Pennsylvania casino faces $50,000 fine

Garance Limouzy October 24, 2024

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has levied a fine of $50,000 against Stadium Casino RE, LLC, the operator of Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia, for failing to prevent four individuals on the self-exclusion list from participating in gambling activities. This enforcement action was approved during the Board’s recent public meeting.

According to the PGCB, casinos are required by law to identify patrons who are self-excluded from gambling and deny them access to gaming activities, including cashing checks or obtaining cash advances. In addition to the fine imposed on Stadium Casino, the PGCB also acted on recommendations from its Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC) to add five individuals to the exclusion list. With these recent actions, the total number of individuals on the iGaming Involuntary Exclusion List now stands at 47.

Investigations by the Board’s Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement revealed the fraudulent activities of these five players. One individual engaged in deceptive practices to open an iGaming account in someone else’s name. Additionally, two individuals were found to have created a total of 20 separate online accounts, which is a clear violation of the operator’s Terms and Conditions that prohibit users from holding multiple accounts. Another individual established 16 accounts using the personal identification and credit cards of others, managing to withdraw $11,250 into their own bank account. Furthermore, two additional individuals were identified for illegally requesting chargebacks to their credit cards, with amounts totalling $11,125 and $21,600, respectively.

Keeping minors safe

The Board also took action to address cases involving adults who left minors unattended while gambling. One female patron was found to have left an 11-year-old child unattended in a vehicle within an 80-degree parking garage while she participated in gaming activities for 40 minutes. In a separate incident, another patron left three minors, aged 8, 9, and 13, unsupervised in a hotel room at Mount Airy Casino Resort for nearly two hours while she played table games.

The PGCB underscored the gravity of these actions, reminding the public that leaving minors unsupervised in any casino venue can create unsafe conditions. To address this concern, the Board has launched a campaign titled “Don’t Gamble with Kids,” aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of leaving children unattended in gaming environments. The OEC successfully petitioned to exclude several adults from all casinos in Pennsylvania for such behaviour.