Press Release Details

WYOMISSING, Pa. & LAWRENCEBURG, Ind., Aug 22, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Penn National Gaming, Inc. (Nasdaq: PENN) announced today that subject to customary regulatory approvals, Joe Hasson, 55, has been named General Manager of Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg. Mr. Hasson will report to John Finamore, Senior Vice President Regional Operations of Penn National Gaming.

Mr. Hasson has over 30 years of gaming industry experience in regional and locals markets and comes to Penn National following eight years at Station Casinos where he most recently served as Vice President & General Manager of Sunset Station Hotel Casino in Henderson, NV. At Station, Hasson also served as Vice President & General Manager of the Aliante Station Casino + Hotel and Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa, Casino properties. At both Aliante Station and Green Valley Ranch Resort, Hasson oversaw large development projects including managing Aliante Station's development from groundbreaking through opening and thereafter, as well as an over $200 million expansion project at Green Valley Ranch Resort which more than doubled the size of the resort's lodging, convention and spa accommodations. Prior to joining Station, he held a variety of roles of increasing prominence at Harrah's Entertainment over a period of 22 years. During the last eight years of his time at Harrah's, Hasson served as Senior Vice President & General Manager at a number of properties in markets including Lake Tahoe, NV, New Orleans, LA, Laughlin, NV, Topeka, KS and Tunica, MS. Mr. Hasson holds a Bachelor of Science in Commerce from Rider College.

John Finamore commented, "Joe brings strong management experience and extensive industry knowledge to Penn National and is the ideal person to lead Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg. With his 30 year track record of gaming industry success in a number of the nation's largest regional gaming markets and extensive experience in catering to predominantly locals-based guests, Joe will be able to quickly work with our team at Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg on strategies that drive ongoing improvements in property operating performance while also further cultivating our relationships within the local community.

"Since the opening of the new 270,000 square foot, 4,400 gaming position vessel in 2009, Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg has established itself as the greater Cincinnati region's top gaming entertainment destination featuring a 300 room hotel, extensive food and beverage operations and exciting entertainment options. We believe Joe's success in optimizing full-scale resort hotel properties in some of the country's largest regional and locals gaming markets will be a valuable asset as the market continues to evolve over the coming years."

About Penn National Gaming

Penn National Gaming, through its subsidiaries, owns, operates or has ownership interests in gaming and racing facilities with a focus on slot machine entertainment. The Company presently operates twenty-six facilities in eighteen jurisdictions, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia, and Ontario. In aggregate, Penn National's operated facilities feature approximately 29,000 gaming machines, approximately 600 table games, 2,400 hotel rooms and 1.1 million square feet of gaming floor space.

Through a joint venture, Penn National is developing a full casino at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, which is anticipated to open in the first quarter of 2012, and is also developing casinos in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio, with openings targeted for 2012.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may vary materially from expectations. Although Penn National Gaming, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of our knowledge of our business and operations, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from our expectations. Meaningful factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations include, but are not limited to, risks related to the following: our ability to receive, or delays in obtaining, the regulatory approvals required to own, develop and/or operate our facilities, or other delays or impediments to completing our planned acquisitions or projects, including favorable resolution of any related litigation; our ability to secure state and local permits and approvals necessary for construction; construction factors, including delays, unexpected remediation costs, local opposition and increased cost of labor and materials; the passage of state, federal or local legislation (including referenda) that would expand, restrict, further tax, prevent or negatively impact operations in or adjacent to the jurisdictions in which we do business (such as a smoking ban at any of our facilities) or in jurisdictions where we seek to do business; the effects of local and national economic, credit, capital market, housing, and energy conditions on the economy in general and on the gaming and lodging industries in particular; the activities of our competitors and the emergence of new competitors; increases in the effective rate of taxation at any of our properties or at the corporate level; our ability to recover proceeds on significant insurance claims; our ability to identify attractive acquisition and development opportunities and to agree to terms with partners for such transactions; the costs and risks involved in the pursuit of such opportunities and our ability to complete the acquisition or development of, and achieve the expected returns from, such opportunities; our expectations for the continued availability and cost of capital; the maintenance of agreements with our horsemen, pari-mutuel clerks and other organized labor groups; the outcome of pending legal proceedings; changes in accounting standards; our dependence on key personnel; the impact of terrorism and other international hostilities; the impact of weather; and other factors as discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K as filed with the SEC. The Company does not intend to update publicly any forward-looking statements except as required by law.

SOURCE: Penn National Gaming, Inc.

Penn National Gaming, Inc.
William J. Clifford, 610-373-2400
Chief Financial Officer
or
Jaffoni & Collins Incorporated
Joseph N. Jaffoni / Richard Land, 212-835-8500
penn@jcir.com