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.

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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.

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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”.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (Board) approved three consent agreements presented by its Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC) resulting in total fines of $282,205.

The largest of the fines is $260,905 and was assessed against Interactive Gaming Operator BetMGM LLC for 152 instances in which an individual on the Board’s Interactive Self-Exclusion List was permitted to gamble on their sites. Licensed operators of iGaming sites in Pennsylvania must deny individuals on the self-exclusion list from establishing or maintaining an interactive gaming site.

The Board additionally approved OEC recommendations resulting in fines to:

•Rush Street Gaming LLC, a $13,800 fine for failure to file a Principal License renewal application for its Chief Financial Officer; and,

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•Stadium Casino Westmoreland RE LLC, operator of Live! Casino Pittsburgh, a $7500 fine for using revoked software within 11 of its slot machines.

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 removal, of four individuals from its casino Involuntary Exclusion list for leaving a minor or minors unattended while gambling in a Pennsylvania casino. Placed on the list were:

•A male patron who left a 12-year-old unattended in a vehicle in the parking lot at Live! Casino Philadelphia on two occasions the same day for a total of 20 minutes while he gambled at the sportsbook. The patron also was cited for cheating and trespass; and,

•A female patron who left a 12-year-old unattended in the bus lobby of Mount Airy Casino Resort for 26 minutes while she gambled on slot machines.

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

•A male who, in 2022, left five minors, ages 2,4, 5, 11, and 13 unattended in a vehicle in the parking lot of Presque Isle Downs & Casino for 35 minutes while he gambled at slot machines; and,

•A female who, in 2021, left her 14-month-old child unattended in a locked vehicle in the parking lot of Valley Forge Resort Casino on multiple occasions the same day for a total of 11 minutes with outside temperatures of 88 degrees while she gambled in the sportsbook.

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”.

In all, the Board placed 9 individuals onto its various Involuntary Exclusion Lists. These placements prohibit the 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. Since its inception, 1280 persons have been placed on the Casino Involuntary Exclusion List while 62 persons are on the iGaming Involuntary Exclusion List.

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The Gaming Control Board is scheduled to meet next at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 in the Board’s Public Hearing Room located on the second floor of the Strawberry Square Complex in Harrisburg. More information including the agenda will be posted on the Board’s website prior to the meeting.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (Board) unanimously voted to renew the Category 2 stand-alone casino license of Wind Creek Bethlehem LLC, operator of Wind Creek Bethlehem casino in Northampton County.

In making the decision, the Board determined that Wind Creek Bethlehem LLC had fulfilled the obligations under its previously approved casino operator’s license and therefore qualified to have its license renewed for an additional five-year period.

The decision to renew the license was based on a process utilized by the Board that enables both the operator and the public to provide information relevant to the renewal decision. A public input hearing was held in July 2024 in the casino’s host municipality, the City of Bethlehem, where personnel of Wind Creek Bethlehem submitted exhibits and presented testimony on various aspects of the facility’s operation since its last license renewal was granted. The public was also permitted to provide testimony about the casino and its impact in the community.

In reaching its decision, the Board also received information from local government officials, community groups and the PA State Police, along with the Gaming Control Board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel, Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement, Office of Compulsive and Problem Gaming, and Bureau of Casino Compliance.

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Additionally, a public hearing was held in Harrisburg to permit Board members to further question Wind Creek Bethlehem LLC representatives about any remaining issues prior to voting on the renewal.

Since its opening in May 2009 through September 2024, Wind Creek Bethlehem has generated over $7 billion in revenue from the play of retail slot machines and table games, sports wagering and iGaming, and has returned to the Commonwealth a total of $2.9 billion from tax revenue, assessments and fees. Wind Creek Bethlehem currently operates 2318 slot machines, 202 table games and a 20-table poker room while providing employment to 2242 persons directly or through third-party tenants in the events center, food and beverage outlets or retail stores. 94% of those employees are Pennsylvania residents.