The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has imposed fines totaling $45,000 in response to breaches, including instances of underage gambling and failure to notify financial changes.
The Board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel presented two consent agreements during the latest public meeting, leading to fines being levied on Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, the operator of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course; and Lightning Gaming, a licensed Slot Machine Manufacturer.
Mountainview faced a fine of $40,000 due to three cases where individuals under 21 accessed the gaming floor and engaged in gambling. Meanwhile, Lightning Gaming, headquartered in Delaware County, was fined $5,000 for failing to report significant financial changes to the Board.
Hollywood Casino was fined for $40,000
The Board also moved to place four adults on its involuntary exclusion list due to instances where minors were left unattended:
- At Valley Forge Casino Resort, a male patron left a 1-year-old child in a locked vehicle with the engine running while gambling inside. Pennsylvania State Police intervened, removing the child and detaining the patron.
- At Live! Casino Pittsburgh, another male patron left two minors aged 6 and 8 unattended in a vehicle in the parking lot while gambling at slot machines.
- Similarly, a female patron at Live! Casino Philadelphia left two minors aged 10 and 13 unattended in a parked vehicle for 24 minutes to play slots.
- At Mohegan Pennsylvania Casino, a female patron left a 13-year-old unattended in the Sky Bridge hallway for 10 minutes while gambling on slot machines.
The Board stressed that adults are strictly prohibited from leaving minors unattended at casino premises, highlighting the potential risks and hazards it poses to children. Additionally, the Board reiterated that such actions could lead to criminal prosecution for the adults involved.
As part of efforts to address this issue, the Board has initiated an awareness campaign titled “Don’t Gamble with Kids.” The campaign aims to supplement the measures undertaken by casinos to mitigate instances of leaving minors unattended.
The next scheduled meeting of the Board is set for Wednesday, December 13, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. in the Board’s Public Hearing Room situated on the second floor of the Strawberry Square Complex in Harrisburg.
