Penn National Gaming Names Himbert Sinopoli General Manager of New Hollywood Casino Perryville in Maryland

Penn National Gaming, Inc. (Nasdaq: PENN) announced today that effective February 1, 2010, Himbert Sinopoli, 39, has been named General Manager of Hollywood Casino Perryville in Cecil County, Maryland, subject to regulatory approval. Mr. Sinopoli will have full responsibility for all aspects of recruiting and training new employees as well as the start-up and ongoing operation of the planned $97.5 million Hollywood Casino Perryville. The facility will feature 75,000 square feet of gaming space, 1,500 video lottery terminals (VLTs), food and beverage offerings and a retail store and is scheduled to open in late 2010.

Himbert Sinopoli has held various property level and corporate level positions in several jurisdictions throughout his 15-year gaming industry career with responsibilities for functions including slot machines, table games, human resources, food and beverage, marketing, facilities maintenance, finance and IT. From 1999 to 2006, Sinopoli was Director of Finance at Penn National’s Boomtown Biloxi and also served as the property’s Assistant General Manager from 2002 to 2006. From 2006 to 2007, he was Vice President of Accounting at Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. Mr. Sinopoli currently serves as Assistant General Manager at Penn National’s Argosy Casino Alton. Prior to entering the gaming industry in 1994, Mr. Sinopoli was in public accounting as an auditor with KPMG Peat Marwick.

John Finamore, Senior Vice President Regional Operations of Penn National Gaming, commented, "Himbert is a veteran of the regional gaming industry, having served in key financial and operating positions at properties in several jurisdictions over the past 15 years. In addition to his operational and financial management experience and skills, Himbert has been a strong employee mentor and active participant in the local communities where he has served and we look for him to lead the Company’s planned local community relations, outreach and diversity initiatives and the promotion of Cecil County. Himbert’s experience in all facets of casino operations, including gaming operations, food and beverage, marketing and human resources, along with his strong financial background, will be essential assets as we launch Penn National’s newest gaming facility, Hollywood Casino Perryville, which is planned for late 2010.”

Hollywood Casino Perryville -- to be located along Interstate 95 and bordering Pennsylvania and Delaware along the Chesapeake Bay, with proximity to the Baltimore metropolitan region – is planned to feature 1,500 VLTs, a 150-seat buffet, a coffee shop and parking for over 1,600 vehicles.

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 obtain requisite regulatory and other approvals; the passage of state, federal or local legislation that would expand, restrict, further tax, prevent or negatively impact operations; the activities of our competitors and the emergence of new competitors; construction factors, including delays and increased cost of labor and materials; the costs and risks involved in the pursuit of development opportunities; the availability and cost of financing; 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.