Casino Gaming Operations Suspended In Pennsylvania Beginning Saturday, December 12, 2020

HARRISBURG, PA: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today will be working with the 12 operating casinos in the Commonwealth on closing procedures as part of a COVID-19 mitigation order announced by Governor Tom Wolf today.

Under the order, the following casinos will cease all gaming activities and patron entry by 12:01 a.m. Saturday, December 12^th:

·        Harrah’s Philadelphia

·        Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course

·        Lady Luck Nemacolin

·        Live! Casino Pittsburgh

·        Meadows Casino and Racetrack

·        Mohegan Sun Pocono

·        Mount Airy Casino Resort

·        Parx Casino

·        Presque Isle Racetrack and Casino

·        Rivers Pittsburgh

·        Valley Forge Casino and Resort

·        Wind Creek Bethlehem

Rivers Casino Philadelphia had already closed on November 20^th in accordance with an order from the City of Philadelphia.

Under the Governor’s order, casinos may reopen at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, January 4, 2021.

Gaming Control Board Executive Director Kevin O’Toole says that public health and safety of patrons, casino employees and others are of paramount importance.

“The Board is continuously monitoring developments and will update licensees and the public as frequently as possible with any new developments,” O’Toole says.

The closures do not effect other forms of gaming regulated by the Gaming Control Board offered via the internet including casino-type games, sports wagering and fantasy contests.

About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of gambling legalized under 2004’s Race Horse Development and Gaming Act and the Gaming Expansion Act of 2017. In addition to slot machine and table games gambling at land-based casinos, the expansion includes online casino games available to date on 12 sites; sports wagering offered through sportsbooks at 13 retail locations and through 10 online outlets; video gaming terminals (VGTs) offered as of this date at 40 qualified truck stops; and, fantasy sports contests through six providers.

The mature land-based casino industry in Pennsylvania currently consists of six racetrack (Category 1) and four stand-alone (Category 2) casinos in, along with the two resort (Category 3) casinos and one mini-casino (Category 4).  These facilities collectively employ over 16,000 people and, along with other types of Board-regulated gaming, annually generate over $1.5 billion in tax revenue. Construction of an additional Category 2 casino is currently underway along with a number of Category 4 casinos which are expected to begin operation over the next couple of years.

Additional information about both the PGCB’s gaming regulatory efforts and Pennsylvania’s gaming industry can be found at https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/ . You can also follow the agency on Twitter by choosing @PAGamingControl.