Organization and Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Organization and Basis of Presentation

Note 1—Organization and Basis of Presentation

Organization: With a gaming footprint that includes 44 properties across 20 states as of December 31, 2021, Penn National Gaming, Inc., together with its subsidiaries (“Penn National,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is a highly innovative omni-channel provider of retail casino gaming, online gaming, live racing, sports betting, and digital sports content. Our wholly-owned interactive division, Penn Interactive Ventures, LLC (“Penn Interactive”), operates retail sports betting in the Company’s retail properties, as well as online sports betting and online social casino, bingo, and iCasino products (collectively, “iGaming”). In October 2021, we acquired Score Media and Gaming, Inc. (“theScore”), a sports betting and digital media company. In addition, in February 2020, we entered a strategic partnership with Barstool Sports, Inc. (“Barstool Sports”), a leading digital sports, entertainment, lifestyle and media company. Combined with the power of theScore and Barstool Sports, Penn National has evolved into a leading North American digital sports content, gaming and technology company. The Company's omni-channel approach is further bolstered by its mychoice customer loyalty program (the “mychoice program”), which rewards and recognizes its over 25 million members for their loyalty to both retail and online gaming and sports betting products with a dynamic set of industry offers, experiences, and service levels.

The majority of the real estate assets (i.e., land and buildings) used in our operations are subject to triple net master leases; the most significant of which are the Penn Master Lease and the Pinnacle Master Lease (as such terms are defined in Note 12, “Leases,” and collectively referred to as the “Master Leases”), with Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (Nasdaq: GLPI) (“GLPI”), a real estate investment trust (“REIT”).

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Company Response: On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus (known as “COVID-19”) outbreak to be a global pandemic. To help combat the spread of COVID-19 and pursuant to various orders from state gaming regulatory bodies or governmental authorities, operations at all of our properties were temporarily suspended for single or multiple time periods during 2020 and into 2021. Once reopened, properties operated with reduced gaming and hotel capacity and limited food and beverage offerings in order to accommodate social distancing and health and safety protocols. As of December 31, 2021, the majority of our properties are operating at full capacity while adhering to state mandated health and safety protocols.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions to our business and had a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. As a consequence, between March 13, 2020 and December 31, 2020, we entered into a series of transactions to improve our financial position and liquidity, as described in the relevant notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements. Additionally, we completed a $400.0 million offering of senior unsecured notes on July 1, 2021, as discussed in Note 11, “Long term debt.” We could experience further adverse impacts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including, but not limited to, temporarily suspending operations at our properties if ordered by such governmental bodies, or capacity restrictions on our operations. Actual results may differ materially from the Company’s current estimates as the scope of the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, depending largely, though not exclusively, on the impact of required capacity reductions, social distancing and health and safety guidelines, and the sustainability of current trends in recovery at our properties.

Basis of Presentation: The Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and with the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).