Penn National Gaming has stopped work on racinos in Austintown and Dayton, as a result of the impasse with the state racing commission over additional indoor seating.

Penn National Gaming claims the racing commission’s insistence on an additional 1,200 seats between the two sites is not in line with today’s type facilities. To add more seats would delay opening by up to six months and add $5 million to Penn National Gaming’s $250 million investment, a cost they say they can’t afford. Penn National Gaming has stated their willingness to compromise. If the racing commission will allow them to proceed with the original plan, then if demand dictates it, more seats will be added at a later time.

Meanwhile, the racing commission approved new plans for the Lebanon Raceway, which also faced the threat of delays over additional seating. The new plans call for 200 more seats. The commission wanted 400.