Penn National Gaming to Temporarily Suspend Operations at Its Casinos in Louisiana
March 16 2020 - 3:37PM
Business Wire
Penn National Gaming, Inc. (NASDAQ: PENN) (“Penn National” or
the “Company”) announced today that Boomtown Casino Bossier City,
Boomtown Casino New Orleans, L’Auberge Baton Rouge, L’Auberge Lake
Charles, and Margaritaville Resort Casino have received
notification from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board (“LGCB”) to
temporarily suspend operations for a period of two weeks beginning
at midnight tonight as a precautionary measure against the ongoing
spread of COVID-19. The LGCB 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 4,500 team members in Louisiana who will be
impacted by this temporary closure, we plan to continue to pay
their wages and benefits for the two-week period. In addition,
we’ll be donating perishable food items to the local food banks in
Baton Rouge, Bossier City, Harvey, and Lake Charles.
“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.
About Penn National Gaming
Penn National Gaming owns, operates or has ownership interests
in 41 gaming and racing properties in 19 jurisdictions and video
gaming terminal operations with a focus on slot machine
entertainment. We also offer live sports betting at our properties
in Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In
total, Penn National’s properties feature approximately 50,000
gaming machines, 1,300 table games and 8,800 hotel rooms. In
addition, the Company operates an interactive gaming division
through its subsidiary, Penn Interactive Ventures, LLC, which
recently launched iGaming in Pennsylvania and, through strategic
partnerships, operates online sports betting in Indiana,
Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The Company also has a leading
customer loyalty program, mychoice, with over five million active
customers.
Forward-looking Statements
All statements included in this press release, other than
historical information or statements of historical fact, are
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements, including statements regarding COVID-19, the length of
time Penn National’s casinos in Louisiana will be required to
remain closed and the impact of these or other potential closures
on Penn National and its stakeholders are subject to risks,
uncertainties and changes in circumstances that could significantly
affect the Company’s future financial results and business.
Accordingly, Penn National cautions that the forward-looking
statements contained herein are qualified by important factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
reflected by such statements. For more information on the potential
factors that could affect the Company’s financial results and
business, review the Company’s filings with the SEC, including, but
not limited to, its Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Current
Reports on Form 8-K. The Company does not intend to update publicly
any forward-looking statements except as required by law. In light
of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking
events discussed in this press release may not occur.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200316005792/en/
Eric Schippers Senior Vice President, Public Affairs &
Government Relations 610-373-2400
PENN Entertainment (NASDAQ:PENN)
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