Gaming regulators in Missouri ordered the former Harrah’s casino in Maryland Heights to temporarily close its doors today due to a glitch in its computer systems.
Missouri Gaming Commission executive director Roger Stottlemyre says slot machines at the casino, which now operates as a Hollywood Casino following its purchase last week by Penn National Gaming, began having problems communicating with Penn National systems early this morning. The problem, he says, got steadily worse throughout the day.
"This also causes door alarms to not work, and it causes surveillance not to be able to know if a door’s been opened," Stottlemyre said. "So we have to ensure compliance, and we have to ensure that there’s no loss of revenue."
Penn National's senior vice president of communications, Eric Schippers, says the two-hour closure made the most sense logistically.
"The floor is a pretty open space with machines integrated with the tables in areas," Schippers said. "From getting in there, rolling up your sleeve and getting the software back on line, it’s better to just have everyone completely focused on making sure they address the problem as quickly as possible."
Stottlemyre says there's no indication that any security problems occurred because of the glitch.
Follow Rachel Lippmann on Twitter: @rlippmann
