Penn National Gaming Names Anthony Rodio General Manager of Argosy Casino Lawrenceburg

LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. & WYOMISSING, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Penn National Gaming, Inc. (Nasdaq: PENN) announced today that, subject to customary regulatory approvals, Anthony (“Tony”) Rodio has been named General Manager of its Argosy Casino Lawrenceburg in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, effective immediately. Mr. Rodio will report directly to Penn National Gaming President and Chief Operating Officer, Timothy Wilmott.

Mr. Rodio has over 28 years of gaming industry experience, most recently with Resorts International serving as Regional President and Chief Operating Officer of both the Atlantic City Hilton and Resorts Atlantic City. While in this role Mr. Rodio implemented turn-around and growth initiatives that led to increased market share and improved operating efficiencies and financial performance. Prior to joining Resorts International, Mr. Rodio held several other senior management and finance positions in the Atlantic City market for Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. and Resorts (Merv Griffin Enterprises) Casino.

Timothy Wilmott, President and Chief Operating Officer of Penn National Gaming, commented, “Tony brings to Penn National a broad range of management skills and extensive industry knowledge and experience. Importantly, he has been effective in building the operating performance of gaming facilities located in major markets and in regional gaming markets in a manner consistent with Penn National’s focus on maximizing returns on invested capital. Tony’s success with some of the industry’s most prominent gaming companies in North America is an excellent match for Penn National and our Lawrenceburg facility.

“Tony joins Argosy Casino Lawrenceburg at an important time in this property’s evolution as we have significantly increased parking capacity and effected road and infrastructure improvements in anticipation of the completion, in the second quarter of 2009, of a new two-level 270,000 square foot gaming barge with capacity for up to 4,400 gaming positions along with restaurants and other amenities.”

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 25,400 slot machines, approximately 400 table games, over 1,880 hotel rooms and more than 930,000 square feet of gaming floor space.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may vary materially from expectations. Penn National Gaming describes certain of these risks and uncertainties in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007. Meaningful factors which could cause actual results to differ from expectations described in this press release include, but are not limited to, delays or changes to, or cancellations of, planned capital projects at our gaming and pari-mutuel facilities or an inability to achieve the expected returns from such projects; construction factors, including delays and increased costs for labor and materials; and other factors as discussed in the Company’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Furthermore, the Company does not intend to update publicly any forward-looking statements except as required by law. The cautionary advice in this paragraph is permitted by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.