The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved consent agreements today presented by the Board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel during its public meeting, resulting in fines totaling $70,000.
Both fines involved Video Gaming Terminal (VGT) Operator Licensees:
- TA Operating LLC was fined $37,500 for failing to have a Board-credentialed employee present while the VGT room at its Harrisburg store (7848 Linglestown Road) was opened and used by patrons.
- Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, Inc. was fined $32,500 for failing to have a Board-credentialed employee present while the VGT room at its Carlisle store (1165 Harrisburg Pike) was opened and used by patrons.
Board regulations mandate that VGT establishments must have at least one Board-credentialed employee on site supervising the VGT area when the games are available for play.
The approved consent agreements with additional details are available upon request through the Board’s Office of Communications.
The Board also approved recommendations by the Office of Enforcement Counsel to place 17 individuals on various Involuntary Exclusion Lists. This includes five individuals who left minors unattended to engage in gaming activities in a casino and four others for committing fraud using iGaming sites.
Individuals placed on the Casino Involuntary Exclusion List for leaving minors unattended:
- A male patron who left two minors (ages 6 and 13) unattended in a vehicle near Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia for 13 minutes while he gambled at the sportsbook. The outside temperature was 92 degrees.
- A male patron who left a 14-year-old unattended in a vehicle in the parking lot of Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia for 7 hours and 12 minutes while he gambled at table games.
- A male patron who left a 6-year-old unattended in a vehicle in the parking lot of Hollywood Casino Morgantown for 30 minutes while he gambled at slot machines.
- A male patron who left an infant unattended in a vehicle in the parking lot of Rivers Casino Philadelphia for 5 minutes while he gambled at the sportsbook. The outside temperature was 91 degrees.
- A male patron who left an 11-year-old unattended in a vehicle in the parking lot of Mount Airy Casino Resort for 1 hour and 40 minutes while he gambled at table games.
These actions serve as a reminder that adults are prohibited from leaving minors unattended in any part of a casino, as it creates a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment. To help address this issue, the Board has created the awareness campaign “Don’t Gamble with Kids.”
Eight additional individuals were placed on the Casino Involuntary Exclusion List for various offenses. Since its inception, 1,247 persons have been added to this list.
Individuals placed on the iGaming Involuntary Exclusion List for fraud:
- Two individuals created five separate online accounts using the personal information of others.
- One individual used an online gaming account to illegally request and receive $3,250 in chargebacks to a credit card.
- Another individual used an online gaming account to illegally request and receive $5,800 in chargebacks to a credit card.
These actions reflect the Board’s commitment to preventing individuals who have committed fraud from gaming online in Pennsylvania. The additions made today bring the total number of individuals on the iGaming Involuntary Exclusion List to 51.
The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, in the Board’s Public Hearing Room located on the second floor of the Strawberry Square Complex in Harrisburg.
