PGCB Places Three People on Exclusion List for Leaving Children Unattended

Earlier this week, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) announced that three adults were placed on the PGCB’s Involuntary Casino Exclusion List for leaving children unattended in their vehicles while they went off to gamble. Additionally, the regulator issued several fines to casinos for various rule violations.

Several Adults Were Placed on the Involuntary Casino Exclusion List 

In one case, state officials reported that a male and female patron left two children, ages 11 and 12, unattended in a vehicle outside Hollywood Casino Morgantown. According to the PGCB, the guardians spent more than 30 minutes gambling inside while the children remained in the parking lot.

In a separate incident, a female patron left three children, ages 2, 6, and 12, alone in a vehicle in the parking lot of Hollywood Casino York. The individual, who has since been barred from all casinos in the state, reportedly spent nearly 30 minutes playing slot machines and table games.

The PGCB stated that actions like these, which result in the loss of statewide gambling privileges, serve as a reminder that adults are prohibited from leaving minors unattended in a casino’s parking lot or garage, hotel, or other areas. Doing so creates a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for the children, the regulator explained.

The board stated that revoking gambling privileges serves as a reminder that adults are prohibited from leaving minors unattended, as it creates an unsafe environment for the children. Placement on the Involuntary Exclusion List bars individuals from gambling at any Pennsylvania casino, through an online betting site regulated by the board, or at a Video Gaming Terminal location. These actions have increased the total number of individuals on the board’s various Involuntary Exclusion Lists to 1,448.

PGCB Also Commits Other Regulatory Actions

In addition to the incidents involving unattended children, the PGCB took action against a video gaming terminal (VGT) operator for regulatory violations. The Lucky Seven Travel Plaza in Lock Haven, Clinton County, was fined after authorities determined that the truck stop’s gaming area did not comply with the state’s VGT regulations. Investigators found that the Lucky Seven gaming room was at times inadequately staffed with board-credentialed employees, allowed access to individuals under 21, and, on at least two occasions, permitted minors to gamble on the machines.

Additionally, Vasas Inc., operating as Lucky Seven Travel Plaza, was fined $45,000, and the PGCB additionally imposed $5,000 fines on each of the facility’s two owners. The PGCB also reached consent agreements with two casinos that resulted in fines. Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia agreed to a $12,000 fine to resolve an issue involving a compromised deck of cards in play, while Hollywood Casino York agreed to a $10,000 settlement after allowing an involuntarily excluded individual onto the gaming floor.

On a brighter note, the PGCB reported a significant increase in revenue from gambling recently. A large part of it came from the growth of the online segment, although slots also remained crucial for the substantial sum collected.