The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved three consent agreements presented by the Board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel during its public meeting resulting in a total of $212,500 in fines against casino operators:
Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing, LLC, two fines totaling $147,500:
– A $97,500 fine for incidents occurring on Penn Interactive Ventures’ Internet Gaming/Sports Wagering platforms in which there were insufficient protocols that allowed for the creation, access and use of multiple online accounts using the personal identifying information of other individuals, the funding of accounts using stolen or fraudulently obtained payment devices, and the withdrawing of funds into account controlled by individuals conducting fraudulent behavior; and,
– A $50,000 fine for three incidents at its Hollywood Casino York property in which individuals under the legal gambling age of 21 were able access the gaming floor.
The fine against Sugarhouse HSP Gaming, LP for $65,000 was assessed for incidents at its Rivers Casino Philadelphia in which it:
– failed to meet minimum staffing requirements for a period of 40 days; and,
– failed to provide timely notification of a voucher theft to both the onsite Gaming Control Board staff and Pennsylvania State Police.
Copies of the approved consent agreements offering more details on these matters are available upon request through the Board’s Office of Communications.
The Board also acted on petitions filed by OEC to ban three adults from all casinos in the Commonwealth for leaving minors unattended in order to engage in gaming activities:
– A male patron was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after leaving a 9-year-old unattended in a vehicle with an outside temperature of 49 degrees in the parking lot of Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Erie County for 3 minutes while he gambled in the sportsbook;
– A female patron was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after leaving three children, ages 4, 7 and 12, unattended in a vehicle with an outside temperature of 72 degrees in the parking lot of Presque Isle Downs and Casino in Erie County for 1 hour and 15 minutes while she gambled at slot machines; and,
– A female patron was placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after leaving a 12-year-old unattended in a vehicle with an outside temperature of 50 degrees at the valet entrance at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course for 15 minutes while she gambled at slot machines.
The Board’s actions serve as a reminder that adults are prohibited from leaving minors unattended in the parking lot or garage, a hotel, or other venues at a casino since it creates a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for the children. Leaving minors unattended at a Pennsylvania casino also subjects the offending adult to criminal prosecution in addition to exclusion from all Pennsylvania casinos. To compliment the efforts by casinos to mitigate this issue, the Board created an awareness campaign, “Don’t Gamble with Kids”.
The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, 20 March 2024 in the Board’s Public Hearing Room located on the second floor of the Strawberry Square Complex in Harrisburg.
