New Accounting Pronouncements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets
Prepaid expenses	$ 73,961		$ 61,994	$ 62,971
Total current assets	609,234		676,681	677,658
Property and equipment, net	5,215,777		5,297,097	6,868,768
Other assets
Goodwill	1,354,127		1,233,939	1,228,422
Operating lease right-of-use assets	4,458,257		3,806,467	0
Finance lease right-of-use assets	224,641		224,482	0
Total assets	14,209,225		13,424,830	10,961,012
Current liabilities
Current portion of financing obligations	49,890		50,086	67,777
Current portion of operating lease liabilities	123,797		102,322	0
Current portion of finance lease liabilities	6,214		5,752	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	589,750		577,534	577,968
Total current liabilities	860,506		828,385	738,436
Long-term portion of financing obligations	4,119,159		4,144,306	7,080,638
Long-term portion of operating lease liabilities	4,317,349		3,704,334	0
Long-term portion of finance lease liabilities	219,475		218,329	0
Deferred income taxes	249,318		303,811	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	62,097		58,704	60,629
Total liabilities	12,317,517		11,607,957	10,229,791
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)	210,242		117,703	(967,949)
Total Penn National Gaming, Inc. stockholders’ equity	1,891,908		1,816,878	731,226
Total stockholders’ equity	1,891,708	$ 1,861,811	1,816,873	731,221	$ 27,756	$ (33,639)	$ (73,146)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 14,209,225		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 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 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 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 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 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 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