The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, in its first in-person public meeting since March 2020, approved actions related to the permitting of underage gambling at a casino and children left by parents unattended in vehicles in the parking lot of a casino.
In the first matter, the board approved a $10,000 fine against Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, Inc., operator of Parx Casino in Bucks County, for permitting an 18-year-old to enter the gaming floor and gamble on slot machines. The terms of the fine were included in a consent agreement between the agency’s Office of Enforcement Counsel and the license holder, then approved by the board.
The Gaming Act makes it unlawful for an individual under 21 years of age to enter and remain in any area of a licensed facility where slot machines are operated or the play of table games is conducted, and to wager, play or attempt to play a slot machine or table game at a licensed facility.
The board was also presented with three cases involving unattended children left in cars parked in a parking garage or a surface parking lot at a casino in Pennsylvania. In each case, the parent or guardian left a young child or children with no adult supervision so they could go into a casino to gamble on slots, gamble at a table game, buy or redeem a sports bet, or meet up with acquaintances who are gambling.
In each instance, the Board termed this behavior “irresponsible”, resulting in the approval of the placement of three offending adults on the PGCB’s Involuntary Exclusion List that prohibits individuals from entering and gambling at all Pennsylvania casinos. Additionally, offenders may also face criminal prosecution for endangering the welfare of a child or children.
