Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Approves $150,000 in Fines for Underage Patron Violations at Three Casinos

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board today fined three casinos a total of $150,000 for 12 occurrences where persons under the age of 21 played slot machines and one incident that involved a minor gaining access to the gaming floor.

Civil penalties unanimously approved by the Board at its public meeting Wednesday in Harrisburg as part of consent agreements between the Board's Office of Enforcement Counsel and the operators of the casinos were:

• Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association (Hollywood Casino at Penn National Racecourse) - $65,000 for three incidents of permitting underage individuals on the gaming floor and playing slot machines, and one incident of permitting a minor on the gaming floor;
• Harrah's Chester Downs and Marina, LLC (Harrah's Chester Casino and Racetrack) -  $70,000 for seven incidents of permitting underage individuals on the gaming floor and playing slot machines;
• Presque Isle Downs, Inc. (Presque Isle Downs and Casino) - $15,000 for two incidents of permitting underage individuals on the gaming floor and playing slot machines.

The Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act provides that it is unlawful for persons under 21 years of age to operate or use slot machines and that individuals under 18 years of age may not enter the gaming floor of a licensed facility.

This was the third occasion in which Mountainview Thoroughbred was fined by the Board for similar violations, the other two occasions occurring in November of 2009 for three underage violations resulting in a $24,000 fine and in September 2008 for a single underage violation that garnered a $5,000 fine.  The latest violations occurred between February 1, 2010 and July 16, 2010:

• February 1, 2010 – an 18-year-old patron gained access to the gaming floor and placed wagers on slot machines for 21 minutes;
• March 13, 2010 - a 19-year-old patron gained access to the gaming floor and placed wagers on slot machines for 34 minutes;
• March 27, 2010 - an 18-year-old patron gained access to the gaming floor and placed wagers on slot machines for 16 minutes;
• July 16, 2010 – a 10-year-old, accompanied by her father, gained access to the gaming floor for 25 minutes but did not play any slot machines.

This was the second occasion in which Harrah's Chester Downs and Marina was fined by the board for similar violations, the other in August 2008 for a single underage violation and for having areas of the gaming floor unmonitored by casino security staff. The latest violations occurred between October 1, 2009 and March 21, 2010:

• October 1, 2009 - a 20-year-old patron gained access to the gaming floor and placed wagers on slot machines for 4 hours and 17 minutes;
• October 19, 2009 - a 20-year-old patron gained access to the gaming floor and placed wagers on slot machines for 1 hour and 40 minutes;
• November 1, 2009 - a 20-year-old patron gained access to the gaming floor and placed wagers on slot machines for 1 hour and 17 minutes;
• November 7, 2009 - a 20 year-old patron gained access to the gaming floor and placed wagers on slot machines for 33 minutes;
• January 14, 2010 - a 19 year-old patron gained access to the gaming floor and placed wagers on slot machines for 16 minutes;
• February 8, 2010 - a 20-year-old patron gained access to the gaming floor and placed wagers on slot machines for 45 minutes. In this instance, the patron was cited by the Pennsylvania State Police for Criminal Trespass;
• March 21, 2010 - a 20-year-old patron gained access to the gaming floor and placed wagers on slot machines for 7 minutes.

This is the first fine on Presque Isle Downs for underage violations:

• April 17, 2010 - a 19-year-old patron gained access to the gaming floor and placed wagers on slot machines for 12 minutes;
• May 13, 2010 - a 19-year-old patron gained access to the gaming floor and placed wagers on slot machines for 25 minutes.

The next regularly scheduled Board meeting is Wednesday, October 27, 2010 the PUC- Keystone Building, Hearing Room 1 in Harrisburg.  The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m.  An agenda for that meeting will be posted on the Board web site, www.pgcb.state.pa.us, prior to the meeting.

About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board was established in 2004 with the passage of Act 71, also known as the Race Horse Development and Gaming Act.  Pennsylvania's first new state agency in nearly 40 years, the Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of the state's casino industry.  To date, with ten casinos in operation, legalized gaming in the Commonwealth has created over 13,000 new living wage jobs, revenue that has provided property tax reduction in each of the past three years for all homeowners, funds that have reinvigorated Pennsylvania's horse racing industry, and new revenue to local governments that has funded scores of community projects.  A wealth of information about the Gaming Control Board and Pennsylvania's gaming industry can be found at www.pgcb.state.pa.us.  At this web site, visitors can view videos of Board meetings and on the operation of the PGCB, obtain  information on identifying a gambling problem and gaining assistance, look up future meeting schedules and past meeting transcripts, access an interactive map of casino locations, request a speaker for their group, along with much more information.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board