**EXHIBIT 12.1**

 

**Ratio of Earnings to Fixed ChargesHerbst Gaming, Inc.(1)**

 

# **COMPUTATIONOF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES(dollars in thousands) (unaudited)**

 
| ** **                                                                  | ** ** | **2001**   | ** ** | **2002**   | ** ** | **2003**   | ** ** | **2004**   | ** ** | **2005**   | ** ** |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|
| ** **                                                                  | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** |
| Income from  continuing operations before income taxes(2) (3) (4) |       | $          | 1,060      |       | $          | 5,233      |       | $          | 8,209      |       | $          | 29,222 |   | $ | 51,053 |   |
| Add:                                                                        |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
| Interest  expense                                                           |       | 20,929     |       | 19,964     |       | 24,525     |       | 22,109     |       | 36,532     |       |
| Interest  component of rent expenses                                        |       | 318        |       | 409        |       | 611        |       | 658        |       | 807        |       |
| Earnings  available for fixed charges                                       |       | $          | 22,307     |       | $          | 25,606     |       | $          | 33,345     |       | $          | 51,989 |   | $ | 88,392 |   |
| Fixed  Charges:                                                             |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
| Interest  expense                                                           |       | $          | 20,929     |       | $          | 19,964     |       | $          | 24,525     |       | $          | 22,109 |   | $ | 36,532 |   |
| Interest  capitalized                                                       |       | —     |       | —     |       | —     |       | —     |       | —     |       |
| Interest  component of rent expense                                         |       | 318        |       | 409        |       | 611        |       | 658        |       | 807        |       |
| Total fixed  charges                                                        |       | $          | 21,247     |       | $          | 20,373     |       | $          | 25,136     |       | $          | 22,767 |   | $ | 37,339 |   |
| Ratio of  earnings to fixed charges                                         |       | 1.0        | x          | 1.3        | x          | 1.3        | x          | 2.3        | x          | 2.4        | x          |

 

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| (1)    | For purposes of  determining the ratio of earnings to fixed charges, earnings are defined as  earnings before fixed charges and loss on early retirement of debt (other  than capitalized interest). Fixed charges consist of interest expensed and  capitalized and the interest component of rent expense. |
|--------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| (2)    | Includes add back of  early retirement of debt charges of $13,024,000 for the year ending  December 31, 2001                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| (3)    | Includes add back of  early retirement of debt charges of $37,991,000 for the year ending  December 31, 2004.                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| (4)    | Includes add back of  early retirement of debt charges of $221,000 for the year ending  December 31, 2005.                                                                                                                                                                                              |

 

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