New Accounting Pronouncements - Cumulative Effect on Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets
Prepaid expenses	$ 67,856	$ 61,994	$ 62,971
Total current assets	639,204	676,681	677,658
Property and equipment, net	5,227,922	5,297,097	6,868,768
Other assets
Goodwill	1,279,496	1,233,939	1,228,422
Operating lease right-of-use assets	3,972,527	3,806,467	0
Finance lease right-of-use assets	222,418	224,482	0
Total other assets	7,631,045	7,451,052	3,414,586
Total assets	13,498,171	13,424,830	10,961,012
Current liabilities
Current portion of financing obligations	52,600	50,086	67,777
Current portion of operating lease liabilities	95,894	102,322	0
Current portion of finance lease liabilities	5,874	5,752	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	572,122	577,534	577,968
Total current liabilities	820,383	828,385	738,436
Long-term portion of financing obligations	4,129,233	4,144,306	7,080,638
Long-term portion of operating lease liabilities	3,868,392	3,704,334	0
Long-term portion of finance lease liabilities	216,948	218,329	0
Deferred income taxes	232,679	303,811	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	24,885	26,344	28,269
Total liabilities	11,636,360	11,607,957	10,229,791
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)	158,695	117,703	(967,949)
Total Penn National Gaming, Inc. stockholders’ equity	1,861,821	1,816,878	731,226
Total stockholders’ equity	1,861,811	1,816,873	731,221	$ (33,639)	$ (73,146)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 13,498,171	13,424,830	$ 10,961,012
ASC 842
Current assets
Prepaid expenses		(977)
Total current assets		(977)
Property and equipment, net		(1,571,671)
Other assets
Goodwill		5,517
Operating lease right-of-use assets		3,806,467
Finance lease right-of-use assets		224,482
Total other assets		4,036,466
Total assets		2,463,818
Current liabilities
Current portion of financing obligations		(17,691)
Current portion of operating lease liabilities		102,322
Current portion of finance lease liabilities		5,752
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		(434)
Total current liabilities		89,949
Long-term portion of financing obligations		(2,936,332)
Long-term portion of operating lease liabilities		3,704,334
Long-term portion of finance lease liabilities		218,329
Deferred income taxes		303,811
Other noncurrent liabilities		(1,925)
Total liabilities		1,378,166
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)		1,085,652
Total Penn National Gaming, Inc. stockholders’ equity		1,085,652
Total stockholders’ equity		1,085,652
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity		2,463,818
Financing Obligations - Master Leases
Current assets
Prepaid expenses		0
Total current assets		0
Property and equipment, net		0
Other assets
Goodwill		5,517
Operating lease right-of-use assets		0
Finance lease right-of-use assets		0
Total other assets		5,517
Total assets		5,517
Current liabilities
Current portion of financing obligations		0
Current portion of operating lease liabilities		0
Current portion of finance lease liabilities		0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		0
Total current liabilities		0
Long-term portion of financing obligations		5,517
Long-term portion of operating lease liabilities		0
Long-term portion of finance lease liabilities		0
Deferred income taxes		0
Other noncurrent liabilities		0
Total liabilities		5,517
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)		0
Total Penn National Gaming, Inc. stockholders’ equity		0
Total stockholders’ equity		0
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity		5,517
Finance Leases - Dayton and Mahoning Valley
Current assets
Prepaid expenses		0
Total current assets		0
Property and equipment, net		(164,314)
Other assets
Goodwill		0
Operating lease right-of-use assets		0
Finance lease right-of-use assets		224,482
Total other assets		224,482
Total assets		60,168
Current liabilities
Current portion of financing obligations		(1,534)
Current portion of operating lease liabilities		0
Current portion of finance lease liabilities		5,752
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		0
Total current liabilities		4,218
Long-term portion of financing obligations		(181,262)
Long-term portion of operating lease liabilities		0
Long-term portion of finance lease liabilities		218,329
Deferred income taxes		4,288
Other noncurrent liabilities		0
Total liabilities		45,573
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)		14,595
Total Penn National Gaming, Inc. stockholders’ equity		14,595
Total stockholders’ equity		14,595
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity		60,168
Operating Leases - Master Leases
Current assets
Prepaid expenses		0
Total current assets		0
Property and equipment, net		(1,407,357)
Other assets
Goodwill		0
Operating lease right-of-use assets		3,541,144
Finance lease right-of-use assets		0
Total other assets		3,541,144
Total assets		2,133,787
Current liabilities
Current portion of financing obligations		(16,157)
Current portion of operating lease liabilities		72,894
Current portion of finance lease liabilities		0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		0
Total current liabilities		56,737
Long-term portion of financing obligations		(2,760,587)
Long-term portion of operating lease liabilities		3,467,057
Long-term portion of finance lease liabilities		0
Deferred income taxes		299,523
Other noncurrent liabilities		0
Total liabilities		1,062,730
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)		1,071,057
Total Penn National Gaming, Inc. stockholders’ equity		1,071,057
Total stockholders’ equity		1,071,057
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity		2,133,787
Operating Lease - Meadows
Current assets
Prepaid expenses		0
Total current assets		0
Property and equipment, net		0
Other assets
Goodwill		0
Operating lease right-of-use assets		112,804
Finance lease right-of-use assets		0
Total other assets		112,804
Total assets		112,804
Current liabilities
Current portion of financing obligations		0
Current portion of operating lease liabilities		20,515
Current portion of finance lease liabilities		0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		0
Total current liabilities		20,515
Long-term portion of financing obligations		0
Long-term portion of operating lease liabilities		92,289
Long-term portion of finance lease liabilities		0
Deferred income taxes		0
Other noncurrent liabilities		0
Total liabilities		112,804
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)		0
Total Penn National Gaming, Inc. stockholders’ equity		0
Total stockholders’ equity		0
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity		112,804
Other Operating Leases - Non-Master Leases
Current assets
Prepaid expenses		(977)
Total current assets		(977)
Property and equipment, net		0
Other assets
Goodwill		0
Operating lease right-of-use assets		152,519
Finance lease right-of-use assets		0
Total other assets		152,519
Total assets		151,542
Current liabilities
Current portion of financing obligations		0
Current portion of operating lease liabilities		8,913
Current portion of finance lease liabilities		0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		(434)
Total current liabilities		8,479
Long-term portion of financing obligations		0
Long-term portion of operating lease liabilities		144,988
Long-term portion of finance lease liabilities		0
Deferred income taxes		0
Other noncurrent liabilities		(1,925)
Total liabilities		151,542
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)		0
Total Penn National Gaming, Inc. stockholders’ equity		0
Total stockholders’ equity		0
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity		$ 151,542