PGCB Hands Fines, Expects Strong Gaming Revenue for March

The gambling regulator in Pennsylvania approved multiple fines surpassing $230,000 earlier this week. Despite the fines, a new report reveals that March is expected to be a strong month for casinos in the state.

Gambling Watchdog Imposes $238K in Fines

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), which is the gambling regulator in the state, announced Wednesday that it approved consent agreements with four casino operators and two licensed manufacturers. Consequently, the regulator approved a total of $238,500 in fines. Moreover, the Board approved placing one adult on its Involuntary Exclusion List. That happened after the person chose to participate in gambling activities and left their young child in a car.

The smallest fine, which was $7,500, was imposed against Holdings Acquisition Co., operator of Rivers Casino Pittsburgh. According to the PGCB, the fine was introduced over using revoked software for some slot machines. Sugarhouse HSP Gaming, operator of Rivers Casino Philadelphia and Downs Racing, operator of Mohegan Sun Pocono Casino in Luzerne County each received a $10,000 fine. Rivers’ Casino fine is related to an underage individual that gained access to the gaming floor and gambled, according to the PGCB. The fine for Mohegan Sun Pocono Casino is related to a breach of self-exclusion rules, said the regulator.

A hefty fine of $40,000 was introduced against Washington Trotting Association, operator of Hollywood Casino at the Meadows in Washington County. The regulator pointed out that the fine is the result of “over-service of alcohol.” Last but not least, GPI Mexicana S.A. de C.V. and Gaming Partners International USA were fined $85,500 each. According to the watchdog, the fine came after the failure to submit audited financial statements.

The PGCB Expects Strong Revenue in March

On the bright side, before releasing the official revenue results for March, the PGCB’s director hinted that strong revenue is expected. That happened during a monthly Board meeting that took place on Wednesday. In a recent report released by PennBets, the regulator’s executive director, Kevin O’Toole, said that preliminary results show strong revenue for the casino industry last month. Additionally, he acknowledged that “the future does look good.”

Based on preliminary results, the total gaming revenue for operators in the state last month is expected to surpass $463 million. A breakdown of the total predicts some $94 million to come from table games, while $118 million may come from online casino operations. O’Toole deemed March as “an excellent month of revenue production.”

The official results by the regulator will be released soon. While it is yet to be confirmed if the preliminary results will match the solid figures, one thing is for sure – the gambling market in Pennsylvania continues to grow. In fact, only recently, PointsBet introduced its services after it received approval from the PGCB.

The PGCB’s next board meeting is set for May 18. The gambling watchdog has announced that it scheduled a license renewal hearing for Rivers Casino Philadelphia on April 26, while another license renewal hearing for Valley Forge Casino Resort is pinned in for April 27.