Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board levies $212,500 in fines against two casino operators

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has imposed fines totaling $212,500 on casino operators and banned three adults for leaving minors unattended at state casinos. 

Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing, operator of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, faced a total penalty of $147,500. A $97,500 fine was levied for incidents occurring on Penn Interactive’s iGaming / sports betting platforms.

The regulator said there were insufficient protocols that allowed for the creation, access and use of multiple online accounts using the personal identifying information of other individuals, the funding of accounts using stolen or fraudulently obtained payment devices, and the withdrawing of funds into accounts controlled by individuals conducting fraudulent behavior.

The operator also faced another fine of $50,000 for three incidents at its Hollywood Casino York property, in which individuals under the legal gambling age of 21 were able access the gaming floor.

Meanwhile, Sugarhouse HSP Gaming faced a fine of $65,000 for incidents at its Rivers Philadelphia Casino in which it failed to meet minimum staffing requirements for a period of 40 days and it failed to provide timely notification of a voucher theft to both the onsite Gaming Control Board staff and Pennsylvania State Police.

The Board also banned three adults from all casinos in the Commonwealth for leaving minors unattended in order to engage in gaming activities. 

One male and two female patrons were placed on the Involuntary Exclusion List after they left their children unattended in vehicles while they gambled either in sportsbooks or at slot machines. Two incidents happened in the parking lot of Presque Isle Downs and Casino in Erie County and one at the valet entrance at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.

The Board said that these actions serve as a reminder that adults are prohibited from leaving minors unattended in the parking lot or garage, a hotel, or other venues at a casino since it creates a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for the children.

Leaving minors unattended at a Pennsylvania casino also subjects the offending adult to criminal prosecution in addition to exclusion from all Pennsylvania casinos. To complement the efforts by casinos to mitigate this issue, the Board created an awareness campaign, Don’t Gamble with Kids.