Clicky

PGCB Fines SugarHouse Casino for Regulatory Violations - PennsylvaniaCasinos.com News : PennsylvaniaCasinos.com News
sugarhouse_casino
Published on
Update on
Author

Last Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved fines totaling to a whopping $95,000 against the owner and operator of the Philadelphia-based SugarHouse Casino. According to the gaming control board, the casino had violated the state’s gaming regulations by dealing cards to patrons using “illegitimate” decks – the violations include a series of incidents in 2017 in which the decks of cards that customers were dealt were compromised by malfunctioning automatic shufflers.

SugarHouse Casino officials admitted that its employees had failed to properly address the warning lights on the automated shufflers that were being used at poker, mini-baccarat and blackjack tables in seven different instances between May 2017 and January this year. Moreover, in some of these incidents, the dealers used decks of cards that had too many cards or too few of them – in one of the poker tournaments that the regulatory violations were recorded for, the cards that were used were sorted sequentially instead of being randomly shuffled.

In sort mode, the device read the cards and put them back in sequential and suited order which implies that each of the 16 hands that players were dealt was played with completely unshuffled cards.

“None of the patrons were eliminated from the tournament during the time the 16 improper hands were dealt,” said a July consent agreement and stipulation of settlement. “The investigation did not identify and did not determine the win/loss record for the patrons during the time the integrity of the poker game was affected.”

From the results of the investigations that were carried out before the gaming control board issued the fine during the October 3 meeting, there was no collusion and the incidents that occurred involved different supervisors, dealers, and games. According to John M. Donnelly, two of the supervisors who were party to the regulatory violations have since been let go, with one of them later being reinstated on appeal.

Cyrus Pitre, the director of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s office of enforcement counsel, the causes of the regulatory violations mostly seem to revolve around boredom and carelessness. He cited there was some form of “complacency in regard with the red light going off on the shuffler” in a statement that was addressed to Chairman David M. Barasch.

That’s Not All

In another incident of regulatory violations, SugarHouse casino’s dealers deployed decks with too many cards for a Spanish 21 game, a misstep that caused them a $12,500 in fines. The casino said that their employees noticed that the 10s had not been removed from multiple decks after closes to 27 hands had been dealt. However, the players did not notice this, as it turns out. To ensure that such incidents would never occur again, the casino opted to discipline and retrain its employees. In addition to this, SugarHouse has directed its card vendor to supply special 48-card decks for Spanish 21 play.

Latest Headlines

Multi-State Internet Gaming Finally Launching in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has officially joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), following in the footsteps of New Jersey, Nevada, and Michigan. Online poker operators in the state may now begin connecting their systems with those in other MSIGA member states, thanks to Governor Josh Shapiro’s signature. According to the governor, all Pennsylvanians will reap the benefits […]

SC Gaming OpCo Battles to Bring State College Casino to Life

A new casino is on the way to State College, thanks to SC Gaming OpCo, which may be betting on Pennsylvania’s booming gaming industry. Ira Lubert, a real estate entrepreneur, is spearheading a $120 million initiative that hopes to turn the old Macy’s department store at the Nittany Mall into a thriving gaming center. The […]

A Look at the Hollywood Casino App: Is It Worth the Hype?

It has been just about two months since PENN Entertainment introduced its stand-alone Hollywood Casino app to players in Pennsylvania, and the buzz around its launch has yet to settle. Built on PENN’s proprietary technology, this app aims to bring a seamless, casino-first experience to the state’s growing iGaming audience. But how well has it […]

Pennsylvania iGaming Growth Outpaces Sports Betting in First 2025 Revenue Report

After a great 2024, Pennsylvania’s gaming industry has had a strong start in 2025, with total gaming revenue reaching $529.1 million in January, marking a 10.9% year-over-year increase. However, the month’s performance was a tale of two markets whose performance will certainly have a bearing on the future. While iGaming continued its rapid growth, sports […]

Pennsylvania iGaming’s Record-Breaking Growth in 2024: A Blueprint for 2025?

Pennsylvania’s online casino market ended 2024 on a high note, setting benchmarks that could shape the future of iGaming across the U.S. With all the competitive platforms now available to players in 2025, the Keystone State has become a hub of innovation, competition, and revenue generation. The past year’s success not only showcases the state’s […]

Similar Stories in Gambling

Multi-State Internet Gaming Finally Launching in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has officially joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), following in the footsteps of New Jersey, Nevada, and Michigan. Online poker operators in the state may now begin connecting their systems with those in other MSIGA member states, thanks to Governor Josh Shapiro’s signature. According to the governor, all Pennsylvanians will reap the benefits […]

A Look at the Hollywood Casino App: Is It Worth the Hype?

It has been just about two months since PENN Entertainment introduced its stand-alone Hollywood Casino app to players in Pennsylvania, and the buzz around its launch has yet to settle. Built on PENN’s proprietary technology, this app aims to bring a seamless, casino-first experience to the state’s growing iGaming audience. But how well has it […]

Pennsylvania iGaming Growth Outpaces Sports Betting in First 2025 Revenue Report

After a great 2024, Pennsylvania’s gaming industry has had a strong start in 2025, with total gaming revenue reaching $529.1 million in January, marking a 10.9% year-over-year increase. However, the month’s performance was a tale of two markets whose performance will certainly have a bearing on the future. While iGaming continued its rapid growth, sports […]

Pennsylvania iGaming’s Record-Breaking Growth in 2024: A Blueprint for 2025?

Pennsylvania’s online casino market ended 2024 on a high note, setting benchmarks that could shape the future of iGaming across the U.S. With all the competitive platforms now available to players in 2025, the Keystone State has become a hub of innovation, competition, and revenue generation. The past year’s success not only showcases the state’s […]