Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Fines Casino and Bans Nine People

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has fined Presque Isle Downs & Casino $81,575 for breaking rules. 

Presque Isle Downs Fined Over $80K for Slot Machine and Licensing Violations

The Board decided on the penalties for Presque Isle Downs & Casino at a meeting on February 26. The casino got in trouble because it did not keep enough slot machines running and took too long to send in a required license application.

Presque Isle Downs & Casino run by PID LLC, got hit with a $50,000 fine for not keeping enough slot machines up and running on their gaming floor. On top of that, they had to pay $31,575 for not submitting a Principal License application when they were supposed to. The PGCB’s Office of Enforcement Counsel, which keeps an eye on the rules in Pennsylvania’s gaming scene, spotted these slip-ups.

Aside from the money fines, the board also made decisions about its Involuntary Exclusion List. Nine people were either added to the list or had their appeals to be removed turned down. Being on this list stops individuals from going into any casino in the state using regulated online gambling sites, or playing video gaming terminals (VGTs) in Pennsylvania.

Two Men Banned from PA Casinos After Abandoning Children in Cars

The exclusion list grew to include two men who abandoned minors while they gambled. One guy left a five-year-old child alone in a car at Rivers Casino Philadelphia‘s valet parking area for 12 minutes. During this time, he went inside to handle money matters. 

Another man ditched a 10-year-old child in a car at Wind Creek Casino‘s parking garage in Bethlehem. The windows were up and the engine was off. The child stayed by themselves for 45 minutes while the man played slots even though it was 90 degrees outside.

The board rejected a woman’s appeal to be removed from the exclusion list. She had been added to the list in 2022 after leaving her three kids ages 10, 14, and 15, in a car at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course for about two hours while she played games.

PGCB officials stressed that abandoning children in casino parking areas, garages, or other facilities is dangerous. To tackle this problem, the board started an awareness campaign, “Don’t Gamble with Kids,” to alert visitors about the risks and legal troubles they could face for such actions. The PGCB plans to hold its next meeting on March 26, 2025. It will take place in the board’s Public Hearing Room in Harrisburg.