Penn National Gaming temporarily closes Nevada properties

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Penn National Gaming, Inc. announced today that pursuant to an order from Governor Steve Sisolak, it will temporarily suspend operations for thirty days at Tropicana Las Vegas, The M Resort, and Cactus Petes Resort Casino as a precautionary measure against the ongoing spread of COVID-19. All gaming operations will be closing at midnight tonight and all non-gaming operations, other than hotel operations, will be closing by noon on Wednesday, 18 March 2020. All hotel operations will be closing by 6 p.m. on Thursday, 19 March 2020. The Governor will remain in consultation with the state’s licensed casinos, public health authorities and government officials to determine safe protocols for when operations may resume.

“The health and well-being of our guests and team members will always be our paramount concern,” said Jay Snowden, President and CEO of Penn National Gaming. “Since the coronavirus threat began, we have implemented stringent CDC-recommended protocols throughout our enterprise, including increased daily cleaning regimens, maximizing air circulation, cancelling or postponing all live events, and we’re in the process of reducing the number of chairs at our dining facilities, table games and poker rooms, as well as the number of slot machines in play at any one time, to increase social distancing, among other initiatives.

“As for our nearly 3,200 team members at our Nevada properties who will be impacted by this temporary closure, we plan to continue to pay their wages and benefits through the end of March. In addition, we’ll be donating perishable food items to area food banks and local charities.

“This is a challenging time for all of us, and we are very appreciative of the overwhelming support and understanding from our guests and team members. We look forward to reopening our doors just as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will be taking the opportunity to continue our deep cleaning efforts and preparing our casino to welcome our loyal customers back,” concluded Mr. Snowden.