Penn National Gaming Announces Opening Day Ceremonies at Plainridge Racecourse on Wednesday, April 16, at 3:30PM

PLAINVILLE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Penn National Gaming, Inc. PENN (the “Company” or “Penn National”) announced today that it will host Opening Day of the Massachusetts standardbred harness racing season at Plainridge Racecourse on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at 3:30 pm ET.

"Today is more than the start of another harness racing season – it is the beginning of a bright future for the Massachusetts equine industry,” said Chris McErlean, Vice President of Racing for Penn National. “With the opening of Plainridge Park Casino in little over a year, harness racing is here to stay and thrive in the Commonwealth. That's good news for our current employees, the hundreds more that will soon be joining them, and the thousands of families throughout Massachusetts whose livelihoods depend on the industry. We are very proud and excited to be here today and are thankful to the community and the Commonwealth."

Plainridge Racecourse employees, horsemen, and local community officials will be in attendance for a brief ceremony and remarks to commemorate the day. Penn National held a groundbreaking ceremony for Plainridge Park Casino on March 14, 2014. Construction of the gaming facility will occur concurrently with the live racing season. The company expects minimal impact on the live racing season that takes place on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout the year.

About Plainridge Park Casino

Plainridge Park Casino will include a fully integrated 106,000 square foot racing and gaming facility featuring live harness racing and simulcasting with 1,250 slot machines, an upscale casual dining restaurant, the first-ever Doug Flutie Sports Bar, four-venue food court, harness concourse bar, multi-purpose banquet room, entertainment lounge and casino bar, 1,620 structured and surface parking spaces, 26,000 square foot grandstand with box and reserved seats, and 13,000 square foot clubhouse with box seats.

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-seven facilities in eighteen jurisdictions, including Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia, and Ontario. In aggregate, Penn National's operated facilities feature approximately 31,000 gaming machines, 800 table games and 2,900 hotel rooms.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology such as “expects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “will,” “should,” or “anticipates,” or the negative or other variation of these or similar words, or by discussions of future events, strategies or risks and uncertainties. Such forward looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about Penn National Gaming and its subsidiaries, including risks related to the ultimate location of the various other gaming facilities in Massachusetts and the ongoing efforts in the state to repeal the enabling legislation, and accordingly, any forward looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors described in Penn National Gaming's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All subsequent written and oral forward looking statements attributable to Penn National Gaming or persons acting on the Company's behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements included in this press release. Penn National Gaming undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward looking statements contained or incorporated by reference herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, 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.