PA Gaming Control Board Levies $272,500 in Fines

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved fines totaling $272,500 against two casinos.

The fines were the result of Board approvals at its public meeting of consent agreements between the PGCB’s Office of Enforcement Counsel and:

• Mount Airy #1, LLC, operator of Mount Airy Casino Resort in Monroe County, a fine of $250,000; and
• Presque Isle Downs, Inc., operator of Presque Isle Downs and Casino in Erie County, a $22,500 fine.

DETAILS

The fine levied against Mount Airy #1, LLC was for $250,000 and stemmed from the casino’s failure to implement an alcoholic beverage tracking system in 2017 after publicly testifying to the Board that it would be installing and training personnel in the system within two weeks of that testimony. The failure to install the system, which is designed to track and limit the number of drinks served to a patron during a specific time period, came to light after a February 2018 incident in which a patron who had consumed alcohol and drove from the casino, struck and killed a pedestrian and was subsequently charged with homicide by vehicle and driving under the influence.

The fine of $22,500 against Presque Isle Downs, Inc., was for table games violations. According to the consent agreement, both incidents involved the use of compromised decks, one at a Blackjack table and the other at a Poker table.

The next meeting of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is scheduled for 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, March 6, 2019 in the PGCB’s Public Hearing Room located on the second floor of the Strawberry Square Complex in Harrisburg.

About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board:

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of the state’s casino industry, including sports wagering offered currently at six locations. The oversight also includes other new gaming initiatives, expected to be launched in the coming months, which were created through Act 42 of 2017, an amendment to the Race Horse Development and Gaming Act.

The Commonwealth’s casino industry currently consists of 10 stand-alone and racetrack casinos in operation, along with the two smaller resort casinos.  These facilities collectively employ nearly 17,000 people and annually generate approximately $1.4 billion in tax revenue from slot machine and table games play. The largest portion of that money is used for property tax reduction to Pennsylvania homeowners.

Additional information about both the PGCB’s gaming regulatory efforts and Pennsylvania’s gaming industry can be found at gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov. You can also follow the agency on Twitter by choosing @PAGamingControl.