PGCB Fines BetMGM & Two Others, Bans Several Adults from Gambling

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) announced that it has handed $282K in fines to three gaming operators. In addition to that, the board placed several people on its involuntary self-exclusion list.

BetMGM Committed a Serious Violation

In its official release, the PGCB confirmed that it has approved fines against three operators. Originally proposed by the body’s Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC), the penalties total $282,205. The largest of them stood at $260,905 and was levied against BetMGM over self-exclusion violations.

According to the PGCB, the fine related to 152 instances in which a self-excluded person was allowed to gamble online. This represented a significant violation of the Commonwealth’s gambling laws, leading to this larger fine.

In the meantime, the board also approved fines against Rush Street Gaming and Stadium Casino Westmoreland, which committed smaller violations.

Rush Street Gaming, for context, was fined for its failure to file a principal license renewal application for its chief financial officer. Because of that, the operator was handed a $13,800 penalty.

In the meantime, Stadium Casino Westmoreland, which operates Live! Casino Pittsburgh, was hit with a $7,500 fine for using revoked software across 11 of its slots.

PGCB Excludes Several People from Gambling

In addition to the fines, the PGCB also placed 9 people on its involuntary self-exclusion list. This figure included four adults who left children unattended while gambling in a property in the state.

The PGCB reported that one of these people was a male casino patron who left a 12-year-old unattended in a vehicle at Live! Casino Philadelphia. This occurred on two occasions on the same day, each lasting approximately 20 minutes. The PGCB added that the person was also cited for cheating and trespass.

In the meantime, and adult woman was likewise banned from the Commonwealth’s casinos after leaving a 12-year-old unattended in the bus lobby of Mount Airy Casino Resort. She played slots for approximately 26 minutes while the kid waited, according to the regulator’s report.

In addition to placing people on the involuntary self-exclusion list, the PGCB also denied two people’s requests to be removed from said list. These included a man who, in 2022, had left five minors, aged from 2 to 13, unattended in a vehicle while gambling, and a woman who, in 2021, left a 14-month-old child in a locked vehicle during a hot day while she placed sports bets.

The PGCB reminded gamblers that leaving minors unattended is strictly prohibited and that violators risk getting placed on its involuntary exclusion list. It emphasized that 1,280 people have been placed on its casino involuntary exclusion list since its inception. In the meantime, 62 individuals have been involuntarily excluded from iGaming.

Pennsylvania Lottery Players Scoop up $7M Jackpot

In other news, two Monroe County residents just bagged a $7-million win from Pennsylvania Lottery’s Cash4Life game. What’s most interesting about this win is that the couple did not bother with selecting numbers and hit the Quick Pick option instead.

The two lucky winners were happy to secure much-needed financial relief but said that they do not plan on abandoning pursuing their dream jobs.