PA Gaming Control Board Levies Fines Totaling $242,500

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved fines totaling $242,500 against two casino operators.

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

• Sands Bethworks Gaming, LLC, operator of the Sands Casino Resort in Northampton County, separate fines of $120,000 for underage gaming violations and a second for $110,000 regarding the awarding of free slot play; and
• Washington Trotting Association, LLC, operator of the Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington County, a $12,500 fine for an underage gaming violation.

DETAILS

The first fine levied against Sands Bethworks Gaming, LLC stemmed from 11 incidents in which individuals under the age of 21 accessed the gaming floor:

1. An 18-year-old female gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at slot machines;
2. An 18-year-old female gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at slot machines;
3. An 18-year-old female gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at table games and was served alcohol;
4. A 19-year-old female gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at slot machines;
5. A 19-year-old male gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at slot machines;
6. A 19-year-old male gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at slot machines;
7. A 20-year-old male gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at table games and was served alcohol;
8. A 19-year-old male gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at slot machines;
9. A 20-year-old female gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at slot machines and was served alcohol;
10. A 20-year-old male gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at slot machines; and,
11. A 20-year-old male gained access onto the gaming floor on two separate days and wagered at table games and was served alcohol.

The second fine approved by the Board against Sands Bethworks Gaming, LLC for permitting the issuance of free slot play by employees who were not authorized to do so and/or issuing free slot play of amounts above authorized levels. Free slot play is used to build and reward patron loyalty, and drive repeat visits from valuable customers who might otherwise patronize another facility in or outside the Commonwealth.

The fine against Washington Trotting Association, LLC stemmed from an 18-year-old male gaining access onto the gaming floor, wagering at table games and being served alcohol.

The next meeting of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is scheduled for 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 15, 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 eight 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 over 16,000 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.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board