PA Gaming Control Board Levies Fines Totaling $81,575

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has approved two consent agreements presented by its Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC) resulting in total fines of $81,575.

Both fines were assessed against PID LLC, operator of Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Erie County:

• A $50,000 fine for having less than the approved number of active slot machines on the floor; and,

• A $31,575 fine for failure to timely file a Principal License application.

Copies of any of the approved Consent Agreements containing additional details are available upon request through the Board’s Office of Communications.

The Board also took action to place, or deny requests for removal of a previous placement, of 9 individuals from its various Involuntary Exclusion Lists. Placement on an Involuntary Exclusion List prohibits individuals from either gaming in a casino in Pennsylvania, via an online betting site regulated by the Board, or a Video Gaming Terminal (VGT) location. Currently, 1344 persons are on the Board’s various Involuntary Exclusion Lists.

The actions by the Board include three individuals who left a minor or minors unattended while gambling in a Pennsylvania casino. Placed on the list were:

• A male patron who left a 5-year-old unattended in a vehicle in the valet parking lot at Rivers Casino Philadelphia for 12 minutes as he attempted to conduct financial business in the casino; and,

• A male patron who left a 10-year-old unattended in a vehicle with the windows rolled up and engine not running in the parking garage of Wind Creek Casino for 45 minutes with an outside temperature of 90 degrees while he gambled on slot machines.

Denied their requested removal from earlier placement on the Involuntary Exclusion list were:

• A female patron who, in 2022, left three minors, ages 10, 14 and 15, unattended in a vehicle in the parking garage of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course for one hour 41 minutes while she gambled at slot machines.

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. To compliment the efforts by casinos to mitigate this issue, the Board created an awareness campaign, “Don’t Gamble with Kids”.