Penn National Gaming Names Jon Johnson General Manager of Empress Casino Hotel in Joliet

WYOMISSING, Pa. & JOLIET, Ill.-(Business Wire)-September 16, 2009 - Penn National Gaming, Inc. (Nasdaq: PENN) (“Penn”) announced today that effective immediately, Jon Johnson, 56, has been named General Manager of Empress Casino Hotel, subject to regulatory approval. Johnson has served as the General Manager of Penn National’s Hollywood Slots Hotel & Raceway in Bangor, ME since its July 2008 opening and also served since May 2005 as the General Manager of the facility while it was under development. Johnson fills the General Manager position at Empress Casino Hotel that was previously held by Frank Quigley, who was recently named the General Manager of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course. Penn National expects to appoint a new General Manager for the Bangor facility shortly.

Jon Johnson brings 35 years of successful gaming industry experience to his new position. Prior to serving as the General Manager of Penn National’s Hollywood Slots Hotel & Raceway, he was the Assistant General Manager of Penn National’s Hollywood Casino – Tunica. During the course of his career, Jon Johnson has worked in several destination and regional gaming jurisdictions including Nevada, New Jersey, Mississippi, Indiana, Louisiana and Maine and has held key management and financial positions including casino controller, vice president of finance and chief financial officer at leading brands such as MGM, Horseshoe, Bally’s and Caesars. In his new role, Jon Johnson will be responsible for all facets of operations at Empress Casino Hotel.

John Finamore, Senior Vice President Regional Operations of Penn National Gaming, commented, “Penn National has developed a highly qualified and diverse property-level management team which allows us to bring an accomplished gaming executive such as Jon to the General Manager position at Empress Casino Hotel. Jon moves to the property at an important time as the casino vessel was entirely remodeled recently and the property is being further renovated and repositioned in the market following its temporary closure earlier this year following a fire. Jon’s many years of gaming industry management experience, as well as his contributions in the development and opening of both the temporary and permanent facilities in Bangor, will provide immediate benefits to Empress Casino Hotel as the property continues to offer customers market leading entertainment offerings and amenities.”

Following a fire in March 2009, Empress Casino Hotel re-opened to the public in late June 2009 with a re-designed and upgraded casino floor and a new interior that combines the classic luxury and glamour of 1930’s art deco style with the latest technology and amenities designed for guest comfort. The 50,000 square foot Empress Casino features over 1,100 slots, including popular video, reel and progressive games, as well as 20 table games including live poker. Several upgrades and amenities were also added to the facility during the renovation, including a 250-seat buffet and high limits and VIP areas. Penn National intends to begin rebuilding the land-based pavilion commencing in the fourth quarter of 2009, with completion scheduled by year-end 2010.

About Penn National Gaming

Penn National Gaming owns and operates gaming and racing facilities with a focus on slot machine entertainment. The Company presently operates nineteen facilities in fifteen jurisdictions, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ontario. In aggregate, Penn National’s operated facilities feature over 26,300 gaming machines, approximately 400 table games, over 2,000 hotel rooms and over 959,000 square feet of gaming floor space.

In addition to historical facts or statements of current conditions, this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current expectations and beliefs but are not guarantees of future performance. As such actual results may vary materially from 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 maintain regulatory approvals for our existing businesses and to receive regulatory approvals for our new businesses; the passage of state, federal or local legislation that would expand, restrict, further tax, prevent or negatively impact operations (such as a smoking ban at any of our facilities) in the jurisdictions in which we do business; the maintenance of agreements with our horsemen, pari-mutuel clerks and other organized labor groups; the effects of local and national economic, credit, capital market, housing, energy conditions on the economy in general and on the gaming and lodging industries in particular; and other factors as discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, 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.

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