The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has fined Parx Casino operator Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment $10,000 for underage gaming, in addition to sanctioning parents who left their children unattended in casino parking lots.
The fine pertains to a breach in underage gaming laws, where an 18-year old was permitted to enter the gaming floor and gamble on slot machines in Parx Casino in Bucks County.
The state’s Gaming Act prohibits people under 21 from entering and remaining in any area of a licensed facility where slot machines are operated.
The PGCB were also handed three cases whereby parents left their children in cars in casino parking lots in order to enter said casino. The regulator did not mention the casinos involved.
One parent left an 11-year-old unattended in order to redeem a sportsbook ticket, one left eight and five year old boys in the car to place bets at a craps table, and one parent left four children aged between two and 13 unsupervised to watch their acquaintance at a craps table.
Each parent was placed on PGCB’s Involuntary Exclusion List which prohibits individuals from entering and gambling at all Pennsylvania casinos. They may also face criminal charges.
A PGCB statement said: “The board is reminding the gambling public to not leave children unattended in the parking lot or garage, a hotel, or other venue at a casino, not only because of the possible exclusion from all Pennsylvania casinos and prosecution, but more importantly due to the possible safety hazard to the child.”