker has received written notice of the default from Payee, all unpaid
principal, together with accrued interest, will become immediately due and
payable at the Option of the Payee.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
herein, this Promissory Note will not be in default to the extent Maker is not





                                       2
<PAGE>   3
obligated to make an installment payment of principal and/or interest hereunder
for the reasons set forth in Section 2 herein.

         6.      This Promissory Note is made pursuant to the Stock Purchase
Agreement.  Nothing in this Promissory Note shall be construed in a manner
which is inconsistent with the terms of the Stock Purchase Agreement.

         7.      Limitation on Interest.  Notwithstanding any provision
contained in this Promissory Note to the contrary, no holder hereof shall ever
be entitled to receive, collect, or apply as interest on this Promissory Note
any amount in excess of the highest lawful rate permissible under any law that
a court of competent jurisdiction may deem applicable hereto.  If any holder
hereof ever receives, collects, or applies as interest any such excess, the
amount that would be excessive interest shall be deemed to be a partial payment
of principal and treated hereunder as such, and, if the principal balance of
this Promissory Note is paid in full, any remaining excess shall promptly be
paid to Maker.

         8.      Right of Setoff.  To the extent that Payee does not meet his
obligations set forth in Section 19 of the Stock Purchase Agreement, Maker, at
its sole election, may reduce the principal amount of this Promissory Note by
the amount of payments not made by Payee pursuant to Section 19 of the Stock
Purchase Agreement.  Such right of setoff shall be separate from any other
rights available to the Company and shall not effect any right that any
individual director may have against Payee.

         9.      Successors and Assigns.  This Promissory Note shall be binding
upon Maker, its successors and assigns, and shall inure to the benefit of
Payee, its successors and assigns.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
herein, this Promissory Note shall not be assigned by Payee without the written
consent of Maker in accordance with the provisions of Section 35 of the Stock
Purchase Agreement.

         10.     Severability.  If any one or more of the provisions contained
herein (or parts thereof), or the application thereof in any circumstance, is
held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect for any reason, the
validity and enforceability of any such provision in every other respect and of
the remaining provisions hereof will not be in any way impaired or affected, it
being intended that all of the rights and privileges should be enforceable to
the fullest extent permitted by law.

         11.     Business Day.  For purposes of this Promissory Note, the term
"business day" shall mean any day of the year other than a Saturday, Sunday or
public or bank holiday in San Diego, California.





                                       3
<PAGE>   4
         12.     APPLICABLE LAW.  THIS PROMISSORY NOTE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY,
AND CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS OF THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Maker has executed this Promissory Note as of the
date first set forth above.

                                        
                                        INLAND CASINO CORPORATION



                                        By: /s/ L. DONALD SPEER, II
                                            ----------------------------------- 
                                                L. Donald Speer, II
                                                Chairman of the Board and
                                                Chief Executive Officer



                                        By: /s/ ARTHUR R. PFIZENMAYER 
                                            ----------------------------------- 
                                                Arthur R. Pfizenmayer
                                                President and Chief
                                                Operating Officer





                                       4