Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack has incurred a hefty $35,000 penalty from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) due to their negligence in preventing underage gambling on their premises.
Legal Age for gambling in Philadelphia
The PGCB has revealed that individuals below the legal gambling age of 21 managed to gain access to the gaming floor and engage in gambling activities. Chester Downs and Marina, the operator responsible for the casino, has been held accountable for this breach, resulting in the imposed fine.
Sportshub
Additionally, the PGCB has levied a separate fine of $13,000 on SportsHub, a licensed fantasy contest operator. SportsHub was found to have transferred control of its license without obtaining the necessary approval from the PGCB, warranting the financial penalty. In an effort to address related concerns, the PGCB has taken action against individuals who have neglected the safety and well-being of their children while frequenting casinos. These offenders have been placed on the state’s Involuntary Exclusion List as a consequence of their actions.
Among those recently added to this list are two employees of Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack. These individuals left their 14-month-old child unattended in a parked vehicle while attending the casino’s dealer school and human resources office.
Irresponsible
Similarly, a male patron visiting the Valley Forge Casino Resort was deemed responsible for leaving a two-year-old child alone in a vehicle for a brief period. His unsuccessful attempts to enter the casino resulted in the child’s temporary abandonment. Another player faced the consequences of leaving two children, aged six and 11, unattended in a vehicle at the Rivers Casino Philadelphia. These young individuals were left alone for approximately six minutes while the player conducted a transaction at the cashier’s cage.
In a parallel incident at the same casino, a male player decided to gamble at the sportsbook while leaving his three-year-old and 13-year-old children unsupervised in a parked vehicle. The children remained alone for a period of seven minutes.
Lastly, a male player at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh received a spot on the Involuntary Exclusion List for leaving his two children, aged five and nine, alone in a vehicle while he indulged in sportsbook gambling. The children were left unattended for approximately nine minutes.
Between the beginning of 2022 and May 2023, a staggering total of 370 instances have been identified by the PGCB, where adults have neglected their parental responsibilities by leaving children unattended while engaging in gambling activities at various casinos.
