Pennsylvania Board Fines Casino $125K After Young Guests Gamble
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) fined Wind Creek Bethlehem $125,000 for the unlawful entry of nearly twelve patrons into the casino's gaming floor, notwithstanding their age.
The fine was applied after ten separate instances of 11 juvenile patrons, ages eighteen to twenty, visiting the casino floor. In Pennsylvania, state casinos require patrons to be at least 21 years old to gamble.
Per LehighValleyLive.com, the incidents happened between November 2021 and September 2023.
Young offenders Banished for Life
A few of the juvenile offenders received permanent bans from Wind Creek Bethlehem. Some even received Pennsylvania State Police citations.
In accordance with the agreement, Wind Creek Bethlehem will put up signs in the casino warning of the consequences for those who try to enter the premises by presenting a fake ID.
Additionally, the casino will publish PGCB cautionary flyers as part of the "What's Really at Stake? "Underage gambling will cost you!" is an enforcement and education campaign.
Furthermore, employees at Wind Creek Bethlehem frequently verify the identification of visitors who appear younger than thirty.
As to the data, 737,257 IDs were checked by casino staff throughout the two years when there were infractions. 4,779 minors were prevented from entering the gaming area as a result.
Infant Is Left in the Car Alone
An anonymous couple was recently prohibited from entering any Pennsylvanian casino by the PGCB. At a state casino, the two left a five-month-old infant alone in a car.
According to Pennsylvania TV station WTAJ, the pair entered Delaware County's Harrah's Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack to gamble while they left the engine running. When the infant was in the car, the outside temperature was 47 degrees. There was no sign that the infant had any wounds.
After about thirty minutes, the pair went back to the car.
An involuntary exclusion list from the state's casinos was created for the two people.
Woman Cannot Removed from List
The PGCB declined to remove a woman from the list of involuntary exclusion during that same meeting.
Her name was added to the list in 2017 following her abandonment of a four-year-old child in a car at a casino.
It was ninety-five degrees outdoors when the engine was switched off. The nameless woman entered the casino to place a wager. After fifteen minutes or so, she went back to the car.
In a PGCB statement, the board explained, “Adults are prohibited from leaving minors unattended in the parking lot or garage, a hotel, or other venues at a casino since it creates a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for the children.”
“Leaving minors unattended at a Pennsylvania casino also subjects the offending adult to criminal prosecution in addition to exclusion from all Pennsylvania casinos,” the statement added.