Penn National to buy Illinois gambling firm

Penn National Gaming Inc., a casino operator based near Reading, said Friday it agreed to buy Prairie State Gaming, an Illinois company with 1,100 video gaming terminals at 270 bars and other locations in that state.

The price was not disclosed, but Penn National, which operates three casinos in Illinois, said Prairie State had $10 million in operating cash flow in the 12 months ended June 30. Overall, Illinois had 20,730 gaming terminals at 4,965 establishments in June, according to the Illinois Gaming Board.

Legislation has been introduced this year that would legalize video gaming terminals in Pennsylvania. Casino operators have voiced strong opposition, citing the negative impact of video gaming terminals on casino revenue in Illinois, where they where introduced in 2012.

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