Penn National suspends construction of two casinos in Pennsylvania

Penn National Gaming announced Tuesday that in response to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s call for a statewide shutdown of all non-essential business activities to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, it will be suspending construction on its planned Hollywood Casino Morgantown and Hollywood Casino York Category 4 facilities in the state, effective immediately. No new timelines were announced for when work on either project could resume or be completed.

“We fully support the governor’s effort to try to stem the tide of this unprecedented public health threat,” Jay Snowden, president and CEO of Penn National Gaming of Wyomissing, said in a release.

Snowden acknowledged potential economic fallout caused by COVID-19 contributed to the decision to halt building of both structures. “We also believe it’s prudent to revisit any and all capital expenditure commitments in order to help preserve liquidity in light of the impact of COVID-19 on our business,” he said.

Hollywood Casino Morgantown, previously slated for a November opening, was estimated to cost $111 million. Hollywood Casino York at the York Galleria Mall, a $120 million project, was also planned for a launch by the end of 2020. The Category 4 mini casinos would be authorized for up to 750 slot machines and 40 table games each.

“We look forward to continuing to consult with the governor’s office, as well as local, state and federal health authorities to determine when construction might resume,” Snowden said. “In the meantime, we appreciate the patience, understanding and support of our community leaders in Morgantown and York, as well as our local construction teams.”

Suspending construction will impact 80 workers at the Caernarvon Township site and 100 in York.