Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Fines Casino $50K for Allowing Self-Excluded Players to Gamble

Posted on: October 25, 2024, 09:13h. 

Last updated on: October 25, 2024, 10:01h.

Mark Keast Read More
Expertise: Canadian Gaming, iGaming, Las Vegas, Sports Betting, NFL, Boxing, UFC.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has fined the operator of Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia $50K for allowing four people who were on the state’s self-exclusion list to gamble in the casino.

A Pennsylvania casino has been fined $50K for allowing self-excluded players to gamble. Image/Steve Sawusch/Unsplash

According to state regulations, a casino must identify patrons who have self-excluded and refuse gaming-related privileges, as well as other gaming privileges like cashing checks and cash advances.

Self-Excluded Player Gambled for 21 Hours

According to a copy of the settlement between the board and the operator, in one instance in December 2021, a representative did check an individual’s identification, but the Live! Casino player database didn’t flag that patron as being on the self-inclusion list because the individual’s middle initial appearing on her ID wasn’t listed in the database. That person then played 10 slot machines.

In another case, before being identified as self-excluded on Dec. 20, 2021, an individual actively gamed for 55 minutes and bought in for a total of $36,900, playing blackjack.

In a third instance, a person was on the Live! Casino gaming floor for over 21 hours in November 2022. The player bought in for $9,600, played roulette, and completed three cashouts at the Main Cage for a total of $4,700.

Chargebacks to Credit Cards

The PGCB also announced they’ve placed five people on the iGaming Involuntary Exclusion List after transactions they were involved in were found to be fraudulent.

In one case, the infractions cited in the cases included using another person’s name and ID to open an iGaming account and fraudulently having funds placed in an iGaming account, as well as withdrawing funds from that account without engaging in gaming activity. Two individuals in this case created 20 separate online accounts, which contravenes the operator’s terms and conditions.

In another case, an individual created 16 separate online accounts using the personal identification and credit cards of other individuals, and withdrew $11,250 into his personal bank account.

Other bans were given to an individual who illegally requested and received chargebacks to a credit card totaling $11,125, and another individual who illegally requested and received chargeback to a credit card totaling $21,600.

Players Banned for Leaving Minors Unattended

The board also banned two individuals from all casinos in the state for leaving children unaccompanied at the casino when they went off and gambled. One female patron left an 11-year-old unattended in a car in the parking garage of Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia for 40 minutes on an 80-degree day.

Adults are prohibited from leaving minors unattended in a parking lot or garage, a hotel, or at other venues at a casino.

There are 47 people currently on the iGaming Involuntary Exclusion List in Pennsylvania.