Based on casino gaming competition in the western portion of Pennsylvania, Penn National Gaming has decided to remove themselves from a casino project for the Lawrence County area near the Ohio border. Penn National stated earlier this week that the company wanted to cease their involvement with the $225 million project of the Lawrence Downs Casino and Racing Resort. Endeka Entertainment LP proposed the new project and Penn National would have been the operator behind the casino property.

Penn National has now filed a lawsuit to remove the company from the casino resort project. In a statement on the subject, Penn National is asking the court to ‘reaffirm our rights regarding withdrawal’ with the project and have stated they are willing to transition the casino resort to another company to be able to operate the Lawrence Downs casino.

BJ Fair, the Chief Development Officer for Penn National Gaming, stated: “We are disappointed to be withdrawing from this project. However, given the continued softness in the economy and the level of market saturation—not just in Western Pennsylvania, but across the Commonwealth—we are regrettably unable to justify this investment at the statutorily required spending levels.”