Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course is a combined horse racing track and casino in Grantville, Pennsylvania, about 17 miles east of Harrisburg. It’s owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by Penn Entertainment.
History and basics
- The racetrack opened on August 30, 1972. The casino opened on February 12, 2008, with table games starting on July 13, 2010.
- In 2020, smoking was banned inside the casino, with two outdoor areas still allowing smoking.
- The site also runs online gambling and sports betting, making it a major gaming complex in the state.
Where it is and what’s there
- Location: Grantville, Pennsylvania (near Harrisburg). Address is 777 Hollywood Boulevard.
- The venue includes a thoroughbred racing track and a casino with slots and table games. It also operates sports betting and online gambling.
Racing features
- The track has a 1-mile dirt course and a seven-furlong turf course, and it offers racing for 52 weeks a year.
- Notable races include:
- Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup Handicap (five furlongs on turf) for horses three years old and up.
- Penn Mile Stakes (first run in 2013 on turf; as of 2017 a Grade II race with a $500,000 purse).
- Rapid Redux, a famous horse, raced here with trainer David J. Wells.
Casino and gaming
- By 2010, the casino had about 2,480 slot machines and 54 table games, including Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, various Poker games, Mini-Baccarat, and Let-It-Ride.
- Sports betting license was approved on October 3, 2018, and betting began on November 17, 2018, making it the first Pennsylvania casino to offer sports betting.
- Online gambling began with a soft launch in July 2019 and a full launch later that month; it includes slots and table games, with online poker planned for a later date.
Controversies
- The track has faced FBI investigations related to race fixing, involving some people connected to the race office, trainers, and vets.
Overall, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course is a long-running racing venue that also offers a full casino experience, with modern additions like sports betting and online gambling expanding its entertainment options.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 22:36 (CET).