PGCB Fines BetMGM, Places 16 Players on Involuntary Exclusion List

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has fined BetMGM over insufficient anti-fraud and know-your-customer procedures across its betting platforms. In addition to that, the regulatory body announced that it has placed several individuals on its involuntary exclusion lists for a variety of reasons, including leaving children unattended while gambling.

BetMGM’s Lax KYC Protocols Were Exploited by Fraud Rings

The PGCB said that its members approved a consent agreement presented by the board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel, which resulted in a $100,000 fine to BetMGM. The regulatory body explained that the fine is due to BetMGM’s insufficient efforts to prevent fraudulent behavior on its BetMGM and Borgata platforms.

The failures included insufficient KYC protocols, which resulted in certain individuals creating multiple accounts by using the credentials of other individuals. These fraudulent accounts were most often accessed via stolen or fraudulently obtained funds, the PGCB understood.  

The consent agreement identified four individuals fraud rings that operated for dozens of months and collectively wagered almost $2 million. These were, as follows:

• 1. operated for approximately 25 months until January 2024. A total of 1,567 accounts were created using personal identifying information of other individuals and wagered $229,580.
• 2. operated for approximately 34 months until November 2024. There was a total of 34 accounts created using personal identifying information of other individuals, resulting in $14,598 of combined wagering.
• 3. operated for approximately 29 months until November 2023 with 119 accounts created using personal identifying information of other individuals. The ring wagered $895,092 through these accounts.
• 4. operated for approximately 19 months until December 2023. This ring created 304 accounts using personal identifying information of other individuals and used them to wager $867,910.

PGCB Bans 4 Adults from Gambling for Leaving Children Unattended

In addition to the fine, the PGCB announced that its members also placed 16 individuals on various involuntary exclusion lists, preventing them from gambling in the state. Four of these were individuals who were accused of leaving a minor unattended while gambling.

One of these was a male patron who left an 11-year old in a vehicle in the parking lot of Hollywood Casino York for almost an hour. A separate man left a 5-year-old in a vehicle, this time in the parking lot of Rivers Casino Philadelphia, for 17 minutes.

The third case involved a man who left a 9-year-old in the parking lot at Rivers Casino Philadelphia for over an hour. The final man who was placed on the involuntary exclusion list left two minors, aged 7 and 12, in a vehicle in the parking lot of Parx Casino for a little over half an hour.

The PGCB reminded casino patrons that leaving a minor unattended is strictly forbidden, since it exposes them to certain risks. Because of that, the board continues to promote its awareness campaign, Don’t Gamble with Kids.