Penn National Gaming temporarily closes PA casinos

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Penn National Gaming, Inc. announced today that Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course and The Meadows have received notification from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to temporarily suspend operations beginning at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, 17 March 2020 as a precautionary measure against the ongoing spread of COVID-19. The PGCB will be continuing to work with the state’s licensed casinos, as well as local, state and federal health authorities 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 2,100 team members in Pennsylvania 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 the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Washington County Food Bank, and other local organizations.

“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.