Pennsylvania Gaming Board Bans 22 Adults from Casinos for Different Offenses

Grant Mitchell
By: Grant Mitchell
Industry
PA Involuntarily Bans 22 Gamblers

Photo by Wikimedia Commons, CC by-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)

Key Takeaways

  • Pennsylvania is one of very few states with retail casinos, online casinos, and legal sports betting
  • One individual left eight- and nine-year-old children alone in a hotel room to gamble for nearly eight hours
  • The state regulator recently announced several batches of additions to the involuntary exclusion list

22 gamblers were banned from betting by the Pennsylvania gaming regulator. 

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) announced that the individuals were placed on an involuntary exclusion list, implying they weren’t barred on their own volition. This occurred after a variety of incidents were reported at casinos across the state.

The new members of the excluded list cannot use regulated casinos in Pennsylvania, online sportsbooks, or video gaming terminals.

Pennsylvania gamblers banned from casinos

Individuals were placed on the exclusion list for different incidents and infractions. All of the information below is according to the PGCB.

Five adults were banned from regulated Pennsylvania gaming entities for leaving minors unattended at casinos while they were gambling.

One female was added to the list after she was found guilty of abandoning her children, ages two, six and 12, in a vehicle in the parking lot of the  Hollywood Casino York for 29 minutes while she played slot machines and table games.  

Another female left two children, ages eight and nine, in a hotel room at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows for nearly eight hours while she played table games.

A woman also left her 10-year-old in a hotel room at Wind Creek Bethlehem Casino for over three-and-a-half hours. The same casino was responsible for one woman leaving a 10-year-old boy unattended in the bus lobby waiting area.

Finally, one woman left a nine-year-old in a vehicle in the parking lot at Parx Casino while she played table games for 23 minutes.

Pennsylvania gaming and integrity monitoring

In addition to those five, five additional adults were added to the involuntary exclusion list for fraud-related charges.

The PGCB did not elaborate on the incidents in which those individuals were involved. However, the seriousness of the accusations is reflected by the indefinite ban from Pennsylvania casinos and gaming entities.

12 other adults joined the 10 individuals mentioned above on the exclusion list.

Pennsylvania has been active in enforcing voluntary and involuntary exclusions. In December, it was revealed that the state gaming regulator banned 15 others for a variety of infractions. They also announced the bans of 18 individuals near the end of August. 

There are 17 retail casinos and 11 online sportsbooks in Pennsylvania. The state is also one of just seven with operational online casinos, giving it one of the most robust gaming markets in the entire country.

Despite its large presence, the PGCB remains committed to preserving integrity within the market, as evidenced by its recent additions to the involuntary exclusion list.

Grant is an industry news expert who covers legislative news, financial updates, and general industry trends. As a veteran of the gambling industry, Grant has experience in the world of casinos, sports betting, and iGaming. As a former long-distance runner, he knows a thing or two about persistence and consistently holding himself to a high standard.