Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board imposes $27,500 in fines on two license holders

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved fines totaling $27,500 during its latest public meeting. The Board's Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC) presented two consent agreements, leading to fines being levied on Stakelogic, an Interactive Gaming Manufacturer license holder; and TA Operating, LLC, holder of a Video Gaming Terminal Establishment license.

Stakelogic faced a fine of $22,500 for not properly notifying the Board of a change in control of its ownership structure; while TA Operating was fined $5,000 for not having functioning surveillance monitors in their gaming area nor, in the absence of that, direct line-of-sight monitoring by store personnel.

The Board also moved to place five adults on its involuntary exclusion list due to instances where minors were left unattended in order to gamble at state casinos:

• At Live! Casino Philadelphia, a male patron left a 10-year-old unattended in a vehicle with an outside temperature of 86 degrees in the parking garage  for 4 hours while he gambled at table games;
• At Rivers Casino, another male patron left a 9-year-old unattended in a vehicle with an outside temperature of 91 degrees in the parking lot for 1 hour and 8 minutes to gamble in the sportsbook and at table games;
• At Presque Isle Downs and Casino in Erie County, a male patron left a 5-year-old unattended in a vehicle with an outside temperature of 85 degrees in the parking lot for 25 minutes while he gambled at table games;
• At Mount Airy Casino Resort in Monroe County, a female patron left two minors, ages 4 and 12, unattended in a vehicle with an outside temperature of 8 degrees in the parking lot for 45 minutes while she gambled at slot machines;
• At Live! Casino Pittsburgh in Westmoreland County, a male patron left a 10-year-old child unattended in a vehicle outside the mall entrance for 10 minutes while he gambled at table games.

The Board asserted that adults are strictly prohibited from leaving minors unattended at casino premises, noting that it creates a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for the children. Additionally, the Board reiterated that such actions could lead to criminal prosecution for the adults involved.

As part of efforts to address this issue, the Board has initiated an awareness campaign titled "Don't Gamble with Kids." The campaign aims to supplement the measures undertaken by casinos to mitigate instances of leaving minors unattended.

The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for 10:00 AM, Wednesday, February 21, 2024, in the Board’s Public Hearing Room located on the second floor of the Strawberry Square Complex in Harrisburg.