Following the US$355,000 in fines levied this month by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) on three casinos and a gaming manufacturer, it has been suggested that the underage gamblers causing casinos to break the regulations should also receive fines. There were 19 underage gambling violations and the PGCB has fined the operators of Mount Airy Casino, Rivers Casino and Hollywood Casino. WMS Gaming was fined US$5,000 for shipping slot machine software to Presque Isle Downs and Casinos that had yet to be tested or approved by the PGCB’s Gaming Laboratory. The total amount of fines was the most levied by the PGCB at a single meeting.
In the state of New Jersey minors that play at casinos can have their driving licences removed. While there would be some support from PGCB members for sanctions against the underage gamblers in Pennsylvania, any such move would require legislation to be approved. The present fines levied were the result of consent agreements between the PGCB’s Office of Enforcement Counsel and the four gaming license holders. Mount Airy has been fined US$160,000 as the result of seven incidents; Rivers Casino was fined US$150,000 for 11 instances of permitting underage gaming and 5 incidents in which slot machines were
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erroneously put into play; and Hollywood casino must pay a US$40,000 fine for permitting a 20-year-old to play both table games and a slot machine.
“While we certainly have a responsibility to work with casinos and maximize the revenue and jobs that benefit Pennsylvanians, our most important responsibility is to protect the public by ensuring that casinos are adhering to the law and regulations,” Gaming Control Board Chairman Greg Fajt says. “In these instances, it was imperative that the Board act in a manner that clearly tells those companies that have been given the privilege of holding a Pennsylvania gaming license that violations are both unacceptable and have consequences.” (E-07.22.11)
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