YORK, Pa. -- Rutter’s has selected Marquee by Penn, an affiliate of Penn National Gaming Inc., as its terminal operator for video-gaming terminals (VGTs) in Pennsylvania. Penn said it expects 20 Rutter’s convenience stores in the Keystone State to qualify initially to host VGTs.
“Rutter’s is a proud, Pennsylvania-based company with a storied history in the Commonwealth and a proven commitment to the communities in which we serve,” said Scott Hartman, president and CEO of Rutter’s. “We look forward to partnering with [Penn] to provide our customers the opportunity to enjoy playing VGTs at a number of our locations throughout Pennsylvania.”
Under the gaming expansion law signed by Gov. Tom Wolf in 2017, establishments that meet certain criteria are eligible to host up to five VGTs inside their stores. VGTs are similar to slot machines, and the law sets maximum bets at $5 with a maximum payout of $1,000. Winnings will be paid out at redemption machines located on-site. Any person under the age of 21 is prohibited from participating in VGT gaming, and the location of VGTs must be in an area segregated from minors and under the observation of an employee.
Penn National has received its conditional license from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) to act as a terminal operator and expects to provide and service the VGTs at the Rutter’s locations, subject to final regulatory approval by the PGCB. Rutter’s has filed its application with the PGCB to host VGTs at its initial 20 stores.
“We look forward to working with Rutter’s to introduce VGT gaming in the Commonwealth,” said John Finamore, senior vice president of regional operations for Penn National Gaming. “Like Rutter’s, we started with a single facility in central Pennsylvania. Today, we are the largest regional gaming operator in the United States with a demonstrated track record of providing quality entertainment and customer service. We are excited to combine our expertise with Rutter’s established success in the convenience-store industry to offer VGT gaming at their qualified locations.”
Penn National Gaming, based in Wyomissing, Pa., owns, operates or has ownership interests in gaming, racing facilities and video gaming terminal operations with a focus on slot machine entertainment. The company operates 41 facilities in 18 jurisdictions. In total, Penn National facilities feature more than 50,200 gaming machines, 1,250 table games and approximately 9,400 hotel rooms. Penn National Gaming also offers social online gaming through its Penn Interactive Ventures division and has leading customer loyalty program with more than five million active customers.
York, Pa.-based Rutter's is No. 101 in CSP's 2018 Top 202 ranking of c-stores by number of company-owned retail outlets. The chain won the CSP/Intouch Insight Mystery Shop study for a second straight year.
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