- Three adults in Pennsylvania lost their casino privileges after they left children unattended in their vehicles to gamble
- The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has also announced fines against three licensees
Three more adults have been permanently excluded from brick-and-mortar casinos in Pennsylvania.
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) disclosed that it recently levied several financial penalties against its licensees. The state gaming regulatory agency additionally announced that three adults had been added to the PGCB’s Involuntary Casino Exclusion List.
In one incident, the state reports that a male and female patron left two children, aged 11 and 12, unattended in a vehicle outside of Hollywood Casino Morgantown. The PGCB detailed that the two guardians gambled inside the casino for more than half an hour while the children sat in the parking lot.
In another incident, a female patron left three children, aged 2, 6, and 12, in a vehicle in the parking lot of Hollywood Casino York. The unidentified person, who is now barred from entering all casinos in the commonwealth, reportedly gambled on slot machines and table games for almost half an hour.
Actions such as these to deny statewide gambling privileges 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,” the PGCB said.
Pennsylvania is home to 17 physical casinos. The state is additionally one of only seven jurisdictions in the country where online slot machines and live dealer table games are legal. Pennsylvania is also home to online and in-person sports betting.
Regulatory Violations
Along with the unattended children incidents, 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 it was determined that the truck stop gaming area wasn’t compliant with the state’s VGT statute. Law enforcement determined that the Lucky Seven gaming room was, at times, not properly staffed with board-credentialed employees. Individuals not at least 21 years of age were allowed to access the gaming terminals, and on at least two occasions, minors gambled on the machines.
Vasas Inc., doing business as the Lucky Seven Travel Plaza, was fined $45K. The PGCB additionally fined the two owners of the facility $5K.
The PGCB also executed consent agreements with two casinos that resulted in fines.
Live! Casino Hotel Philadelphia agreed to pay a $12K fine to settle a dispute regarding a compromised deck of cards being in play. Hollywood Casino York agreed to a $10K settlement after allowing an involuntarily excluded person access to the gaming floor.
September Revenue
Pennsylvania retail casino revenue slowed last month as physical slot win was about 3% lower and table win was flat from September 2024. The in-person declines were easily offset elsewhere, however, as iGaming slot revenue surged 37% and online table games climbed 18% from the prior year.
Along with sports betting, fantasy sports, VGTs, and online poker, total gross gaming revenue last month was $533.3 million. That represented a 5.4% improvement from September 2024, or a net positive difference of $27.5 million.
The post Pennsylvania Bans Three Adults From Casinos After Leaving Children Unattended appeared first on Casino.org.
