Two casino operators have been hit with penalties of $105,000 from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) following a recent investigation.
The first casino operator to be penalized was Holdings Acquisitions, operator of the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, which received a $90,000 fine for underage gaming violations.
This stemmed from seven incidents at the property in which individuals under the age of 21 accessed the gaming floor, managed to play slot machines and table games in the process, and in six of the occasions, were also served alcohol.
An additional fine of $15,000 was also levelled against Sugarhouse HSP Gaming, operator of SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia, a $15,000 fine for an intoxicated patron incident.
The penalty was a due to the failure to properly monitor the serving of complimentary alcoholic drinks to a patron, which permitted the person in question to game in an intoxicated state and cause multiple disturbances at the casino.
The fines follow the news that the PGCB has voted unanimously in favour of renewing the category 1 racetrack casino operator’s license of Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, operator of the Parx Casino in Bucks County.
The seven-member executive Board has set out the intention for the company to fulfil obligations under its previously-approved casino operator’s licence, and therefore qualified to have a renewal for an additional five-year period.
Announcing its decision, the PGCB stated: “The decision to renew the licence was based on a process utilised by the board, that enables both the operator and the public to provide information relevant to the renewal decision.
“A Public Input Hearing was held on February 28th of this year in the casino’s host municipality, Bensalem Township, where personnel of Parx Casino submitted exhibits and presented testimony on various aspects of the facility’s operation since its last license renewal was granted in November 2014. The public was also permitted to provide testimony about the casino and its impact in the community.
“In reaching its decision, the board also received information from local government officials, community groups and the PA State Police, along with the Gaming Control Board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel, Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement, Office of Compulsive and Problem Gaming, and Bureau of Casino Compliance.”
