The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has recently issued a whopping $120,000 in fines as part of its regulatory efforts. These fines were issued against two of the Keystone State’s licensed gambling operators who had let their guard down and allowed for some regulatory failures to occur at their facilities.
Before issuing the fines, the gaming control board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel met with the two casino operators in what they referred to as a meeting of consent agreements. It was during this meeting that Board approvals were issued and the fines against Downs Racing, L.P., and Washington Trotting Association, LLC, the two casinos, were levied.
Downs Racing, L.P.’s Wrongdoings
This Pennsylvanian gaming operator is going to pay that largest share of the total fines recently issued by the gaming control board. It will be parting with a whopping $110,000. The casino was found to have violated state gaming laws on four separate occasions by allowing individuals who were under the legal gambling age of 21 to place bets on its floors.
According to the gaming control board’s report on the matter, the four incidents are as follows:
- A 17-year-old male gained access onto the gaming floor, wagered at slot machines and attempted to wager at a table game;
- An 18-year-old female gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at slot machines;
- A 19-year-old male gained access onto the gaming floor and wagered at table games;
- A 19-year-old female gained access onto the gaming floor on seven consecutive days and was issued a player’s card, wagered at slot machines and table games, was served alcohol and cashed out at the cage.
Washing Trotting Associations Violations
The remaining $10,000 fine was levied against the operator of the Washington-based Meadows Racetrack and Casino. As reported by the gaming regulator, the Washington Trotting Association violated the state’s gaming laws by issuing expired gambling licenses. These violations were in reference to two separate instances where some of the company’s employees continued working despite the fact that their gaming licenses had already expired. Furthermore, they failed to seek the authorization of the board.
Pennsylvania’s gambling scene is fairly robust especially with regards to compliance. However, there are occasional misdoings such as the ones mentioned above. While they might seem like rather small or isolated issues, they still have the potential to paint a bad picture of the gaming industry. That said, the PGCB is doing a pretty good job by identifying and taking action on any potential violations of the gambling laws.