PGCB Excludes Adults for Leaving Children Unattended While Gambling
PGCB Excludes Adults for Leaving Children Unattended While Gambling
Recently, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) took action by placing three adults on its Involuntary Casino Exclusion List after they left children unattended in their cars while gambling. Alongside this, the board also imposed fines on several casinos for regulatory breaches.
Adults Placed on Casino Exclusion List for Child Neglect
In one instance, a man and a woman left two children, aged 11 and 12, unsupervised inside a vehicle outside Hollywood Casino Morgantown. The parents spent over 30 minutes inside the casino gambling while their children waited alone in the parking lot.
In another case, a woman abandoned three children, aged 2, 6, and 12, in a parked car at Hollywood Casino York. She was found to have been gambling for nearly half an hour before being barred from entering any casino across Pennsylvania.
The PGCB emphasized that leaving minors unattended in casino parking lots, garages, hotels, or other premises creates unsafe conditions for children. As a result, individuals who violate this rule lose the privilege to gamble not only in physical casinos but also via online platforms regulated by the board and at Video Gaming Terminal locations. This recent action raised the total number of people banned by the PGCB to 1,448.
Additional Regulatory Actions by PGCB
The PGCB also sanctioned a video gaming terminal (VGT) operator due to multiple violations. Lucky Seven Travel Plaza in Lock Haven, Clinton County, was fined after investigators discovered that the gaming room was sometimes inadequately staffed with authorized personnel. It also allowed underage individuals to enter and minors to gamble on at least two occasions.
Vasas Inc., the company managing Lucky Seven Travel Plaza, received a $45,000 fine. Additionally, the two owners of the facility were issued individual fines of $5,000 each. The board also settled cases with two casinos: Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia paid a $12,000 fine over a compromised deck of cards, and Hollywood Casino York settled for $10,000 for permitting an excluded individual to enter the gaming floor.
Growth in Pennsylvania Gambling Revenue
The PGCB recently reported a notable increase in gambling revenue. Online gambling contributed significantly to this rise, while slot machines continued to generate a large portion of the total earnings.
