Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Orders Statewide Closure of Video Gaming Terminal Rooms

HARRISBURG, PA: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today announced that it has ordered the closure of Video Gaming Terminal (VGTs) rooms located in truck stop establishments statewide beginning at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, December 12, 2020 as part of a COVID-19 mitigation order announced by Governor Tom Wolf on Friday.

A total of 40 truck stop establishments, each operating the maximum allowable 5 machines, are affected by this shutdown. A list of all locations is available at this link on the Board's website:
https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/files/licensure/reports/VGT_Location_Master_List.pdf

Under the Governor's order, the operation of VGTs may commence again at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, January 4, 2021.

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.